Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Teaching Interactively Using Web-Conferencing: The Student Perspective, Pilar Pazos, Holly Handley, Shannon Bowling, Charles B. Daniels, Kim Sibson, Patrick Hester

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Department (EMSE) of Old Dominion University (ODU) Batten College of Engineering and Technology (BCET) has employed distance-learning technologies for well over three decades. Although the current technologies provide a valuable service for many geographically dispersed students, the faculty continues to explore additional distance learning tools, technologies and methods to promote more student participation and active learning. The goal of this paper is to describe and evaluate an innovative instructional approach using interactive web conferencing in hybrid courses. This paper will explore the use of web conferencing to teach graduate-level courses and explore the impact …

Information Literacy Standards For Freshmen Seminars, Libby Knapik

Librarian Publications

Presentation by Libby Knapik, Head of Information Literacy Programs, Sacred Heart University, of definitions and standards of NEASC and ACRL for information literacy.

Simulation And Visualization Enhanced Engineering Education- Development And Implementation Of Virtual Experiments In A Laboratory Course, Sushil K. Chaturvedi, Kaustubh A. Dharwadkar

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper presents results from a National Science Foundation grant titled "Simulation and Visualization Enhanced Engineering Education", funded by the EEC division. Although the scope of the project is quite broad, embracing a wide range of courses in three engineering disciplines, the present work describes the results obtained from application of simulation and visualization for development and implementation of web-based virtual engineering laboratories. The present work leverages the advancement in hardware and software technologies to map physical experiments into web-based virtual experiments that can be used to enrich student's laboratory experience. Four physical experiments in the thermo-fluids laboratory course have …

Development Of Test Of Academic Readiness, Tanachit Kasintorn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a test of academic readiness for first grade instruction in Thailand. Test of Academic Readiness (TAR) consists of six domains: verbal, visual, memory, math, logical, and general knowledge. Two pilot studies were carried out and a main study tested items in those domains. Rasch model was used to assess the scale’s level of reliability and item discrimination. Content validity was claimed through extensive review of literature and similar readiness tests both in the U.S. and Thailand.

TAR achieved a range of reliability between 0.73-0.93 with the exception of the visual subtest, with …

Exploring Best Practices For Identification, Assessment, Course Placement, Support Services, And Academic Monitoring Of First Year Students Whose Act Writing Scores Indicate Needs For Skill Building, Kellian Clink, Amy Mukamuri

Library Services Publications

The authors share some of the research about Generation 1.5 students as well as other students whose academic writing skills may need development. We relate some data from MSU, from state of Minnesota reports, and from federal studies and discuss some of the reading and writing issues for these students. We describe the possible roles of Adult Basic Education (ABE), community colleges, and MSU in developmental writing coursework and explore assessment tools utilized. We describe some models of writing development around the state and the nation, and finally describe some consequences of doing nothing, piloting project(s), and implementing a program …

What Do Students Gain From A Week At Science Camp? Youth Perceptions And The Design Of An Immersive Research-Oriented Astronomy Camp, Deborah A. Fields

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This study explored American high school students’ perceptions of the benefits of a summer astronomy camp, emphasizing a full cycle of the research process and how the organization of the camp contributed to those perceptions. Semi-structured interviews with students and staff were used to elicit the specific benefits that campers perceived from their experiences and examine them in relation to the stated goals and strategies of camp staff. Among the perceived benefits that students described were peer relationships, personal autonomy, positive relationships with staff, and deepened science knowledge. These perceived benefits appear to influence the kinds of identities students constructed …

Online Metacognitive Tool Development: Final Development, Joseph Luca, Mark Mcmahon

Research outputs pre 2011

The authors of this paper have been developing an online metacognitive tool over the past four years through a process of iterative design and development stages using Design-Based research. Based on feedback from students, tutors and peers, the application has now been finally developed and is available for public download. The application helps students working in teams reflect on their learning strategies through a process of planning, monitoring and evaluation, and allows students to reflect on their performance.

Investigating West Virginia Students' Perceptions Of The Factors Affecting Their Educational Aspirations, Kimberly S. Cowley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of West Virginia students about factors affecting their educational aspirations and to determine whether these factors differed significantly over time, by gender, or by parents‟ college history. Research questions included: (1) To what extent will constructs emerging from West Virginia student data parallel the eight constructs identified as supporting student aspirations by the University of Maine‟s National Center for Student Aspirations? (2) To what extent do students‟ perceptions of these factors differ over time, from seventh to ninth grade? (3) To what extent do students‟ perceptions of these factors differ …

Asg Student Social And Emotional Health Report, Michael. E. Bernard, Andrew Stephanou, Daniel Urbach

Wellbeing

This report presents the results of sophisticated Rasch measurement analysis and multi-level modelling to validate and support the use of the ACER Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) student and teacher surveys for reporting on the social and emotional well-being of students from the early years of schooling through to senior secondary school levels. It describes the social and emotional well-being of over 10,000 students attending 81 schools across Australia. Among the more important findings of this research are the characteristics of students with low levels of social and emotional well-being compared with students with higher levels of social and emotional …

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 …

Aboriginal Students And The Western Australian Literacy And Numeracy Assessment, Sean Gorman

Research outputs pre 2011

Since the introduction of standardised testing in Western Australia with the Western Australian Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (WALNA) it has become quite evident that Indigenous students' performance is well below that of non-Indigenous students.

As WALNA is now very much a part of the pedagogical landscape steps must be taken to ensure that those students who are not reaching the benchmark scores or the MSE requirements do progress...

Perceptions Of The Value Of Problem-Based Learning Among Students With Special Needs And Their Teachers, Brian Robert Belland, P. A. Ertmer, K. D. Simons

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

While problem-based learning (PBL) has been found to be effective with gifted and average students (Hmelo-Silver, 2004), little is known about its impact on students with special needs. This study examines the perceptions of middle-school students with mild, moderate, and severe disabilities and of their teachers regarding the value of participating in a PBL unit. The unit focused on the physical accessibility of a low-SES, rural community where the students’ school was located.We used the constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) to analyze interview data, and used observation data and artifacts to triangulate interview comments. Among the noteworthy findings …

A Study Of Attrition In A Respiratory Care Associate Degree Program In A Northeast Tennessee Community College., Donna D. Lilly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Walters State Community College's Respiratory Care (WSCC RC) Program had a 33% attrition rate during a five-year period from 1999 through 2003. This study analyzed demographic, pre-admission, and academic variables to identify reasons for attrition within the WSCC RC program. The population size was 90 students; this was the entire population of five consecutive classes graduating during a five-year period from 1999 through 2003. The criterion variables included high school attended, gender, age, college-level GPA, college-level credit hours, and developmental requirements.

Statistical tests revealed that college-level GPA, college-level credit hours, and developmental requirements influenced persistence within the population. The …

Mapping The Road To Proficiency, Thomas R. Guskey

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

A table of specifications provides a travel guide to help teachers move students toward mastery of standards

Brief 18: Creating A Culture Of Inquiry, New England Resource Center For Higher Education, University Of Massachusetts Boston

New England Resource Center for Higher Education Publications

The Community College Student Success Think Tank, part of the Community College Student Success Project, funded by Lumina Foundation for Education, brings student and academic affairs officers together with institutional researchers to reflect on trends and issues surrounding data-driven decision making in community colleges. Participants consider various forms of accountability data, processes and analyses to bring about institutional transformation. At a recent meeting, Think Tank members discussed ways to create a culture of inquiry at community colleges.

The Development And Validation Of The Ethical Climate Index For Middle And High Schools, Laura E. Schulte, Franklin Titus Thompson, Jeanie Talbott, Ann Luther, Michelle Garcia, Shirley Blanchard, Laraine Conway, Melanie Mueller

Counseling Faculty Publications

One school characteristic that needs to be considered as important in keeping schools safe is school climate. The purposes of this study were to develop and validate an instrument that measures the ethical climate of middle and high schools. To create the School Ethical Climate Index (SECI), we adapted the Ethical Climate Index for graduate and professional school programs to apply to middle and high schools. The SECI measures a school’s sense of community by assessing student and teacher interactions and relationships through the application of five ethical principles: respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and fidelity. To provide evidence …

The Learning Communities Program, Lynn D. Akey

Academic Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Home And School: A Case Study Of One Web-Enabled Technology, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

In today's society, there are many new technologies that educators have at their disposal to use both inside and outside of the classroom. One such technology was the focus of the first stage of an on-going project on the "open school" model. This "open school" model is designed to provide access to information on a child's schooling to both students and parents outside of the traditional school day. This article considers the use of one web-enabled technology called ThinkWave in two one term, elective courses.

An Instrument For Assessing Knowledge Gain In A First Course In Circuit Theory, Vishnu K. Lakdawala, Stephen A. Zahorian, Oscar R. González, Amit Kumar H., James Leathrum

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Although there has been considerable research on the development and use of assessment instruments to measure the effectiveness of various pedagogical approaches to teaching introductory physics classes (Hestenes et al. 1, Hestenes et al 2, Hake 3, Saul et al. 4) and other science courses (for example, see Vosniadou 5), there is relatively little similar work that has been done to develop assessment instruments for the first circuit theory course that is taught in electrical and computer engineering. Given the large numbers of students nationwide who take such a course, the challenge this course presents to beginning engineering students, and …

Helping Standards Make The Grade, Thomas R. Guskey

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

When reporting on student work, educators need a clear, comprehensive grading system that shows how students are measuring up to standards.

Alienation From School Among Aboriginal Students, Jan Gray, Quentin Beresford

Research outputs pre 2011

It is difficult to overstate the depth of the educational disadvantage which continues to be experienced by Aboriginal young people in the Swan District. While encouraging signs can be found in the genuinely positive attitudes towards school among many of the Aboriginal students who are regular attenders, it is still the case that considerable differences in educational outcomes between Aborigines and non-Aborigines remain.

For example:

• Only one of the students interviewed was found to be undertaking a full Tertiary Entrance Examination course in the district during the Year 2000.

• Few students (especially boys) remain at school to study …

Aboriginal Students Perceptions Of The Effect Of Vocational Education And Training On Post School Experiences, Steven J. Florisson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Over the past decade there have been dramatic and unprecedented changes in post compulsory education, with an increase of over 40% for year 12 retention rates to 76.6% in 1992 and huge expansion of year 11 and 12 vocational education and training programs. However, for Aboriginal past compulsory age students, the picture is very different. In 1993 the year 12 Aboriginal retention rate was only 24.48% or 982 students (Australia wide), and by 1996 only 10% of the indigenous 15 and older population had any post school qualification, compared to 35% of the total population. Only 34% of West Australian …

Employability Skills In The Undergraduate Business Curriculum And Job Market Preparedness : Perceptions Of Faculty And Final-Year Students In Five Tertiary Institutions, Patrick Antonio Williams

Dissertations

Problem

For several decades educators, researchers, and employers have expressed concern about the quality of business graduates that are entering the workplace as entry-level professionals. The major concern of these stakeholders is that many students who are leaving tertiary institutions lack the necessary employability skills needed for career success. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate if undergraduate schools of business are adequately preparing their students for the workplace through the incorporation of employability skills throughout the curriculum. To achieve this purpose, the study measured the perceptions of both final-year undergraduate business students and their professors to determine …

The Effectiveness Of Using Drama In Presenting Spiritual Material To School Students, Geoff Pollard

Theses : Honours

This thesis is concerned with determining the effectiveness of using drama in presenting spiritual material to school students. As a performer in schools I often wondered if the "magic" of the stage was what the students identified with or whether in addition they were also understanding and learning spiritual truths. As an undergraduate religious student I was exposed to the research of Goldman who concluded that Scripture teaching in Primary Schools should be minimised because he believed the students were incapable of understanding parables and miracles. I looked back on my school performance years and the warm reception given to …

The Effect Of Assessment Procedures On Student Learning Outcomes In Religious Education In One Catholic Secondary School In Western Australia, Philip F. Cox

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates the effect of utilising formal assessment procedures on student learning in the religious education classroom. There is a debate in the religious education literature concerning the place of assessment in religious education. This debate is reflected in the divisions that occur amongst teachers of religious education in Catholic schools. The debate has been polarised with an uncertain group being left between the two extremes. Teachers of religious education in Catholic schools are uncertain as to the best teaching methodology to utilise. This thesis outlines the philosophical arguments concerning the place of assessment in religious education in Catholic …

Making The Grade: What Benefits Students?, Thomas R. Guskey

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Although the debate over grading and reporting practices continues, today we know which practices benefit students and encourage learning.

An Evaluation Of The Educational Effectiveness Of A Relational Course Compared To Single Topic Courses Offered By The Management Department Of The United States Air Force, Kevin M. Kosefeski

Theses and Dissertations

This study compares the educational effectiveness of two different methods of teaching three senior-level management courses at the United States Air Force Academy. The first method, known as relational instruction, combined Management Information Systems MIS, Marketing, and Strategic Management into one three hour course worth nine credits. The team of instructors used a variety of delivery methods to present material. The second method of instruction employed single topic courses covering the same three topics as the relational course, taught by single instructors in one hour blocks using mostly lecture to deliver material. The literature review covered Blooms taxonomy of educational …

A Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Learning Style Prescriptions And/Or Modality-Based Instruction On The Spelling Achievement Of Fifth-Grade Students, Nancy D'Isa Turner

Dissertations

Problem

Learning style has been studied extensively across the United States since the early 1970s. Much research has involved Rita and Kenneth Dunns' model and associated Learning Style Inventory. In 1991, Robert Zenhausern developed the Homework Disc software program which correlates with the Dunns' work and yields learning style prescriptions for students. The use of these study strategies at the elementary level has not been broadly examined. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of prescriptions on spelling achievement of fifth-grade students.

Method

A total of 65 students (33 males, 32 females) in three intact groups participated in this study. The …

Educational Access For Homeless School-Age Children : A Model For Building Collaboration Between Educators And Social Services Providers, Karen Tilbor, Al Leighton

Maine Collection

Educational Access for Homeless School-Age Children : A Model for Building Collaboration Between Educators and Social Services Providers

Karen Tilbor and Al Leighton

Human Services Development Institute, Edmund S. Muskie Institute of Public Affairs, Graduate Program in Public Policy and Management, University of Southern Maine

October 1990

"This report was prepared under contract with the Maine Department of Education" Printed under Appropriation # 013-05A-1002-01

Contents: Introduction / Forum for Portland-Area Educators / Brochure / Educators and Social Service Providers Collaborate / Summary and Recommendations / Appendices

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Locus Of Control And Achievement In Third And Fifth Grade Students, Elaine Sheats

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between internal locus of control and academic achievement in third and fifth grade students. The Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale was used to determine a locus of control score for each subject. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Form 8 was used to obtain an achievement score for each subject. The study implemented a correlational research design. The Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between the test scores. Results indicated a significant relationship between the internal dimension of locus of control and academic achievement.