Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Assessment And Evidence Practices In Cybersecurity Education: A Systematic Review (2015–2025), James K. Mayberry

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This study presents a PRISMA-based systematic review of 412 cybersecurity education intervention studies, coding assessment methods, evidence types, claimed outcomes, use of established assessment instruments, and artifact availability. Despite frequent claims of skill development and workforce preparation, 45.4% of studies reported no identifiable assessment. Knowledge tests appeared in 11.4% of studies, while performance assessments appeared in 10.2%. From 2015 to 2025, assessment practices remained dominated by post-only designs or no assessment, with no statistically detectable increase in pre/post-capable designs. Use of established assessment instruments was rare, with 94.2% of assessed studies using ad hoc measures or not identifying an established …

The Impact Of Targeted Remediation On Reading Growth Among Remedial Middle School Students, Jennifer Givens

Dissertations

Many middle school students enter secondary education with below grade-level reading skills and are unable to demonstrate measurable growth without structured intervention. This study examined relationship between participation in a targeted Remedial Education Program (REP) English Language Arts (ELA) course and reading growth, as measured by the Northwestern Evaluation Association’s Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP) Reading assessment. A quasi-experimental design compared fall-to-winter MAP Reading RIT growth between students enrolled in REP and academically similar students receiving special education services but not enrolled in REP. This study also investigated whether the effects of the intervention varied based on gender or …

Addressing The Genai Proficiency Gap In Marketing Education: A Multi-Dimensional Assessment Framework, Denny Mccorkle, Memo Diriker, James Reardon

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Exploring Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions, Understanding, And Implementation Of Performance-Based Summative Assessments, Gregory A. Walkup

Dissertations

Performance-based summative assessments are increasingly emphasized as an alternative to traditional standardized testing, offering students opportunities to demonstrate learning through authentic, application-based tasks. However, there is limited research on how middle school teachers perceive and implement these assessments in their classrooms. This qualitative case study explored the perceptions and experiences of middle school teachers regarding performance-based summative assessments, investigating both their understanding and the reality of classroom implementation. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis to provide a comprehensive view of teacher perspectives and practices. Through thematic analysis, four major themes emerged: Teacher Confidence and Readiness, …

Exploring School Teachers' Cyber Security Awareness, Experiences, And Practices In The Digital Age, R Ravichandran, Sonam Singh, P Sasikala

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This study investigates the awareness and practices of cyber security among school teachers, exploring their understanding of cyber threats, online behaviours, and response mechanisms to cyber incidents. A structured questionnaire was administered to gather data on demographic information, cyber security training, online practices, and experiences with cybercrime. The findings reveal varying levels of awareness among teachers, with many reporting limited knowledge of prevalent cyber threats such as phishing and identity theft. Despite the increasing reliance on digital tools for teaching, a significant number of respondents indicated a lack of formal training in cyber security. The study highlights the necessity for …

Teaching Social Marketing Concepts Through Prosocial Behavior Lenses, Bela Florenthal

Atlantic Marketing Journal

This study investigates the educational value of a prosocial project embedded in a college-level marketing course. Framed through a humanistic and holistic lens, the initiative integrated acts of kindness (AOKs) to engage students in real-world application of social marketing concepts. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through student reflections and surveys, revealing high levels of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement. Students developed empathy, compassion, and self-awareness, reinforcing the importance of integrating experiential learning into business education. The project also addressed AACSB’s emphasis on societal impact and aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by promoting emotional well-being and civic …

Finding Focus: Authentic Inquiry And Composition In The Third Space, Noah Brewer

Dissertations

This research seeks to better understand the attitudes and dispositions of advanced-level English Language Arts students toward the activities of academic research and writing, and to explore the ways that critical pedagogies focused on authentic inquiry and composition interact with these attitudes. The project draws upon research in student motivation, sociocultural definitions of literacy, and theories of hybrid identity in order to discover the potential impact of engaging students in critical reflection on their own meaning-making practices, and of curricular and pedagogical choices aimed at making the lessons of the classroom more relevant to the demands of real-world literacy practices …

Comparing Cognitive Theories Of Learning Transfer To Advance Cybersecurity Instruction, Assessment, And Testing, Daniel T. Hickey Ph.D., Ronald J. Kantor

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The cybersecurity threat landscape evolves quickly, continually, and consequentially. This means that the transfer of cybersecurity learning is crucial. We compared how different recognized “cognitive” transfer theories might help explain and synergize three aspects of cybersecurity education. These include teaching and training in diverse settings, assessing learning formatively & summatively, and testing & measuring achievement, proficiency, & readiness. We excluded newer sociocultural theories and their implications for inclusion as we explore those theories elsewhere. We first summarized the history of cybersecurity education and proficiency standards considering transfer theories. We then explored each theory and reviewed the most relevant cybersecurity education …

Understanding How To Diversify The Cybersecurity Workforce: A Qualitative Analysis, Maria Chaparro Osman Dr., Maureen Namukasa, Cherrise Ficke, Isabella Piasecki, Tj Oconnor Dr., Meredith Carroll Dr.

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

A robust cybersecurity workforce is critical for protection against a range of malicious attacks. However, it has been noted that there are many vacancies and a shortage of individuals entering the cybersecurity workforce. This workforce shortage has partly been attributed to the lack of diversity in the cybersecurity field, with women, African Americans, and Hispanics remaining underrepresented in educational and professional settings. Using a qualitative approach, this work sought to investigate what led underrepresented minorities currently involved in cybersecurity to the industry, with the goal of determining methods to attract and diversify the workforce. A thematic analysis was conducted using …

Investigating The Impact On Student Engagement From Converting Face-To-Face Classes To Online In Response To Covid-19, Anita Whiting

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Paper investigates the impact on student engagement from converting traditional face-to-face classes to online in response to Covid-19. In particular, this study investigated the impact of conversion to online on four different types of student engagement: (1) participation engagement, (2) emotional engagement, (3) skill engagement, and (4) performance engagement. Survey data were collected from 160 business students who had their face-to-face classes converted to online due to Covid-19. Results of study show that all four types of student engagement significantly declined when classes were converted to online. Participation engagement declined the most while performance engagement declined the least. Non-traditional students …

Building Librarians’ Research Skills Through Experiential Learning, Raeda K. Anderson, Katherine Fisher, Emily Williams, George Usmanov

Georgia Library Quarterly

Experiential learning programs are an effective method to teach data-focused research skills and statistical analysis. We examine the effects of a participatory research training program developed and executed by a data librarian and administered to library employees at a large academic library. The program aimed to improve research skills and increase research productivity. This study employs a survey within a concurrent mixed methods methodological framework to examine the outcomes of the training program. Our findings show that the program served as a low-cost, short-term, effective method of teaching data collection and quantitative analysis that increased participants’ knowledge of the research …

Toward A Student-Ready Cybersecurity Program: Findings From A Survey Of Stem-Students, Lora Pitman, Brian K. Payne, Tancy Vandecar-Burdin, Lenora Thorbjornsen

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

As the number of available cybersecurity jobs continues to grow, colleges strive to offer to their cybersecurity students an environment which will make them sufficiently prepared to enter the workforce after graduation. This paper explores the academic and professional needs of STEM-students in various higher education institutions across Virginia and how cybersecurity programs can cater to these needs. It also seeks to propose an evidence-based approach for improving the existing cybersecurity programs so that they can become more inclusive and student-ready. A survey of 251 college students in four higher-education institutions in Virginia showed that while there are common patterns …

Understanding Community And Engagement In Synchronous Online Writing Instruction, Conner Sutton

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

This capstone consists of an autoethnography based on the author's experiences as a synchronous online writing instructor. Using the current literature on synchronous writing instruction—as well as interviews with fellow instructors—this project explores how we define and measure classroom community and engagement from behind a webcam.

Culturally Relevant Teaching For The 21st Century: The Success And Challenges Of Pre-Service Teachers When Using Technology In Critical Ways, Virginie Jackson, Stacy Delacruz, Dominique Harry

Georgia Journal of Literacy

This case study examined pre-service teachers' use of technology as they implemented culturally relevant literacy lessons while tutoring elementary students in their field placement sites. As we enter a new decade, we want our students to be future-ready with technology skills. Here, we present an examination of how pre-service teachers integrated culturally relevant teaching with technology along with a discussion of the tools and devices their students used. Findings provided evidence that as pre-service teachers experienced authentic and engaging learning experiences within a supportive space, they emerged equipped to teach in culturally responsive ways that supported student learning and deeper …

Observations, Evaluations, And Recommendations For Deterlab From An Educational Perspective, Ahmed Ibrahim, Vitaly Ford

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

DETERLab is a cluster environment that provides a set of virtual machines that can be used by researchers and teachers to run cybersecurity experiments and competitions, and where it is possible to deploy different network configurations to research attack and defense mechanisms in the cyber world. While we were working to develop a pathway for producing more usable and effective cybersecurity educational resources by investigating and examining several projects, we examined DETERLab as a prospective platform to use in the classroom. Throughout our experimentation, we faced challenges that we decided to document in order to help other educators use the …

Building Research Capacity Through An Academic Community Of Practice: A Design Case Study, Olga Koz, Anissa Lokey-Vega

Faculty Articles

Purpose – The study’s purpose was to examine the faculty-driven organization’s design and development that supports faculty research needs, track the emergence of the community of practice (CoP) and provide greater insight into continued organizational design iterations.

Design/methodology/approach – In this longitudinal design case study, the authors employed different methods to collect and analyze archival, quantitative, and qualitative data to capture the phenomenon’s complexity.

Findings – The findings challenge the assumption that only formal organizational structures and top-down management approaches stimulate research and build research capacity in universities and propose a new sustainable and agile informal organizational structure and strategies …

Facilitating Authentic Learning Experiences In Distance Education: Embedding Research-Based Practices Into An Online Peer Feedback Tool, Tiffany Roman, Matthew Callison, Rodney D. Myers, Anne H. Berry

Faculty Articles

Authentic learning in online education is feasible with intentional instructional strategies and appropriate educational technologies, yet as a learning approach, barriers to implementation still exist. We argue that authentic learning in online education can be successfully supported when the characteristics of authentic learning are (a) intentionally applied and (b) supported through research-based tools that facilitate the learning process seamlessly for students. To address this challenge, we developed a research-based online application that supports authentic learning. In this article, the theoretical foundations and empirical support for the tool are described, along with critical design decisions that support suggested characteristics of authentic …

Changing The Habitat At Academic Conferences: Using A Learning Ecosystem With Active Learning During A Panel Presentation, Gail Morton, Lee Olson, Stephanie Miranda, Adam Griggs, Kristen Bailey, Christian Pham, Kathryn Wright

Georgia Library Quarterly

Abstract

In order to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of an active learning event during a panel presentation at an academic conference, Mercer University librarians presenting at the Georgia Libraries Conference switched the traditional way panel presentations are modeled. Instead of the question and answer session following a brief overview of the presentation, we moved our physical position in the room, closer to the participants in order to have a more intimate conversation with attendees. Using two active learning techniques, discussion and brainstorming, the presenters started a conversation with attendees about project ideas involving teaching faculty members, librarians, and students …

A Collaborative Approach To Blended Learning Design And Activities To Engage Students: A Case Study, Tulay Girard, Lori Lysiak

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Developing Kinesthetic Classrooms To Promote Active Learning, Brian Culp

Faculty Articles

The use of kinesthetic movement in the classroom toward improving health and educational outcomes among youth has been a topic of discourse in recent years. School initiatives that have infused movement as part of the curriculum have shown to increase efficiency in learning, while decreasing stress and contributing to a positive classroom climate. One question that is worthy of exploration pertains to how future professionals in the fields of physical education and health can promote kinesthetic movement in schools and communities. This article discusses how a university kinesthetic classroom prepares future professionals to be advocates for school health using active …

Perceptions Of Undergraduate Students Of Student-Regulated Online Courses, Victor K. Wakeling Cfa Cfp Cma, Patricia R. Robertson, Micheal Patrono, Murat Doral

Faculty Articles

Undergraduate students at a large, public, southeastern university enrolled in one of two independent, fully-online courses were released from the instructor-regulated structure mid-semester. Subsequently, the course was structured as student-regulated and students self-managed pace of study and timing of assessments for the remainder of the course. The objective of the research is to assess student preferences in learning structure (instructor-regulated versus student-regulated) in order to inform effective course design options in the online learning environment. At the end of each semester included in the study, a survey was administered to ascertain students’ perceptions of the student-regulated (self-paced) learning environment. After …

Student Misconceptions About Cybersecurity Concepts: Analysis Of Think-Aloud Interviews, Julia D. Thompson, Geoffrey L. Herman, Travis Scheponik, Linda Oliva, Alan Sherman, Ennis Golaszewski, Dhananjay Phatak, Kostantinos Patsourakos

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

We conducted an observational study to document student misconceptions about cybersecurity using thematic analysis of 25 think-aloud interviews. By understanding patterns in student misconceptions, we provide a basis for developing rigorous evidence-based recommendations for improving teaching and assessment methods in cybersecurity and inform future research. This study is the first to explore student cognition and reasoning about cybersecurity. We interviewed students from three diverse institutions. During these interviews, students grappled with security scenarios designed to probe their understanding of cybersecurity, especially adversarial thinking. We analyzed student statements using a structured qualitative method, novice-led paired thematic analysis, to document patterns in …

Nursing Students’ Knowledge And Attitudes Toward Care Of The Dying, Betsy N. Ward, Elizabeth Nora Ward

Doctorate of Nursing Science Dissertations

Abstract

Most nursing students fear death or care of the dying and thus question their abilities to give compassionate and competent care to patients or families at end-of-life (EOL). Research has shown positive results when students have experiences with dying patients in environments where interdisciplinary palliative and end-of-life practices are delivered. The purpose of this mixed methods comparative group study was to assess BSN students’ knowledge and attitudes toward care of the dying guided by Bandura’s social cognitive theory, which addresses learning under difficult circumstances. Nursing students in a palliative and end-of-life care elective course were compared to students in …

Critical Analysis Of The Educational Success Of African Immigrants And African Americans In The U.S., Regina J. Giraldo-Garcia, Joshua G. Bagaka's

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Using the cultural-ecological and culturally relevant theory as the theoretical overarching framework, this study works to quantify the high school achievement gap in mathematics and reading IRT scores between immigrants and U.S.-born black minorities as well as between these students and whites. Based on a nationally representative sample of 1,669 black and 8,682 white students from the NCES Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, a hierarchical linear regression model confirmed that the achievement in mathematics and reading was statistically significant and higher for voluntary compared to involuntary black minorities, but with a small effect size of about one-tenth of a standard …

A Comparison Of Online And Face-To-Face Achievement In Physical Science, Lisa F. Mozer

Doctor of Education in Instructional Technology Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This study provided a descriptive analysis of learning outcomes in both online and face-to-face grades 9-12 physical science courses. Archived data from a single school system were used for a comparative analysis of learning outcomes in high school physical science between students enrolled in online classes and students enrolled in face-to-face classes. The study compared two years of summative assessment scores of two student groups and, overall, found equality between the two learning environments. Online learning outcomes and face-to-face learning outcomes were similar for both school years, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. The overall comparison between learning environments was further examined …

Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, And Turnover Intention Of Online Teachers In The K-12 Setting, Ingle M. Larkin

Doctor of Education in Instructional Technology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure and explore factors influencing K-12 online teacher job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions K-12 online education. Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1954), Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory of Satisfaction (1959, 1968), Meyer and Allen’s measure of Organizational Commitment (1997), and Fishbein and Ajzen’s Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior (1975), this mixed-methods study was conducted in public, private, charter, for-profit, and not-for-profit K-12 online schools in a single Southeastern state. The researcher used a sequential explanatory design by collecting and analyzing quantitative data and then qualitative data in two consecutive phases. Using …

Writing On The Margins: Student Experiences In A Learning Support English Course, Tabatha W. Martin

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

This study evaluates the effectiveness of one learning support English program at preparing its students for first-year composition.

Measuring The Impact Of A Ninth Grade Academy On Tenth Grade Performance In Academics, Attendance, And Behavior, Dan Snipes

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

Ninth Grade Academies were designed to smooth the transition of rising ninth graders academically and behaviorally. Current research has addressed the long-term effects of Ninth Grade Academies on academics, behavior, and graduation rates. This literature has shown the Ninth Grade Academy to be moderately effective in improving graduation rates but have only limited success in retention, disciplinary action rates, and academic performance. To measure the impact a Ninth Grade Academy has on tenth grade performance in academics, behavior, and attendance data was compared from two schools: School A (which has a Ninth Grade Academy) and School B (which has a …

Reducing Cheating Opportunities In Online Test, Dale Varble

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Abstract

This paper focuses on reducing cheating opportunities of online test assessment. Increasing use of online test in all course presentation formats (online, blended/hybrid or facilitated) has elevated faculty concerns of cheating. Efforts by educators to reduce cheating have been ongoing and with some success but, as the results of a study reported here more is needed.

Two sections of a course, one online and one onsite were offered the same semester, with the same instructor, syllabus, textbook and tests. The online students took all tests online. The onsite students took all exams online except the last two tests and …

Whispers Of Hope: Urban Christ-Centered Education, Kristy A. Brown

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the culture of an urban Christ-centered day school. the participants in the study included five administrators, fourteen teachers, five staff members, two board members, two donors, six parents, twelve students, and three alumni. The data collection process included 49 semi-structured interviews, 20 participant observations, and seven documents that were analyzed. By using a critical ethnographic lens, this study was able to identify how Freedom Academy integrated a Christian worldview, used the ethic of care, and implemented culturally relevant pedagogy into the curriculum. By combining these characteristics, Freedom Academy demonstrated their …