Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Participation In Positive Youth Development Programs And 4-H: Assessing The Impact On Self-Image In Young People, Karen Bloomquist

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to identify relationships between youth involvement in 4-H and self-image. The study also explored whether there were relations between self-image and development of the 5 C’s (confidence, competence, caring, connection and character) of Positive Youth Development. The study focused specifically on the differences in self-image between youth who participate in 4-H and youth who do not.

Participants included 180 youth from grades eight through twelve in the state of Nebraska. Demographic responses indicated that 47% of respondents were male and 53% were female. Approximately 72% of the respondents were not participants in a 4-H …

Traumatic Brain Injury: Transition And Intervention, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act defines traumatic brain injury as an acquired in· jury to the brain caused by an external physical force. The injury results in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; langnage; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, …

Thinking Outside Of The Assessment Box: Assessing Social Communicative Functioning In Students With Asd, Janet L. Dodd

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

The assessment of a student suspected of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis requires the integration of information collected by a variety of professionals across various domains of functioning. One of the core deficits of students with ASD is a deficit related to social communicative competence (SCC). SCC requires the integration of language, social cognition, and higher order executive functions (Coggins, Olswang, Carmichael Olsson, & Timler, 2003) This article will propose an assessment model of social communicative functioning that was developed based on the SCC framework of Coggins and colleagues as a component of the Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Assessment Protocols for …

Completions 2010-11, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

IPEDS Completions

IPEDS Completions annual report contains the following information:

• Number of awards conferred by program, by level, and by race/ethnicity and gender of recipient
• Number of completers, separately by race/ethnicity, gender, age and level of award

Urban School Reform And The Strange Attractor Of Low-Risk Relationships, Brian R. Beabout

Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Foundations

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, school leaders in a newly decentralized school system reached out to external organizations for partnerships—a job that had previously resided in the central office. The necessity of these contacts and the quantity of newly independent schools make a unique context for studying how school leaders think and act in relation to external partnerships. Iterative interviews with 10 New Orleans public school principals reveal a range of external partnerships that can be classified into a three part taxonomy consisting of charitable relationships, technical support relationships, and feedback relationships. A discussion of low-risk relationships …

Stealing From Grandma Or Generating Knowledge? Constestations And Effects Of Cheating In Whyville, Deborah A. Fields, Y. B. Kafai

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Much research has described the various practices needed of gaining access and participation in multi-user game communities. Cheat sites are a continuation of game communities where players engage in knowledge building about game related challenges. In this paper we analyze the cheat sites created by players for a tween virtual world called Whyville.net, which encourages youth to participate in a range of social activities and play casual science games. Through analysis we created typologies for both the cheats and sites related to science content. Further, a case study of an exemplary cheat site elaborates on how some player generated sites …

Your Second Selves: Avatar Designs And Identity Play, Y. B. Kafai, Deborah A. Fields, M. S. Cook

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Avatars in online games and worlds are seen as players’ key representations in interactions with each other. In this article, we investigate the avatar design and identity play within a large-scale tween virtual world called Whyville.net, with more than 1.5 million registered players of ages 816. One unique feature of Whyville is the players’ ability to customize their avatars with various face parts and accessories, all designed and sold by other players in Whyville. Our findings report on the expressive resources available for avatar construction, individual tween players’ choices and rationales in creating their avatars, and online postings about avatar …

"Blacks Deserve Bodies Too!" Design And Discussion About Diversity And Race In A Tween Virtual World, Y. B. Kafai, M. S. Cook, Deborah A. Fields

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

In this paper, we investigate racial diversity in avatar design and public discussions about race within a large-scale tween virtual world called Whyville.net, with more than 1.5 million registered players of ages 8—16. One unique feature of Whyville is the player’s ability to customize their avatars with various face parts and accessories, all designed and sold by other players in Whyville. Our findings report on the racial diversity of available resources for avatar construction and online postings about the role of race in avatar design and social interactions in the community. With the growing interest in player-generated content for online …

Development And Validation Of A Measurement Scale To Analyze The Environment For Evidence-Based Medicine Learning And Practice By Medical Residents, Fangqiong Mi

Wayne State University Dissertations

A growing number of residency programs are instituting curricula to include the component of evidence-based medicine (EBM) principles and process. However, these curricula may not be able to achieve the optimal learning outcomes, perhaps because various contextual factors are often overlooked when EBM training is being designed, developed, and implemented. The purpose of the study was to develop and validate an instrument, the EBM Environment Scale, to analyze the environment for EBM learning and practice as perceived by medical residents.

The development of the EBM Environment Scale underwent the process of content domain identification, item generation, review by content experts …

Introduction To This Special Issue: Faculty Intellectual Property In The Digital Age, Gary R. Morrison, Gary J. Anglin, Jennifer M. Maddrell

STEMPS Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Prior to the third generation of distance education that is described as telelearning (Taylor 1995) or teleconferencing (Moore and Kearsley 1996), there were few questions about the ownership of a faculty member’s intellectual property. It was extremely rare for an institution to claim ownership of a professor’s class materials whether lecture notes, flip charts, overhead transparencies, audio and video recording, monographs, handouts or tests. With the advent of Internet-based distance education delivery systems including 2-way audio and video as well as online courses, the issue of intellectual property ownership has grown complex.

Evaluation Of Academic Policy Formulation And Implementation, Transmountain Early College High School, El Paso, Texas, Virginia Margaret Heidemann

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Transmountain Early College High School (TMECHS) opened in August 2008, created by a partnership between the El Paso Community College (EPCC) and the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD), and supported in its conceptualization, start-up, and first few years operation by grant funding and guidance from the Texas High School Project (THSP) and its major foundation funding partners, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and Communities Foundation of Texas. TMECHS is a T-STEM early college high school located in a large city on the U.S.-Mexico border.

As educational institutions begin implementation of ambitious reform …

Researching K-12 Online Learning: What Do We Know And What Should We Examine?, Michael Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

The article discusses the research about K-12 online education in the U.S. Research about K-12 online learning are classified into two categories. The first category involves the comparison of the performance of students enrolled in the regular classroom and those enrolled in online courses. The second category deals with research on the qualities of teaching/learning experiences in online learning.

U.S. Virtual School Trial Period And Course Completion Policy Study, Abigail Hawkins, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

Variation in policies virtual schools use to calculate course completion and retention rates impacts the comparability of these quality metrics. This study surveyed 159 U.S. virtual schools examining the variability in trial period and course completion policies--two policies that affect course completion rates. Of the 86 respondents, almost 70% had trial periods that varied from 1 day to 185 days. Course completion definitions varied from remaining in the course irrespective of the final grade to receiving an A- in the course. Such wide variation renders the completion and retention rate metrics useless. We recommend virtual schools adopt consistent measures for …

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 Status Of Research In Technology Education, Philip A. Reed

STEMPS Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Universal Design For Instruction: Understanding Faculty Practices And Needs, Howard P. Parette, Hedda Medan, Brian Wojcik, Jeffery P. Bakken

Faculty Publications - College of Education

The purposes of this short report are to describe key principles of UDL and UDI and to describe the findings of a pilot survey study that focused on faculty members practices and needs in the areas of UDL/UDI. Limited previous research is available related to faculty perceptions of UDI/UDL in higher education settings. One exception is a study conducted by Vreeburg-Izzo, Murray, and Novak (2008). Vreeburg-Izzo et al. conducted a survey, coupled with follow-up focus groups, with faculty and graduate teaching assistants that examined the (a) climate of instructional settings for students with disabilities, and (b) perceived needs for professional …

Assessment Formats: Student Preferences And Perceptions, Mairéad Seymour, Shannon Chance

Articles

This paper provides a student perspective on the variety of forms of design critique available to educators. In architecture and landscape architecture, the design jury remains the dominant format for providing feedback to students. In recent years this format has come under scrutiny and its effectiveness called into question. However, little research has been done into the variety of alternative or supplemental formats available to educators. This paper explores an array of techniques that the authors have employed in design studio courses (which include techniques suggested by students in Webster’s 2007 article in the Journal of Architectural Education). These include …

Experiences Of Assessment Using Multiple Choice Questions On Advanced Modules Taken By Level 8 And Level 9 Engineering Students, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

This contribution evaluates the use of multiple-choice questions, in both formative and summative assessment modes, on advanced modules taken by Level 8 and Level 9 engineering students, over the past two academic years. Assessment data, and student experiences with the assessment methods, are reported and analysed.

Transforming Academic Practice: Human Resources Challenges, Ellen Hazelkorn, Amanda Moynihan

Books/Book chapters

No abstract provided.

Techknow-Share: A Social Learning Framework For Group Projects, Mary Lawlor

Teaching Fellowships

Many marketing students at undergraduate level are exposed to experiential learning in Years 3 and 4 where, through more varied pedagogies such as case studies and industry projects, they have a taste of real work marketing practice. It is often a challenge to engage students at second year where the theory and concepts of marketing are required to be taught, often employing a traditional passive learning paradigm (lecture based). The need to foster engagement early in a student’s learning is ever greater with a generation of students that want to construct knowledge socially and leverage Web 2.0 tools in their …

Improving The Undergraduate Laboratory Learning Experience Through Redesigned Teaching And Assessment Strategies Integrating Transferable Skills And Focusing On Feedback., Julie Dunne, Barry Ryan

Teaching Fellowships

This project aimed to improve the laboratory learning experience for undergraduate science students, focusing initially on first and third year cohorts, through specific objectives. Firstly, to incorporate novel teaching and assessment methods, including student led laboratories, in- house produced instructional videos, “Clickers” audience response devices, and pre-practical on-line multiple choice questionnaires (MCQ) assessments. Secondly, to develop timely feedback mechanisms, including peer review, tutor face-to-face and audio feedback, online automatic feedback, and report checklists. Finally, to embed transferable skills into the laboratory including group work, communication skills (written and oral), organisation and project planning, health and safety, and preparedness for laboratories, …

Harmonizing Technology With Interaftion In Blended Problem-Based Learning, Roisin Donnelly

Journal Articles

This paper discusses the harmonizing role of technology and interaction in a qualitative study on blended 22 problem-based learning within the context of academic development in higher education. Within this 23 setting, and as both designers and tutors in blended PBL, it is important to seek best practices for how 24 to combine instructional strategies in face-to-face and computer-mediated environments that take 25 advantage of the strengths of each and avoid their weaknesses. A qualitative study of the lived experi- 26 ences of 17 academic staff participants in a blended problem-based learning module was considered 27 likely to provide a …

An Examination Of The Effectiveness Of A Professional Development Program On Teacher Knowledge And Practice To Address Adolescent Health Issues, Narima Aliya Shahabudeen

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Sustained Employment Of Teachers In High Poverty Schools, Karen Jean Davis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Author's abstract: The researcher's purpose of this study was to understand from the lived experiences of teachers in high poverty schools the reasons they remained in these schools. A qualitative method was used to conduct the study, which involved interviews with eight teachers (4 elementary, 2 middle and 2 high), one principal and the Superintendent who responded to open-ended interview questions. The interview questions were designed to elicit responses to the research questions and interview questions. The researcher coded transcripts from the interviews for recurring themes and patterns. Field notes from before and after each interview, as well as district …

Confidence-Based Assessment In Moodle: Insights From Teachers, Administrators, And Programmers, Timothy P. Florian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Critical thinking is a skill that school systems are trying to develop in their student populations. Numerous studies have been conducted on developing critical thinking skills such as self-regulation, interpretation, and analysis. However, available data on the use of learning management systems (LMS) as a means to develop critical-thinking skills have been opaque. This study examined the perceptions of local stakeholders and the impact of confidence-based assessment (CBA) on secondary students at one high school. The conceptual framework guiding the study represented a synthesis of theoretical perspectives on critical thinking and its development with the current research on the pedagogical …

Adaptations And Continuities In The Use And Design Of Visual Representations In Us Middle School Science Textbooks, Victor R. Lee

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Visual representations are ubiquitous in modern‐day science textbooks and have in recent years become an object of criticism and scrutiny. This article examines the extent to which changes in representations in textbooks published in the USA over the past six decades have invited those critiques. Drawing from a correlational analysis of a corpus of 34 US middle school physical science textbooks, continuities are established with respect to the purposes that most textbook images serve and the numbers of schematic representations that are used. Changes are observed in the overall total number of representations in textbooks and in the proportion of …

Predicting Mastery On The Westest 2 : A Comparison Of Map And Westest 2 Data, Miranda Noelle Haught

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Curriculum based measures are conducted in order to observe a student’s progress and gauge the development in the school’s curriculum. Schools are in need of gathering data to discover if students are progressing towards achieving proficiency on state standardized tests. This research determines what score or corresponding percentile needs to be reached on the MAP test in order to achieve mastery on WESTEST 2. Data was compared from students in a rural county in West Virginia who were tested in Mathematics and Reading on the MAP test and WESTEST 2. A Pearson product correlation between both the MAP test and …

An Examination Of The Reading First Program At A Southeastern Virginia Elementary School And The Impact On K–2 Student Reading Achievement, Leslie Ford Lippard

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Reading First was a federal initiative aimed at improving reading instruction and implementing programs and strategies grounded in scientifically-based reading research. The legislation was predicated on research findings that high-quality reading instruction and intervention in the primary grades significantly reduces the numbers of students who experience difficulties in later grades. This study examined the Reading First program at an elementary school in southeastern Virginia from 2006-2008. Specifically, the researcher investigated the impact of the independent variable, the tier three model of intervention on K-2 student reading achievement. Quantitative data was garnered from 792 K-2 student participants attending the research site. …

Ethnic Differences In Alcohol Use: A Comparison Of Black And White College Students In A Small Private University Setting, Kristie S. Gover

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An identified gap in the literature associated with college student alcohol use is the exploration of the problem based on ethnicity, specifically possible differences in use between Black and White college students. The purpose of the present study was to examine differences in alcohol use for Black and White college students at a small private university in the southeast United States. The study was conducted using the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey Long Form, which is designed to collect data related to self reported use of alcohol and perceptions of alcohol use among college students. A quantitative methodology was employed …

Why Do They Go? Community College Students And Post-Secondary Pursuits In Central Appalachia, Christina Jo Wright

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on how rural community college students make decisions regarding their post-secondary plans. To understand these decision processes, I interviewed students, faculty and administrators at Southeast Community and Technical College in Harlan County, Kentucky. The literature informing my research reflects on rural college going patterns. Most studies connect place and post-secondary plans. Central Appalachia has among the lowest population percentages with Bachelor degrees in the country. Studies argue this is because of limited application for such degrees in the region. Matching their education and training to local job market requirements, people hesitate to complete advanced degrees when little …