Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Assessment Of The Neighborhood, Housing, Family, And Personal Characteristics That Affect Whether Students Drop Out Of High School, Montara Renée November

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This paper seeks to present research that will allow education officials to identify and target individuals who are likely to drop out of high school. By simultaneously using neighborhood, housing, family, and personal factors to identify at-risk students, education officials can link students to the social programs they need to meet their individual needs. Parent’s educational level had statistically significant effect on whether students dropped out of high school. The lower the education level the more likely a student will drop out of school. Parents who are high school dropouts are more likely to earn less and their children are …

Linking Opencoursewares And Open Education Resources: Creating An Effective Search And Recommendation System, Brett E. Shelton, J. Duffin, Y. Wang, J. Ball

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

With a growing number of digital libraries and other open education repositories being made available throughout the world, effective search and retrieval tools are necessary to access the desired materials that surpass the effectiveness of traditional, all inclusive search engines. This paper discusses the design and use of Folksemantic, a platform that integrates OpenCourseWare search, Open Educational Resource recommendations, and social network functionality into a single open source project. The paper describes how the system was originally envisioned, its goals for users, and data that provides insight into how it is actually being used. Data sources include website click-through data, …

Knowing And Throwing Mudballs, Hearts, Pies, And Flowers: A Connective Ethnography Of Gaming Practices, Deborah A. Fields, Y. B. Kafai

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Little is known concerning how young players learn to participate in various activities in virtual worlds. We use a new integrative approach called connective ethnography that focuses on how a gaming practice spread across a network of youth at an after school club that simultaneously participated in a virtual world, Whyville.net. To trace youth participation in online and offline social contexts, we draw on multiple sources of information: observations, interviews, videos, online tracking and chat data, and hundreds of hours of play in Whyville ourselves. One gaming practice – the throwing of projectiles and its social uses and nuances – …

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 …

Exploring The Use Of Language Cues For Higher-Order Thinking Skills In The Muet Syllabus., Patricia Das Isaacs

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study is mainly concerned with how the English language can be used to our benefit to create a thinking society in Malaysia. Since the Malaysian University English Test or MUET is a requirement for students wishing to pursue first degree tertiary education in public universities, it is felt that students should be equipped with a certain level of competency in a language which is also an international language. Along with this it is essential that students be able to develop the higher-order thinking skills of critical and creative thinking, analysing and problem-solving which will prove to be useful in …

Measuring Research Impact Using Bibliometrics, Constance Wiebrands

ECU Research Week

Introduces a range of tools for bibliometric analysis.

Instrumental Music And Act Scores, Jerry Price

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Allocation of dwindling resources force public administrators to make choices and instrumental music program budgets can be cut or even eliminated by state agencies or school districts. Whether or not this is good policy will be examined by the collection and analysis of school level data. Public school instrumental music programs are expensive to operate and maintain, involve specialized, highly-qualified instructors and require an inventory of instruments to ensure that students with low incomes will be able to participate. Families in high income situations may be able to afford private instrumental music lessons for their students and may be indifferent …

The Implementation Of School-Based Teacher Evaluation Practices In Selected Malaysian National Primary Schools., Vasundhara Vasudevan

Student Works (2010-2019)

Continuous improvement in teacher performance is the key to enhancing the quality of education. Teacher performance must be monitored and evaluated by school administrators to provide constant feedback and to assist teachers in achieving the common goals of educating individuals in schools. The purpose of the study was to investigate how administrators in national primary schools carried out teacher evaluation practices and to ascertain the influence of the evaluation process on teacher performance. The qualitative case method examined the purpose of teacher evaluation; the methods and instrument used; the utilization of findings; and the contextual factors that affected the implementation …

Representational Competence Of Form Four Science Students On Basic Chemical Concepts., Sim Joong Hiong

Student Works (2010-2019)

The general purpose of this study was to investigate Form four science students’ representational competence on basic chemical concepts. The main aims of the study were: (i) to investigate students’ understanding of basic chemical concepts, (ii) to evaluate their understanding of chemical representations, (iii) to assess their representational competence in chemistry, and (iv) to examine the influence of selected cognitive variables on their representational competence. A total of 411 Form four science students from seven urban secondary schools in Perak participated in this study. Data was obtained from seven instruments consisting of five paper-and-pencil tests, one questionnaire and interviews. The …

Hafazan Al-Quran Dan Hubungannya Dengan Kecemerlangan Pelajar : Kajian Di Maahad Tahfiz Al-Quran Wal Qiraat Pulai Chondong, Kelantan Dari Tahun 1997 Hingga 2007., Muhaidi Hj. Mustaffa

Student Works (2010-2019)

The topic for this research is “The Memorization of al-Quran and Its Relation with Students Excellence” : A Study at Maahad Tahfiz al-Quran Wal Qiraat, Pulai Chondong, Kelantan from 1997-2007 aimed to find methods of instruction in Maahad Tahfiz al-Quran Wal Qiraat, Pulai Chondong, Kelantan (MTAQPC), the characteristics of the students of MTAQPC and its relationship with the excellence of students. The purpose of this study is to find out the student in the field of academic and character. The study was carried out in the form of descriptive qualitative analysis. The method of study includes some of the elements …

Kelas Khas Kemahiran Al-Qur'an (Kkq) : Kajian Kaedah Pelaksanaan Dan Keberkesanannya Di Sekolah-Sekolah Menengah (Smk) Di Daerah Gombak, Selangor., Eadil Mat

Student Works (2010-2019)

This research is mainly to focus on the methods of the implementation of Special Course of Quranic which being conducted in school and its effectiveness. This study has been conducted in three schools in the Gombak West Zone in the district of Gombak, Selangor. There were 70 students from form 2 and 3 teachers who teach the Special Course involved in this research. It is to determine whether the students’ background, teacher, the efforts of related parties and also the problems arise that effect the teaching and learning of the teachers in the class. The measuring tools that used were …

La Acreditación De Los Posgrados En Instituciones Privadas De Educación Superior Mexicanas, Gus Gregorutti

Faculty Publications

The exponential growth of private higher education in Mexico,especially over the last 30 years, has also raised questions aboutthe level of quality offered by some of the professional orientedgraduate programs. In order to know how these universities handlequality, this paper collected opinions from four academic administratorsinterviewed in three private universities in the State ofNuevo Leon, Mexico. Their points of view expressed concernsaround the parameters used by Conacyt to assess quality amongprofessional oriented graduate programs. The major areas of disagreementwere related to assumptions dealing with the productionof knowledge and the requirements for professors and students tobe part of an accredited program. …

Producción Intelectual En Pequeñas Universidades Privadas Latinoamericanas: Una Situación Paradójica, Gus Gregorutti

Faculty Publications

Durante las tres últimas décadas, Latinoamérica ha experimentado un incrementovertiginoso de la educación privada superior, incluyendo a las universidades.Este fenómeno ha estimulado la creación de diversas agenciasacreditadoras que buscan certificar la calidad de los programas de esas universidades.Se exige, entre otras dimensiones, que haya producción de conocimientocomo una forma de originar cambios socioeconómicos. Así las universidadesse ven impulsadas a producir investigación. Este estudio busca sabercómo los docentes de ocho pequeñas universidades privadas latinoamericanasperciben el proceso de producción intelectual en el contexto de sus tareas profesionales.Con una metodología mixta, se encontró que los mayores factoresque afectan a la investigación están relacionados …

Barriers To Success In Fall Term Frinq: Faculty And Mentor Stories About Their Students, Michael Flower, Rowanna L. Carpenter, Mirela Blekic

University Studies Assessment Research

Presents themes emerging from a series of conversations with FRINQ faculty and mentors about their students who were not returning to Portland State for Winter term.

Computer Simulation Of Low Temperature Plasma., Low Shu San

Student Works (2010-2019)

Glow discharges are used in a large number of applications, and it is one of the most common plasmas used in industry. The most important application of glow discharges is probably in microelectronic industry, and material technology. Studies were conducted on the effect of various parameters such as driving voltage, pressure and interelectrode gap length on the fundamental properties of the glow discharge plasma using the XPDP1 simulation code developed by UC Berkeley. The XPDP1 code is a one-dimensional bounded electrostatic simulation code for parallel-plate capacitively coupled plasma system, with an external coupled circuit which may include R, L, and …

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 …

Integrating Multimedia Into Moodle: Resources, Antoinette P. Bruciati

Education Faculty Publications

Create and share multimedia learning materials in your Moodle courses. This presentation introduces methods for embedding multimedia into Moodle for instruction, discussion, and assessment. An overview of free Web 2.0 applications that enable K-12 teachers and their students to produce multimedia files is also included.

Reliability And Validity Analyses Of The Community Service Attitudes Scale, Brian Perry

Online Theses and Dissertations

A study of the reliability and validity of the Community Service Attitudes Scale which was developed by Shiarella, McCarthy, and Tucker (2000) and based on Schwartz's (1977) model of helping behaviors was conducted. Scores on each of the subscales of the Community Service Attitudes Scale showed strong reliability with coefficient alpha scores ranging from .80 to .93. The factor analysis confirmed the findings of the original authors with eight factors having eigenvales greater than one indentified. Validity analyses confirmed that the measure can distinguish between groups expected to differ. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

Pursuing Regional Opportunities For Mentoring, Innovation, And Success For English Learners (Promise) Initiative: A Three-Year Pilot Study Research Monograph, Laurie Olsen Ph.D., Kathryn Lindholm-Leary, Ph.D. Ph.D., Magaly Lavadenz Ph.D., Elvira G. Armas Ed.D., Franca Dell'olio Ed.D.

Reports

The Pursuing Regional Opportunities for Mentoring, Innovation, and Success for English Learners (PROMISE) Initiative Research Monograph is comprised of four sub-studies that took place between 2006 and 2009 to examine the effectiveness of the PROMISE Initiative across six implementing counties.

Beginning in 2002, the superintendents of the six Southern California County Offices of Education collaborated to examine the pattern of the alarmingly low academic performance of English learners (EL) across Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Riverside, and Ventura. Together, these six counties serve over one million EL students, more than 66% of the total EL population in the …

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.

What Examiners Look For In A Thesis, Alan Brown

ECU Research Week

Professor Alan Brown uses his extensive experience as both a supervisor and thesis examiner to take you inside the minds of thesis examiners. This presentation will address a range of things which you should and shouldn’t do in your thesis, which includes, some basic overall advice along with suggestions and a checklist for each chapter of your thesis. Additionally, key issues which annoy examiners and which are frequently overlooked by students.

Study In Prison: Consumption Or Investment?, Margaret Giles

ECU Research Week

Research into prisoner education and training in WA's adult prisons.

Strengthening The Culture Of Assessment Through Faculty Development And Shared Governance, Philip I. Kramer, Rita Knuesel

Office of Academic Review and Curricular Advancement Staff Publications

This 75-minute interactive workshop engages participants in a case study of two colleges and their efforts to expand and strengthen faculty assessment activities. A grant from the Teagle Foundation and on-campus conversations between faculty members and the administration have lead to dramatic improvements in the policies, procedures, and practices of assessment.

Cosmological Beliefs About Origins Related To Science Achievement Among Junior High-School Students In South Bend, Indiana, J. David Van Dyke

Dissertations

Problem. American high-school students score lower in science achievement tests than their peers in other developed nations. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ranked the scientific achievement of American high-school students as ―very low‖ in comparison to high-school students in other industrialized nations—only 29th out of 57 developed countries. Research has indicated that achievement declines as U.S. students progress to higher grades and take on more rigorous science courses. A variety of factors have been documented that may account for U.S. students‘ lower science achievement rankings. These include socioeconomic status, race, and gender. One area only marginally …

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 …

Resurrecting The Past, Constructing The Future: A Historical Investigation On The Formation Of A Greek National Identity In Schools, 1834-1913, Theodore G. Zervas

Dissertations

This dissertation research combines archival data and historical methods and analyzes how schooling and education in Greece between 1834 and 1913 sought to shape a Greek national identity. The goal of this project is to present a historical analysis, that has thus far been absent from scholarship on the subject, and to convey how the adoption of a common national history in Greece, with roots to ancient Greece, assisted in the shaping of a Greek national identity. The timeframe this project examines is significant because it covers an important portion of Modern Greek history. The beginning of the modern state …