Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Assessing The Quality Of Doctoral Dissertation Literature Reviews In Instructional Technology, Melynda Harrison Fitt, Andrew Walker, Heather Leary

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Assessment of the doctoral dissertation literature review provides insight into a student’s preparation for future work as a researcher. In 2004, efforts to assess the quality of literature reviews in doctoral dissertations were pioneered by Boote & Beile. Their work represents an important response to the call for improved research skills among emerging scholars. The purpose of this study is to replicate their work in a focused area of educational research, specifically Instructional Technology, and to examine the inter-rater reliability of the rubric. The findings suggest that dissertation literature reviews in Instructional Technology show the same need for improvement as …

Enrollment Report - Spring 2009, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Enrollment Reports

The Enrollment Report provides administrative and delivery-site information on enrollment headcount and student credit hours, as well as the demographic characteristics of enrolled students. The purpose of this profile is to provide the undergraduate and graduate enrollments and student credit hour information by college or equivalent academic unit, class, gender and ethnicity.

Report Of The University Studies Council To The Faculty Senate - June 2009, Portland State University. General Education Working Group, Mitch Cruzan

University Studies Assessment Research

This report from the University Studies Council presents an implementation plan to the Faculty Senate for cluster realignment.

Systemic And Personal Change: A Retrospective Case Study Of Balanced Literacy Implementation As Perceived By Those Involved, Donna J. Anderson

Dissertations

This retrospective critical case study was conducted to learn more about teacher perceptions of deep, systemic change experiences. This study examined the successful implementation of a balanced literacy program at one Title I elementary school several years after completion of the implementation period. Participants were teachers who reflected on their experiences with the balanced literacy initiative implementation and discussed personal change associated with their experiences. Analysis isolated elements of teachers' recollected experience and compared those elements with factors that previous research has associated with successful change. Additionally, this study explored the lasting effects the experience of being a part of …

Determining Future Success Of College Students, Paul Oehrlein

Undergraduate Economic Review

Many people invest a lot of money in order to go to college with the hope that they will eventually be rewarded with higher salaries. This paper attempts to determine what aspects of college are most important in determining the future income of students. In particular, this paper studies whether GPA is an important determinant of income as well as whether some majors are better investments than others after controlling for other factors. In addition, the effect of math and verbal ability on income and how they interact with different fields of study are examined. The data comes from the …

Expert Versus Novice Tutors: Impacts On Student Outcomes In Problem-Based Learning, Heather Leary, Andrew Walker, Melynda Harrison Fitt, Brett E. Shelton

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

The tutor is an essential part of problem based learning (PBL). However, tutor characteristics and role are inconsistent. Meta-analysis was used to investigate both the role and training of PBL tutors as moderators of student learning. Weighted effect sizes were calculated on student outcomes with a modest favorable overall effect size for PBL; a vote count shows favorable results as well. Results indicate a mixture of peers and instructors do best when compared to peers and instructors alone. Tutor training appears to make a difference by itself, but when considered with tutor background, tutor training does not appear to moderate …

The Effect Of Technology Education On Student's State Standardized Test Scores, Maurice Torrez Frazier

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The intent of this dissertation was to determine if technology education program completers score higher on academic standards assessments than do students who do not enroll in technology education courses. Many states have developed academic standards for public school students to measure the quality of the educational system. States and local school systems adopted these standards and their accompanying tests to establish a level of academic competency for all of their students. One of the goals of technology education courses was to provide practical applications to reinforce the content of the core subject areas. The purpose of this study was …

Validity And Problem-Based Learning Research: A Review Of Instruments Used To Assess Intended Learning Outcomes, Brian R. Belland, Brian F. French, Peggy A. Ertmer

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Problem-based learning (PBL) spread from the medical school to other university and K-12 contexts due, in part, to the stated promise that PBL produces the target outcomes of deep content learning, increased problem-solving ability, and increased self-directed learning (Hmelo-Silver, 2004). However, research results have been unclear. This paper examines how the three target outcomes were measured in 33 empirical studies. Results indicate that few studies included (a) theoretical frameworks for the assessed variables/constructs, (b) rationales for how chosen assessments matched the constructs measured, or (c) other information required for readers to assess the validity of authors’ interpretations. Implications for future …

When Is Pbl More Effective? A Meta-Synthesis Of Meta-Analyses Comparing Pbl To Conventional Classrooms, Johannes Strobel, Angela Van Barneveld

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been utilized for over 40 years in a variety of different disciplines. Although extensively researched, there is heated debate about the effectiveness of PBL. Several meta-analyses were conducted that provided a synthesis of the effects of PBL in comparison to traditional forms of instruction. This study used a qualitative meta-synthesis approach to compare and contrast the assumptions and findings of the meta-analytical research on the effectiveness of PBL. Findings indicated that PBL was superior when it comes to long-term retention, skill development and satisfaction of students and teachers, while traditional approaches were more effective for short-term …

A Problem Based Learning Meta Analysis: Differences Across Problem Types, Implementation Types, Disciplines, And Assessment Levels, Andrew Walker, Heather Leary

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Problem based learning (PBL) in its most current form originated in Medical Education but has since been used in a variety of disciplines (Savery & Duffy, 1995) at a variety of educational levels (Savery, 2006). Although recent meta analyses have been conducted (Dochy, Segers, Van den Bossche, & Gijbels, 2003; Gijbels, Dochy, Van den Bossche, & Segers, 2005) that attempted to go beyond medical education, they found only one study in economics and were unable to explain large portions of the variance across results. This work builds upon their efforts as a meta-analysis that crosses disciplines as well as categorizes …

Teacher, School, And Student Characteristics, Theoretical Orientations Toward Reading, Attitudes Toward High Stakes Testing, And Reading Performance In Grades K-6, Dianne Memmer-Novak

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

High stakes testing and accountability has become a hotly debated topic among politicians and educators since the bipartisan passing of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in 2002. With the goal of having all students reading at or above grade level by the end of the 2013-2014 school year Reading First was developed as part of NCLB, to provide schools and teachers with scientific research-based reading instruction.

More than districts or schools, it is the classroom teacher that bears the ultimate responsibility for increasing reading performance. Effective teachers of reading must face the demands and challenges of NCLB while …

Spring 2009 Itv Survey, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Assessment Center Reports

Distance Education & eLearning ITV Survey reports produced by the SWOSU Assessment Center

How Do You Get Student Buy-In To A "Wonderful (To You)" Teaching Innovation?, Wendy L. Keeney-Kennicutt, Adalet Baris Gunersel, Nancy J. Simpson

SoTL Commons Conference

One difficulty in adopting new classroom tools is persuading students to accept an educational technique out of their comfort zone. Our study investigated student perceptions when Calibrated Peer Review (CPR)™, a web-based program that uses writing for learning and assessing, was introduced into a general chemistry college classroom, and the strategies that helped convert initial intense opposition into acceptance and engagement. We will share the mistakes made, the reasons for students' like or dislike of CPR, the 4 year path taken to understand the issues and modify its implementation for a more positive classroom experience, and why the instructor persisted …

Harnessing Developments In Technology And Merging Them With New Approaches To Teaching: A Practical Example Of The Effective Use Of Wikis And Social Bookmarking Sites In 3rd Level Professional Education, Avril Behan, Frances Boylan

Conference Papers

While innovations such as Problem-Based Learning and elearning have informed pedagogical practice on the Geomatics honours Bachelor of Science degree programme at the Department of Spatial Information Sciences, Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Ireland, few attempts have been made to date to harness technological developments and merge them with new approaches to teaching. However, the recent conceptual change in authoring and usage of the World Wide Web from relatively static to fully interactive (Read-Write Web) provided an opportunity to embrace a change in technology as a means of modifying teaching practice to create a more student-centred environment. This paper describes …

Review Of 'Handbook Of Multicultural Assessment: Clinical, Psychological, And Educational Applications', Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

The third edition of Suzuki and Ponterotto’s Handbook of Multicultural Assessment: Clinical, Psychological, and Educational Applications provides comprehensive reviews on a variety of topics related to culturally appropriate assessment. The text includes updated chapters from previous editions, along with several newly conceptualized chapters that reflect the most current research in the field. Some chapters from previous editions were consolidated, resulting in a streamlined volume which will be useful to professionals and trainees in psychology, education, and social service disciplines.

Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of A Balanced School Calendar And Its Effects On Students In Poverty, Christopher S. Smith

Dissertations

The creation of this study came out of a need to increase achievement and support services for students living in poverty in the selected school district in Missouri. Due to the large amount of academic regression over the long summer break and the lack of consistent support services for students who live in poverty, a Balanced School Calendar (BSC) was investigated. The researchers conducted surveys and interviews to assess the level of support from parents, teachers, and administrators for a BSC school choice program as an option for implementation at a K-5 elementary school in the selected school district in …

Teaching And Learning In Middle Schooling: A Review Of The Literature, Stephen Dinham, Ken Rowe

School and system improvement

The literature review on teaching and learning for students in the middle schooling years summarised in this paper was undertaken in 2007. It was commissioned by the New Zealand Ministry of Education following identification of the following issues: limited quality data on middle schooling outcomes in New Zealand; the need to develop an evidence base to inform decisions and policy development in relation to middle schooling; the need to ensure that decisions are informed by the best evidence about effective curriculum and pedagogical approaches in the middle years of schooling; and the need for a coherent, coordinated approach to establishing …

Exploring The Effects Of School Calendars On Student Achievement, Malinda R. Meier

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a year-round calendar and an extended school year calendar, which had, in addition to extra days, specific teacher selection, extended professional development for teachers, and research based programs on student academic achievement. This special version of an extended school year was referred to as extended plus. To determine the effects of a year-round schedule, Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test scores of students attending school on a yearround schedule were compared to scores of students attending schools on a traditional schedule. To determine the effects of extended plus, MAP scores …

Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of A Balanced School Calendar And Its Effects On Students In Poverty, Kevin D. Huffman

Dissertations

The creation of this study came out of a need to increase student achievement and support services for students living in poverty in the selected school district in Missouri. Due to the large amount of academic regression over the long summer break and the lack of consistent support services for students in poverty, a Balanced School Calendar (BSC) was investigated. The researchers conducted surveys and interviews to assess the level of support from parents, teachers, and administrators to see if a BSC school choice program would be a viable option for implementation at a K-5 elementary school in the selected …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between District Wealth And Student Achievement, Richard L. Henson

Dissertations

Since the state of Missouri has twice been sued by the Committee for Educational Equity, this study was undertaken to determine if district wealth or district expenditures have any statistical impact on student performance. All of the subjects are Missouri public school districts and all of the data reviewed was from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education or from the internet school ranking site, Schooldigger.com. Two data sets were reviewed. First the Assessed Valuation per Pupil, the Expenditure per Pupil and the Annual Performance Report data from the time of the first lawsuit were reviewed for any correlations. …

Powerpoint Games In A Secondary Laptop Environment, Michael K. Barbour, Jim Kinsella, Lloyd P. Rieber

Education Faculty Publications

There is no denying the success and popularity of WebQuests among teachers. For those interested in technology integration, this is a significant step in the right direction. Yet, WebQuests are instructivist examples of technology integration – they are web-enhanced forms of direct instruction. We consider constructing homemade PowerPoint games as a constructionist alternative to WebQuests. PowerPoint is nearly ubiquitous software and teachers already use existing games in their classrooms. The authors contend that a better use of class time for learning is to turn over the act of game design to the children themselves. In this project, students in social …

Confounded And Compounded By Language: English Language Learners And High Stakes Testing, Elizabeth Park

Occasional Paper Series

As her students prepare to take their tests to exhibit English proficiency, the atmosphere, writes Park, "becomes military at best, prison-like at worst. Regulations are distributed. Teachers are warned that state examiners may appear unannounced to look for infractions of the myriad rules..." Scare tactics are used to try to assure that the testing activity remains uncontaminated by human desire, fear, or simple boredom.

Moving Beyond Institutional Rankings: Towards A World-Class System, Ellen Hazelkorn

Other resources

No abstract provided.

A Correlational Study Of Successful School Bond Issues And Successful Athletic Teams, Mark Beem

Dissertations

This study was completed to determine if there was a relationship between successful school bond issues and successful athletic teams. Data were obtained from 53 school districts in central and southwest Missouri that had attempted to pass a bond issue within the past five years. Superintendents in those districts were asked to respond to a survey regarding the success of their recent bond issues and the success of their football and basketball teams the year of the bond issue and the year preceding. The perceptions of the superintendent’s in regard to community support and the effect of athletics on successful …

Introduction: Classroom Life In The Age Of Accountability, Gail M. Boldt, Paula M. Salvio, Peter Taubman

Occasional Paper Series

"For this Occasional Paper, we invited teachers to respond to the ways in which proliferation of standards and testing combined with their own loss of professional control is altering the landscape of American education....Our goal is to raise questions about whether and how educators are balancing the demands of high stakes testing, scripted curricula, and a focus on performance outcomes with the emotional complexity of classroom life."--The editors

Squeezed, Stretched, And Stuck: Teachers Defending Play-Based Learning In No-Nonsense Times, Karen Wohlwend

Occasional Paper Series

Describes how playful and inquiry-based engagements in kindergarten and first grade classrooms eventually gave way to the demands of district-mandated teacher evaluation plans that called for targeted reading strategies, seatwork, and instruction using basal reading materials. Wohlend describes the resulting impingement on children's emotional lives and the professional authority of teachers in these midwestern classrooms.

In Defense Of Playfulness, Peter J. Nelsen

Occasional Paper Series

Nelsen argues that the loss of play has unwittingly provoked a loss of critical thinking and civic engagement.

Knowing What Works For Arkansas, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

The Office for Education Policy aims to serve as a resource to aid lawmakers and educators in education related decisions. The OEP recently became partners with the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), a research unit of the U.S. Department of Education, which reviews K-12 curricula and interventions. The goal of this article is to highlight the resources offered through the WWC, and draw attention to some of the WWC services and products that may be useful to educators in Arkansas.

E-Learning And Dit’S Strategic Plan, Eileen O' Donnell

Other resources

This presentation explores the question can e-learning be used to enhance the student experience and further prepare students to work in industry?

Eportfolios, The Harvesting Gradebook, Accountability, And Community, Gary R. Brown, Nils Peterson, Meriem Chida, Theron Desrosier

Office of Academic Innovation Publications

Article discusses a project at Washington State University that engaged students in projects that combined a portfolio approach with emerging technologies, as well as involvement with professionals from outside the campus community. The article discusses the results, impact and implications of this experiment for learning and assessment in the university environment.