Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

The Amazon Kindle: Uses In Higher Education, Jeff Merritt, Linda Creason

SIDLIT Conference Proceedings

After receiving a grant, the presenters purchased multiple e-book readers, the Amazon Kindle, to test out their different uses in the classroom. They share some of their findings and assess the hardware.

Programme Oriented And Institutional Oriented Approaches To Quality Assurance: New Developments And Mixed Approaches, Deirdre Lillis, Tara Ryan

Articles

This paper considers the programme validation arrangements in place in one half of the Irish higher education sector. It outlines how responsibility for programme validation can be safely delegated to Institutions within a robust overarching framework for quality assurance. It compares programme validation in Institutions with self awarding status with Institutions that have their programmes validated by a national Awarding agency. The paper concludes that when programme validation in Ireland and (potentially) across Europe is examined more closely, processes that appear to be very different on the surface can be quite similar in reality. From a philosophical perspective it appears …

Interim Report: Pilot Project – Technology Integration In Underserved Schools Using Thinkfinity, Sandra G. Flank

Cornerstone 1 Reports : Expansion and Enhancements of the Thinkfinity Platform

This pilot project was conceived as a way to enable teachers in schools with fewer technical resources than typical public schools, or with special needs for students and teachers, to explore and utilize the resources of Thinkfinity in lessons and activities.

The project will conclude at the end of May, 2008, and a final, complete report will be submitted at that time. This interim report will describe the assumptions of the project team, how the project was carried out, and highlights of the project to date.

The project team consists of the director of the Pace University Computer Learning Center, …

Analysis Of Students' Misconceptions Of Research Methods In Relations To Thinking Style, Tonya Tavares

Senior Honors Projects

This study explores college students’ misconceptions about scientific research methods and their predisposition for rational-analytic thinking or experiential-intuitive thinking. The measures used in assessing misconceptions and thinking style were a seven-item version of Students’ Conceptions of Research Methods Inventory (SCoRI), specifically the misconceptions of research methods subscale (Meyer et al.(2005), and Epstein’s Rational-Experiential Inventory (REI) Scale (1996), respectively. The REI Scale consists of two subscales adapted from the Need for Cognition scale (NFC, J. T. Cacioppo & R. E. Petty, 1982) and Epstein’s Faith in Intuition (FI) scale, each with five questions; REI-NFC measures rational-analytic thinking, while the REI-FI measures …

Educational Games Increase Learning Effectiveness: A Case Study, Shonda R. Hoyt

All Graduate Projects

Educators of all age groups-whether they be elementary, secondary, or postsecondary- have long recognized and known that there is a strong connection between student engagement in the learning process and student success. Given the environment in which we teach in today, with its growing diversity, larger class sizes, increased focus on high-stakes testing, and ever- expanding poverty levels, it is essential that teachers incorporate new teaching techniques into their classrooms as a tool for better engaging students in their own learning. To that end, this paper reviews the purported benefits of educational games in the classroom setting as a tool …

Motivating Students: Identifying And Motivating Reluctant Learners To Reach Their Academic Potential, Kim Yeager

All Graduate Projects

Motivation plays an important role in determining how well a child will perform in school (Philips & Lindsay, 2006). Regardless of how intelligent or capable a student may be if the student is not motivated to do well then their academic performance will be less than it could have been with some motivation. Teachers need to understand why some students are motivated to try hard in school and why some students are not. This understanding will lead teachers to understand why their students are not reaching their academic potential. The purpose of this project was to design a guide that …

An Appraisal Of The Criticisms Of Educational Research In Recent Years, Sherwin Rodrigues

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

According to Hodkinson (2001) educational research in the UK has been passing through "a crisis of confidence" in the last decade as a result of several attacks upon its quality. The scope of this paper is to briefly highlight these „attacks‟ on educational research and then focus on one of its primary criticisms for an in-depth analysis. I mainly draw upon the work of Hargreaves (1996), Hammersley (1997) and Hillage, Pearson, Anderson and Tamkin (1998) but allude to other sources as well.

Outrageous State, Sectarianized Citizens: Deconstructing The ‘Textbook Controversy’ In The Northern Areas, Pakistan, Nosheen Ali

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This paper examines the ‘textbook controversy’ (2000-2005) that arose when the Pakistan state introduced new, overtly Sunni textbooks in the Northern Areas, and the local Shia population began to agitate for a more balanced curriculum. The conflict reached an acute stage during 2004-2005, as violent confrontations took place between Shia and Sunni communities, and a constant curfew paralyzed daily life in Gilgit for eleven months. I argue that the Shia mobilization against textbook Islam was not just a form of “sectarian” outrage; rather, it symbolized a broader political claim to inclusion in a context of long-standing regional subordination and religious …

Teacher-Student Relationships In Primary Schools In Perth, Natalie C. Leitao

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigated teacher-student relationships at Perth metropolitan schools in Western Australia. From the literature, three key social and emotional aspects that affect teacher-student relationships, namely, Connectedness, Availability and Communication, were identified as important to good, positive teacher-student relationships. Data were collected in four parts: (1) through a teacher questionnaire; (2) through a student questionnaire; (3) through teacher interviews; and (4) through student interviews. The three relationship aspects formed the structure of a teacher questionnaire in which ten stem-items were conceptualised from easy to hard - four stem-items for Connectedness, three for Availability, and three for Communication - and answered …

[Introduction To] Museum Careers: A Practical Guide For Students And Novices, N. Elizabeth Schlatter

Bookshelf

This concise volume is the place to start for anyone considering a career in museums. Museum professional and author N. Elizabeth Schlatter outlines the nature of the profession as a whole, the rewards and challenges of museum work, types of museums, and jobs within museums, including salary ranges. She discusses options for education and training, and suggestions on how to secure a job and how to move up the career ladder. Interviews with museum professionals from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds demonstrate different career paths and offer unique and helpful advice . For novices in the field, students in …

A Correlational Study Of Standardized Test For The Assessment Of Reading (Star) With The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (Tcap) On Third Grade Reading/Language Arts, Terri Kay Pike

Theses and Dissertations

Two school districts in rural Tennessee utilizing the Standardized Test for the Assessment of Reading (STAR Reading) assessment were studied to determine the correlation of STAR with Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) with 469 third grade students. The STAR Reading Assessment is marketed by Renaissance Learning as a formative assessment measure. A total of 26 teachers were surveyed in order to determine the adjustment of classroom instruction based on the district-mandated curriculum. Results indicated a high level of correlation between STAR Reading and TCAP; however of the 17 teachers who returned the teacher survey, teachers indicated infrequent administration of the …

Becoming A Teacher In The Developing World, Ayesha Bashiruddin, John Retallick

Books

No abstract provided.

A Case Study Of The Attributes Of Teacher Efficacy, Joanmarie Baggs Penney

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Innovations In The Pursuit Of Excellence, Mavis Brown, Linda B. Hobgood

Rhetoric and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

As students begin their journey in preservice early education courses, an important aspect of an introductory level course is the microteaching experience. For the purposes of this article microteaching is defined as the opportunity to present a lesson to a group of peers who role-play as children at the primary level. Although field-based teaching is critical to a student’s educational experience before student teaching the microteaching experience can be a valuable tool for reflecting and evaluation on best instruction. In the process of evaluating practice it became apparent that we might also assess communication competence as well. The Foundations of …

In The Name Of Educational Research, Shafqat Hussain

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Developing Research And Scholarship At Aku-Ied: Possibilities And Challenges, Anjum Halai

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Evaluating A Four State Workforce Education Project: Questions Of Investigative Interest And Impact, Neal Grandgenett, Elliott Ostler, Applied Information Management Institute, Jeanne L. Surface

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

How can a large scale, multi-state, collaborative workforce development project be evaluated? This article describes the evaluation process of the Midwest Center for Information Technology (MCIT). The project uses “impact threads” to connect the outcomes of the project to strategic evaluation questions. The MCIT project, involving 10 public two-year colleges located in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota, strives to assist partner colleges in enhancing information technology training and related degree programs. The MCIT was funded as a regional center within the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF). This article details the evaluation plan …

Analyzing An Urban University's Diversity Dilemma, Melodee Landis, Angela Ferguson, Ana Carballal, Wilma Kuhlman, Sandra Squires

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Lack of diversity in the teaching force is proving to be a grievous problem for our country. Across the nation the percentage of teachers of color in our schools remains stagnant as the percentage of students of color increases (Gay, Dingus & Jackson, 2003; Gordon, 2000; Gursky, 1999). Councils have been convened and conferences held to confront the issue (National Collaborative on Diversity in the Teaching Force, 2004). This disparity between the supply and demand for a diverse teaching force not only violates our standards of equity, it also appears to have a deleterious effect on achievement of students, particularly …

Evaluation Of An Adult Education Technology Program, Iwasan D. Kejawa

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

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adult education technology program at a chartered alternative adult education center in Florida. The adult education center had a low rate of students passing the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This study examined the impact of the use of computer technology in an effort to improve student learning in mathematics, reading, and science. Computers at the institution were used by all students for tutorials to prepare them for the FCAT and to obtain a high school diploma. The research questions for this study were as follows: 1. Is the education technology …

Making Use Of Bilingual Interview Data: Some Experiences From The Field, Nelofer Halai

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This paper describes the challenges faced, and rules devised, while dealing with bilingual interview data as part of a life history study of a female science teacher’s conceptions of the nature of science while teaching in a school in Karachi. The interview data generated was both in Urdu and English, which underwent a number of processes (transcription, translation, and transliteration) to evolve into “interim texts,” to finally become a part of the data analysis process. I have called these translated materials “transmuted texts,” as they reflect the original, but have been recreated. This paper is significant because as globalization connects …

A Rotating Panel Survey To Assess Quality Of Hunter College Education, Jennifer Sousa Brennan, William (Bill) H. Williams

Publications and Research

A rotating sample design is proposed to most accurately measure the perceived quality of a Hunter College education. A representative sample of Hunter College students will belong to one of six rotating panels. Students will be contacted during four rotation periods and report their assessment of the two most recent months. It is advantageous to use a rotating panel design as opposed to a fixed panel design in order to guard against the negative effects of a deteriorating response rate. Stratified sampling will help to ensure representation across major departments and academic year of study. Methods for sampling procedures, stratification, …

The Design And Use Of Simulation Computer Games In Education, Brett E. Shelton, David A. Wiley

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This book, edited by Brett Shelton and David Wiley, is a view of models and simulations for education and research.

Table of Contents

1. In Praise of Epistemology - David Shaffer

2. Six Ideas in Search of a Discipline - Richard Van Eck

3. Building Bridges Between Serious Game Design and Instructional Design - Jamie Kirkley, Sonny Kirkley and Jerry Heneghan

4. Layered Design in an Instructional Simulation - Andrew S. Gibbons and Stefan Sommer

5. Designing Educational Games for Activity-Goal Alignment - Brett E. Shelton

6. "The Peripatos Could Not have Looked Like That," and Other Educational Outcomes From …

A Personalized Art Curriculum That Promotes Art Advocacy, Nicole Marie Walters

All Graduate Projects

The following project shows the development of a personalized drawing curriculum that will encourage students to become art advocates. The curriculum is based upon art history and is designed for students to relate historical ideas to their own lives. This personalization will help students learn more about art as a form of communication. Through this art experience, students will see the value of art in their own education and it is hoped that in the future, when these students are adults they will be advocates for the arts.

Living Proof: The Decline In Northeast Arts Education - And What Can Be Done About It., Chris Comer

Senior Honors Projects

All my life, I have been raised and tempered by the public schooling systems of the Northeastern states. As I near the completion of my undergraduate studies, I can look back at all my years of education and see how my personality and skill-sets were forged into what they are today. Now, in the age of the No Child Left Behind Act, and in the middle of a war overseas, public schools nationwide and here in the Northeast are finding it increasingly difficult to produce the test results and proof of knowledge that is being asked of them. This mismatch …

Quality In Early Childhood Education: Assessing Early Child Development - A Holistic Approach For Ages 3-6 Years, Seema Lasi, Sanober Nadeem, Irum Fatima

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

Early childhood lays strong foundations for adulthood. Experiences, positive or negative, during this period have long-lasting effects. The purpose of this paper is to underscore the need for an integrated approach towards early years, particularly pre-school period (3 to 6 years). The article also introduces to ‘Record of Early Childhood Growth and Development’ developed by Human Development Programme of Aga Khan University to measure holistic child development.

Action Research—A Means Of Continuous Professional Development In A Rural Context: Possibilities And Challenges, Razia Fakir Mohammad, Roshni Kumari

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

This paper presents our findings from a research initiated to support teachers’ continuous development through action research in the rural context of a developing country. The study investigated the experiences of seven teachers and teacher educators from the rural context of Pakistan, who spent nearly six months undertaking action research projects as part of a follow-up strategy for a university based teacher education programme. After the completion of the university-based programme, the participants had gone back to their respective institutes and were expected to initiate action research projects in order to implement new knowledge/learning. It was also a strategy to …

The Social Construction Of Authorship: An Investigation Of Subjectivity And Rhetorical Authority In The College Writing Classroom, Johannah Rodgers

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Although we use the term author on a daily basis to refer to certain individuals, bodies of work, and systems of ideas, as Michel Foucault and other critics have pointed out, attempting to answer the question “What is an Author?” is by no means a simple proposition. And, starting from the position that there is no single, or definitive answer to this complex question, this dissertation seeks to contribute to the ongoing discussion of the genealogy of authorship by investigating the ways in which conceptions of the author have informed models of the writing subject in the field of rhetoric …

Reducing The Effects Of Bullying Among Aboriginal Children Living In Rural Western Australia: Annual Report, Child Health Promotion Research Unit, Edith Cowan University

Research outputs pre 2011

It is unknown how Aboriginal children and adults conceptualize childhood bullying and what school/community intervention programs are appropriate. The Solid Kids, Solid Schools project will use a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to develop culturally informed and determined understandings of bullying among Aboriginal children. These understandings can then be used to formatively develop a sustainable school and community-based bullying prevention and reduction program with strategies identified by Aboriginal people for use in schools in the Yamaji region or Midwest, Murchison Education District of Western Australia.

According to the funding proposal a Steering Committee was established to provide project …

Celebrating Teachers’ Voices, Ayesha Bashiruddin

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Quality In Education: Teaching And Leadership In Challenging Times. Vol. 1, Sajid Ali, Meher Rizvi

Books

No abstract provided.