Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Meeting The Standards Of The Standardized Test: How Does Project-Based Learning Correlate To Traditional Learning In An Advanced Placement English Language And Composition Course?, Colette Armstrong-Grodzicki

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

Project-based learning (PBL) is defined by Markham, Larner and Ravitz (2003) as “a systematic teaching method that engages students in learning knowledge and skills through an extended inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks” (p. 7). This quantitative study examined the relationship between traditional and PBL high school students’ achievement on the AP English Language and Composition national exam. The study was conducted in a large public metropolitan high school that offered PBL as a curriculum option for students wishing to learn the standards in a different way. Scrubbed data were collected through PSAT …

School Days: Perceptions And Experiences Of African American Boys In Gender-Based Classrooms, Deirdra Milligan

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

African American boys bring unique characteristics and experiences into American classrooms. Recognizing the inherent strengths and qualities of these characteristics has eluded educators for decades, leading to misguided special education referrals, increased discipline challenges and dropout rates (Davis, 2003; Delpit, 2012; Kunjufu, 2005a; Kunjufu, 2005b; Kunjufu, 2011; Langhout & Mitchell, 2008). Limited research examines the perceptions of African American boys in an attempt to inform and transform teaching practices. This qualitative case study investigates fifth grade African American boys’ perceptions on how successful they feel in school, their experiences of being in gender-based classrooms, and the influence of teaching practices …

E/Merging Across Africa: Five Papers On The Use Of Educational Technology In African Higher Education, Tony Carr

The African Journal of Information Systems

This guest editorial comments on the rapidly changing environment for the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in African Higher Education Institutions (HEI), introduces the e/merge online conferences and gives a brief introduction to the papers in the special issue.

Voices In Cyberspace: Testing The Effectiveness Of Blogs As A Tool For Improving Voice In Student Writing, Caitlin Martinez

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

This capstone project addresses the issue of "voicelessness" in student writing, and attempts to determine whether or not the implementation of weblogs in first year composition classrooms will help students to begin to see themselves as writers.

Comparative Analyses Of Mathematics Teachers' Efficacy Using Factor Analysis And The Rasch Model, Catherine F. Head

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

Self-efficacy is a key piece of Bandura’s (1984) social cognitive theory and has been shown in previous studies to be a strong predictor of student achievement, motivation, collaboration, and teacher leadership. Teacher efficacy, in particular, is the belief a teacher holds about the capability to reach all students in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2000) and the Mathematics Teacher Efficacy Beliefs Inventory (Enochs, 2001) using both Classical Test Theory and Rasch Measurement analyses. Secondly, the study sought to compare the efficacy …

Ideas, Hints, And Tricks: So Much More Than What's On The Surface: Assessing Reference Services At Academic Libraries, Paula M. Adams

Georgia Library Quarterly

Much of what's missing from the discussion of assessing reference services is the dire need to fully realize the value of qualitative assessment. The need for more academic libraries to utilize this method of gathering statistics can open up a much needed discussion concerning the nuanced impact of reference services on student learning outcomes and the broader picture of higher education.

Case Study Of Participants In A Site-Based Secondary Mathematics Methods Course And Internship: Three Teachers In Transition, Alyson Elizabeth Lischka

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

Although the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) introduced standards intended to reform the teaching of mathematics in 1989, those reform-oriented practices have not saturated mathematics teaching. Mathematics teacher educators continue to work with pre-service and practicing teachers to more fully implement the reform practices as described by NCTM. At times, this can take the form of professional development schools (PDSs) in which mathematics teacher educators and practicing teachers collaborate to prepare pre-service teachers. Through a case study, three participants in a PDS setting were studied as they took part in the initial year of a secondary mathematics methods …

Planning And Implementing Online Instruction: Faculty Perceptions Of One University, James M. Wright

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

To maintain a competitive advantage, many universities have expanded their online course offerings, and college faculty members are vital to the design, development, and delivery of online instruction (Allen & Seaman, 2007; Mitchell & Geva-May, 2009; Tabata & Johnsrud, 2008). In this study, a mixed-method approach is used to investigate faculty’s perceptions about teaching online at one university. Understanding the factors that motivate and impede faculty to teach online provided the knowledge to plan future strategies to increase faculty participation with this instructional medium.

At a large suburban university in the Southeastern United States, 363 faculty members were surveyed and …

From The Margins To The Middle: Making Room For Visual Rhetoric In The Composition Classroom, Montyne H. Morris

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

This study examines the potential role of visuals in a first-year composition classroom. Essential theoretical questions include whether visual images have rhetorical power, and specifically, whether they can sustain an argument. If we suppose that visual images, like verbal texts, can be arranged to create or extend an argument, then the inclusion of visuals in a writing classroom becomes a question not of if but of how. Study findings and recommendations are relevant for first-year writing instructors, administrators, and others involved in the design and delivery of first-year writing programs.

Student Interaction With Online Course Content: Build It And They Might Come, Meg C. Murray, Jorge Pérez, Debra B. Geist, Alison Hedrick

Faculty Articles

Online learning continues to expand at educational institutions around the globe. Educators must better understand how interaction with online course content impacts student engagement and learning. Advances in technology amplify the imperative to gain further insights into how delivery of course materials can enhance and support the learning process. This study investigates student patterns of access to instructional resources provided in an asynchronous online digital literacy course offered at a regional university in the United States. Frequency counts and access rates collected from a learning management system were used to assess patterns of student retrieval of course materials in four …

Mentoring Within The Minority Population: How To Retain And Matriculate Minorities In A College Setting, Brent Matthias Obleton

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

In an ever-changing educational environment, it is pertinent that higher education institutions proactively implement strategies and programs that foster growth for the modern day college students. The establishment of effective support mechanisms is an essential component to aid in the development of students. Minority students, in particular, have shown a growing need to receive additional guidance outside of the traditional adherents (i.e., parents, personal ambition, educational advisors, etc). Historically, mentorship has been more prevalent in the private sector, used as a means to groom subordinates to take on new roles within their respective companies. However, assessment and the positive impact …

The Comparative Effects Of Two Types Of Photographic Visual Supports On The Acquisition Of Independent Performance Of Multi-Step Tasks By Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cindy Denise Golden

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

This study uses a single subject adapted alternating treatment design to examine the comparative effects of two types of visual supports. Photographic visual supports that depict only the materials in the completed step and photographic visual supports that depict the student using the materials to complete each step were examined as to their comparative efficiency on the acquisition of independent performance of multi-step tasks by students with autism. The study expands the body of literature and fills a gap in the research of visual supports, which is one of the most widely accepted, research-based forms of intervention used with subjects …

A Comparative Analysis Of Effective School Board Leadership: The Case Of Gwinnett County And Atlanta City Public Schools, Joshua Allen Garner

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

A quality education is essential in determining the success of future generations. All too often K-12 school systems fail to meet the expectations of success held by students, parents, and the community. On the other hand, there are school systems that surpass expectations of success held by stake holders of the school system. Exemplifying this phenomenon is the case of Atlanta Public Schools, who were placed on probation by the accreditation agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the case of Gwinnett County Public Schools, who were awarded the 2010 Broad Award for minority student achievement (Torres 2011) …

Undergraduate Science Research: A Comparison Of Influences And Experiences Between Premed And Non-Premed Students, Lara Brongo Pacifici, Norman Thompson

Faculty Articles

Most students participating in science undergraduate research (UR) plan to attend either medical school or graduate school. This study examines possible differences between premed and non-premed students in their influences to do research and expectations of research. Questionnaire responses from 55 premed students and 80 non-premed students were analyzed. No differences existed in the expectations of research between the two groups, but attitudes toward science and intrinsic motivation to learn more about science were significantly higher for non-premed students. Follow-up interviews with 11 of the students, including a case study with one premed student, provided explanation for the observed differences. …

Student Teaching Abroad Inter-Group Outcomes: A Comparative, Country-Specific Analysis, Binbin Jiang, Debra J. Coffey, Robert A. Devillar, Sandra Bryan

Faculty Articles

As student diversity becomes the norm in U.S. schools, future teachers must be comprehensively prepared to work with the increasingly diverse student population through application of informed instruction that enhances general and individual student learning and outcomes. Teacher Education programs increasingly promote student teaching in international settings as a substantive step to develop teachers who embody these new competencies and instructional practices. The proposed paper presentation offers a framework and analysis highlighting similarities and differences between two groups of student teachers in Belize (2005 and 2008). Findings are comparative and relate to the type and degree of (1) cultural-, professional-, …

Impact Of Fiscal Resources Allocation To Schools Based On A Differentiated Supervision Model, Adrian L. Epps

Faculty Articles

This study examines the ability of a differentiated supervision model to initiate quality improvements in school systems by classifying schools according to several identified factors and modifying the resources allocated to all schools based on their supervision classification. Conceptual development and an archival post-hoc analysis approach were used to analyze the effects of the supervision model on the improvement of schools in a large urban school district. The researcher developed the supervision model and collected data regarding school characteristics, classification, and performance for individual schools during the first and sixth years of implementation. The researcher found that the grade level …

The Assessment Cyberguide For Learning Goals And Outcomes, Thomas Pusateri, Jane S. Halonen, Bill Hill, Maureen Mccarthy

Faculty Articles

The CyberGuide serves as a companion resource for implementing the APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Major in Psychology. These resources should aid psychology departments and their faculty to design the most appropriate and effective assessment plans. We have organized this Cyberguide into four parts that will assist departments in developing assessment plans: I. Understanding Assessment: Departmental, Institutional, Educational, and Societal Perspectives II. Designing Viable Assessment Plans III. Sustaining an Assessment Culture IV. Applying Assessment Strategies in Psychology

The Impact Of Face-To-Face Orientation On Online Retention: A Pilot Study, Radwan Ali, Elke M. Leeds

Faculty Articles

Student retention in online education is a concern for students, faculty and administration. Retention rates are 20% lower in online courses than in traditional face-to-face courses. As part of an integration and engagement strategy, a face-to-face orientation was added to an online undergraduate business information systems course to examine its impact on retention. The study methodology consisted of an early email contact, distribution of course documents, a follow-up phone call, and a pre-course face-to-face orientation. The retention rate of students who attended the orientation was over 91% with a p-value of 0.9143. The retention rate of students not attending the …

Program Coordinators Disposition Toward Educational Leadership Best Practices: Practicum Experience In Georgia, J. Eric Tubbs

Faculty Articles

The importance of field experiences in educational leadership was well documented in literature. However, scholars and practitioners disagreed on how field experiences should be provided to achieve the greatest effect. On the other hand, practicum efficiency and effectiveness were not assessed in the last ten years. Therefore, this study was designed to explore how field experiences are offered in the educational leadership programs (Master of Education and Add-On Program) in Georgia. Through data analysis, the researchers shared their observation of how field experiences in educational leadership could be enhanced in Georgia. Although the study was conducted in Georgia, the findings …

Volume 18, Number 01, G. William Hill Editor, Linda M. Noble Editor, Tom Pusateri Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 18, Number 01 of Reaching Through Teaching.

Testing The Test: Item Response Curves And Test Quality, Gary A. Morris, Lee Branum-Martin, Nathan Harshman, Stephen D. Baxter, Eric Mazur, Suvendra Dutta, Taha Mzoughi, Veronica Mccauley

Faculty Articles

We present a simple technique for evaluating multiple-choice questions and their answers beyond the usual measures of difficulty and the effectiveness of distractors. The technique involves the construction and qualitative consideration of item response curves and is based on item response theory from the field of education measurement. To demonstrate the technique, we apply item response curve analysis to three questions from the Force Concept Inventory. Item response curve analysis allows us to characterize qualitatively whether these questions are efficient, where efficient is defined in terms of the construction, performance, and discrimination of a question and its answer choices. This …

Volume 17, Number 01, G. William Hill Editor, Linda M. Noble Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 17, Number 01 of Reaching Through Teaching.

Volume 16, Number 02, G. William Hill Editor, Linda M. Noble Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 16, Number 02 of Reaching Through Teaching.

Volume 16, Number 01, G. William Hill Editor, Linda M. Noble Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 16, Number 01 of Reaching Through Teaching.

Sacs Standards 2004: A Compliance Strategy For Academic Libraries, William N. Nelson

The Southeastern Librarian

This article first provides an introduction to and summary of Principles of Accreditation accompanied by a detailed list of provisions specifically applicable to libraries in higher education. The provisions and importance of Standards for College Libraries, approved by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) in 2000, are summarized and examples of implementation are identified. In a 2003 revision, minimal changes were made to these ACRL standards, which received final approval as the ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education in June 2004. These standards now supercede the three ACRL type-of-library standards produced separately for universities, colleges, and community …

Course Revitalization As A Change Driver Throughout Undergraduate Business Curriculum, Elke M. Leeds, Radwan Ali

Faculty Articles

This paper describes the revitalization of Business Information Systems and Communication, a high enrollment, prerequisite course for all undergraduate business students in the Coles College of Business. An overview of the course components is presented and original structure described. The rationale for change, technologies leveraged and measures of success are presented. The change drivers are identified and their impact on undergraduate curriculum delineated. Lessons learned and future implications are discussed.

Perceptions Of The Library: A Key To Planning Effective Services, Sue Alexander, William Black, Virginia Vesper

The Southeastern Librarian

such as questions answered, books cataloged, and dollars spent. Now we are called upon to measure the impact of those services on our clients. Stakeholder demand for accountability, changing accreditation standards, and state and federal concerns over student outcomes have driven a real concern for measurement from the client’s perspective. This will become increasingly important as demands for accountability and competition from other sectors increase. “Assessment and evaluation are intended as means to demonstrate institutional effectiveness, foster institutional improvement, and demonstrate accountability.” Programs such as the New Measures Initiative, from the Association of Research Libraries, have been developed to strengthen …

Psychological Versus Generic Critical Thinking As Predictors And Outcome Measures In A Large Undergraduate Human Development Course, Robert L. Williams, Renee Oliver, Susan Stockdale

Faculty Articles

This article compares the predictive and outcome status of a subject-specific versus a generic measure of critical thinking in a large undergraduate course. Specifically, the predictive potential of critical thinking was assessed with respect to test performance, both for tests requiring critical thinking and for those requiring only direct recall. This paper also examines the extent to which answering practice-exam questions with embedded psychological critical thinking issues produced improvement in critical thinking. The impact of the treatment on the critical thinking of students who performed well or poorly on the course tests requiring considerable application of critical thinking was assessed.

Volume 15, Number 01, G. William Hill Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 15, Number 01 of Reaching Through Teaching.

High-Performing Students With Low Critical Thinking Skills, Robert L. Williams, Susan Stockdale

Faculty Articles

This study focused on selected cognitive measures, work habits, and performance patterns of students with low critical thinking skills who achieved high grades in a large entry-level course. The high-performing low critical thinkers were compared on all target variables with both low critical thinkers who achieved low grades in the course and high critical thinkers who achieved high grades. The findings point to particular work habits that instructors could promote in helping low critical thinkers improve their course performance.