Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Powerful Design Principles And Processes: Lessons From A Case Of Ambitious Civics Education Curriculum Planning. A Response To "Reinventing The High School Government Course: Rigor, Simulations, And Learning From Text", Todd Dinkelman

Democracy & Education

In "Reinventing the High School Government Course," the authors presented the latest iteration of an ambitious AP government course developed over a seven-year design-based implementation research project. Chiefly addressed to curriculum developers and civics teachers, the article elaborates key design principles, provides a description of both the substance and structure of the course, and explains the pedagogical aims and practices of the course. I review this outstanding work by providing a discussion of what I think this research might do for the intended audience and close with a few considerations that extend the authors’ own questions and concerns about the …

Reducing Disparities By Way Of A Cancer Disparities Research Training Program, Lee S. Caplan, Tabia H. Akintobi, Tandeca K. Gordon, Tiffany Zellner, Selina A. Smith, Daniel S. Blumenthal

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: For minority populations, there is a continuing disparity in the burden of death and illness from cancer. Research to address this disparity should be conducted by investigators who can best understand and address the needs of culturally diverse communities. However, minorities are under-represented in health-related research. The goal of this project was to develop and evaluate an approach to motivating and preparing master’s degree students for careers dedicated to cancer disparities research.

Method: A Cancer Disparities Research Training Program (CDRTP) was initiated in 2010. The program consists of coursework, practicum experiences, and research opportunities. Assessment of the curriculum is …

1. Types Of Alignment: Presentations & Demos Assignment, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll

Sequence Alignments

Pairwise Alignment: DNA

Pairwise Alignment: Protein

Multiple Sequence Alignment: DNA

Multiple Sequence Alignment: Protein

Curriculum Design For Student Achievement, Jennifer Brown, Amy Mcdaniel, Michelle Jones

Education Grants Collections

This Grants Collection uses the grant-supported open course Curriculum Design for Student Achievement from Columbus State University:

http://columbusstate.libguides.com/EDAT6226

This Grants Collection for Critical and Contemporary Issues in Education was created under a Round Four ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials: …

Providing Adolescents With Outdoor Experiences To Deepen Nature Connection And Enhance Writing In Science, Amanda Ripa

Capstones, Research Projects, and Curricula

This action research study investigates the use of the nature journal with middle school students for three purposes: strengthen descriptive writing, engage observation and thinking, and bridge nature journaling and student’s connection to the natural world. This study describes an interdisciplinary unit in science and language arts focused on the study of seasons, climate, and weather. Nature journals were used as a scientific tool by students to collect data and make observations of nature related to course content. Action research data was collected from a subset of students using the student's nature journals, direct observations, pre and post intervention surveys, …

The 'Rules Of Engagement': The Ethical Dimension Of Doctoral Research, Christopher Berg

Journal of Research Initiatives

The pursuit of a doctorate is a rite of passage that requires a student to successfully navigate the transition from “student” to “scholar.” One area of practice, however, that is often marginalized is the role of ethics. Though there is no formal coursework in ethics, its importance cannot be understated. This essay examines the conceptual role of ethics in doctoral research as both an individual reflective essay as well as a broader discussion of ethics in general. The ethical dimension considered is broken down into eight principles or ethical research and practice in doctoral research. The “Eight Ethical Principles” will …

Steps In Time: An Exploration Of Tap Dance Education, Sara Pecina

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Tap dance is an indigenous American art form that not only holds a valuable presence in the world of entertainment but also boasts an important historical background. From the slave quarters on plantations to Hollywood’s silver screen, the development of tap dance mirrors the story of American history. Tap dance must be preserved because of its cultural significance in American history; likewise, it is imperative for dancers to understand its development in order to appreciate the art and for today’s artists to continue the growth and presence of tap dance in America. However, many dance educators today focus solely on …

Literacy And Citizenship: Helping Students Learn The Importance Of Being An Informed And Educated Citizen, Luke H. Schlegel

English and Creative Writing Summer Fellows

My project utilizes the concept of Understanding by Design, as outlined by education experts Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins, to craft a 12-week curriculum for high school junior and senior English students. McTighe and Wiggins use backwards planning to create long-term learning goals for students. Rather than superficially trying to cover a wide range of material in class, which results in short-term acquisition of knowledge mostly forgotten in the long run, McTighe and Wiggins focus on “big ideas,” that generate conceptual understanding. Ultimately, students will be able to transfer this knowledge to settings outside of the classroom. To help them …

Selected Works By Harriet Cuffaro, Miriam Raider-Roth, Jonathan Silin

Occasional Paper Series

Selected works by Harriet Cuffaro.

Introduction: Living A Philosophy Of Early Childhood Education - A Festschrift For Harriet Cuffaro, Miriam Raider-Roth, Jonathan Silin

Occasional Paper Series

This issue of the Occasional Paper Series is a Festschrift in honor of Harriet K. Cuffaro, a Bank Street College faculty member from 1968-1998. A Festschrift—a volume reflecting the values, theories, and passions of a senior scholar in a field—seeks to offer scholarship that builds on these contributions. Harriet Cuffaro has touched and shaped more lives of teachers, scholars, and colleagues than we can possibly count. A teacher in her soul, and an esteemed scholar of John Dewey, Harriet has “unfolded and connected” essential Deweyan ideas and made them accessible and meaningful in the lives of teachers. …

Quantitative Literacy At Michigan State University, 3: Designing General Education Mathematics Courses, Samuel L. Tunstall, Vincent Melfi, Jeffrey Craig, Richard Edwards, Andrew Krause, Bronlyn Wassink, Victor Piercey

Numeracy

In this paper, we describe the process at Michigan State University whereby we have created two courses, Math 101 and 102, designed to foster numeracy and alleviate mathematics anxiety. The courses--which are not sequential--provide a means of satisfying the University's general education requirement without taking college algebra or calculus, among other options. They are context-driven and broken into modules such as "The World and Its People" and "Health and Risk." They have been highly successful thus far, with students providing positive feedback on their interest in the material and the utility they see of it in their daily lives. We …

Wearable Technology And Schools: Where Are We And Where Do We Go From Here?, Brian K. Sandall

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

The area of wearable technology is having a rapidly growing impact on society with more consumers purchasing wearable tech. At the same time, wearable technology seems to be poised to have an impact on educational settings. This paper explores the area of wearable technology related to schools. It considers how wearable technology can be used by teachers to improve instruction and by students to change how they interact with the school environment. Wearable technology applications currently being implemented as part of the curriculum in schools are identified and discussed. To conclude, traits and skills that school leaders need to exhibit …

The Creative Warrior: A Holistic Approach To Health And Longevity, Daniel Robert Gray

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

When we look at artists in contemporary society it is unfortunate how many of them turn to drugs, alcohol, and suicide as a means to cope with and escape the world. Sadly, there are artists who never live long enough to have a career or share their brilliance with the world. This tragedy is the underlying motivation for this project. One of our goals at the school where I teach, Idyllwild Arts Academy, is to help prepare students for a life in the arts. For the most part we focus on the skills and concepts of their discipline. This …

Examining The Application Of Experiential Learning Techniques Across Sport Management Programs, Elizabeth Sattler

Theses and Dissertations

The Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) has identified experiential learning projects as an integral element to be included in sport management curriculum (COSMA, 2016). However, often the experiential learning opportunities offered by sport management programs are limited to a required internship experience (Foster & Dollar, 2010). While internship programs have been widely accepted and implemented by sport management programs (Eagleman & McNary, 2010), there is little evidence of the implementation of other experiential learning practices within sport management programs. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to investigate the widespread application of experiential learning practices of sport management faculty. …

Reinventing The High School Government Course: Rigor, Simulations, And Learning From Text, Walter C. Parker, Jane C. Lo

Democracy & Education

The high school government course is arguably the main site of formal civic education in the country today. This article presents the curriculum that resulted from a multiyear study aimed at improving the course. The pedagogic model, called Knowledge in Action, centers on a rigorous form of project-based learning where the projects are weeks-long simulations. The first section introduces the course and the study, the second describes the methodology and design principles, the third describes the political simulations that are the spine of the course, and the fourth examines implementation and design issues that emerged across the years. The …

Engaging The Gen. Y Student: Curriculum, Innovation And Challenges, Mary O'Rawe

Conference papers

Curriculum and pedagogy have been central to many contemporary debates on fostering student success. These themes are evident in discussions from policy level to the staffroom in many countries, and are particularly relevant in the mass higher education sector in the Republic of Ireland. However, a narrow treatment of the term curriculum can prevent the development of new understandings and effective learning. Central principles have emerged in debates around curriculum and innovation, with ‘student engagement’ evolving as a focal point in the search for a solution to tackle what are perceived to be problems of student disengagement particularly associated with …

Fosces: Adding Another Library Tile To The Medical School Mosaic, Alexandra Gomes, Thomas Harrod

Himmelfarb Library Faculty Posters and Presentations

The 2014 launch of the revised medical school curriculum provided new opportunities for librarians to collaborate with faculty. Due to past informatics instruction in the first year curriculum, we were invited to expand this content as part of a new formative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (FOSCE) initiative. This poster will describe the development and implementation of the FOSCE informatics curriculum.

In FOSCEs, small groups of students rotated through simulated patient encounters in order to demonstrate their clinical knowledge and skills. Due to simulation center logistics, students alternated between skills demonstration and informatics activities. The informatics component consisted of fifty minute …

Media Literacy Curriculum For The Adolescent Young Adult Classroom, Leah Oliver

Honors Projects

The American public education system has been lagging behind other developed nations in its implementation of media literacy curricula throughout all grade levels. As mass media outlets (including television, film, magazines, advertisements, and video games) become more prevalent in our society, the accompanying job market and the everyday use of electronic media platforms require high school and college graduates to have at least a basic understanding of how media can be used to disseminate information and to buy and sell products. Moreover, research studies in the field suggest that exposure to popular culture mass media can greatly influence teens’ self-esteem, …

An Analysis Of A Middle School Curriculum: Through The Lens Of Personal Responsibility, Social Responsibility, And Social Justice, Kristen Ashley Clark

Theses and Dissertations

One of the fundamental goals of 21st century schools is for students to become independent thinkers through the use of comprehensive academic curriculum that merges academic and social skills to prepare students to compete and engage in an increasingly changing world. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the ways in which three of Schwab’s four functions, social responsibility, personal responsibility, and social justice, were embedded and measured within core academic curriculum. The study also examined how teachers perceived students’ behaviors as a result of a social justice mindset.

The study was conducted using a traditional qualitative methodology …

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 …

Searching For Evidence-Based Practice: A Survey Of Empirical Studies On Curricular Interventions Measuring And Reporting Fidelity Of Implementation Published During 2004-2013, Lisa Foster, Tracy C. Missett

Faculty Publications and Presentations

In an environment of accountability, the development of evidence-based practices is expected. To demonstrate that a practice is evidence based, quality indicators of rigorous methodology should be present including indications that teachers implementing an intervention have done so with fidelity to its design. Because evidence-based practices assume fidelity of implementation (FOI), failure to establish FOI limits the conclusions that can be drawn from any outcome evaluation. This study surveys the gifted education literature to ascertain the degree to which FOI has been assessed, reported, and tied to measured outcomes in curriculum intervention efficacy studies and outcome evaluations. Of the 11 …

Smu's Pioneering Pedagogy, Smu-X, Recognised Globally For Innovation, Creativity And Impact, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Singapore Management University's innovative pedagogy, SMU-X, has been lauded by global accreditation body AACSB International as an 'innovation that inspires'. It is one of the 30 award-winning innovations that stood out from more than 300 submissions received from over 200 institutions across 35 countries. SMU is the only institution in Singapore, and one of three in Asia to be recognised in AACSB's inaugural 'innovations that inspire' initiative.

Augmented Reality And The Events Curriculum: The Students' Perspective, Mary O'Rawe, Alex Gibson

Conference papers

The emergence of Augmented Reality (AR) as a ground-breaking technology has transcended both business and academic sectors. Despite its rapid rise commercially, evidence of the benefits of AR in the classroom at higher education is slower to emerge, with only a limited focus to date on its specific relationship with curriculum development and learning outcomes. To respond to the changing characteristics of the higher education learning environment, and the shift towards mobile learning (M Learning) and ubiquitous learning (U Learning), it is clear that educators should reflect these trends in curriculum design and didactic methods. This paper presents the findings …

The Experiences Of Middle School Teachers With Integration Of Digital Media Into The Curriculum, Martha Sue Brothers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Middle school teachers at a school district integrated digital media into the math and literacy curriculum by using programs such as Success Maker and Reading 180 in the classroom. Teachers received training on best practices for integrating digital media in their teaching. No research had been conducted to examine the experiences of these middle school teachers with the integration of digital media into the curriculum. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to address that gap. The research questions focused on teachers' outlooks on digital media as a teaching tool and the instructional strategies they used. The conceptual framework …

The Notion And Practice Of Reputation And Professional Identity In Social Networking: From K-12 Through Law School, Roberta Bobbie Studwell

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Nsu Early Literacy And Reading Education Curriculum 2016, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

How Can We Teach About The Holocaust To Seven To Ten Year Olds?, Eleanor Hersh

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Teaching about the Holocaust in a school setting is a debated topic. When and how to approach and teach the subject is not always agreed upon. In this research paper and unit plan you can see how a teacher can teach the Holocaust to children aged seven to ten.

Instructionally Dense Literacy Practice In The Middle Grades: A Qualitative Study, Marissa A. Jorgenson

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

This qualitative, practitioner inquiry examined how a group of novice and experienced middle-grade reading teachers integrated facets of instructional density (Pressley, Wharton-McDonald, & Mistretta-Hampston, 1997) into their practice. Instructional density is a descriptor of effective teaching whereby practitioners layer their instruction in individual lessons with other elements of the curriculum. This occurs in the planning of instruction as well as during dialogic exchanges with students that are the natural outcrop of instruction. The researcher’s role was to conduct a series of observations and post-observation reflections and provide coaching that helped participants generate understanding of instructional density and how it could …

3: "The Current Extinction: Defaunation & Ecosystem Disruption", Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Ecosystem Disruption & Climate Change

Information taken from: Dirzo, R. et al (2014). Defaunation in the Anthropocene. Science, 345(401).

Scientists estimate, conservatively, that there are 5 to 9 million different animal species on the planet. But that number is continually changing, and unfortunately, dropping, as we are likely losing 11,000- 58,000 species annually, and evidence suggests that on average, there has been a decline of about 28% in terms of numbers of individuals within a species over the last four decades. Both of these statistics are vitally important. The critical nature of the first is perhaps more obvious, as total loss of a species is …

2a: "Illinois Carbon Dioxide Emissions Activity", Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Ecosystem Disruption & Climate Change

Your goal for this activity is to compare the different sources of carbon dioxide emissions, stemming from the consumption of fossil fuels, in Illinois. To do this you will be working with data spanning from 1980 to 2012.