Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

The Effect Of Oral Feedback On Perceived Classroom Community In Undergraduate Students, Jennifer Boyles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The ongoing trend in research regarding feedback has been to explore quantitative assessment. Garnering support more recently is qualitative narrative feedback in support of formative assessment. This type of feedback offers insight into expectations as well as offer additional knowledge gained. It enables students to improve their performance with its timeliness and clarity. Research in the area of oral feedback for college students as a more effective formative assessment and tool for learning is needed. This study examined the effects of oral feedback on the students in four undergraduate courses at a public university in Florida. 68 students were recruited …

Comparing Traditional And Year-Round Academic Calendars In Regard To Student Achievement In Two Virginia High Schools: Is There A Difference?, Gregory Morin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined possible differences between a traditional and a year-round academic calendar with regard to student achievement in two suburban high schools in northern Virginia. This study’s importance derives from the fact that additional exploration is needed in order to more fully explore the potential loss of learned knowledge and diminished retention and recall of instructional material in students who experience an extended summer vacation period as part of a traditional school calendar. The purpose of this non-experimental, ex post facto, causal-comparative study was to test the theory of German psychologist, Hermann Ebbinghaus, called the spacing effect as it …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Impact Of The South Carolina U.S. History End Of Course Exam On High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Autonomy And Self-Efficacy, Debra Whitmore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to describe the impact of the South Carolina U.S. History End of Course Exam (EOCE) on teachers’ perceptions of autonomy and self-efficacy for high school U.S. History teachers in the Midlands region of South Carolina. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s (1994) theory of self-efficacy as it explained the relationship between self-efficacy and effectiveness. There were 12 participants in this study who shared the lived experience of the U.S. History EOCE and related policies. Data were collected through individual interviews, focus group interviews, and relevant documents. The data were analyzed through …

Effects Of The Afterschool Program On Student Achievement Of Students With Disabilities In A Rural Georgia Middle School, Constance Franklin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental causal comparative research study is to determine if there is a statistically significant difference in reading and math achievement as measured by the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students with disabilities (SWD) who attended the afterschool program of one rural Georgia middle school when compared to sixth, seventh, and eighth grade SWD who did not attend the program. The results of this research are important because they will identify practices used in the specified afterschool program to improve the academic achievement of SWD. A quantitative research method using …

Academy Of Reading® Impact On Student Achievement In Extended Learning Program, Latrasha Palmer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this casual-comparative study was to assess the effectiveness of Academy of READING® (AOR) on eighth grade Response to Intervention students using third nine-week benchmark scaled score and Criterion Reference Competency Test scaled score. The data collected from a public middle-school in rural Georgia revealed how student achievement, gender, and socioeconomic status were impacted by AOR. AOR participants, the treatment group, received 45 minutes of research-based computer intervention while the control, non-participating AOR, did not receive computer-based instruction during extended learning. This study compared differences in the mean scaled scores for at-risk students using an independent samples t-test. …

How Do Former Undergraduate Mentors Evaluate Their Mentoring Experience 3-Years Post-Mentoring: A Phenomenological Study, Kari L. Nelson, Christine E. Cutucache

The Qualitative Report

This phenomenological study involves a unique, longitudinal assessment of the lived experiences of former undergraduate mentors (n=7) in light of their current experiences (i.e., career or advanced schooling). The objective of a phenomenological study is to engage in in-depth probing of a representative number of participants. Specifically, we followed up with graduates of the Nebraska STEM 4U (NE STEM 4U) intervention 3 years post-program, with the overall goal of describing the mentors’ experiences using the lens of their current experiences. This type of longitudinal perspective of mentoring is greatly lacking in the current literature. At the time of the interviews, …

Amalgamating Information Technology With Library Services In The School Environment: A Learning Commons Transformative Model, Alexander Tabor Jones

All Theses And Dissertations

At a private New York City school, a library becomes the nucleus for students and faculty engagement with technology and support. This synthesis of modern technology fused with a traditional source for knowledge emerged a hub of creativity, collaborative activity, and participation known as the Learning Commons (LC).

This study was inspired by the need to explore the teachers’ and staff perceptions of the new LC, or implementation of the Learning Commons Transformative Model (LCTM). The researcher sought to evaluate the newly designed space and the influence it had on teachers’ instruction and subsequent student learning outcomes. This model set …

Coaching Secondary Teachers To Engage Students By Incorporating Storytelling Into Content-Area Instruction, Jane Dearani Calnan

All Theses And Dissertations

Currently, school leaders are being called to action to find ways of improving the literacy achievement of today’s youth in response to the escalating number of students exiting high school unprepared for postsecondary educational programs and the workforce. Literacy coaching, as an embedded professional development model is one effective approach that can provide essential leadership and support for school and district-wide literacy reform. This qualitative single case study considers secondary literacy coaching in situ (in the natural setting) as a professional development model and the extent to which it supports the integration of literacy practices within disciplinary subjects. This study …

Quality Function Deployment And Proactive Quality Techniques Applied To University Lectures To Improve Student Feedback, Kenneth Witcher, Elena Navarro, Beverly Wood, Ian Mcandrew

Publications

Lecturing and instruction to students at university has traditionally been based on qualifications, experience and position of academics within ones department or college. The higher the level and more advanced the subject then the most experienced lecturers are traditionally selected for that task. Visiting lecturers are never asked to teach basic mathematics or science, they are to share their experience and enlighten the students from a vast knowledge and history. This paper reviews and discusses Kano’s model with Quality Function Deployment related to customer satisfaction and compares if the traditional approach is in keeping with university practice. Furthermore, it argues …

New Design Principles For Mobile History Games, Owen Gottlieb

Presentations and other scholarship

This study draws on design-based research on an ARIS–based mobile augmented reality game for teaching early 20th century history. New design principles derived from the study include the use of supra-reveals, and bias mirroring. Supra-reveals are a kind of foreshadowing event in order to ground historical happenings in the wider enduring historical understanding. Bias mirroring refers to a nonplayer character echoing back a player’s biased behavior, in order to open the player to listening to alternative perspectives. Supra-reveals engendered discussion of historical themes early in the game experience. The results showed that use of a cluster of NPC bias mirroring …

Narrating Neoliberalism: Alternative Education Teachers’ Conceptions Of Their Changing Roles, Noah Asher Golden

Education Faculty Articles and Research

The signifier ‘alternative’ in education has largely shifted from progressive or humanizing pedagogies to deficit framings requiring alternate graduation criteria. This development is part of broader neoliberal educational reform efforts that disrupt longstanding conceptions of teachers’ roles. This study serves to investigate long-term teachers’ understandings of their shifting roles in one secondary-level alternative education program in New York City. Specifically, this narrative analysis study explores participating teachers’ meanings around agency and their ability to form the relationships that they argue are central to meaningful pedagogies. Findings demonstrate a sense of loss regarding teacher agency and relationships, and a belief that …

The Language Of Learning In Family And Consumer Sciences: English Language Learners In Career Technical Education, Kali S. Lenhoff

Empowering Research for Educators

Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) content and English as a Second Language (ESL) strategies can be organically incorporated to create a successful education for an English Language Learner (ELL). The first objective of this research project is to discover how prepared Family and Consumer Sciences teachers feel to work with English Language Learners in the classroom. The second objective is to identify practical and effective methods and strategies that are useful for Family and Consumer Sciences teachers instructing English Language Learners. The rationale for this project is that by identifying the challenges faced by English Language Learners in education, teachers …

Music Education For Students With Disabilities: A Guide For Teachers, Parents, And Students, Kaitlin A. Merck, Ryan M. Johnson

The Corinthian

The purpose of this paper is to provide some ideas, resources, and support for accommodating students with disabilities in music classes, including performing ensembles. First, we provide an overview of special education in America with a particular emphasis on music education. Next, we describe current inclusion practices that are used within the music classroom. Finally, we provide information for three groups of people involved in the music education of learners with special needs: learners, parents, and music teachers. It is hoped that this resource will be useful in making it possible to include students of all types in American music …

Entertainment-Education Videos As A Persuasive Tool In The Substance Use Prevention Intervention "Keepin' It Real", Youngju Shin, Michelle Miller-Day, Michael L. Hecht, Janice L. Krieger

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Based on social cognitive theory and narrative engagement theory, the current study examined hypothesized indirect effects of engagement with keepin’ it REAL (kiR) curriculum entertainment–education (E–E) videos on youth alcohol use via youth drug offer refusal efficacy. Students in 7th grade (N = 1,464) at 25 public schools in two Midwestern states were randomly assigned to one of the two versions of the kiR curriculum, the kiR urban version and the kiR rural version. Each version had their own set of five culturally-grounded E–E videos depicting communicative skills to refuse drug offers. Differential effects for engagement components …

Stayers, Leavers, Lovers, And Dreamers: Why People Teach And Why They Stay - 2004 Barbara Biber Lecture, Marilyn Cochran-Smith

Occasional Paper Series

Marilyn Cochran-Smith delivers the Barbara Biber Lecture at Bank Street College in memorial of her legacy as a researcher, scholar, and leader in progressive education. Cochran-Smith focuses on what lies at the heart of teaching and learning on an individual level as well as what it will take to improve the current state of urban schools. Her main points address teacher retention and differences among generations of teachers.

Understanding And Motivating Generation Z Students, Daniel Guberman, Eria Layow

IMPACT Presentations

Presented at Lilly conference "Designing Effective Teaching" in Bethesda, MD. Assesses characteristics associated with Gen Z students and connects them with concepts from Cognitive theory.

A Grounded Theory For Creating Adolescent Readers, Cheryl Tacy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to discover the impact on adolescent reading motivation as students were given an opportunity to select recreational reading material and read consistently during class time. This study also explored the motivational impact of student engagement from dialogue with peers about their reading content to help students gain a clearer understanding of their reading. Research data were collected from public high school students in grades 9-12 who were enrolled in an elective class or 11th or 12th grade English courses and provided feedback about exposing students to a variety of options for …

Public Schools, And Health Care: A Strategy To Promote Social Inclusion, Jana Sladkova, Anahi Viladrich, Nicholas Freudenberg

Occasional Paper Series

Sladkova, Viladrich, and Freudenberg refer to “social inclusion” as the process through which the newly arrived find their voice in an already complex, cacophonous society. They describe an approach to social inclusion for adult immigrants that melds learning English at the same time as learning to negotiate our often-Byzantine health care system. They highlight programs that work and a new perspective on how to maximize the effectiveness of limited adult education opportunities.

Neighborhood Strategizing: Understanding Community Collaborations Within California Bay Area Public Schools, Windi Hazzard

Master's Projects and Capstones

For the better half of a century, education policy has been guided by economics and profit. One after another, every U.S. president since the 1960s has championed legislation that reflects neoliberal ideals of competition and profitable skills. Through the standardization of the public school system, education has become a marketplace rather than an environment for cultivating empowered learners and critical thinkers. The purpose of this field project is to show how communities are challenging the current education system in order to influence education policy in San Francisco, California. I interviewed four participants from two organizations that advocate parents’ rights as …

Time Travel, Labour History, And The Null Curriculum: New Design Knowledge For Mobile Augmented Reality History Games, Owen Gottlieb

Articles

This paper presents a case study drawn from design-based research (DBR) on a mobile, place-based augmented reality history game. Using DBR methods, the game was developed by the author as a history learning intervention for fifth to seventh graders. The game is built upon historical narratives of disenfranchised populations that are seldom taught, those typically relegated to the 'null curriculum'. These narratives include the stories of women immigrant labour leaders in the early twentieth century, more than a decade before suffrage. The project understands the purpose of history education as the preparation of informed citizens. In paying particular attention to …

Beyond Socioeconomic Status: The Impact Of Principal Leadership In Urban And High Poverty Turnaround Schools, Mojisola Adejumo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The quest to transform failing urban and high-poverty schools in America has been a slippery uphill battle since the banner of war was raised against the many schools serving impoverished children. As battle rages, a few are schools leading their students, teachers, parents, and community to victory by turning their once-failing schools into institutions of academic excellence. However, the shouts of victory and strategic planning that led to their success have been overlooked or relegated to mere happenstance. As these successful schools claim unchartered territories of success, a quick glance at the battlefield reveals the reality that the battle is …

Analysis Of Graded Gross Anatomy Dissections And Demonstrations As A Supplemental Educational Tool, Stephanie Leanne Cummings

Theses & Dissertations

Teaching and assessment modalities for human anatomy curriculums vary between schools. The University of Nebraska Medical Center utilizes an integrated gross anatomy lab curriculum including hands-on dissection, lecture, and 3-D models. The GCBA 909 course, Human Gross Anatomy Lab, just recently incorporated graded dissections and demonstrations into their master of medical anatomy (MMA) curriculum. Students were required to complete and demonstrate eight additional dissections compared to physician assistant (PA), physical therapy (PT) students. Upon completion of these dissections, students were assessed based on the quality of their dissections and were also required to demonstrate the cadaveric dissections to anatomy faculty …

Student Engagement And Post-College Outcomes: A Comparison Of Formative And Reflective Models, Courtney Sanders

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Student engagement is a complex construct that is thought to be related to positive outcomes during and after college. Previous research has defined engagement in diverse ways and there are inconsistencies in the models that are used to measure this construct. Many studies have used a reflective measurement model (i.e., exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis), wherein changes in a latent construct are thought to precede and in some sense, explain variation in observed variables. Others have argued that engagement is best measured using a formative model in which the relationship flows in the opposite direction. In other words, within formative …

Integrating Implementation Fidelity And Learning Improvement To Enhance Students’ Ethical Reasoning Abilities, Kristen L. Smith

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Examples of demonstrable student learning improvement in higher education are rare (Banta, Jones, & Black, 2009; Banta & Blaich, 2011). Perhaps because outcomes assessment practices are disconnected from pedagogy, curriculum, and learning improvement. Through partnership with the Madison Collaborative, the current study aimed to bridge this disconnect. Specifically, researchers applied implementation fidelity methodologies (O’Donnell, 2008) to an academic program, under the guiding framework of the Simple Model for Learning Improvement (Fulcher, Good, Coleman, & Smith, 2014). In doing so, researchers helped faculty create and elucidate an ethical reasoning educational intervention and accompanying fidelity checklist. Both were well-aligned with a University-level …

Women's Education: An International Perspective, Nneka B. Dean

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study is to dissect a topic that is heavily discussed around the world: women’s education and the many diverse ways in which it is practiced. One of the reasons women’s education is such a highly-debated topic is because there are still many differences in how people believe it should be accomplished while other places do not see the advantage or purpose of educating women. There are many countries with male dominated enrollment because of the women’s traditionally-held gender role of staying at home or because the family’s socioeconomic status. This study compared the experiences of women’s …

A Well-Rounded Experience: Connecting The Home Campus To The Study Abroad Experience And The Study Abroad Experience To The Home Campus, Mary Aurora Grandinetti

Capstone Collection

Many small liberal arts colleges across the United States partner with third-party providers or foreign institutions to provide their students with an opportunity to study abroad. Denison University, a small liberal arts school in Ohio, traditionally sends 50% of its student body to study abroad before they graduate. Since students have the option to spend a semester or two participating in study abroad, it is important for the students to be well prepared, for the experience to be integrated into their overall Denison education and for the students to transition back to campus successfully. To determine how students were preparing …

Inclusive Teaching Strategies: An Evaluation Of Course Structure And Summative Assessment In Introductory Biology, Oluwaseun O. Agboola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Several active learning strategies have been used when increasing the structure of a course as increasing course structure has been known to improve student learning in introductory STEM courses. Much has been studied on the value of frequent formative assessment; however, few studies have evaluated the effective modes of delivering summative assessment. This study examines the use of summative assessment as an inclusive teaching practice to improve first generation college student success in introductory biology and also uses faculty surveys to find out how instructors structure their introductory biology course and why they are structured that way. Final exams were …

"Y'All And All These Assessments Is A Little Bit Too Much" : The Effects Of High-Stakes Testing On Critical Literacy Pedagogy., Diana Lalata

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

As the United States of America becomes increasingly diverse, there is a need for teachers to embrace multiculturalism within the classroom. Shifting away from the traditional “banking model” of teaching, educational researchers call for a more critical approach—one in which teachers and students challenge dominant beliefs and practices of education. Foregrounded in those aims of cultural competence and critical consciousness, “critical literacy pedagogy” addresses the politicization of literacy education and employs conscious curriculum and teaching strategies to empower marginalized voices. Although a number of case studies on critical literacy pedagogy show considerable promise in disrupting dominant discourse and developing cultural …

Elementary Teachers' Participation In Edmodo As A Community Of Practice: A Phenomenology, Cynthia Reasoner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the shared, lived experience of elementary teachers’ participation in Edmodo as a community of practice. The theoretical framework guiding this research included Lave and Wenger’s (1991) community of practice theory and Bandura’s social learning theory (1977, 1984) which explained how learning through participation and observation occurs among teachers involved in learning communities. Social constructivism (Bruner, 1996; Piaget, 1971; Vygotsky, 1978) and adult learning theories (Mezirow, 1991, 1995; Knowles, 1984) also provided understanding as to how adults learn and create knowledge. This study described the lived experience of 10 elementary teachers and …

A Causal Comparative Study On The Effect Of Proficiency-Based Education On School Climate, Kay York

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

his quantitative, causal comparative study sought to determine if proficiency-based education has an effect on school climate. With sweeping school reform across the United States, educators are seeking ways to improve student achievement and maintain a positive school climate. This study consisted of 87 teachers in proficiency-based high schools and 125 teachers in non-proficiency-based high schools in New England who were emailed the Secondary School Climate Assessment Instrument (SCAI-S-G). Data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics computed for each teacher group through SPSS. SPSS was also used to conduct separate t tests for each of the eight domains of the SCAI-S-G …