Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Teaching College Writing To High School Students: A Mixed Methods Investigation Of Dual Enrollment Composition Students' Writing Curriculum And Writing Self-Efficacy, Erin Dena Scott-Stewart

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to use a quantitative survey to assess the relationships between the credit pathways students choose to earn first-year, first-semester (FYFS) university writing credit (i.e. dual enrollment, Advanced Placement, university courses, and ACT/SAT exemptions) and several writing experiences and outcomes, including writing curriculum, self-efficacy, self-regulatory strategy use, and course performance. The same survey was also used to explore relationships between these writing experiences and outcomes and preexisting student characteristics (i.e. race/ethnicity, gender, and parents’ education). For dual enrollment (DE) students only, the following aspects of the participants’ writing experiences were also investigated using …

Applying An Andragogical Approach To Foster Lifelong Self-Directed Learning In The 21st Century Higher Education Classroom Settings, Suwithida Charungkaittikul, John Henschke

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The relationship between adult learning and self-directed learning (SDL) is a topic worth exploring on both theoretical and practical grounds. It is essential to provide a nourishing and encouraging environment for fostering self-directedness in adult learners. This will allow adult students to actively take responsibility for their own continuing lifelong learning. This study aims to explore the practical application of Andragogy as an overarching instructional element for fostering self-directed learning in the higher education classroom setting. We examine the role of self-directed learning in adult education; explore the implementation of the andragogical approach; and propose strategies to foster more sustainable …

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 …

Not “One China,” Not “One Culture”: Multicultural Exploration Of Differences And Similarities Between Mainland China And Taiwan, Philip J. Ward, Michelle Loo

ECTESOL Review

This study focuses on the outwardly similar cultures of Taiwan and mainland China and the subtle differences within them. The study was conducted as part of the requirements of doctoral program in Instructional Design and Development at a public university in the southeastern United States. Using a qualitative case study approach, the study demonstrates that there are cultural similarities between mainland China and Taiwan, however instructors should also be aware of the differences when developing relationships with students and developing course content. A mini-workshop was developed for the study to help teach instructors about the two cultures. However, the mini-workshop …

Bridgewater State University Factbook, 2017-2018, Office Of Institutional Research, Bridgewater State University

Factbook

No abstract provided.

College Choice In Distance-Based Nursing Programs, Jill Lansing

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The expansion and diversification of postsecondary education in the United States has led to greater options for students and prospective students for pursuing a college degree. An important trend in higher education today is distance education. Despite the growing prevalence of distance learning opportunities and the expanding body of research on distance education, research on the college-going decisions of distance learners is sparse. As more students enroll in distance-based higher education programs, it is increasingly important to understand how and why students make the decision to enroll in collegiate degree-granting programs. This study bridges the college choice and distance education …

The Doctoral Quest: Managing Variables That Impact Degree Completion, Glenn Gittings, Mathew J. Bergman, Kobena Osam

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

A Forgotten Demographic: Low-Income First-Generation College Students, Ryan Joseph-Lee Haynes

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone is on the need for support for low-income first-generation college students. An evidence based argument is made that these students are at a major disadvantage as compared to their counterparts. Consideration of the issue, should include the perspectives of high school students who will be the first in their family to apply and go to college. Three action options emerged from the analysis of data. Based on an analysis of the data and the relevant research literature, the researcher used what he learned to formulate an action that responded to the focus issue in a …

Roundtable – Teaching Human Rights: Challenges And Best Practices, Shayna Plaut, Kristi Kenyon, Joel Pruce, William Simmons

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

Over the past 20 years, courses addressing human rights have grown dramatically at both the undergraduate and graduate levels worldwide. Many of these courses are housed in specific disciplines, focus on specific issues, and require practical experience in the form of internships/practicums. Amid this growth there is a need to reflect on teaching human rights including the challenges, fears, and best practices.

Recognizing that education takes place inside and outside a classroom, this roundtable brings together scholars teaching human rights in a variety of settings to examine the current state of university human rights education. This includes a discussion of …

Institutional Investment In Teaching Excellence, Steven C. Taylor, Catherine Haras, Emily Daniell Magruder, Eva Fernández, Margery Ginsberg, Jake Glover

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Occupational Therapy Students In Norway: Do Their Approaches To Studying Vary By Year In The Program?, Tore Bonsaksen, Mikkel M. Thørrisen, Talieh Sadeghi

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Approaches to studying may be influenced by students’ age, maturity, and experience in higher education. Students’ approaches to studying may develop toward deep and/or strategic approaches and away from a surface approach as they move through the curriculum, which is generally considered a positive development. This study aimed to identify differences in approaches to studying among first-, second-, and third-year students enrolled in an occupational therapy program. Three cohorts of students (n = 160) from one university college completed the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) along with sociodemographic information. One-way analyses of variance were used to …

Review Of The Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire (Preq): Final Report, Ali Radloff, Darren Matthews, Yan Bibby, Daniel Edwards

Higher education research

A review of the Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire (PREQ) was conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the Commonwealth Department of Education and Training. The PREQ was developed in 1999 to collect information on core aspects of the HDR experience, and is currently administered as part of the Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) which is conducted with recent graduates from Australian higher education institutions. The PREQ currently provides information to government, universities and other stakeholders that help inform improvements to the quality of HDR training. This project was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 of the …

University Sustainability: Assessing College Sustainability Rating Systems, James M. Albis

Journal of Environmental Sustainability

This paper seeks to assess the three major university sustainability rating systems in the United States on their ability to drive positive sustainability outcomes. Since the mid-2000s the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, the Princeton Review, and the Sierra Club have attempted to rate universities on their sustainability policies and practices. A wide range of actions are rated by these organizations, from energy usage to transportation to procurement to academic offerings in the field of sustainability. This analysis shows that each organization values sustainability in different ways – for example, academics/co-curricular activities accounted for anywhere from 16%-49% …

Preliminary Evaluation Of The Psychometric Quality Of HeightenTm Quantitative Literacy, Katrina C. Roohr, Hyesun Lee, Jun Xu, Ou Lydia Liu, Zhen Wang

Numeracy

Quantitative literacy has been identified as an important student learning outcome (SLO) by both the higher education and workforce communities. This paper aims to provide preliminary evidence of the psychometric quality of the pilot forms for HEIghten quantitative literacy, a next-generation SLO assessment for students in higher education. We evaluated the psychometric quality of the test items (e.g., item analyses), individual- and group-level reliability, the relationship with student performance and related variables (e.g., grade point average) as well as student perceptions, and differences across college-related and demographic subgroups. Our study used data from a pilot test administered to over 1,500 …

The Case For Urgency: Advocating For Indigenous Voice In Education, Kevin P. Gillan, Suzanne Mellor, Jacynta Krakouer

Australian Education Review

In 2004 the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) published an Australian Education Review (AER) on Indigenous Education: The Case for Change: A review of contemporary research on Indigenous education outcomes, AER 47 (Mellor & Corrigan, 2004). In the 13 years since its publication, the state of Indigenous education outcomes has remained substantially unaltered. All the social indicators demonstrate that Australia’s First Nations people continue to be the most socio-economically disadvantaged population cohort in Australian society. This is after decades of continued policy efforts by successive Commonwealth, state and territory governments to ameliorate Indigenous education disadvantage. We still struggle with …

A Challenge To Inclusive Excellence: What We Can Learn From A Jesuit Catholic University, Terri Lewis-King

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper draws attention to the ethics of the organization (institutional structure) to fulfill its mission by examining what does it mean that a Jesuit higher education institution strives for "inclusive excellence". From a staff member lens, what does the campus climate tell us about how that impact is felt. The result of this project are tools for professionals to use in their assessment and development of organizational support for staff.

Argument Education In Higher Education: A Validation Study, Paul E. Mabrey Iii

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Argument education can play an important role in higher education for leadership development and responding to increasing calls for post-secondary accountability. But to do so, argumentation teachers, scholars, and practitioners need to develop a clearer definition and research agenda for the purposes of teaching and assessing argumentation. The research conducted here contributes to this project by first establishing a definitional construct and observable behaviors associated with learning and practicing argumentation. Second, an argument education assessment instrument was created based off of the literature-supported definition of argumentation. Third, debate and argument education subject matter experts reviewed the definition, behaviors, and assessment …

Student Learning Gains In Higher Education: A Longitudinal Analysis With Faculty Discussion, Catherine E. Mathers

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Student learning is the primary desired outcome of a college education. To understand how educational programming and curricula affect students, colleges and universities must collect evidence of student learning gain. In this study, a longitudinal design was employed to investigate how a math and science general education curriculum impacted college students’ quantitative and scientific reasoning. Quantitative and scientific reasoning gain scores were computed and predicted from personal (i.e., prior knowledge, gender) and curriculum (i.e., number of completed courses in the domain) characteristics to uncover what factors relate to learning gain. Collapsing across personal and curriculum variables, gain scores were moderate …

Student Engagement And Post-College Outcomes: A Comparison Of Formative And Reflective Models, Courtney Sanders

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Student engagement is a complex construct that is thought to be related to positive outcomes during and after college. Previous research has defined engagement in diverse ways and there are inconsistencies in the models that are used to measure this construct. Many studies have used a reflective measurement model (i.e., exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis), wherein changes in a latent construct are thought to precede and in some sense, explain variation in observed variables. Others have argued that engagement is best measured using a formative model in which the relationship flows in the opposite direction. In other words, within formative …

The Perceptions Of Accounting: What Do You Think?, Brianna Darin

Honors Projects in Accounting

Accounting is often considered “the language of business,” but is sometimes perceived to be a difficult topic. This study seeks to get a deeper understanding as to why business students and other students perceive accounting to be such an intimidating subject. The ultimate research question addressed is: What are the perceptions of accounting among accounting students, non-accounting business students, and non-business students? A review of the relevant background literature led to two hypotheses that assist in answering the research question. Following the literature review and hypotheses development, a two-part process took place: (1) we conducted focus groups and (2) we …

Australian General Practice Training Program: National Report On The 2016 Registrar Satisfaction Survey, Ali Radloff, Daniel Edwards, Darren Matthews

Higher education research

The AGPT Registrar Satisfaction Survey was an annual, national survey of GP registrars currently training in the AGPT program that collects information about registrar satisfaction, experience and future career plans. The survey undertaken in November and December 2016 was part of the Department of Health’s monitoring and quality improvement activities and the information used to assure the quality of training provision, enable continuous improvement and allow results to be benchmarked nationally. It also collected information on registrars’ demographics, training contexts, career plans and other aspects of their training experience.

An Investigation Of Accounting Education To Help Students Improve Important Job Skills, Alec Schuberth

Honors Projects in Accounting

Upon graduation, many college students embark on their professional careers in accounting. These graduates have completed their degree and moved to their new, exciting, and challenging jobs; but have these corporations recently expressed satisfaction with the performance of these young employees? Some studies suggest that many executives do not think that their new employees have developed the skills needed to be successful in today’s competitive business landscape. This project extends the literature by examining professional development in college graduates and applying it within the context of accounting education in college and universities nationwide. Overall, this project aims to investigate why …

Redesigning Field Supervisor Evaluations Based On Results Of A Factor Analysis, Amy Scott Brown, Justin Low, Amy Burns

Pacific's Annual Assessment Conference

No abstract provided.

Multi-Year Improvements In Campus Safety Based On Assessment Results, Mike Belcher

Pacific's Annual Assessment Conference

No abstract provided.

From Isolation To Connection: Assessing The Effectiveness Of An Intervention Model For Students With Social/Communication Challenges, Daniel Nuss, Kim Derushia

Pacific's Annual Assessment Conference

No abstract provided.

Leadership Identity And Critical Thinking Development In Cip Cohort Projects, Allison Dumas

Pacific's Annual Assessment Conference

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Computer-Based Testing On Dental Students, Sinky Zheng, Daniel Bender

Pacific's Annual Assessment Conference

No abstract provided.

The Discipline Of Evaluation: Teaching Students Expert Level Reading Skills, Eleanor Wittrup

Pacific's Annual Assessment Conference

No abstract provided.

International Higher Education As Catalyst For Social Change, Fay Patel

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Developing cultural awareness and competence among learners and employees has been a topic of concern and challenge in higher education for several decades. The general focus in many organizations, including higher education, is on the development of cultural awareness and competencies with a general focus on intercultural communication and cultural diversity training. The paper revisits the notions of cultural awareness and competency development initiatives reframing them within a critical perspective seeking socially responsible actions for social change. It introduces and clarifies global community building, glocalization, social responsibility and justice as requisites for social change. Finally, recommendations are made to ensure …

English Language Competence: Why English Matters In Higher Education In Kenya, Ukaiko A. Bitrus-Ojiambo, Iddah Wayumba Mwaura, Annette Lutivini Majanja

ECTESOL Review

English is an international language, used in many countries for business, tourism, and education (Roy-Campbell, 2014; Crystal, 2003). In Kenya, it is the official language and language of instruction. The country boasts high youth literacy rates 93% (UNESCO, 2012). As university instructors, we have observed that although students have been in the formal educational system for a minimum of 9 years, their output does not match university expectations (KICD, 2016, p. 44; Jayasundara & Premarathna, 2011; Njoroge, 2008). This study assesses English language use in a Kenyan institution of higher education, identifies emergent linguistic patterns, and suggests some solutions to …