Educational Methods Commons^™

It’S All In The Family: The (Honors) Ties That Bind Us, Jamaica Afiya Pouncy

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

For many years, the Texas A&M Honors Program functioned in an extremely fluid manner. Students were deemed “honors eligible” according to their grade point average; if that average dropped below the set requirement, they became “honors ineligible.” If the GPA rose, they were eligible again. Under this policy, students continuously floated in and out of the honors community. The recent shift to an application-based process has created an official cohort of honors students as well as the challenge of building a community in a program that has had little sense of continuity.

The Place To Be: Designing A City-Connected Honors Residence In Rotterdam, Remko Remijnse

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

Traditionally, university students in the Netherlands, even honors students, find accommodations on their own; they will rent a room in a house and live together with other students who have independently rented a room in that same building. The typical Dutch student residence is an old, centrally located house that will accommodate five to eight students. While these students would be complete strangers when they begin their time living together, they quickly become a cohesive community, deciding for themselves how their life in the space will be organized by setting up cooking schedules and other agreed-upon formats for using the …

“In An Old Nave’S Grime”: The Spencer Honors House, Rusty Rushton

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

The University Honors Program (UHP) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), its 200 or so students, and its four full-time staff members (Director, Associate Director, Program Coordinator, and Program Manager), all have the good fortune to call home a beautiful old church on the south side of UAB and Birmingham. The Spencer Honors House is where the UHP holds its classes and conducts its business and where the program’s students convene for the myriad reasons honors students convene: committee meetings, late-night study sessions, general recreation especially of the pool and ping pong sort, hanging out, or spending private …

Where Honors Lives: Old Central At Oklahoma State University, Robert Spurrier, Jessica Roark

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

The story of where honors lives at Oklahoma State University is one of a series of twists and turns over the years and in many ways actually reenacts the proverbial rags to riches story.

Until 1988, honors space at Oklahoma State University (OSU) was limited to the office of the faculty member who had the title of Honors Director in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and received 0.25 FTE reassigned time for his honors duties. When one of the co-authors of this chapter was asked to become A&S Honors Director in 1988, he already had an administrative office …

Living-Learning Communities: As Natural As Cats And Dogs Living Together, John R. Purdie Ii

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

Fully achieving all the potential benefits of a living-learning community requires effective collaboration between academic affairs and student affairs. Unfortunately, because of differences in organizational structures, priorities, cultural norms, and even the types of people drawn to work in academic affairs and student affairs, collaboration between faculty and staff is as unnatural as cats and dogs living together. Understanding these differences and recognizing the two subcultures that operate within most college housing departments can mitigate the challenges that honors faculty and staff can face when collaborating with staff in housing.

Winging It: Why Offering Honors Wings Works At Oral Roberts University, Ashley Sweeney, Hannah Covington, John Korstad

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

Perhaps the first feature visitors notice about the campus of Oral Roberts University (ORU) is the drama and bravado of its futuristic architecture. With symbolic, gold-plated buildings and a Prayer Tower positioned at the campus’ center, ORU’s structural design certainly stands as a testament to the Jetsons-esque flavor of its 1960s and 1970s origin. ORU is a private Christian university located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For many parents, one of the main draws of the school remains its strict policy against co-ed housing. Unlike some of its peer institutions, ORU only offers unisex dorms, which are divided into floors or wings. …

Lessons Learned From Nevada’S Honors Residential Scholars Community, Tamara Valentine

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

For the past 30 years, intentionally structured living-learning communities (LLCs) have sprung up across residential college campuses in the United States. Recent research has suggested that LLC participation facilitates faculty and peer interaction (Blimling, 1993; Schoem, 2004), influences student learning and the development of critical-thinking skills (Terenzini, Springer, Pascarella, & Nora, 1995; Whitt, Edison, Pascarella, Nora, & Terenzini, 1999), improves retention (Campbell & Fuqua, 2008; Daffron & Holland, 2009), reflects a commitment to civic engagement, and promotes smooth academic and social transitions to college life (Inkelas, Daver, Vogt, & Leonard, 2007; Stassen 2003). In fall 2005, in response to growing …

About The Authors

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

No abstract provided.

Housing Honors, Linda Frost, Lisa W. Kay, Rachael Poe

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

Introduction: What We Talk About When We Talk About Housing Honors. . . ix Linda Frost

Part I: Housing Honors Today

CHAPTER 1: Where Honors Lives: Results from a Survey of the Structures and Spaces of U.S. Honors Programs and Colleges . . . 3 Linda Frost and Lisa W. Kay

Part II: Profiles of Spaces and Places in Honors

CHAPTER 2: The Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community at the University of Massachusetts Amherst . . . 47 Melissa Woglom and Meredith Lind

CHAPTER 3: Do Your Homework First, and Then Go Play! . . . 57 Larry Andrews

CHAPTER …

Images For Part Ii: Profiles Of Spaces And Places In Honors

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

No abstract provided.

Using Simulated Virtual Interactivity In Construction Education, Saeed Rokooei, James D. Goedert

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Faculty Publications

This paper briefly illustrates the design procedure, implementation and findings of a three year research project. Virtual Interactive Construction Education (VICE) is a project-based pedagogical model that uses a simulated environment to alter traditional subject-based lectures into virtual project-based interactive learning methods in construction education. For this purpose, the context of construction engineering and management curricula were aggregated into six construction project prototypes. VICE-Bridge is the first of these six prototypes that exposes players to experiential problem solving activities toward achieving a goal situation (construct the bridge) from an initial situation (start of construction). It was designed for students with …

Critical Cultural Awareness In The Foreign Language Classroom, Kristen Nugent, Theresa Catalano

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Preparing learners to interact appropriately and effectively while participating in intercultural relationships is a key component of foreign language curricula. The notion of critical cultural awareness, which is embedded within the framework of intercultural communicative competence, encourages language educators to craft learning opportunities that guide learners in observing clear connections between classroom lessons and real-world issues while exercising critical thinking skills throughout the process. Although research by Byram (1997, 2012) has demonstrated the importance of critical cultural awareness, few studies have illustrated how critical cultural awareness can be developed in a classroom setting while working to achieve language proficiency. This …

Foreign Language Teaching And Learning, Aleidine Kramer Moeller, Theresa Catalano

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Foreign language teaching and learning have changed from teacher-centered to learner/learning-centered environments. Relying on language theories, research findings, and experiences, educators developed teaching strategies and learning environments that engaged learners in interactive communicative language tasks. A shift in foreign language pedagogy from a specific foreign language method to the measurement of language performance/competency has resulted in a change in the role of the teacher from one of authority/expert to that of facilitator/guide and agent of change. Current developments point to public pedagogy, social media, and action research as additional ways to foster intercultural competence and language learning.

Edps 859: Statistical Methods—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Matthew S. Fritz

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

The key goal of creating this benchmark teaching portfolio is identifying what my course objectives for EDPS 859 really are and to revise my current course materials, activities, and evaluations to emphasize what I consider to be important in the class in order to better meet the course objectives. I would like this portfolio to serve primarily as a way for me to identify and address issues with my particular section of EDPS 859. The secondary purpose of this portfolio is to provide information regarding the purpose and placement of EDPS 859 as a service course within CEHS and the …

Teac 921b: Seminar In Literacy Studies (Special Topics: Schooling And The Multilingual Mind)—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Theresa Catalano

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio will document the creation and implementation of a new doctoral seminar in my department. This introductory course to multilingualism and schooling (TEAC 921B) will cover topics related to teaching and learning in the multilingual classroom. The key goals for creating this portfolio are to aid me in creating this new doctoral seminar that reflects and builds on departmental goals for graduate students. In particular I would like to document and address the implementation of two new activities to my teaching ; a language study/journal, and the creation of a documentary film. I foresee using this course portfolio as …

Teac 315: Teaching Science In The Elementary School—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Krista Adams

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Teaching Science in the Elementary School (TEAC 315) is an upper-division course taken by elementary education majors as a requirement for the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Education. The peer review of teaching project had me identify concerns for teaching the elementary methods course. The concerns I wanted to address focused on eliciting teacher candidate’s views and experiences with teaching science as well as my ability to identify evidence of growth. The first area focuses on my needing to understand if I need to develop more instructional strategies to support teacher candidate growth. This involves both in terms of specific …

Teac 451p: Learning And Teaching Principles And Practices (Secondary Mathematics)—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Lorraine Males

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

The goal of my peer review portfolio was to better understand how to improve students' learning of how to teach secondary mathematics in reform-oriented ways. Most students that pursue admission into the Secondary Mathematics Teacher Education Program have little to no experience learning mathematics in reform-oriented ways. These preservice teachers (PSTs) were “successful” in mathematics courses in middle and high school, most of them taking honors or accelerated courses. However, many of these PSTs did not have opportunities to engage as active participants in their own learning and develop complex cognitive skills and processes, the focus of reform-oriented instruction. This …

Vocabulary Word Instruction For Students Who Read Braille, Mackenzie E. Savaiano, Donald L. Compton, Deborah D. Hatton, Blair P. Lloyd

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

The association made between the meaning, spelling, and pronunciation of a word has been shown to help children remember the meanings of words. The present study addressed whether the presence of a target word in braille during instruction facilitated vocabulary learning more efficiently than an auditory-only instructional condition. The authors used an adapted alternating treatments single-case experimental design with three students with visual impairments who read braille, collecting data on definition recall and spelling during each session. Data on definition recall were used to determine mastery. The results of this study are not consistent with previous findings with students who …

Interactive Usage Of Demonstration Videos: An Experimental Evaluation, Ryan Anderson, Shiyuan Wang, Lisa M. Pytlikzillig, Kevin M. Lee

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

Crouch et al (2004) posit that students will be more engaged by and learn more from classroom demonstrations when asked to predict the outcome of the demonstration and discuss it with peers. We tested this hypothesis in an experiment involving 116 students enrolled in an undergraduate astronomy class using an online survey and five video demonstrations. Students were randomly assigned to one of four conditions, including watching a set of videos (about convection, sun spots, and buoyancy) under one of Crouch’s three modes of presentation (observe, predict, and discuss) and a control condition which involved viewing different videos (about differentiation …

The Mindful Learning Model, David W. Brooks, Guy Trainin, Khalid Sayood

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

Earlier we published the Unified Learning Model which speaks to learning based on achieieving the "top slot" in working memory, repetition, and connections. The Mindful Learning Model accounts for more recent understandings of learning, and especially connections to "consciousness." The model has many parts. Inputs to the brain from sensors (eyes, ears) are not so much information about what is perceived but about discrepancies between that perception and one's mental model of the current context. The voices in our heads are after‐the fact reports rather than realtime executives. Working memory is a series of detectable brain events taking place over …

Tech Edge Student Rubric Grades 2-3, Laurie A. Friedrich, Guy Trainin

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

This rubric can be used to evaluate formative and summative assessments of technology integrated products across the curriculum for grades 2-3.

Tech Edge Student Rubric K-1, Laurie A. Friedrich, Guy Trainin

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

This rubric can be used to evaluate formative and summative assessments of technology integrated products across the curriculum for grades K-1.

Tech Edge Student Rubric Grades 4-5, Laurie A. Friedrich, Guy Trainin

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

This rubric can be used to evaluate formative and summative assessments of technology integrated products across the curriculum for grades 4-5.

Gaps And Opportunities: Ste(A)M In Early Childhood Education, Tonia Renee Durden

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

This research talk will share findings from an environmental scan of the STEM focused professional development programs offered within the Cooperative Extension System. A study was conducted to identify the programs’ content, delivery, scope, evaluation and partners. Results indicate that Extension has become a player in providing professional development opportunities for early childhood professionals and, with a focused effort on streamlining current resources, has the capacity to become a leader in this field.

Pre‐Service Teachers’ Use Of Content Knowledge To Inform Formative Assessment Strategies In An Integrated Life Sciences Methods Course, Jaime Sabel, Cory Forbes

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

Pre‐service elementary teachers should learn essential science concepts, how to apply those concepts to practice in elementary science learning environments, and how to effectively connect students’ ideas to appropriate instructional strategies. In order to effectively engage students in scientific practices and connect students’ ideas about science to appropriate instructional strategies, teachers should learn to engage in high‐leverage instructional practices, such as formative assessment. However, teachers may not understand formative assessment or possess enough science content knowledge to effectively engage in related instructional practices. To address these needs, we developed an innovative course for elementary pre‐service teachers built upon two pillars—life …

An Interpretive Plan Guide For Wilderness Park In Lincoln, Nebraska, Rachel J. Ward

Community and Regional Planning Program: Professional Projects

Wilderness Park, located in Lancaster County, Nebraska, is a public park of unique ecological and historical value to the city of Lincoln and to the surrounding region. The natural and historical features of the park present an opportunity to communicate environmental and historical topics that are relevant on local, national, and global levels, as well as inspire a lively sense of pride in the community. The problem is that many topics relevant to Wilderness Park are not currently being interpreted at the park, and that there are relatively few interpretive resources available to park visitors.

The purpose of this project …

Laptops And Language Learning: A Mixed Methods Study Of Technology Integration And Student Engagement, Ginger R. Starks-Yoble

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

Student engagement and motivation have been a common focus among educational researchers over the last forty years. Self-determination theory and the inclusive definition of self-regulated learning have identified that both cognitive and motivational engagement are paramount for successful language learning. Within this canon of research, few have looked at student engagement as a result of effective technology integration during the language learning process. This mixed methods study explored students’ perceptions of engagement while learning with technology integration in a first-year language class. Qualitative data was collected from a sub-sample of ten students, in the form of semi-structured interviews, journal reflections, …

The Adoption Of Mixed Methods In China: An Exploratory Instrument Design, Yuchun Zhou

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mixed methods is “the third research paradigm” and a methodology along with traditional quantitative and qualitative methodologies (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, p.14). It is at the expansion/diffusion stage of development where researchers are most interested in how this method is adopted across disciplines and countries. However, very little literature is found regarding the use of mixed methods in non-Western cultural contexts, such as East Asia. Hence, the current study aimed to explore the expansion of mixed methods in an underrepresented population, China, a non-Western context and developing country.

The study employed an exploratory instrument design to investigate Chinese scholars’ decisions of …

A New Approach To Middle School Reading Intervention Balancing Self-Determination And Achievement, Amanda Mancini-Marshall

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

While research on Response to Intervention (RTI) has focused almost exclusively on elementary education, an increasing number of middle and high schools are adopting this framework as a way to match student needs with instruction that accelerates academic growth. Without age-appropriate models, curriculum, or interventions, secondary schools often attempt to simply replicate elementary practices with limited success. These attempts typically take a prescriptive approach to reading instruction for struggling below-grade-level readers. However, this self-study examines how one research-practitioner designed, implemented, and modified a middle school Tier II RTI reading course with the goal of improving student self-determination as well as …

Bringing Literacy Home: Latino Families Supporting Children's Literacy Learning, Stephanie Wessels, Guy Trainin

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS (DLLS) are part of the educational landscape across the United States. Public school enrollment of dual language learners increased by 51 percent from 1997 to 2008 (NCELA 2011). At the same time, students who are DLLs meet the same academic standards as English-only students after an adjustment period (Goldenberg 2008). The challenge for our schools and communities is educating all students while helping DLLs close the gap in language and cultural understanding so they can succeed in the American educational system. Research suggests that working to close the achievement gap during regular school hours only is not …