Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Elaboration And Question Strategy Effect On Learning Outcomes And Cognitive Load, Julie Ann Bridges

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of instructor-created elaborations, learner-created elaborations and adjunct questions on learning outcomes in an asynchronous learning environment, using pre-recorded video. The study also investigated the effects of instructor-created elaborations, learner-created elaborations, or adjunct questions on perceived cognitive load. The effect of learning strategy on quality of elaboration was also investigated. Results showed no significant difference in learning outcomes or cognitive load or quality of elaboration, but a post-hoc analysis revealed a significant difference in intrinsic cognitive load for students who used generative strategies while having no gain in learning outcomes.

Faculty Employment Status And Student Characteristics As Predictors Of Student Success In Modularized Developmental Mathematics, Leonda Williams Keniston

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Approximately two-thirds of incoming community college students are considered academically unprepared for college-level work and lack adequate literacy and mathematical skills needed to learn at the postsecondary level. To address these realities, individual community colleges and state-wide systems have responded by redesigning developmental curricula and course structures into modularized programs that accelerate student progression through developmental sequences. Simultaneously, community colleges are hiring more adjunct faculty to meet the ever-growing demand to educate students in these programs.

Data were collected for a study of the Virginia Community College System 2012 developmental math redesign to primarily examine the effects of adjunct faculty …

The Impact Of High School Dual Enrollment Participation On Bachelor's Degree Attainment And Time And Cost To Degree, Thomas Earl Hughes

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Dual enrollment has become nearly ubiquitous in the U.S. with 82% of public high schools offering dual credit courses with student enrollment topping two million (Borden, Taylor, Park, & Seiler, 2013). Policymakers and proponents of dual enrollment have claimed that these programs better prepare students for college success and reduce the time and cost to a college degree. There is a growing body of empirical research showing that students who participated in dual enrollment programs completed bachelor’s degrees at higher rates than non-dual enrollment participants do. However, most of this research has focused on single institutions or states, and not …

Impacts Of Open Educational Resources On Enrollment Rates, Withdrawal Rates, And Academic Performance In The Virginia Community College System, Marcella Milhous Gale

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The problem of this study was to evaluate the enrollment rates and academic performance of students in courses at Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) that utilize Open Educational Resources (OER) to help determine if the use of such materials should be encouraged and expanded in the Virginia Community College System. The population for this study consisted of students enrolled in at least one course at CVCC during the Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 semester, where there were courses that used OER as the course textbook. At the end of each semester, CVCC records enrollment, drop, and academic performance information for …

Defining The Competencies, Programming Languages, And Assessments For An Introductory Computer Science Course, Simon Sultana

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to define the competencies, programming languages, and assessments for an introductory computer science course at a small private liberal arts university. Three research questions were addressed that involved identifying the competencies, programming languages, and assessments that academic and industry experts in California’s Central Valley felt most important and appropriate for an introduction to computer science course.

The Delphi methodology was used to collect data from the two groups of experts with various backgrounds related to computing. The goal was to find consensus among the individual groups to best define aspects that would best comprise …

Alternative Assessment And Accountability: A Case Study Of Policy Reform And Teacher Practice At The District Level, Amy Lynn Abbott

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Deliberations on the topic of alternatives to standardized assessments spurred the 2014 Virginia General Assembly legislation (House Bill 930/Senate Bill 306) that removed five, end-of-year Virginia Standards of Learning tests from select elementary and middle school subjects and supplant them with alternative measures (Virginia Department of Education, 2014). In light of the reform, the purpose of this study was to develop a descriptive account of one large Virginia school district’s implementation of alternative, locally developed assessments designed as an intervention to enhance teaching and learning. Emphasis was on the impact of policy change in social studies practice to capture teachers’ …

Effects Of Learner-To-Learner Interactions On Social Presence, Achievement And Satisfaction, Susan Elizabeth Allred Oyarzun

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The relationships between learner-to-learner interactions, achievement, social presence, and satisfaction in online learning have varying degrees of strength according to the research. More evidence is needed to identify clarify relationships among these variables and to identify best practices for designing learner-to-learner interactions to increase achievement, level of social presence, and learner satisfaction. This non-experimental, comparative study investigated the strategies used for learner-to-learner interactions effects on achievement, social presence, and satisfaction. Surveys measuring social presence and interaction quality were administered to instructors and students enrolled in 17 undergraduate asynchronous online courses. The surveys for instructors and students were the same, except …

Developing Distance Education Content Using The Tappa Process, Robert L. Moore

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The proliferation of distance education has occurred alongside the emerging technologies of the Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 environments, changing the way instructors approach, design, and deliver their instructional materials. In the past, instructional design (ID) practitioners relied on instruction system design (ISD) models that focused primarily on macroinstruction. It is now important for these practitioners to use microinstruction strategies to keep pace with the technology evolution. This case study describes the TAPPA (Target, Accomplishment, Past, Prototype, Artifact) Process which was created using the Generic Model for Design Research (GMDR) proposed by McKenney and Reeves (2012) and uses selected ID …

Teaching Students To Give And To Receive: Improving Interdisciplinary Writing Through Peer Review, Julia Morris, Jennifer Kidd

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The context for this study is a multidisciplinary collaboration of six faculty members using peer review in their respective disciplines with the goal of improved student writing. Faculty members developed their own assignments and methods for implementing peer review, but each followed the same guidelines. Students submitted drafts to peers who made comments and used a rubric to provide formative feedback. The instructors used a variety of tools to support peer review, including Google Drive, Blackboard, and Expertiza, a dedicated peer-review system. Students reflected on the peer review process in an online survey after each round of peer review. The …

Relationship Between Central Virginia Community College Respiratory Therapy Technology Program Students Entrance Gpa And Their Graduation Success, Wendy Ayers

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The problem of this study was to determine the relationship between Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) Respiratory Therapy Technology Program students entrance GPA and their graduation success to determine if minimum entrance GPA should be increased from 2.0 to 2.5.

Priming Middle School Females’ Engagement In Engineering And Technology, Mary Bonk Isaac

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to validate data collected between 2009-2013 via an instrument used to assess middle school girls’ identification with and interest in engineering and technology following the Society of Women Engineers’ WOW events. Recognizing the importance of measuring the impact of such mentored E & T activities on young females’ attitudes about and interest in STEM, and more specifically, engineering and technology, SWE outreach experts developed a participant survey based on event objectives and domain knowledge, but never rigorously examined whether it produced statistically valid data that could be used to draw inferences about girls’ propensity …

Program Standards For Establishing High Quality Postsecondary Trade And Industrial Education Programs, Beno Rubin

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The problem of this study was to develop standards that can be used as a basis for establishing high quality postsecondary trade and industrial education programs. There were two research objectives. These included: developing a set of program standards to be used to establish high quality postsecondary trade and industrial education programs and developing descriptors that can be used to assess achievement of high quality postsecondary trade and industrial education programs.

The Delphi technique was chosen for this study to generate consensus regarding the program standards. The panel of experts, comprised of postsecondary administrators of trade and industrial programs, was …

Non-Traditional Students Attitudes Toward Academic Advising And Its Affects On The Successful Completion Of Education Programs, Parisa Fetherson

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine non-traditional student's attitudes toward academic advising and its effect on the completion of their education goal.

Assessing A College Readiness Model For An Independent Residential School, Natalia Dorovskaya Collins

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Interest in the topic of college readiness is growing as more and more high school graduates are not prepared for college-level work (Bok, 2006, 2013; González, 2012; Pascarella, Wolniak, Pierson, & Terenzini, 2003; Professor X, 2011). Most models offering assessment of the college readiness of students concentrate strictly upon the academic part of the issue – high school GPAs, high school course titles, standardized test scores – while disregarding non-academic elements, such as time management, the ability to demonstrate college-level academic behaviors and a general awareness of the environments present in different institutions of higher education. The purpose of this …

Research And Leadership Development Through Participation On A Inter Professional Research Team, Kaprea F. Johnson

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

This case study details one research team and includes a conceptual tri-level leadership model for team participation and project organization. Participants included seven students and one assistant professor. Findings highlight team development, recruitment, expectations, leadership gains, and implications for the profession.

Students' Experiences With Different Course Delivery Modalities: On Campus, Online, And Satellite, Mark C. Rehfuss, Andrea Kirk-Jenkins, Tammi F. Dice

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

In an effort to adapt to the technological advances of this century, the training of human services professionals has grown from traditional classrooms and satellite programs to online education. Many human services programs are under pressure from their universities and students to expand into online education. This study examined 252 students’ experiences and perceptions of their Bachelors of Science program as it transitioned to offering courses online in addition to on campus and satellite sites. Students’ narrative responses reflected 4 themes: convenience, interactions, learning preference, and technology. These themes and their implications for educators and students are discussed.

Impact Of The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill: An Examination Of Retention Of First Year Students In The Hampton Roads Area, Kim B. Sibson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill has had a tremendous impact on higher education institutions (HEI) across the country. As of 2011, the Veterans Administration (VA) had issued G.I. Bill payments to almost 500,000 veterans. This research examines the effect of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill on student retention in different types of HEIs in the Hampton Roads region of Southeastern Virginia, an area that has a high number of military and military-affiliated residents. Ex post facto data from various institutions have been compared, with a public university, a for-profit college, and a two-year public community college to examine the retention rates of …

The Effects Of Student Engagement On Retention: Comparing Male Undergraduate Stem Majors To Non-Stem Majors, Tourgee D. Simpson Jr.

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Researchers suggest certain benchmarks of student engagement (i.e., student-faculty interaction, level of academic challenge, enriching educational experiences, active and collaborative learning, and supportive campus environment) positively influence student success. This study investigated the relationship between student engagement and the retention of male, full-time undergraduate students in STEM majors by comparing male, full-time undergraduate students in select science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors to male, full-time undergraduate students in non-STEM majors to identify best practices to improve retention and increase degree completion among men in STEM fields.

Students were invited to participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). …

The Effect Of Delayed Enrollment, Regional Wealth, And First-Generation Status On Community College Student Success, Sunita Etwaroo Hines

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

For many students, the path to earning a postsecondary educational degree is often met with personal and social obstacles, but first-generation students are less likely to even enroll in postsecondary education and they have a higher probability for attrition when compared to their counterparts. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between delayed enrollment, regional wealth, and first-generation status on community college student success. This study analyzed differences in student success for students who enrolled at the community college immediately after high school graduation, for those who delayed enrollment up to two years, or delayed enrollment more …

Seeking Asylum Adolescents Explore The Crossroads Of Human Rights Education And Cosmopolitan Critical Literacy, Judith Dunkerly-Bean, Thomas Bean, Khaled Alnajjar

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Urban middle school students utilize human rights education and cosmopolitan critical literacy to explore local and global issues around immigrants and refugees through the production of a BYOT short film.

Flipping The Classroom In Higher Education: A Design-Based Research Study To Develop A Flipped Classroom Framework, Helen Crompton, Judith Dunkerly-Bean, Michail N. Giannakos

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Over the past 20 years some higher education instructors have increased their technology use as a way to extend and enhance students’ understanding and move away from the traditional lecture approach. One recent strategy is to use a flipped classroom approach and have students use technology to access the lecture and other instructional resources outside the classroom; this leaves the in-class time to engage in active learning. However, at this time there are no empirically-based flipped classroom frameworks. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap in the academic literature and develop a framework. This will provide a …

At The College Gates: A Phenomenological Study Of Stem Identity Formation At A Stem Program At A Historical Black University, Maria O'Hearn

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Melguizo and Wolniak (2011) contend that increasing the success of underrepresented minority students in STEM fields is a significant national and state policy issue given the data showing gaps in gender and racial/ethnic bachelors degree completion rates in these fields (Rask, 2010). Recommendations made by the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE, 2013) highlight the importance of school structures as being fundamental for improving the STEM pipeline from high school to college for underrepresented minority students. Thus, the purposes of this study were to describe the lived experiences of African American students attending a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and …

The Historical Formation Of Academic Identities: Rhetoric And Composition, Discourse And Writing, Louise Wetherbee Phelps

English Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) This talk originated in my work as a consultant at the University of Winnipeg, where I spent six weeks on a Fulbright Specialist grant in Spring 2011. I was invited to advise the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Communications on its plans for “program architecture renewal,” which included critically assessing its programs, articulating levels of the curriculum, and charting future directions for the department. The grant had larger goals as well, charging me to study the development of writing and rhetorical studies in Canada as an emerging field seeking both definition and visibility. The Winnipeg faculty hoped that …

Does The Sequence Of Instruction Matter During Simulation?, Jill E. Stefaniak, Carman L. Turkelson

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Introduction: Instructional strategies must be balanced when subjecting students to full-immersion simulation so as not to discourage learning and increase cognitive overload. The purpose of this study was to determine if participating in a simulation exercise before lecture yielded better performance outcomes among novice learners.

Methods: Twenty-nine participants were divided into 2 groups as follows: group 1 participated in simulation exercises followed by a didactic lecture and group 2 participated in the same learning activities presented in the opposite order. Participants were administered a multiple-choice cognitive assessment upon completion of a workshop.

Results: Learners who participated in the simulated exercises …

Formative And Summative Assessment In Online Education, Dilani M. Perera-Diltz, Jeffry L. Moe

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Assessment is an integral part of both traditional and online education, especially when determining student learning outcomes. In the online learning environment, both formative and summative assessment practices require an understanding of the features and tools inherent to the electronic medium. Creating assessments for online education, either formative or summative, also requires application of constructivist learning principles to our collective understanding of the educational process and related goals. In this paper, we offer an overview of formative and summative assessment approaches suited to the online education environment.

Examining Student Participation In Three Learning Activities Supported By Social Annotation Tools, Tian Luo, Fei Gao, Kathryn S. Hoff

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Social annotation (SA) allows learners to highlight and comment on Web pages and share annotations with each other online. Despite its potential in promoting collaborative learning, examining how to integrate it into educational settings has not been fully studied. The purpose of the study is to examine student participation in three different SA-based online activities: (1) peer review, (2) annotated discussion, and (3) collaborative reading. Students participated in all three SA-based activities and took a survey at the end reporting the effectiveness of these activities. The analysis of students' annotations and their survey responses suggested that although participants perceived the …

Student Perceptions Of Online Course Quality: A Comparison By Academic Discipline, Brian Riley Wilcox

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The recent rapid proliferation of distance education necessitates the need for strong levels of academic accountability. An important factor found to influence and predict student success is students' perceptions of their online courses. Understanding how learners perceive their online learning environment is paramount to effective course design and implementation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate community college students' perceptions of online education.

IHEP benchmarks for quality in distance education were used develop a web-based survey designed to measure if students' perceptions of online course quality differed across academic disciplines, what factors impacted students' perceptions of online course …

Addressing The Needs Of Students With Color Vision Deficiencies In The Elementary School Library, Karla Bame Collins

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Color vision deficiencies affect approximately eight percent of the male population (Birch & Chisholm, 2008; Cole, 2007; Jenny & Kelso, 2007; Neitz & Neitz, 2000), yet the condition is often overlooked in the educational setting despite the pervasiveness of color in the school (Suero et al., 2004). The purpose of this study was to explore how elementary school librarians provide instruction and prepare the library environment to meet the needs of students with color vision deficiencies.

This mixed methods study consisted of two components. The first component was a questionnaire administered to elementary school librarians throughout Virginia to gather data …

Security Risks And Protection In Online Learning: A Survey, Yong Chen, Wu He

Distance Learning Faculty & Staff Publications

This paper describes a survey of online learning which attempts to determine online learning providers' awareness of potential security risks and the protection measures that will diminish them. The authors use a combination of two methods: blog mining and a traditional literature search. The findings indicate that, while scholars have identified diverse security risks and have proposed solutions to mitigate the security threats in online learning, bloggers have not discussed security in online learning with great frequency. The differences shown in the survey results generated by the two different methods confirm that online learning providers and practitioners have not considered …

Community College Presidents' Perspectives Of Dichotomous Events: The Consequences Of The Great Recession & Coincidental Increased Enrollment, Corey W. Carlson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The community college, like all of higher education, has been significantly impacted by the Great Recession and coincidental increased enrollment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the decision making processes of community college presidents as related to resource allocation and the impact of these decisions on the comprehensive community college mission. Declining state funding and increased enrollments have greatly impacted how community college leaders make decisions with leaders incorporating shared governance and informed decision-making. Community college leaders have also been proactively seeking out alternative revenue streams in order to help offset decreased state funding. Findings of this …