Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Evaluation Communication Of Master's Program On The Basis Of Google Citations, Mike Allen, John Bourhis, Nancy Burrell, Bailey Benedict, Tosin Comfort Adebayo, Maura Cherney, Derrick Langston, Brittney Peck, Samantha Quinn, Riley Richards

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This paper provides an assessment of Master’s degree programs and faculty research in Communication departments using citations available in Google Scholar. Identification of the Master’s degree programs relied on the National Communication Association website. Individual faculty were identified from the web page of the department for the institution. The combined number of citations to faculty publications identifies the top five departments (University of Alabama-Birmingham, California State University-Fullerton, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, Cleveland State University, and California State University- Long Beach) and the top five most cited faculty members (Stella Ting-Toomey, Virginia Richmond, George Cheney, Kimberly Neuendorf, and Brian Spitzberg). The …

Implications Of The School Improvement Engine For Teacher Retention And School Organizational Health, Lisa M. Digaudio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers working in urban schools in the United States are among those most at-risk for leaving the profession due to poor working conditions and lack of collegial relationships with school leaders and peers, among other factors. Use of professional development tools, such as the School Improvement Engine (SIE), may improve teacher retention and school organizational health; however, little research exists on the use of the SIE in charter schools. The purpose of this case study was to investigate New York City (NYC) school data on teacher retention and student achievement, how NYC charter school leaders participating in the program implemented …

Secondary Teachers' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of A Professional Learning Community, Catina Shontelle Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs) in schools has been shown to serve as a catalyst in transforming school culture and increasing the academic performance of students. Our school district mandated that PLCs were established at the research site, an urban Louisiana school, for the primary purpose of closing the achievement gap. Yet, recent data from the local district indicate that these PLCs have not resulted in capacity building for sustainable improvement. Ineffective implementation of the current PLCs may have contributed to the poor outcomes. One purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the …

University Educators' Instructional Choices And Their Learning Styles Within A Lesson Framework, Lucille Mazo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on learning styles often focuses on the learning style of the student; however, the learning style of the educator may affect instructional choices and student learning. Few studies have addressed the lack of knowledge that exists in universities with respect to educators' learning styles and a lesson framework (development, delivery, and debriefing). This sequential mixed methods study explored university educators' conscious, reflective instructional choices as they related to learning styles application within a lesson. Two theoretical frameworks and one conceptual framework drew on Kolb's experiential learning theory; Bloom's, Reigeluth's, and Gagné's instructional design theories and models; and Fiddler and …

The Development And Validation Of A Novice Nurse Decision-Making Skills Education Curriculum, Joanne Stephanie Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Novice nurses (NNs) are entering critical care environments with limited knowledge, skills, and decision-making expertise. They are expected to care for complex patients in a dynamic healthcare setting. The research question for this project examined whether NNs improve their knowledge and skills by participating in a nursing decision-making skills curriculum. The purpose of the project was to develop and validate a nursing decision-making skills education curriculum working in an intermediate critical care unit. Taba's instructional theoretical model was used to guide the new curriculum development along with current evidence based practice found in the current literature. Scaffolding approach theory encouraged …

Educating To The Collaborative Care Model, Darcy N. Duncan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this project was the lack of experienced RNs needed in the acute care setting to deliver safe, quality patient care, while effectively managing resources and providing job satisfaction. The purpose of this project was to determine if an education module designed to educate charge and rover nurses on the Collaborative Care Model (CCM) would enhance staff nurses' abilities to provide safe, high quality care to patients, and improve staff nurse retention on one unit in an acute care setting. The theoretical frameworks utilized to guide the education module included: Lewin's theory of planned change, Benner's novice …

Pre-College Program Students' Academic Engagement And Persistence In Higher Education Studies, Deborah Ann Bers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Caribbean University's Pre-College Program (PCP) served as the conduit for the nation's academically underprepared high school graduates to matriculate to university and earn a degree. The PCP student enrollment increased annually since 2010; however, less than 70% of the total PCP students matriculated to an associate degree. Without a formal program evaluation, the empirical evidence into the factors that influenced PCP students' progress remained unknown. The purpose of this participatory-summative logic outcomes program evaluation was to measure stakeholders' perspectives of the ways in which the PCP's purpose, structure, and outcomes were manifested in the practices at the Caribbean University. …

Effect Of Summer Bridge Programming On Students' Performance On The Texas Success Initiative Assessment, Consuela Michelle Cooper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summer bridge programs (SBPs) have been used as a means of increasing students' college readiness and academic skills. University Southeast implemented a SBP in 2013 for students placing into developmental courses on the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA). However, researchers have found mixed results when evaluating the effectiveness of SBPs, and at University Southeast, it has not been investigated. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the difference in TSIA score gains between first-time-in-college students with developmental-level test scores who attended a three-week SBP and those who did not. Tinto's longitudinal model of student departure guided the study …

Standardized Critical Thinking Tests As A Predictor Of Success In Nursing Programs, Jaimee Kastler Kastler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High attrition rates and a nursing shortage across the nation have led schools of nursing to seek out ways to better identify which applicants will be most successful in graduating from the nursing program and passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Nursing programs have historically included standardized entrance exam scores and prerequisite scores among their admission criteria but have not used standardized critical thinking assessments (CTA), even though critical thinking is an integral part of being a successful nursing professional. Using Astin's input-environment-output (I-E-O) model, the purpose of this retrospective correlational study was to determine whether …

Factors Affecting Secondary Students' Learning In A Credit Recovery Program, Richard Alan Joyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A credit recovery (CR) program was implemented at a rural high school in Texas to assist with high school completion. While graduation rates increased, the time for completion also increased for students in the CR program. The purposes of this correlational study were to examine factors that impact student learning in the CR program and to determine whether teachers were implementing student-centered instruction. Piaget's constructivist theory provided the framework for the study. The guiding question was to examine the relationships between student achievement and classroom environment, active learning, attendance, and student success from those enrolled in the credit recovery class …

Implications Of A Health Careers Exploration Program For Minority Student Matriculation, Angelica Ellman Christie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations that deliver programs to promote the entry of students from marginalized populations into the U.S. health workforce often struggle to demonstrate the effective achievement of outcomes, and face diminishing fiscal resources. This study was an empirical examination of the extent and manner that a statewide, precollege, health careers exploration program fostered the matriculation of underrepresented minority students into health degree education programs. Schneider and Stevenson's aligned ambitions framework provided the theoretical foundation. The research questions for this study examined the relationship between program participation and the successful health degree matriculation of racial minority students based on the extent of …

Stakeholders' Perspectives On The Implementation Of A Promise Academy, Nicole A. Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This case study addressed the factors that enhanced or constrained the success of one Promise Academy at an elementary school in the northeastern United States. A large number of schools in an urban district have continuously failed to make adequate yearly progress (AYP). The study school implemented the Promise Academy model in September 2010, to dramatically improve and transform the learning environment in this underperforming school. Promise Academies, the district turnaround model, was implemented in 11 schools, all of which have failed to produce increases in student outcomes. The theoretical framework supporting this study was Michael Fullan's theory of educational …

Relationship Between Teachers' Use Of Academic Progress Data And Students' Test Scores, Amanda Egan Egan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A small private secondary school in Mexico implemented periodic progress testing with the intention of individualizing education of its students. The relationship between teachers' use of Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) data and students' mathematics and reading gain scores was not known. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the frequency of teachers' use of MAP data or student profiles was related to students' MAP mathematics and reading test gain scores between 2 years of test administrations. The theoretical framework for the study was Dewey's, Kolb's, and Vygotsky's ideas on pragmatism and constructivism, which support students' opportunities for …

A Qualitative Case Study Evaluation Of A Government Workforce Training And Qualification Program, Walter Meeks Meeks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In response to a 1993 oversight board recommendation, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) created a technical training and qualification program to address concerns about a shrinking workforce at defense nuclear facilities. The DOE Technical Qualification Program (TQP) applies to federal employees tasked with oversight, direction, and assistance to contractors at defense nuclear facilities. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the TQP by ascertaining program effectiveness, program applicability, program impact on behavior and performance, and program impact on safety, from the participant perspective. Guided by Kirkpatrick's 4-level training evaluation model as the conceptual framework, this …

A Case Study Of Middle School Teachers' Preparations For High-Stakes Assessments, David Lee Yeary

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students, educators, and schools across the country have been presented with challenges as a result of rigorous standards and high-complexity tests. The problem addressed in this case study was that teachers in a rural middle school in a southeastern state were preparing students to take a new high-stakes state-mandated assessment in English language arts with very little information about what should be done to best prepare students to perform well. Danielson's work on instructional leaders, Webb's work on alignment of standards and assessments, and Tankersley's research on alignment of instruction and assessment provided the frameworks for the study. The participants …

Evidence-Based Assessment In Adapted Physical Education-Cognitive Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis, James Robert Kunkel

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

There is little data to show evidence-based practices in adapted physical education and whether or not such practices are successful. Currently there is a lack of information on the frequency of which assessments are being administered, on the disabilities that are being assessed or should be assessed during each test, and on the uses for which assessments are being conducted. The aim of this paper is to assess and synthesize all evidence-based practices on cognitive outcomes in adapted physical education using a meta-analysis. Data was sourced from computerized searches using the following databases: SPORT Discus, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Pub Med (Medline), …

The Effects Of Adapted Physical Education On Students With Down Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis, Osvaldo Villalvazo

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Objective: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to synthesize the literature to determine the effects of physical activity and physical education interventions on children with downs syndrome. This research design highlights the missing gaps in the research currently available to determine whether recommendations in the field of adapted physical education are valid.

Methods and Design: The present study utilized a meta-analytic research design to sort and select both published and un-published studies to quantify previous research by synthesizing study outcomes related to physical activity and physical education and children with Down syndrome. Standard meta-analytic procedures using inclusion and exclusion criteria, …

Education Of Children With Disabilities In New Delhi: When Does Exclusion Occur?, Parul Bakhshi, Ganesh M. Babulal, Jean Francois Trani

Brown School Faculty Publications

In the new Sustainable Development Goal 4, quality of education defined as equity and inclusion alongside traditional learning outcomes, has replaced the narrow goal of access to primary education stipulated in the Millennium Development Goal 2. Since 2000, considerable progress has been made towards improving access to school for children in India, yet questions remain regarding not just children with disabilities' access and acquisition of basic learning skills, but also completion of learning cycles. Methods and findings Between November, 2, 2011 and June 20th 2012, we interviewed 1294 households about activity limitations and functioning difficulties associated with a health problem …

Design-Based Research Mobile Gaming For Learning Jewish History, Tikkun Olam, And Civics, Owen Gottlieb

Articles

How can Design-Based Research (DBR) be used in the study of video games, religious literacy, and learning? DBR uses a variety of pragmatically selected mixed methods approaches to design learning interventions. Researchers, working with educators and learners, design and co-design learning artifacts and environments. They analyze those artifacts and environments as they are used by educators and learners, and then iterate based on mixed methods data analysis. DBR is suited for any "rich contextualized setting in which people have agency." (Hoadley 2013) such as formal or informal learning environments.

The case covered in this chapter is a mobile Augmented Reality …

Examining Collaborative Knowledge Construction In Microblogging-Based Learning Environments, Tian Luo, Lacey Clifton

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of the study is to provide foundational research to exemplify how knowledge construction takes place in microblogging-based learning environments, to understand learner interaction representing the knowledge construction process, and to analyze learner perception, thereby suggesting a model of delivery for microblogging.

Background: Up-and-coming digital native learners crave the real-time, multimedia, global-interconnectedness of microblogging, yet there has been limited research that specifically proposes a working model of Twitter's classroom integration for designers and practitioners without bundling it in with other social media tools.

Methodology: This semester-long study utilized a case-study research design via a multi-dimensional approach in a …