Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

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 …

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 …

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. …

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 …

Anatomy Of Stem Teaching In North American Universities, Paul J. Wendel, Kathryn M. Plank, Anna M. Young

Faculty Articles

A large body of evidence demonstrates that strategies that promote student interactions and cognitively engage students with content (1) lead to gains in learning and attitudinal outcomes for students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses (1, 2). Many educational and governmental bodies have called for and supported adoption of these student-centered strategies throughout the undergraduate STEM curriculum. But to the extent that we have pictures of the STEM undergraduate instructional landscape, it has mostly been provided through self-report surveys of faculty members, within a particular STEM discipline [e.g., (3–6)]. …

The Impact Of Observation Duration On The Dependability Of The Direct Behavior Rating- Classroom Management External Rater Form (Dbr- Cm Er), Kaitlin Angela Cassidy

LSU Master's Theses

Classroom management skills are evidence-based strategies used to maintain a productive learning environment. The Direct Behavior Rating – Classroom Management: External Rater Form (DBR-CM ER) is an indicator for assessing classroom management. Utilizing classroom management strategies has been proven effective; however, limited tools are available for assessing such skills and further assessment of the reliability and dependability of such measures is needed. Calculating inter observer agreement (IOA) assesses evidence for inter-rater reliability and IOA results were about 87%. Additionally, the study evaluated the variance contributing to the ratings produced by the DBR-CM ER. A fully crossed analytic design (p x …

Literature Review Of Ga Pilots Transition To Advanced Cockpit Technologies, John A. Kolmos

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Pilots for many years have received training on the round instrument gauges and the question is, can they now safely make the transfer to the new cockpit technologies? Studies show a cognitive deficit with pilot's age 40 years and older making transitions to these advanced cockpits. Older pilots as well as older adult learners in general absorb and retain information different than our younger counterparts. The training and instructional programs are now geared towards a one size fits all and problems seem to surface according to the literature affecting particularly older pilots. This article addresses these concerns.

The Preparation And Education Of First-Year Teachers: A Case Study, Jennifer A. Tygret

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this case study was to provide a policy analysis of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) standard that requires teacher preparation programs to follow their recent graduates during their first years of teaching to demonstrate their positive impact on student growth, satisfaction with their preparation, and effective teaching practices. Using the Colorado Teacher Quality Standards as a conceptual framework, this qualitative study used interviews and observations at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year to discover five first-year teachers’ perceptions of their preparation, needs, level of confidence in all areas of teaching, …

Adolescents’ Perceptions Of “Cheating” In Gaming And Educational Settings, Brandon Nease, Michelle Samura

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Background. Given the widespread popularity of video gameplay among adolescents, it is important to understand the relationship between video gameplay and adolescent behaviors in various contexts.

Aim. This exploratory study aimed to explore adolescent gamers use of player guides and cheat codes during video gameplay in order to understand how they reason about the relationship between cheating in video games and cheating in academic settings.

Method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with adolescents in order to gain in-depth insight into participants’ perspectives on video gameplay and their perceptions of cheating in video games and academic settings. Interview data was coded and …

Literacy-Based Action Research: Strategies For Improving Student Achievement, Anne Katz Ph.D., Deborah Jaudon, Danielle Russell, Jennifer Formby

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

The presentation will highlight literacy-based action research projects by three Reading Specialist M.Ed. graduate students. The topics of enhancing struggling readers’ vocabulary development using technology; effects of technology during summer school on student promotion; as well as infusion of dialogue and metacognitive strategies to promote self-efficacy and early reading success were explored. Tools for attendees to implement the process of action research in their own classroom will be outlined.

Adaptive Learning Pedagogy Of Universal Design For Learning (Udl) For Multimodal Training, Ziho Kang, Mattlyn R. Dragoo, Lauren Yeagle, Randa L. Shehab, Han Yuan, Lei Ding, Stephen G. West

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Traditionally, students or trainees usually receive training through a unidirectional instructional approach that can lack interactive activities or through a single material source in classrooms. Therefore, it is possible that some trainees might encounter a sink-or-swim situation if they are not able to understand the materials presented during classroom lectures nor execute correct procedures during laboratory sessions with time-intensive training. To address this issue, the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) asserts that trainees can increase their performance if instructors can provide the trainees with diversified means of information representation, expression opportunities, and engagement means. However, we lack the framework on …

Using Student-Produced Video To Validate Head-To-Toe Assessment Performance, Christina Purpora, Susan K. Prion

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

BACKGROUND:

This study explored third-semester baccalaureate nursing students' perceptions of the value of using student-produced video as an approach for learning head-to-toe assessment, an essential clinical nursing skill taught in the classroom. METHOD:

A cognitive apprenticeship model guided the study. The researchers developed a 34-item survey. A convenience sample of 72 students enrolled in an applied assessment and nursing fundamentals course at a university in the western United States provided the data. RESULTS:

Most students reported a videotaping process that worked, supportive faculty, valuable faculty review of their work, confidence, a sense of performance independence, the ability to identify normal …

Using Wikipedia In Israel Studies Courses, Shira Klein

History Faculty Articles and Research

Instructors of Israeli history or literature, like professors in other areas, complain about students’ use of Wikipedia—and with good reason. Unlike peer-reviewed scholarship, many Wikipedia articles contain information that is both incomplete and wrong. Most instructors will warn their students that relying on Wikipedia is a sure recipe for failing assignments. Yet there is a way to mobilize this giant encyclopedia for pedagogical purposes. When students in Israel Studies classes are assigned to edit Wikipedia articles, they achieve multiple goals: they gain critical reading skills, shape public knowledge about Israel, and engage in active learning. This article explains how to …

Sharpening The Saw: How To Be A Lifelong Learner While Leading A School, Bob Steffes

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

School administrators are currently faced with increased responsibilities and expectations as a result of escalating state and federal mandates. As a result, administrators need to learn new skills and acquire additional knowledge in a variety of areas such as curriculum and instruction, data analysis, assessment, and diverse classrooms. Unfortunately, while these demands intensify, budgets are tightening and making it difficult to engage in quality professional development. Finding the time, motivation and finances necessary to be a life-long learner continue to be a challenge. With his Seventh Habit of “Sharpen the Saw,” Stephen Covey (1989) warns of letting our minds atrophy …

Lifelong Learning: The Key To Successful Aging, Tina Grosso

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The silver tsunami brings new challenges to societies across the globe. At the forefront of this greying population trend is the desire for older adults to lead active and independent lives well into their later-years. As a result, lifelong learning initiatives that promote physical, psychological, and socioeconomic well-being are imperative. In particular, health education programs that assist with the detection, management, and prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes, are at the forefront of public health discussions. Knowing when to retire, where to access long-term care services, and what to do if there is an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis are just …

The Construct Of Lifelong Learning Imbedded In A Nursing Clinical Course, Teresa R. Hamra, Deb Chanasue, Erica Ciarlo

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

This article lays out the design for incorporating a clinical project for students to research a clinical issue and evidence-based practice, along with one-on-one student simulation learning experiences in a final semester nursing clinical course. The project intended to introduce students to the concept of lifelong learning. The final semester course in the nursing program provided students the opportunity to synthesize knowledge and skills gained throughout the nursing program and demonstrate their learning through a self-directed research project and their individual performance in individual simulation learning experiences.

Beyond Obligation: Social Workers As Lifelong Learners, Carla Mueller, M. Denise King

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The profession of Social Work is dynamic. “Social workers practice in rapidly changing and complex environments where they encounter challenges that include increasing evidence-based practice requirements, a shifting information landscape, and diminishing workplace resources” (Nissen, Pendell, Jivanjee, & Goodluck, 2014). Lifelong learning has long been recognized in the field; indeed, it is incorporated into our professional responsibilities. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics states, “social workers should critically examine and keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to social work” (2017, Section 4.01). Social workers are also held accountable by state licensure to participate in ongoing professional …

Feeling Valued, Supported, And Satisfied: Perceptions Of Special Educators And Principals, Tanya Lynn Rapert

Dissertations

High teacher attrition and low teacher retention rates continue to plague the field of special education, which leads to teacher shortages year after year (Andrews & Brown, 2015; Vittek, 2015). Solutions for increasing special education teacher retention continue to be explored (Billingsley, 2005; Brownell & Sindelar, 2016; Tyler & Brunner, 2014). The purpose of this study was to discover trends or themes connecting special education teacher work conditions and job satisfaction, principal support, and decisions of teachers to continue teaching special education. Participants for this study were special education teachers and principals from 60 accredited public K-12 school districts in …

A Study Of Effective Strategies For Retention For At-Risk Students At A Small Private Liberal Arts College, Michael Heath Morgan

Dissertations

Student retention in higher education is currently one area most colleges are looking to improve and build upon (Baer & Norris, 2016). Higher education institutions in the United States have been under increased scrutiny from lawmakers and accrediting agencies to provide an affordable education for a diverse population for jobs in a highly technical economy (Boateng, Plopper, & Keith, 2015; Slanger, Berg, Fisk, & Hanson, 2015). Some colleges and universities are exploring programs to engage the modern student through the creation of learning communities, first-year programming, and interventions to bridge the gap of those students who are highly unlikely to …

A Mixed Methods Study On Faculty Caring And Trust As Perceived By Undergraduate Students In Classrooms At A Mid-Western University, Pamela L. Grant

Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between caring and trust within the undergraduate classroom using two valid instruments and an original open-ended survey. The participants were from a mid-western university that included international students. Fifty undergraduate students volunteered to participate in the study. No undergraduate students were excluded from participating in the study, based on diversity. Evidence of a correlation between caring and trust was found using the Caring Professional Scale developed by Swanson (1991) and the Modified Instructional Perspectives Inventory adapted for students (MIPI-S) developed by Henschke (1989). The Cronbach alpha for the CPS was 0.74 to 0.97 and for …

Identifying And Interpreting The Technological Self-Efficacy Ratings Of Teachers In Midwestern School Districts With 1:1 Technology: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Gregory Edwards

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study, which included 182 teachers across three Midwestern school districts, was threefold. First, the researcher sought to determine the technological self-efficacy ratings of teachers at school districts with 1:1 technology in relation to the ISTE’s National Education Technology Standards for Teachers. Based on the study’s findings, participants had the lowest mean self-efficacy ratings for ISTE’s fifth standard, which focused on teachers’ lifelong learning and growing as professionals (ISTE, 2008). Participants had the highest mean ratings for the fourth standard, which related to digital citizenship (ISTE, 2008). Second, the researcher aimed to identify if there was …

Lifelong Learning Through A Higher Education Lens, Roger Mitch Nasser, Holly Karraker

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Higher education administrators and faculty often cite lifelong learning as a central focus. In fact, many institutions include lifelong learning in their student outcomes or mission statements. However, few may actually define what lifelong learning means as a construct. Research has suggested lifelong learning is a skill developed over time (Knapper & Cropley, 2000) which leads to self-directed development in the years following graduation (Candy, 1995). While researchers may agree lifelong learning is a skill, there appears to be a lack of literature explaining how higher education faculty may develop this skill in students. The following discussion will attempt to …

Examination Of The Educational Impact Of Delayed Identification Of Gifted Students, Timothy Perkins

Dissertations

Gifted programming provides many children with an opportunity to reach their potential (Olszewski-Kubilius & Thomson, 2015). For years, gifted studies have been underfunded (Azano, Callahan, Missett, & Brunner, 2014). A lack of research into gifted programming has left glaring holes in the current understanding of best practices (Plucker & Callahan, 2014). This study included an examination of gifted programming from the standpoint of cognitive theory. The researcher examined archival data from School District A to determine students’ overall academic success when compared to the number of years spent in gifted programming. The data yielded a negative correlation between years spent …

Guidelines For U.S. Teacher Leaders In Adult Classrooms To Enhance International Undergraduate Satisfaction, Somanita Kheang

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research was to (a) explore the issues that international undergraduate students face during academic experiences at U.S. colleges and/or universities, (b) study the relationship between U.S. professors and international undergraduate students as measured by the extent of congruency between U.S. professors’ and international undergraduate students’ online survey results, and (c) propose appropriate guidelines for U.S. Teacher Leaders in adult classrooms to enhance international undergraduate students’ learning satisfaction. The researcher used convenience sampling that included 96 participants at Lindenwood University, Saint Charles. The researcher conducted a focus group discussion with 14 international undergraduate students from 10 …

The Effect Of Two-Way Immersion On Students' Attitudes Toward Education, Other Cultures, And Self-Esteem, Jonathan Pedrone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research compared students who participated in a two-way French/English immersion program to students who participated in an English-only program to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference in their perceptions of: (a) education, (b) attitudes towards other cultures, and (c) self-esteem. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to identify the differences in attitudes toward education, other cultures, and self-esteem between students enrolled in a two-way French/English immersion program and those enrolled in a traditional English-only program to test the theory of linguistic interdependence. This study is important because English language learners are the fastest growing subpopulation …

A Comparative Accreditation Alignment Analysis Of Civil Engineering And Construction Management Bachelor Degrees With The Skill Requirements For Usaf Civil Engineer Officers, Joshua C. Chambers-Mills

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force Civil Engineer (CE) officer career field involves a host of duties and opportunities for technical competence and leadership excellence as the Air Force mission grows and personnel numbers shrink. Most CE officers spend their careers as a technical manager, performing a mixture of duties that require a wide variety of skills. Because of this, the use of engineering design skills have decreased and the use of project and construction management have increased. While the career field accepts a variety of architecture and engineering degrees for new accessions, technical management degrees like Construction Management have been …

Effect Of School Level On Teacher Perceptions Of Sst/Rti Effectiveness (K-12), Within A Northwest Georgia School System, Susan R. Tolbert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal-comparative study is to evaluate the effect of school level (primary, elementary, middle, and high school) on teacher perceptions of Student Support Team and Response to Intervention within a Northwest Georgia school system. Understanding these differences in perceptions will allow educational leaders to create meaningful staff development for mandated programs for all certified staff. This study will utilize demographic information, 21 survey questions, and two multiple-choice questions to analyze the differences in perceptions among primary, elementary, middle, and high school certified staff in regards to SST and RTI. Analysis will involve the use of an ANOVA …

Imls Sparks Ignite Il Framework Cooperative Project Final Performance Report, Appendix D: Focus Group Report, Joel M. Wright, Jessame Ferguson

IMLS SPARKS Ignite IL Framework Cooperative Project for At-Risk Student Success in Smaller Colleges

This appendix to the Final Performance Report for the IMLS Sparks IL Cooperative Project grant is the report on the focus groups. The focus group research summarized herein represents a segment of the overall IMLS grant proposal process, and should be viewed not as a separate endeavor, but rather as an integrated approach to the overall research questions in the grant proposal. In conjunction with the pre-test/post-test survey driven component, the findings from the focus group research help to strengthen the case for the value of librarian-driven pedagogy in positively impacting the academic and intellectual growth of all students, and …

Using Argument-Based Science Inquiry To Improve Science Achievement For Students With Disabilities In Inclusive Classrooms, Jonte C. Taylor, Ching-Mei Tseng, Angelique Murillo, William Therrien, Brian Hand

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities have long lagged behind their non-disabled peers when it comes to science achievement. The increased emphasis on STEM related careers and the use of science in everyday life makes learning science content and concepts critical for all students especially for those with disabilities. As suggested by the National Resource Council (2012), more emphasis is being placed on being able to critically think about science concepts in and outside of the classroom. Additionally, the Next Generation Science Standards are asking teachers and students to better understand how science is connected to the everyday world through the use of …