Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Frontiers, Complete Issue, Volume 6, Issue 1, Fall 2017

Frontiers

Complete digitized issue (volume 6, issue 1, Fall 2017) of Frontiers.

Self-Efficacy Change Associated With A Cognitive Load-Based Intervention In An Undergraduate Biology Course, David F. Feldon, Joana Franco, Jie Chao, James Peugh, Cathy Maahs-Fladung

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Cognitive load theory (CLT) holds that discovery learning and other instructional strategies imposing high levels of extraneous load on novice learners hinder learning. Such learning conditions are also associated with significant drops in persistence, a key measure of motivation. However, research within the CLT framework typically engages motivation as a necessary precursor to learning, rather than as an outcome of instruction. In this study, we examine changes in motivational beliefs as outcomes of learners' cognitive processes through a CLT lens as they engage with instruction. Using a double-blind quasi-experimental design, we manipulate the level of cognitive load imposed on participants …

Crushing Curiosity: How Information Literacy Can Hinder Or Foster Student Engagement, Rachel Fundator, Clarence Maybee, Michael Flierl

IMPACT Presentations

Cultivating a motivating classroom environment brings a host of benefits to students. By recognizing how information literacy practices can motivate (or demotivate) students, academic librarians can target their information literacy instruction to foster curiosity, creativity, or action within the classroom. In this session, we will present findings from a recent study about the information literacy practices used by disciplinary instructors that can hinder or foster undergraduate student engagement in their classes. Participants will work in small groups to brainstorm ways to redesign information literacy instructional scenarios to promote student engagement, while drawing out student curiosity, creativity, or action.

Approaches To Evaluating Blended Courses, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Stacy Bevan, Rebecca Charlton, Marlene Israelsen Graf

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Blended learning, sometimes referred to as hybrid or flexible learning, is becoming increasingly common in higher education. Unfortunately, many instructors receive limited training on how to effectively evaluate blended courses, and as a result, commonly rely solely on end-of-semester evaluations. Due to the more complex nature of how blended courses are designed and implemented, instructors should consider utilizing a variety of course evaluation methods. This article includes researched-based approaches for evaluating blended courses based on feedback from students, peers, and instructional designers. This combination of formalized feedback is offered as one strategy to ensure instructors achieve course learning objectives and …

The Predictors Of Juvenile Recidivism: Testimonies Of Adult Students 18 Years And Older Exiting From Alternative Education, La Toshia Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to identify and describe the importance of the predictors of juvenile recidivism and the effectiveness of efforts to prevent/avoid juvenile recidivism as perceived by previously detained, arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education in Northern California. A second purpose was to explore the types of support provided by alternative schools and the perceived importance of the support to avoid recidivism according to adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education.

Methodology: This qualitative, descriptive research design identified …

Unpacking Teacher Practice Through A Moves-Based Formative Assessment Framework Using Video-Based Cycles Of Inquiry, Brent Duckor, Carrie Holmberg

Faculty Publications

Research has shown for over a decade that teachers who engage in formative assessment (FA) practices may have the most powerful impact on student learning (Black & Wiliam, 1998; Hattie, 2012). Yet less is known about the development of teachers’ knowledge and use of formative assessment as they plan, enact, and reflect on their questioning practices. Our qualitative case study focuses on how in-service middle school math teachers take up three specific moves (Author A, 2014) associated with formative assessment practice as as part of a video-based cycle of inquiry project. The study found focusing participants’ planning and reflection through …

A Review Of Standardized Testing Practices And Perceptions In Maine, Janet C. Fairman Ph.D., Ian M. Mette Phd, Amy Johnson Ph.D, Garry Wickerd Ph.D, Sharon Labrie M.S.

State of Education

This report summarizes the resulting effort, which included a literature scan, document analysis, and surveys of two groups of school practitioners (testing administrators and teachers) to analyze the amount of time Maine students spend on testing, the types of tests administered, and whether the results are perceived as useful for practitioners.

Faculty Achievements, April 2018, Otterbein University

Faculty Achievement Reports

No abstract provided.

Traditional And Digital Writing, Beth Beschorner, Anna H. Hall

Publications

No abstract provided.

Veteran Public School Teachers' Perceptions Of Research-To-Practice Methods And Effectiveness: A Qualitative Study, Lesa L. Brand

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

In 2015, the United States government signed the Every Student Succeeds Act which called for evidence-based interventions, strategies, and programs in K-12 education. Mission statements in districts around the country echoed the need for evidence-based, or research-based practices in classrooms to bolster student achievement. While a wealth of research exists regarding the movement of research into practice, most studies are centered on teacher education programs, or pre-service teachers’ use of research in first or early years. Little is known about how veteran public school teachers apply research in their practices. In this qualitative inquiry, eleven veteran public school teachers from …

Perceived Athletic And Academic Stressors And Time Management Of Student-Athletes, Steve S. Chen, Amanda Miller, Tsung-Chin Chiu

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

A typical National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division-I affiliated member institution provides support to at least seven men’s and women’s sports that sustains over 300 student-athletes. These student-athletes perform both on and off the court on a daily basis while completing their homework and studying for tests just like non-athlete students. Furthermore, they participate in practices, compete in games, lift weights, attend team meetings, and manage injuries. Although faculty members are aware of the demands placed on college athletes, it’s unclear if they understand the magnitude of the challenges and pressure college athletes have experienced outside of the classroom.

An Examination Of Evidence-Based Practice (Ebp) In Teacher Preparation Programs For Rural School Educators, Jamie Lea Walker-Davidson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of first-year teachers regarding the use of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) within their teacher training programs. Participants in this study included 35 teachers from one of the 46 rural public-school districts in south-central Missouri. The 43 EBPs outlined in Robert Marzano’s (2017) New Art and Science of Teaching: More than Fifty New Instructional Strategies for Academic Success were used to frame the research. A survey with Likert-type statements and open-ended questions regarding EBPs taught in teacher preparation programs was completed by participants. Participants were asked to identify EBP strengths and weaknesses …

Empirical Estimates Of Design Parameters Used In A Priori Power Analyses For Planning School-Randomized Studies In Select Asian Countries, Ran Shi

Dissertations

A cluster-randomized trial (CRT) is one type of randomized controlled trial (RCT) that is often more feasible for evaluating the effectiveness of an educational intervention due to the multi-level structure of the data (e.g., students nested in schools). In order for a CRT to generate rigorous evidence, it is essential that is it adequately powered to detect an effect of a given size. As such, it is common for researchers to conduct a priori power analyses to determine how large a sample the CRTs will require to detect an effect of a given magnitude. Previous work has shown that two …

A Mixed-Method Study Of Kindergarten Through Third-Grade Teachers’ Perceptions Of Homework, Tonya Heavin

Dissertations

This mixed-method research study examined the perceptions of kindergarten through third-grade teachers regarding the use of homework in their classrooms. Electronic surveys were sent to 190 kindergarten through third-grade teachers in seven school districts from five counties in Central Missouri. A total of 47 educators chose to respond to the open- and closed-ended questions. The results of this study showed most of the respondents believed in the benefits of homework for academic achievement. The quality and quantity of assigned homework were important characteristics for educators from both large and small school districts. The lack of parental support was considered one …

Principal Performance Improvement Tool, Geoff N. Masters Ao

School and system improvement

What is a highly effective school principal, and what do they do that makes them so effective? The Principal Performance Improvement Tool (PPIT) sets out to answer these questions. It provides a point of reference that principals can use to reflect on their current practices and to identify areas in which their work could be still more effective.

A Study Of The Effect Of Actively Learn On Secondary Reading Engagement, Reading Comprehension, And Vocabulary, Tina Rae Spencer

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of the reading platform Actively Learn affected the reading engagement, reading comprehension, and vocabulary achievement of secondary students. The area of secondary reading achievement has seen no significant improvement over the past four decades (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2017). The research questions were designed to use quantitative pre-test and post-test data from the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI) and the Standardized Test for the Assessment of Reading (STAR) to determine if the use of Actively Learn, combined with the use of embedded questions to encourage metacognitive …

The Beliefs Of Secondary Teachers On Personalized Learning For Students Through The Use Of Instructional Technology, Christopher Jay Ford

Dissertations

Personalized learning for students has been an emerging trend which seeks to support teaching and learning in the 21st century (Netoch, 2017). This study identified beliefs of secondary educators on the different aspects of personalized learning for students. Areas covered in this study included teacher professional development on the personalized learning process, amount or quality of teacher support for the implementation of personalized learning, the impact of technology on personalized learning with classroom instruction, and any obstacles to the personalized learning process. Findings from this study were compared to identify connections between responses as they related to the research questions. …

Oral History Conversation With Nick Sandoval, Kristina Overman, Parker Shultz, Courtney Coddington, Roc Beas

Philosophy 332: Business Ethics

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Analysis Of Holographic, 3d-Printed, And Computer-Generated Models: Implications For Engineering Technology Students' Spatial Visualization Ability, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Mildred V. Jones

STEMPS Faculty Publications

A number of studies indicate that the use of holographic displays can influence spatial visualization ability; however, research provides inconsistent results. Considering this, a quasi-experimental study was conducted to identify the existence of statistically significant effects on sectional view drawing ability due to the impacts of holographic displays. In particular, the study compared the use of three different types of displays: 3D printed model, computer generated model, and holographic model to determine whether a significant difference exists towards sectional view drawing ability, among engineering technology students. According to the results of this study, it is suggested that the impact of …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of University Students Who Self-Identify As Cyberbullies: A Phenomenological Study, Christine Osborne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of university students, aged 18 to 50, in a suburban Atlanta university who have self-identified as perpetrators of cyberbullying. The three research questions that guided this study sought to determine how students perceive their cyberbullying behavior impacts their peers, how students explain their motivation to cyberbully their peers, and how their experiences led to perpetrating acts of cyberbullying. Experiences were examined that may be contributing factors for cyberbullying. Bandura’s social cognitive theory and the concept of moral disengagement of cyberbullies was examined through the research questions as well. …

Updated Guidelines, Updated Curriculum: The Gaise College Report And Introductory Statistics For The Modern Student, Beverly Wood, Megan Mocko, Michelle Everson, Nicholas J. Horton, Paul Velleman

Publications

Since the 2005 American Statistical Association's (ASA) endorsement of the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) College Report, changes in the statistics field and statistics education have had a major impact on the teaching and learning of statistics. We now live in a world where "Statistics - the science of learning from data - is the fastest-growing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) undergraduate degree in the United States," according to the ASA, and where many jobs demand an understanding of how to explore and make sense of data. In light of these new reports and other …

University Leaders’ Experiences In Advancing The Development And Transformation Of Emerging Saudi Public Universities, Abdulrahman Hamed Alsulami

Dissertations

For several decades, Saudi higher education comprised seven to eight public universities concentrated in the main cities of the country. Since the beginning of the new millennium, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has heavily invested in the higher education sector. Thus, it witnessed a remarkable rate of expansion from 8 to 28 higher education institutions during a relatively short period between 2003 and 2013. This renaissance in the sector involved several different processes, including transforming, merging, restructuring, and establishing new colleges and/or programs, administrative posts, and key components for inclusive and modern campuses.

From a contextual perspective, there is a …

Development Of Reporting Scales For Reading And Mathematics: A Report Describing The Process For Building The Uis Reporting Scales, Ross Turner, Ray Adams, Ursula Schwantner, Dan Cloney, Claire Scoular, Prue Anderson, Alexander Daraganov, Jen Jackson, Sandra Knowles, Gayl O'Connor, Pam Munro-Smith, Stavroula Zoumboulis, Pauline Rogers

Monitoring Learning

As a technical partner of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, ACER-GEM has created reporting scales for reading and maths, with the intention of enabling countries to examine and report the outcomes of their assessment activities using a common framework. This report gives the theoretical and contextual background to the scales, and describes the steps in the drafting process.

A Case Study On The Use Of Best Practices Within The Mri Program In A Midwest School District, Maureen M. Green

Dissertations

The ability to read proficiently is a comprehensive skill necessary for success at all academic levels. Students who consistently read below grade level continue to struggle throughout their school years with little chance of recovery. The administrative leaders of the Ocean View School District (a pseudonym) noticed a decline in reading scores and recognized a need for a significant shift in its instructional practices to reach its struggling readers. The purpose of this study allowed school leaders an opportunity to investigate the effectiveness of the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) reading strategy within the structure of the Missouri Reading Initiative …

Exploring The Learning Experience Of Higher Education Students In A Midwestern University Who Suffered Childhood Trauma, Dora Jean Washington

Dissertations

This study explored the learning experiences of higher education students who suffered childhood trauma (CT). Eleven participants both undergraduate and graduate who attended a Midwestern university self-identified as CT survivors. There was research on the negative impact of CT on learning in children and adolescents, as well as posttraumatic stress and veterans. However, the PI was unable to find research on the impact of CT on adults in higher education. Higher education institutions and professors may benefit from understanding how to help these students who often have an invisible learning disability. Research questions asked, what is the learning experience of …

An Exploratory Study Of The Role Of Soft Skills In The Training And Employability Of High School Graduates, Felita Sharmett Williams

Dissertations

Research has shown that both educators and prospective employers agreed that students needed more than just ‘hard skills.’ Instead of focusing only on students meeting the academic requirements needed to graduate with a diploma, students also needed to work toward mastering social and emotional skills such as ‘soft skills.’ This study consists of five parts; (i) seeking information from employers associated with the target school; (ii) seeking information from parents of students in the target school; (iii) the researcher crafted intervention for students based on the literature on soft skills, (iv) the researcher completed intervention in two area churches, and …

Nelly Don: An Educational Leader, Lisa S. Thompson

Dissertations

In 1916, Ellen Quinlan Donnelly aka Nelly Don started a fashion empire from her humble Kansas City home. She became one of the wealthiest and most celebrated American women in business with a career that spanned well into the 1960s. The Nelly Don Empire reportedly sold more dresses in the 20th century than any other single person in the United States, and she started as a Lindenwood College student. This study investigated Nell Quinlan Donnelly the “Grand Lady” of the garment industry beyond her millionaire status and revolutionary business leadership at Donnelly Garment Company. The reexamination of Nell Quinlan Donnelly’s …

Access With Progress: A Comparative Analysis On The Co-Requisite Model Of Developmental Acceleration, Christopher Sean Wikstrom

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Students who are required to progress through a developmental education program face substantial barriers in the way of annual retention and program completion. A multitude of models exist on college campuses to improve these outcomes, one of which implements an on-time remediation approach. This co-requisite method is designed to reduce the time in developmental sequencing and stop-out points and accelerate students who are placed into preparatory classes to their gateway courses. As a form of developmental acceleration, students can concurrently enroll in their on-level and remedial courses in the same semester. A comparative analysis was performed between three student subgroups …

The Relationship Between Course Delivery Mode And Location With Course Success For Dual Enrolled Students, Dean Morris Roughton

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

High school dual enrollment has increased dramatically in recent years, growing 75% nationally between academic years 2002-03 and 2010-11 (Borden, Taylor, Park, & Seiler, 2013). Proponents of dual enrollment programs cite long-term, positive student outcomes for dual enrollment students: higher GPAs in college as adults (Allen & Dadgar, 2012; Jones, 2014; Karp, Calcagno, Hughes, Jeong, & Bailey, 2007), higher first year persistence rates in college (Jones, 2014; Karp et al., 2007), faster time to degree completion (Allen & Dadgar, 2012; Ganzert, 2014; Hughes, 2016), and higher college graduation rates (Ganzert, 2014; Hughes, 2016). However, very little research has focused on …

Advancing Professional Development Strategies For Chemistry And Biochemistry Undergraduates, Christian A. Brown

Senior Theses

In the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina (the Department), most curriculum-driven professional development is reserved for third- and fourth-year students. Classroom learning occurs at all levels, but the context comes late. Early exposure to career options and hands-on training is imperative for undergraduates to obtain maximum experiential learning. The purpose of this project is to advance the current professional development strategies of the Department, specifically targeting second- and third-year students. The study surveyed students' current involvement in professional development activities. The data on extracurricular experience and post-graduation interest was used to design a workshop …