Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Introduction To Educational Measurement: Cramming A Semester­Long Course Into A One‐Hour Presentation, Tony Albano

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

1. Test design 1. Construct – the unobservable trait or attribute we want to measure; 2. Operationalizing – translating the construct into something observable; 3. Measurement – using scores to represent amounts of the construct via operations; 4. Scale – a set of operations (items) used to create composite scores; 5. Inference – assuming our scores describe some change in the construct; 6. Reliability – extent to which inferences are consistent; 7. Validity – extent to which inferences are accurate; 8. Purpose – the who, what, and why

2. Item writing — Standards or learning objectives – define what students …

Technical Adequacy And Acceptability Of Curriculum-Based Measurement And The Measures Of Academic Progress, Stacy-Ann A. January, Scott P. Ardoin

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Curriculum-based measurement in reading (CBM-R) and the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) are assessment tools widely employed for universal screening in schools. Although a large body of research supports the validity of CBM-R, limited empirical evidence exists supporting the technical adequacy of MAP or the acceptability of either measure for universal screening. Purposes of the current study were to replicate and extend prior research by (a) examining the extent to which CBM-R performance measures more than word reading skills, (b) evaluating the concurrent validity of MAP with CBM-R, (c) determining the potential benefit of administering MAP with CBM-R for universal …

Vocabulary Word Instruction For Students Who Read Braille, Mackenzie E. Savaiano, Donald L. Compton, Deborah D. Hatton, Blair P. Lloyd

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

The association made between the meaning, spelling, and pronunciation of a word has been shown to help children remember the meanings of words. The present study addressed whether the presence of a target word in braille during instruction facilitated vocabulary learning more efficiently than an auditory-only instructional condition. The authors used an adapted alternating treatments single-case experimental design with three students with visual impairments who read braille, collecting data on definition recall and spelling during each session. Data on definition recall were used to determine mastery. The results of this study are not consistent with previous findings with students who …

The Predictive Validity Of Pre-Admission Measures On Podiatric Medical School Performance, Kevin M. Smith

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study explored the influence of pre-admission measures on podiatric medical school performance. The purpose of the study was to predict which students are most likely to succeed in podiatric medical school when admitted, and potentially decrease the cost of attrition experienced by the student and institution. A review of the literature on medical school admissions was completed and used to develop this research.

Podiatric medical students from a Midwestern institution who enrolled between the years 2000 and 2015 were included as the sample for the study (n = 804). Pre-admission measures that were available for the subjects included Medical …

An Analysis Of The District Marginal Costs Of Mandatory State Standardized Tests, J. Eli Crow

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to determine (a) the estimate for the district marginal cost of mandatory state standardized assessments, (b) if student enrollment can be used to predict the district marginal cost of mandatory state standardized assessments, and c) the unit (per student) district marginal cost of mandatory state standardized assessments. The study included the use of a simple linear regression analysis with associated plots and trend lines.

The study established that district enrollment was correlated with district marginal cost of standardized testing which allowed the researcher to calculate the total and per student district level marginal cost …

Tech Edge Student Rubric Grades 2-3, Laurie A. Friedrich, Guy Trainin

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

This rubric can be used to evaluate formative and summative assessments of technology integrated products across the curriculum for grades 2-3.

Tech Edge Student Rubric K-1, Laurie A. Friedrich, Guy Trainin

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

This rubric can be used to evaluate formative and summative assessments of technology integrated products across the curriculum for grades K-1.

Tech Edge Student Rubric Grades 4-5, Laurie A. Friedrich, Guy Trainin

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

This rubric can be used to evaluate formative and summative assessments of technology integrated products across the curriculum for grades 4-5.

Nefdc Exhange, Volume 27, Fall 2014, New England Faculty Development Consortium

New England Faculty Development Consortium Exchange

Contents

President's message - Deborah J. Clark, Quinnipiac University

Embracing the Changing World: Incorporating Team-Based Learning in an Upper Level General Education Course - Mei-Yau Shih, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Susan Han, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Information Literacy: From Today’s Critical Challenges to Tomorrow’s Critical Thinking Opportunities - Kisha G. Tracy, Fitchurg State University and Jennifer Fielding, Northern Essex Community College

Preparing Future Faculty: By Chance or Design? - Keith Barker, University of Connecticut

Encouraging Crosstalk: What Higher Education Can Learn from the Next Generation Science Standards - Tracie Marcella Addy, Quinnipiac University

Spring 2015 Conference Announcement

The College …

Can Analyzing Spatial Relationships Through Geographically Weighted Regression Improve Our Understanding Of Low School Attainment? A Gis-Based Analysis Of Census And Acs Data, William England

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this study I present a relatively new technique for analyzing a recurring problem in our communities. Using a set of innovative and relatively new modeling methods, I demonstrate ways in which it is possible to directly account for, capture, and visualize the spatial variability in the relationships between U.S. Census data from 1990 and the recent low-school-attainment landscape in both the Omaha and Lincoln Public School (OPS) districts in Omaha and Lincoln, NE. Low school attainment in adults is a correlate of a host of troubling health and economic factors, which, in turn, have an impact on a child's …

An Interpretive Plan Guide For Wilderness Park In Lincoln, Nebraska, Rachel J. Ward

Community and Regional Planning Program: Professional Projects

Wilderness Park, located in Lancaster County, Nebraska, is a public park of unique ecological and historical value to the city of Lincoln and to the surrounding region. The natural and historical features of the park present an opportunity to communicate environmental and historical topics that are relevant on local, national, and global levels, as well as inspire a lively sense of pride in the community. The problem is that many topics relevant to Wilderness Park are not currently being interpreted at the park, and that there are relatively few interpretive resources available to park visitors.

The purpose of this project …

The Adoption Of Mixed Methods In China: An Exploratory Instrument Design, Yuchun Zhou

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mixed methods is “the third research paradigm” and a methodology along with traditional quantitative and qualitative methodologies (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, p.14). It is at the expansion/diffusion stage of development where researchers are most interested in how this method is adopted across disciplines and countries. However, very little literature is found regarding the use of mixed methods in non-Western cultural contexts, such as East Asia. Hence, the current study aimed to explore the expansion of mixed methods in an underrepresented population, China, a non-Western context and developing country.

The study employed an exploratory instrument design to investigate Chinese scholars’ decisions of …

Psychosocial Food-Related Behavior And Food Intake Of Adult Main Meal Preparers Of Food For 9-10 Year-Old Children Participating In Icook, A Five-State Childhood Obesity Pilot Prevention Study, Ashley A. Miller

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Understanding adult outcomes of programs aimed at childhood obesity prevention is necessary because parents/caregivers are the most important influence on a child’s physical activity and eating habits. Based on the principles of the social cognitive theory, the iCook 4-H pilot study taught dyads consisting of 9-10 year-old children and their primary meal preparers cooking skills, healthy shopping and meal habits, and easy ways to incorporate physical activity as a family. The program took place in five states, Maine, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia. In each state, adult-youth dyads (n = 54) were recruited by 4-H programs and nutrition …

Children, Mathematics, And Videotape: Using Multimodal Analysis To Bring Bodies Into Early Childhood Assessment Interviews, Amy Noelle Parks, Mardi Schmeichel

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Despite the increased use of video for data collection, most research using assessment interviews in early childhood education relies solely upon the analysis of linguistic data, ignoring children’s bodies. This trend is particularly troubling in studies of marginalized children because transcripts limited to language can make it difficult to analyze embodied power relations between majority researchers and minority children. This article responds to this problem by outlining a theoretical position on power and bodies, describing multimodal analysis strategies, and using these strategies to analyze the subject positions available during a mathematical assessment interview for three African American preschool child-participants and …

Exploring The Factors That Influence And Motivate Female Students To Enroll And Persist In Collegiate Stem Degree Programs: A Mixed Methods Study, Rosemary L. Edzie

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nationally, the need for an increase in interest, enrollment, and degrees awarded from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degree programs continues to suffer. While students are enrolling in collegiate STEM degree programs, it is not occurring at a rate that meets the workforce demand. In addition to the concern that there is not a sufficient amount of collegiate STEM majors, there is a concern over too few females enrolling and persisting in collegiate STEM degree programs.

This mixed methods sequential exploratory research study considered the factors that influence and motivate undergraduate female students to enroll and persist in collegiate …

Not Designed With Us In Mind: Exploring The Experiences And Needs Of Adult Learners At A Public Research University, Stephanie N. Meyer

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Adult learners are a rapidly expanding student population, constituting more than 40 percent of college students today (Stokes, 2006). Research on adult learners has historically focused on their experiences within adult-centered institutions where they make up the majority student population. Although older students challenge the status quo of higher education, traditional institutions continue to dismiss their needs in the development of policies and practices. The structure of higher education is historically designed to serve youth and assumptions are often made about students that often overlook the needs, availability, and interests of adult learners. For many adult learners who prefer the …

Future-Focused Leadership: Three Mega-Trends Influencing Distance Learning, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

While many continue to question the skyrocketing costs and value of a college education, future-focused leaders are recreating learning experiences by blending technology with the human experience. What does the future of distance learning look like, taste like and feel like? It can be difficult to predict the future of education as the world continues to evolve at an increasingly rapid pace; however, distance learning administrators can use a future-focused leadership approach, which includes examining megatrends, to plan for the future. Megatrends are global shifts that influence society, the economy and the environment. The purpose of this paper is to …

Childcare And Youth Training And Technical Assistance (Cyttap) 2014 Evaluation Report, Kit Alviz, Tonia Durden

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

The Childcare and Youth Training and Technical Assistance Project (CYTTAP) works to improve the quality and quantity of child care in states with high densities of off-installation military families. From November 2011 through January 2014, childcare providers and early childhood education professionals attended face-to-face trainings, train-the-trainer events, and low- or no-cost online trainings. The trainings included Better Kid Care on Demand (online modules on math, art, behavior, and more); Getting Started in Family Child Care (to learn about starting a family child care business); I Am Moving, I Am Learning (preventing childhood obesity); and Rock Solid Foundations (strategies for supporting …

Let Us Rank Journalism Programs, Joseph Weber

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Unlike law, business, and medical schools, as well as universities in general, journalism schools and journalism programs have rarely been ranked. Publishers such as U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Washington Monthly do not pay them much mind. What is the best journalism school in the country? The top ten undergraduate and graduate schools? It is impossible to know. That should change, and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) should lead the way. It should develop a ranking system that would be helpful to anyone interested, especially because federal policy makers soon will …

Teacher Support Mediates Concurrent And Longitudinal Associations Between Temperament And Mild Depressive Symptoms In Sixth Grade, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Patrick Pössel, Stephanie Winkeljohn Black, Kate Niehaus

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The combination of changes occurring at the transition to middle school may be a catalyst for the onset of depressive symptoms, yet teacher support at this transition is protective. Research points to certain temperamental traits as risk factors for developing depressive symptoms. This study examines student reports of teacher support and teacher reports of student–teacher relationship (STR) quality as mediators of associations between child temperament (i.e. negative emotionality at age 4½ : and emotional reactivity in elementary grades) and depressive symptoms in sixth grade. Results indicate (a) negative emotionality predicted emotional reactivity and depressive symptoms; (b) emotional reactivity predicted depressive …

The Curriculum Of Health And Nutrition Education In Czech Republic (Article), Jana Koptíková

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

ABSTRACT

The average one-year health expenditure per capita in the European member states has doubled in the last 15 years. Prevention is less expensive than treatment, and changes in diet and lifestyle remain the most effective way to reduce the financial health care costs. However, European health systems are primarily treatment systems, not preventive systems. Improper diet and lack of physical activity are the most critical factors contributing to the overweight and obesity pandemic. Along with heavy alcohol consumption and smoking, these four factors contribute the most to the development of chronic non-communicable diseases. These diseases kill more than 36 …

November 8, 2013 - Alec Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Meeting Minutes

ALEC Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Childcare And Youth Training And Technical Assistance Project (Cyttap) November 2013 Evaluation Report, Kit Alviz, Tonia Durden

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

The Childcare and Youth Training and Technical Assistance Project (CYTTAP) works to improve the quality and quantity of child care in states with high densities of off-installation military families. From November 2011 through October 2013, childcare providers and early childhood education professionals attended face-to-face trainings, train-the-trainer events, and low- or no-cost online trainings. Trainings included Better Kid Care (face-to-face trainings covering a wide range of topics including partnerships with parents, health and safety, nutrition and physical activity, and curriculum planning); I Am Moving, I Am Learning (face-to-face training to prevent childhood obesity); and Rock Solid Foundations (a series of programs …

Child Care Expansion Initiative: Ripple Effect Mapping: October 2013 Executive Summary, Kit Alviz, Tonia Renee Durden

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Ripple Effect Mapping (REM) sessions were conducted for the evaluation of the Childcare and Youth Training and Technical Assistance Project (CYTTAP) and in collaboration with the Military Child Care Liaison Initiative (MCCLI). The combined Child Care Expansion Initiative works to improve the quality and quantity of child care in states with high densities of off-installation military families through state systems building and provides professional development opportunities for early childhood professionals and child care providers. From September 2012 to February 2013, REM sessions were held in nine states. Future strategies recommended include identifying and bringing in the right Military Child Care …

September 13, 2013 - Alec Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Meeting Minutes

ALEC Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Community Partners’ Assessment Of Service Learning In An Interpersonal And Small Group Communication Course, Sarah Steimel

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This assessment explored community partners’ perceptions of service learning in a required communication course. Semi-structured interviews revealed that community partners believed that students were providing needed and valuable service, students were learning about the community and students were learning through their application of course skills in an applied context. However, community partners also felt that students were unaware of or did not care what they should be learning, that faculty contact was rare or nonexistent and that community feedback opportunities were rare and undervalued by faculty. Results suggest specific improvements necessary in service learning assignment design.

Expectations V. Reality: A Study About Chinese Students' Expectations And Experiences At A Midwestern University In America, Sarah J. Barg

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to add to the research regarding the expectations and experiences of Chinese students studying at an American university. In doing so, this study sought to examine newly arriving Chinese students’ expectations of what their experience would be like compared to the reality of what their experiences actually were while attending Midwestern State University (MSU). Ten participants participated in two semi-structured interviews. The first set of interviews explored what Chinese students expected their experience studying at MSU to be like. The following interview explored the actual experiences the Chinese students had while studying at …

Comparability Of Online And Paper/Pencil Mathematics Performance Measures, John L. Moon

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between student mathematics performance of 4^th, 8^th, and 11^th grade students in Nebraska and the mode of test administration, online and paper-pencil. Schools were allowed to select the mode of test administration for their school with some exceptions for students needing accommodations. This resulted in four test groups, namely students taking the online tests in schools selecting paper or online assessments along with students taking the paper-pencil tests in schools selecting paper or online assessments. Since the students in the study were clustered within schools, …

Childcare And Youth Training And Technical Assistance Project (Cyttap) May 2013 Evaluation Report, Kit Alviz, Tonia Renee Durden

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

The Childcare and Youth Training and Technical Assistance Project (CYTTAP) works to improve the quality and quantity of child care in 13 states with high densities of off-installation military families. From November 2011 through April 2013, face-to-face trainings, train-the-trainer events, and low- or no-cost online trainings were attended by over 14,000 individuals. Trainings included Better Kid Care (a wide range of topics including partnerships with parents, health and safety, nutrition and physical activity, and curriculum planning); Getting Started in Family Child Care (about starting a family child care business), I Am Moving, I Am Learning (about preventing childhood obesity); and …

A Mixed Methods Case Study: Understanding The Experience Of Nebraska 4-H Participants Relative To Their Transition And Adaptation To College, Jill Walahoski

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This mixed methods case study was designed to assess the preparedness of former Nebraska 4-H participants to successfully transition and adjust to college. The study also sought to understand the way that students’ experiences in Nebraska 4-H may have influenced their readiness to transition to college. The initial quantitative stage of this case study administered the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire to former 4-H participants who were recent high school graduates. Latter qualitative stages included interviews with staff regarding the practices and strategies they employed related to preparing young people for college and interviews with former 4-H participants selected from …