Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Ua35/3 Provost's Message, Wku Provost

WKU Administration Documents

Spring 2025 Provost's Messages issued to faculty & staff via email. Topics include awards, budget cuts, grants, Transdisciplinary Opportunity Program and administrative decisions.

Perceptions Of Agricultural Extension Practitioners After Undergoing Andragogical Training In Malawi, Lisa Kaslon, Nathan W. Conner, Catherine Mthinda, Limson Kaluzi, Austen Moore

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The effectiveness of Extension work is highly dependent on the preparedness and professional competencies of Extension practitioners. One area of training that is of importance to Extension practitioners is adult learning. According to Malcolm Knowles, andragogy is the art and science of adult learning. This study looked at the principles of adult learning necessary for effective Extension programming. Twenty Extension practitioners were trained in andragogical principles, and their perceptions of using andragogy to redesign Extension programming were examined. The researchers found that, upon training, Extension practitioners felt that andragogical principles would help Extension work to be viewed more positively …

Understanding Undergraduate Aspirations For Law Enforcement Careers And Motivation In The Classroom, Gabriella N. Burt

Honors Thesis

This study investigates the factors shaping undergraduate student interest in law enforcement careers. By surveying students from various Midwestern universities, this research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between social influences, gender, and curricular exposure in shaping law enforcement career aspirations. Specifically, it examines how motivations for pursuing a public service career, external influences, and background characteristics shape career interest overall. The study also examines how these factors shape career interest between men and women and overall motivation to engage with specific law enforcement course topics. Findings inform policy and curriculum design.

Teaching Art Beyond The Hierarchy: How “Big Ideas” Combat Cultural Appropriation, Carlie Pearson

Institute for the Humanities Master's Papers, Projects, and Capstones

[First paragraph] As an art educator who has worked with children aged 5-18 in the public-school setting, I find myself constantly assessing and reevaluating my practices. When I was in high school and falling in love with the world of visual art, I had a teacher who introduced me to the beautiful and sacred art of mandala making. We learned about how Buddhist Monks create massive works with colorful sand, and I was shocked to hear that the pieces are traditionally swept away upon completion. When I started my first full time teaching position seven years ago at a high …

Ethical Ai Use And Classroom Integration Training Modules, Daniel Boudon

Open Educational Resources

This project focuses on developing comprehensive training modules to equip students and faculty with the knowledge and skills necessary to ethically and effectively use AI tools in academic settings. The training consists of interconnected modules that cover a wide range of topics, including the ethical use of AI, evaluating AI-generated content, integrating AI tools into curriculum design, and creating AI-enhanced classroom activities. Additional modules emphasize fostering digital literacy, staying updated with AI advancements, and collaborating on best practices for AI in education.

Designed for flexibility, the modules cater to diverse academic disciplines, making them suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses, …

Leading And Collaborating In A Complex Space: Developing And Evaluating A Course Materials Program, Catherine Fraser Riehle, Melissa Gomis

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Librarians at a large public university describe ongoing efforts to develop a strategic, multi-pronged Libraries Course Materials Program to reduce course material costs for students. These efforts include the integration of course materials in the university’s learning management system in addition to offering course materials reviews, consultations, and grant opportunities for instructors. A pilot program in the College of Business provided a path for direct outreach to instructors as well as significant potential student cost savings and revealed challenges related to communication and recruitment. Authors share their approach to program evaluation for understanding and communicating impact and for estimating the …

Construct Validity, Test-Retest Reliability, And Inter-Rater Objectivity Of The Swimming Competence Assessment Scale (Scas), Jon Sundan, Håvard Lorås, Monika Haga

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

This study aimed to investigate the construct validity, test-retest reliability, and inter-rater reliability of a newly developed and comprehensive instrument for assessment of children’s swimming competence. The Swimming Competence Assessment Scale (SCAS) consists of six consecutive test items (entry, swim on front, surface dive, float, swim on back and exit) that aligns with the Norwegian curricular standard of swimming competence. The exploratory factor analysis retained a unidimensional model, supporting one underlaying statistical dimension with acceptable internal consistency (α = 0.79). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between test and retest ranged from .84 to .98, and .97 for the total score. Strong …

"Feel For The Water": What Is It, Really?, Robert Keig Stallman, Kristine De Martelaer

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The phrase, 'feel for the water,' is commonly used. But what does it really mean? The traditional idea of this 'feel' focuses on the sensation of touch and use of the hands to produce propulsion. But what about water resistance? Mastering a feel for how to reduce resistance is equally important as the unique relationship between aquatic propulsion and resistance is of great importance. While being in the water, the effects of gravity and buoyancy also need to be perceived by the learner and taught by the instructor. Reflection on the effects on propulsion-resistance and gravity-buoyancy requires relevant exercises to …

Water Orientation Skills And Basic Safety And Swimming Skills Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kelle L. Murphy, Min Liu

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Drowning is the leading cause of death among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study examined water orientation (i.e., comfort level), water safety, and beginning swimming skills of individuals with ASD of ages ranging from 3 to 13 years using the Aquatic Orientation Checklist (AOC) (Kilian et al., 1984). Data were collected during consecutive Fall and Spring semesters. A total of 23 children (n = 15 boys; n = 8 girls) volunteered for the study. Lessons were conducted twice a week for 10 weeks continuously and each lesson was 45 minutes in length. Overall, the swimming program had …

In This Issue 14:4, Stephen J. Langendorfer Ph.D.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

In This Issue 14:4

The Perceived Benefits Of And Barriers To Open-Water Swimming: A Mixed-Methods Examination, David Elliott Ph.D, Mark A. Christie Ph.D

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

This study set out to determine the perceived benefits of, and barriers to, open-water swimming (OWS). Adopting a mixed-methods approach, six hundred and sixty-five open-water swimmers responded to an online survey consisting of the Exercise Benefits and Barriers Scale (EBBS) and a series of open-ended questions. Data from the EBBS revealed the strongest perceived benefits to be ‘Psychological Outlook’ and ‘Life Enhancement.’ In terms of barriers, those presented in the EBBS received low ratings with only ‘Physical Exertion’ considered as being somewhat problematic. Content analysis performed on the open-ended responses showed social aspects, mental well-being, and connection to nature as …

Evaluation Of Online Information On The Cold Shock Response To Accidental Immersion In Cold Water, Adam Wilson, Heather Massey, Clare M. Eglin

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Many of the UK open water accidental deaths have been attributed to the initial responses to cold water immersion (CWI) collectively known as the cold shock response (CSR). The aim of this study was to analyse the publicly available internet information on CWI and CSR for accuracy and quality compared to the ‘gold standard’ published, peer-reviewed research. Seventy-eight webpages which provided information in English on unexpected CWI and CSR were evaluated. Webpages were accessible, widely available, and had appropriate readability scores. Webpage accuracy was suboptimal including only presenting on average 10 (range 3-16) CSR components out of 19. Quality of …

A Preventionist Framework For Reducing Drowning: A Case For Parenting Interventions, Miriam G. Clark, Linda Quan, Patricia Chamberlain

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Drowning is preventable but still claims the lives of over 300,000 people worldwide every year. The purpose of this theoretical review paper is threefold: 1) discuss the theoretical framework for a multi-faceted system of prevention; 2) discuss the importance of parenting, a crucial area where current drowning prevention research is falling short in this multi-faceted approach; and 3) discuss how evidence-based practices from psychosocial parenting research could be used to create drowning prevention interventions that support parents to implement water safety practices in their families. Practical ideas for integrating psychosocial parent interventions with drowning prevention knowledge are discussed. Such interventions …

Storytelling As Research Methodology And Pedagogy: Connecting The Researcher And Practitioner Through Narrative Inquiry, David Wolff

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

The most effective teachers are reflective teachers. Reflective teachers are curious about their pedagogy and their impact on student learning and often seek out opportunities to formalize their reflective process and share their stories about their teaching practices. Teachers’ knowledge is founded in their stories of experience (Ciuffetelli et al., 2011). The author positions themselves as the researcher in this autoethnographic narrative inquiry, or self-study. As the researcher, they use the narrative inquiry methodology to study themselves and explore the learning process of using storytelling in their Social Studies methods course in a Teacher Education program while exploring the research …

Accessibility Disclosure Statements: Best Practices For Documenting Inclusive And Accessible Web-Based Research Design, Alicia Mason, Elizabeth Spencer, Pan Liu, Kristen Livingston, Sakshi Bhati, Angela Ashmore, Tristan A. Spencer, Lauren Shepard

Faculty Submissions

Accessibility disclosure is a core principle of the Project IRIS Best Practice Framework. This instructional resource-- Accessibility Disclosure Statements: Best Practices for Documenting Inclusive Web-Based Research Design-introduces options for reporting accessible web-based research design efforts in scholarly and professional publications. The three forms of accessibility disclosure statements are introduced: summary statements, reports of analysis--both general and specific-, and detailed process descriptions. Each of these strategies including terms, conceptual definitions, and examples are provided. The instructional resource may be of interest to undergraduate and graduate course instructors teaching research methods courses in a variety of social science disciplines.

Heritage Language Learners In The Foreign Language Classroom, Annabel Noar

Journal of Graduate Education Research

Heritage language learners are a heterogenous group themselves, and prevalent contrasts exist between them and foreign language learners. This presents challenges for the amalgamation of heritage language learners and foreign language learners within a single language classroom. Reviewing relevant literature, this paper discusses the differences between heritage language learners and foreign language learners, and how these can be accounted for by educators. It argues that, without specific, individualised differentiation, the foreign language classroom is inappropriate for the heritage language learner due to its inability to sufficiently account for their heterogeneity, diverse backgrounds and unique motivations for language learning. The difficulty …

The Effect Of Age Of Acquisition On The Development Of Lexical Attainment And Oral Proficiency In English As L2 In Adult Native Arabic Speakers, Mona Ahmed Kamar El-Zaman

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the influence of the age of acquisition (AoA) on the development of lexical attainment and oral proficiency in English as a second language (L2) among adult native Arabic speakers, focusing on classroom foreign language learners within the Egyptian context. AoA, a critical variable in second language acquisition (SLA) research, is explored in relation to two key domains: lexical knowledge and oral proficiency. The study examines the role of AoA and AoA related effects, such as the order of bilingualism and the length of exposure to rich language input (LoE) as a confounding factor. Through a mixed-methods approach, …

Building An Inclusive Community: Hosting An International Graduate Student Orientation, Adelia B. Grabowsky, Liza J. Weisbrod, Timothy Dodge, Juliet T. Rumble

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

In 2018, library faculty at a large, public land grant university formed a working group tasked with assessing the information needs of graduate students and implementing action plans to support this user population. From the beginning, the librarians recognized that graduate students are not a homogeneous group. Desiring a more nuanced understanding of these students, they held focus groups in 2019 to explore students’ experiences with navigating graduate school and, more specifically, the University library. One sub-group of particular interest to them was international graduate students, who make up a sizable percentage of the graduate student population on campus. International …

Teaching Information Literacy In A Genai World: A 5cs Framework For Fostering Critical Engagement, Paul Cook, Adam Maksl

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Teaching Information Literacy in a GenAI World:
A 5Cs Framework for Fostering Critical Engagement

This interactive workshop will equip participants with a robust framework for teaching students the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the modern, multifaceted information ecosystems upon which GenAI is built and operates. The 5Cs of news literacy (context, creation, content, circulation, and consumption), as outlined in Tully, Maksl, Ashley, Vraga, and Craft (2021), will be adapted to information literacy more broadly and we will explain how that framework presents an excellent foundation upon which broader information literacy knowledge and skills can be built. As GenAI becomes …

Teaching The Information Has Value Frame Through The Price Is Right, Kevin J. Reagan, Dawn ("Nikki") Cannon-Rech

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

When navigating library resources, students often remain unaware of the cost of information, particularly scholarly academic journal articles– and rightly so, given that the mission of the library is to provide patrons with free access to information. Part of the ACRL Framework, nevertheless, entails teaching students about issues with lack of information access, which can be difficult to teach in higher education, where students might have never lacked access to quality information sources. To teach students about the cost of information and the economic factors that prevent some from accessing information, two academic librarians integrated the Information Has Value Frame …

From The Stacks To Student Success: Understanding Faculty Perceptions Of Collection Management And Its Impact On Student Use Of Library Resources, Alyshia K. Bagley, Jessica L. Swaringen

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Effective collection management is vital for a library’s ability to support the evolving needs of its academic community. Faculty engagement with library resources plays a crucial role in how students access and benefit from these collections. This research seeks to identify gaps between faculty understanding of collection management practices and their influence on student use of library resources.

This study will explore how faculty perceive collection management at GS Libraries, examining factors that shape their views and their subsequent impact on teaching, research, and collaboration with library staff. Following a review of existing literature, a survey containing quantitative and qualitative …

Engaging Students With Interdisciplinary Learning Community Project For Freshman Composition And Digital Media Students, Hsi-Ling Huang, Xin Xu

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Studies have shown that Learning Communities have many benefits, including “[f]ostering workforce skills, encouraging problem-solving skills, and increasing retention and success” for both faculty and students (Dodge and Kendall, College Teaching, 2004). In this project, we created an interdisciplinary Learning Community Project that allowed a Freshman Composition (FC) course to pair with a Digital Media (DM) course (Sophomore students) for students to work on a mini magazine. Students in FC were writers whose tasks focusing on writing and researching, whereas students in DM were copy editors whose tasks focusing on graphic design and layout. The goal was for students …

Empowering Learners, Shaping The Future: Cultivating Metaliteracy Across The Curriculum, Vivian Bynoe, Jessica L. Swaringen, Lauren Mcmillan

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

The rapid evolution of the information landscape requires students to be adaptable to a complex information environment. Students are not just information users but also informants and creators who act based on their social identities and social power (Oliphant, 2021). As educators, part of our responsibility involves empowering students to take ownership of the learning process, not only in the classroom but in ways that transfer to their everyday lives. Students who enter the college classroom may or may not be equipped with important 21st century skills such as those identified by the P21 framework for 21st century learning (Soulé, …

The Disinformation Vaccine: A Case For Integrating Comprehensive Disinformation Education Into First Year Writing Classes, Benjamin F. Jackson

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Students’ exposure to disinformation and misinformation is far greater than it has ever been. As the ability of generative AI to produce image, video, and audio deepfakes grows more sophisticated, disinformation will become even easier to spread and harder to detect. The rapid spread of social, political, scientific, and medical disinformation has been deadly and its potential is disastrous. Security experts now warn that dis/misinformation is the greatest threat to national security. Americans at large and students in particular have a demonstrated lack of information literacy when it comes to detecting false information, and bad actors nationally and globally are …

Navigating The Hidden Curriculum: A Partnership For Student Success At Coastal Carolina University, Kimberly Foster, Loren Mixon

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

As librarians who do a significant amount of introductory-level library instruction, over the years we have become aware of some gaps in students’ understanding of certain “hidden curriculum” skills. First introduced in the 1960’s, “the term hidden curriculum refers to attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge that are covertly or unintentionally learned through the schooling process” (Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice, 2014). We have found that many students have never encountered an academic article prior to coming to college, and lack the “hidden curriculum” skills to properly read and understand these types of articles. Our goal, in collaboration with the Student …

Measuring Outreach In Unexpected Places, Renee Cole Montgomery, Chereeka Garner, Katy A. Miller

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

The University of Central Florida hosts one of the largest student bodies in the nation. Just looking at the numbers, it may seem like every library event is a huge success. However, when you compare this with the number of students represented, it becomes apparent that we are only reaching a fraction of the students who attend the university. For this reason, librarians are always looking for ways to reach as many students as possible. One of the best methods to develop meaningful programming is to ask students themselves what they want to experience.

To collect as much student feedback …

Weeding Out Dishonesty: Rhetoric And Information Literacy For The Age Of Disinformation, Victoria M. Tischio

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

We live in what some call a post-fact world where what is presented as true becomes true and circulates widely. Politicians lie because they have calculated that they gain more than they lose, and media outlets repeat those lies because they profit from them (Adair 2024). Fear and suspicion make individuals vulnerable to these lies (Young 2017). Like an invasive species, it is nearly impossible to eradicate these lies once released into the media ecosystem. While fake news is not new (think P.T. Barnum and 17th-century canards), its virulence has reached epidemic proportions, infiltrating all aspects of society. This constitutes …

Enhancing Engagement With Ux/Ui Design: How The Laws Of Ux Inform Information Literacy, Laura A. Palmer, Tyler M. Eckert

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

This presentation will draw on a case study in which a recent graduate of a user experience design (UXD) program was able to apply UXD principles and research practices to increase the discoverability of training materials used by a library consortium. The case study presented will demonstrate to educators and students the importance of learning how UX laws can inform best practices for development, assessment, and iteration of digital spaces. Attendees will learn how laws/heuristics drawn from UXD play a critical role in ensuring that resources are accessible, intuitive, and engaging.

Our case study centers on how a library consortium …

Harnessing The Power Of Chatgpt To Streamline Reference And Research Librarian Workflows: Sample Productivity Use Case Scenarios And Their Roi, Ladislava Khailova

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

After the public release of ChatGPT by OpenAI in November 2022, GenAI systems have been applied and tested in a wide variety of contexts, including those aimed at increasing workplace productivity. In fact, some studies estimate the GenAI enhancements to work functions to generate a shocking additional trillions of dollars annually in the nearest future, with the knowledge work industry especially likely to be impacted. This presentation uses these predictions to look into the potential of ChatGPT to enhance reference and research librarian workflows. The specific explored productivity use case scenarios include harnessing the power of the chatbot to streamline …

Teaching The Researched Family Profile Essay As Meaningful Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy And Counterstory, Amy L. Garrett Brown

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

My students have been asked to create a researched narrative about their family history (the definition of “family” is loose and includes families of choice) using personal interviews, artifacts, research and reflection. They will mix the voices of their family members with the voices of scholars and historians from the university library and databases. This is a conversation. In many ways, these are counterstories. In order to focus on using Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Alim and Paris) with this assignment, I thought about several of the tenets of CSP: “Instead of being oppressive, homogenizing forces, CSP asks us to reimagine schools …