Educational Methods Commons^™

Design, Development And Evaluation Of An Interactive Virtual Haptics-Augmented Training System For Undergraduate Engineering, Robert L. Williams Ii, Ernur Karadogan, David R. Moore, Tian Luo

STEMPS Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Patterns In Nature Forming Patterns In Minds : An Evaluation Of An Introductory Physics Unit, Christopher Ryan Sheaffer

Dissertations and Theses

Educators are increasingly focused on the process over the content. In science especially, teachers want students to understand the nature of science and investigation. The emergence of scientific inquiry and engineering design teaching methods have led to the development of new teaching and evaluation methods that concentrate on steps in a process rather than facts in a topic. Research supports the notion that an explicit focus on the scientific process can lead to student science knowledge gains. In response to new research and standards many teachers have been developing teaching methods that seem to work well in their classrooms, but …

The Effect Of Argumentative Task Goal On The Quality Of Argumentative Discourse, Merce Garcia-Mila, Sandra Gilabert, Sibel Erduran, Mark Felton

Faculty Publications

In argumentative discourse, there are two kinds of activity-dispute and deliberation-that depend on the argumentative task goal. In dispute the goal is to defend a conclusion by undermining alternatives, whereas in deliberation the goal is to arrive at a conclusion by contrasting alternatives. In this study, we examine the impact of these tasks goals on the quality of argumentative discourse. Sixty-five junior high school students were organized into dyads to discuss sources of energy. Dyads were formed by members who had differing viewpoints and were distributed to one of two conditions: 31 dyads were asked to discuss with the goal …

Parts Of The Whole: When Variation Is The Goal, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

The goals of higher education are a population of extreme variability in expertise, a diffusion of specialized knowledge across disciplinary boundaries, and production of strong K-12 teachers. Promoting these three goals has implications at all granularities, from the pedagogy of an individual college professor to the incentives and policies that shape systemic change.

Paperless Subjective Programming Assignment Assessment: A First Step, David Hansen

Faculty Publications - Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

A significant component of student evaluation includes the objective and subjective assessment of programming assignments. We describe bits and pieces of a paperless electronic workflow we’ve recently used to provide objective and subjective feedback to students, emphasizing the tools and process used to provide subjective programming assignment assessment. We identify opportunities for future work to complete an end-to-end paperless electronic workflow that incorporates subjective assessment.

Language, Literacy, Attentional Behaviors, And Instructional Quality Predictors Of Written Composition For First Graders, Young-Suk Kim, Stephanie Otaiba, Jessica Sidler, Luana Greulich

Faculty Publications

We had two primary purposes in the present study: (1) to examine unique child-level predictors of written composition which included language skills, literacy skills (e.g., reading and spelling), and attentiveness and (2) to examine whether instructional quality (quality in responsiveness and individualization, and quality in spelling and writing instruction) is uniquely related to written composition for first-grade children (N = 527). Children's written composition was evaluated on substantive quality (ideas, organization, word choice, and sentence flow) and writing conventions (spelling, mechanics, and handwriting). Results revealed that for the substantive quality of writing, children's grammatical knowledge, reading comprehension, letter writing automaticity, …

Pbl Waste Not Want Not: Using Agricultural Plant Waste, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Teacher Resources

This sample Problem Based Learning (PBL) lesson focuses on the best use for agricultural waste, using an apple orchard as the hypothetical problem. The unit is designed as a sample curriculum for educators learning the PBL process.

"Lighting The Way" With Differentiation In Reading, Leonard W. Parker

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Helping Undergraduate Students Learn From Each Other: A Pedagogical Process For In-Class Collaborative Research Projects, Angela Cora Garcia

Natural & Applied Sciences Faculty Publications

Previous research has shown that experiential, active, and collaborative teaching techniques help undergraduate students learn and develop critical thinking, communication, and teamwork skills that can help them in future study or work place roles. At the same time, universities are seeking ways to increase the number of students who get training and experience doing original research while undergraduates. This paper reports on a process for a collaborative in-class original research project which can help instructors achieve these goals. This paper first briefly reviews the relevant literature and then describes the course and the collaborative project. The value of the project …

Beyond “Remember” And “Understand”: Can Online Homework Tools Augment Students’ Higher Order Thinking Skills?, Crystal Carlson, Genevieve M. Henricks-Lepp, Sarah Grison

Psychology Faculty

We studied the effectiveness of an Introductory Psychology online homework tool with questions that required lower or higher level thinking skills (Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate). Interestingly, results suggested that both student performance and attitudes are influenced by question level and question type (Matching, Multiple Choice, Drag and Drop, etc.).

The Growth Of Single-Sex Schools: Federal Policy Meets Local Needs And Interests, Katherine Cumings Mansfield

Educational Leadership Publications

Changes to Title IX allowing the growth of single-sex schools have garnered media attention promoting the benefits of separating boys and girls. Alternately, civil rights groups such as the ACLU continue to oppose any type of school segregation. Within this context, a private philanthropy, the Foundation for the Education of Young Women (FEYW) has established public-private partnerships with six Texas school districts to open all-girls’ public college prep magnet schools with plans to expand. This multi-year ethno-historical case study explores the meaning making of one community in the FEYW network as it attempts to make sense of federal policy at …

Utilization Of Social Media In Marketing Classes, Charlotte Allen

Faculty Publications

The goal of this paper is to highlight how instructors may integrate the different social media into various marketing classes. The paper will address the major social networks, and then follow with discussions of microblogging, media sites, and social gaming. Given that there is a great deal of research highlighting the effectiveness of utilizing social media in academic classes, this paper focuses on providing practical guidance as to how social media could be integrated into the classroom, homework, and project experience.

Using Reflective Journals To Promote And Enhance Self Directed Learning, Aidan Ryan, Jennifer A. Byrne

Conference Papers

This paper seeks to highlight/outline the benefits that can be achieved by using reflective journals to assist teaching in a practical class. The reflective journals were introduced to try and make up for the perceived shortfall in the level of experience and understanding of students on a new degree programme “Timber Product Technology”. The lecturers involved needed

needed ing outside of their normal classroom environment.

The module is “Jointing Techniques and Furniture 1” and is taught in a practical workshop environment whereby the students learn the basic skills in wood jointing and making furniture. The students learn using a combination …

An Analysis Of Targeted Tier Ii Cognitive Interventions On Reading Achievement, Shannon K. Kovack

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine which cognitive intervention based on Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory was most effective at increasing student reading achievement. Ninety students who performed in the bottom one-third on the Virginia Standards of Learning (VA SOL) test from a rural school district in VA were placed into three instructional groups: 1) a control group, in which the teacher utilized the same instructional strategies from previous years, 2) a “teacher selected” treatment group, in which the teachers determined the students’ cognitive processing deficits and chose an intervention, and 3) a “tested” treatment group, in which students were …

Text Complexity In Graded Readers: A Systemic Functional Look, Sally-Ann Newnham

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Utilizing the Systemic Functional Linguistic frameworks of taxis, logico-semantic relation, grammatical metaphor, and appraisal, this thesis examines two of the most popular rewrites: Jane Eyre and The Canterville Ghost from the Macmillian Reader, Black Cat Reading and Training, Oxford Bookworm, and Penguin ELT graded reader series. Although a considerable body of literature exists concerning graded readers, the majority of research tends to focus on statistical gains in fluency development or vocabulary acquisition and their retention rather than the linguistic properties of these texts. Furthermore, studies on textual adaptations primarily take a broad corpus-style approach, contrasting altered and unaltered material, rather …

The Impact Of A Grade Nine Transition Program On Student Success In The Piedmont Region Area Of North Carolina, Phillip Jermaine Johnson

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Grade 9 transition program at an urban high school in the piedmont area of North Carolina. Grade 9 is a pivotal year that determines which students prevail and which students fail to finish high school (Hertzog, 2003). It is essential that schools put in place components that ease the transition into high school and provide ongoing support.

Investigation measuring instruments that were used by the researcher included a student survey and a teacher survey which involved Grade 9 students and those teachers who taught Grade 9 students. The data that …

First-Generation Freshman College Students: Factors Impacting Retention For The Subsequent Year, Laura Colson Mclean

Education Dissertations and Projects

Against all odds, first-generation college students continue to enroll in postsecondary schools with aspirations of obtaining a bachelor's degree. Unfortunately, many have not successfully reached their goal, which in turn has affected retention rates of colleges and universities. There are programs that provide academic support and advising to increase retention for first-generation college students. However, there are academic and nonacademic needs of the students that colleges, universities, and public policymakers have neglected to address.

The purpose of this research study was to determine from 168 first-generation college students at 5 participating institutions, what factors impacted their enrollment after their first …

Professional Seminar: Valuing A One-Credit Course Through The Lens Of Doctoral Students, Naina A. Bhandari Ph.D., Beth L. Macdonald Ph.D., Jenny M. Martin Ph.D., Amanda M. Biviano, Jamie M. Simmons, Windi D. Turner Ph.D., Susan Asselin Ph.D.

Teacher Education Program Faculty Scholarship

Professional seminar for doctoral students at a Research I University is a 1-credit course, 2 below the conventional courses. However, the course content covers at least 3 years’ worth of experiences, knowledge, and processes compressed into a single school year. The course typically extends over 16 weeks and 24 actual contact hours with 1 professor to 7 students on average. Assignments expose students to professional jobs in academia, resources available on campus, grant writing procedures, and facilitate the trajectory and purpose of the doctoral process. The purpose of this study is to investigate doctoral students’ narratives on the value they …

Teacher Qualifications And Student Achievement: A Panel Data Of Analysis, Trevor Collier

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

Recent academic research suggests that teacher quality plays an important role in student achievement: however, empirical research on the efficacy of policies requiring teachers to obtain certain degrees is inconclusive, particularly in elementary education. This paper models a panel data production function with fixed effects using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K) to asses the relationship between different undergraduate and graduate majors and elementary student test scores. Specifcally, we aim to discern if there is a difference in teacher efficacy within the different education related majors (e.g. early childhood education and elementary education) and between education and non-education related majors.

Effects Of An Inverted Instructional Delivery Model On Achievement Of Ninth-Grade Physical Science Honors Students, Donna Howell

Education Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods action research study was designed to assess the achievement of ninth-grade Physical Science Honors students by analysis of pre and posttest data. In addition, perceptual data from students, parents, and the researcher were collected to form a complete picture of the flipped lecture format versus the traditional lecture format.

The researcher utilized a 4MAT learning cycle in two Physical Science Honors classes. One of these classes was traditionally delivered with lecture-type activities taking place inside the classroom and homework-type activities taking place at home; the other inverted, or flipped, delivered with lecture-type activities taking place outside the classroom …

The Impact Of The One-To-One Laptop Initiative On Teacher Perceptions Of Instructional Delivery And Student Engagement In Middle School Mathematics, La'ronda Long Whiteside

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the impact of the one-to-one laptop initiative on teacher perceptions of instructional delivery and student engagement in middle school mathematics. Teacher perceptions of the initiative vary. Several school districts in North Carolina have implemented the initiative and are examining the impact it has on teaching and learning. The one-to-one initiative has been an essential paradigm shift for several national and international schools. The learning environment of the one-to-one initiative immerses students in a curriculum that integrates technology in all subject areas.

Examining Historical (Mis)Representations Of Christopher Columbus Within Children’S Literature, John Bickford

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Effective teaching, while supplemented by best practice methods and assessments, is rooted in accurate, age-appropriate, and engaging content. As a foundation for history content, elementary educators rely strongly on textbooks and children’s literature, both fiction and non-fiction. While many researchers have examined the historical accuracy of textbook content, few have rigorously scrutinized the historical accuracy of children’s literature. Those projects that carried out such examination were more descriptive than comprehensive due to significantly smaller data pools. I investigate how children’s non-fiction and fiction books depict and historicize a meaningful and frequently taught history topic: Christopher Columbus’s accomplishments and misdeeds. Results …

Team Teaching, Kathryn M. Plank

Faculty Scholarship

Team teaching has the potential to have a profound impact on both teaching and learning. Many who have taught as part of a team report the break from solitary practice brings renewed excitement for teaching and the course that makes them better teachers. It also creates a learning environment in which students can explore multiple perspectives and ways of knowing. Of course, along with the benefits come many challenges. This paper shares some of the advice gleaned from those who have written about their team teaching experiences to help others make the most of the opportunity.

Effectiveness Of The Mind Research Institute's Algebra Readiness Curriculum On Student Achievement Implemented In A Tiered Response To Intervention Model, Nancy Quick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Algebra is typically the gatekeeper for higher-level math coursework. Low math performance on standardized assessments impedes access to these higher-level math classes. Limited math progress in high school affects future career opportunities and quality of life. High school students who have historically struggled with math need interventions that work. Research indicates that the research on reading interventions far outnumbers the research on math interventions. With the passage of new federal legislation requiring schools to document progress for all groups of students and allowing schools to use Response to Intervention models, the need for evidence based math interventions becomes even more …

Script-Based Reading Lessons And Socialized Language Usage, Joseph James Spencer

Theses Digitization Project

This study focuses in particular on the connections students make to their reading as seen through contextualized language usage. Many educators and curriculum developers suggest that using these new script-based curriculum will help teachers systematize and close gaps in teaching and learning. If unwritten teacher questions and statements are used to redirect students' comprehension about texts occur during the reading lesson, these will be described and analyzed for their effects on the lesson goals and objectives.

Bringing A Knife To The Gunfight: The Academically Underprepared Law Student & Legal Education Reform, Susan Stuart, Ruth Vance

Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Learner Experiences Of Online Pre-Lecture Resources For An Undergraduate Introductory Chemistry Course – A Case Study Informed By Phenomenography, Claire M. Mcdonnell, Roisin Donnelly

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Graduate Attributes: A Preliminary Research Study., Eric Bates, Peter Hinch

Reports

The objective of this teaching fellowship research project was to establish if graduate attributes should form part of student education within programmes offered by the DIT. This study was conducted during one semester and concentrated on one aspect of graduate attributes which were interview skills. Two videos were scripted, shot and edited that focused on interviews from the perspective of both the interviewer and the interviewee. These videos were showcased with lecturers whose feedback indicated that some improvements were required. Following those improvements the videos were shown to two student groups for feedback. The videos successfully provoked an awareness of …

Theory Guided Professional Development In Early Childhood Science Education, Soo-Young Hong, Julia C. Torquati, Victoria J. Molfese

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

The importance of early and developmentally appropriate science education is increasingly recognized. Consequently, creation of common guidelines and standards in early childhood science education has begun (National Research Council (NRC), 2012), and researchers, practitioners, and policy makers have shown great interest in aligning professional development with the new guidelines and standard. There are some important issues that need to be addressed in order to successfully implement guidelines and make progress toward accomplishing standards. Early childhood teachers have expressed a lack of confidence in teaching science and nature (Torquati, Cutler, Gilkerson, & Sarver, in press) and have limited science and pedagogical …

Conceptual Change Theory In Education: Using Dinner-Home Visits To Reshape Teacher Perceptions Of Students, Audrey Consuelo Hovannesian

Theses Digitization Project

This study was designed to determine a method to identify barriers which inhibit and items which foster levels of School Connectedness based on teacher perceptions of School Climate. When barriers related to School Connectedness are identified, the application of a protocol to reshape teacher perceptions may be necessary. Identifying teacher perceptions of School Climate related to students, the school environment, and themselves, is often an indicator of how connected the various elements of a school are since teachers and staff members greatly assist in the formation of a school climate. The 100 Dinners Project was a mixed methods study designed …