Educational Methods Commons^™

Facilitating Student Success Through Scholar Programs, Jenna Heath, Isabella Shenouda

College of Liberal Arts Faculty Research

This poster features a series of career highlights from the UNLV Engelstad Scholars Program. This document profiles four exceptional current and former students—Fyona Mortel, Nikki Adams, Jordan Paul Guimarey, and Haydee Herrera—who demonstrate how the program's unique blend of mentorship, financial support, and community engagement accelerates career readiness. Through hands-on internships, leadership roles, and diverse professional networking opportunities, these scholars have cultivated essential competencies such as leadership, critical thinking, empathy, and professional branding, effectively preparing them for future success in their respective fields.

Creating Open Educational Resources With Artificial Intelligence, Serena Scalzi

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The adoption of artificial intelligence is becoming widespread in higher education. AI-driven technology has the ability to support academic and administrative faculty in designing and delivering course content. As a Part-Time Instructor in the College of Education, I used AI to enhance my teaching practice by creating course resources for my class, CIT 647 Creating Online Learning Environments. These open educational resources, developed through a reflective teaching practice facilitated by the UNLV Teaching and Learning Commons, promote equitable, inclusive education.

Approaching Learning Satisfaction: Factors Influencing Educational Video Learning, Fei Wang, Douglas Havard, Tara Barnhart

Education Faculty Articles and Research

The rapid expansion of digital education has accelerated the use of online instructional videos, yet variability in video design and production quality continues to shape learners’ engagement and satisfaction. This study developed and tested a structural equation model to examine predictors of undergraduates’ satisfaction with educational videos. Using survey data from 964 students, learning satisfaction was positively predicted by image clarity (β = 0.381, p <  0.001), learning motivation (β = 0.18, p = 0.006), and interactive behavior (β = 0.182, p = 0.011). In contrast, video attachment tools showed a small negative direct association with satisfaction (β = −0.116, p = 0.042). Teacher performance and video …

Writing As A Process Of Inquiry In Autoethnography For Meaning-Making: Reflections And Some Points For Consideration, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

This article explores writing as a process of inquiry and meaning-making in the autoethnographic tradition, offering reflections on the recursive, emergent, and dialogical/dialectical nature of writing, along with some points for consideration. Drawing on perspectives from qualitative research and narrative inquiry (Riessman, 2008), I argue that autoethnographic writing serves as a method of inquiry and/or discovery, generating ontological, epistemological, and axiological-driven cultural meaning that functions as a site of reflection, interrogation, and re-storying of lived experiences. This recursive, often messy, and reflexive act allows researchers to excavate, analyze, and interpret their lived experiences. Rather than viewing writing as a final-stage …

Numeracy-Based Civic Education Model: Needs Analysis Through An Explanatory Sequential Design, Sulkipani Sulkipani, Kokom Komalasari, Sapriya Sapriya, Susan Fitriasari, Vina Amilia Suganda Makenun

Numeracy

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals emphasize numeracy as essential for quality education, and require its integration across the curriculum, including into civic education (CE). However, the integration of numeracy in CE in Indonesian universities has not yet been clearly mapped out. This study aims to analyze the need for numeracy integration in CE as a basis for developing a numeracy-based CE learning model. Using a mixed method with an explanatory sequential design, the study involved a convenience sample of 225 students and 10 lecturers from various universities through surveys, interviews, observations, and documentation studies. Quantitative findings show that numeracy …

Optimizing Costs & Efficiency With Heartcode Complete: A Quality Improvement Project, Jessica Bryant

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

PURPOSE

This quality improvement project aimed to implement HeartCode Complete (HCC), a simulation-based BLS training platform, at a 154-bed community hospital. The goal was to replace instructor-led BLS training, improve training efficiency, reduce costs, increase certification compliance, and enhance staff satisfaction.

BACKGROUND

Maintaining competency in CPR is a regulatory requirement for healthcare providers. Traditional instructor-led BLS training requires scheduled classes, instructor availability, and staff time away from clinical duties, contributing to certification delays and operational inefficiencies. Simulation-based training platforms offer self-directed learning with real-time feedback.

METHODOLOGY

This quality improvement project used Lean Six Sigma principles and Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to guide …

Implementing Retrieval And Distributed Practice In A Rotating Block Schedule: Boosting Students’ Memory And Metacognition, Terra A. Caputo, Kaitlyn C. Hoffmann, Cindy Reagan, Guy D. Savastano, Brandon J. Foster, Kathryn Hallal, Kristin Miller-Gecsi, Thomas A. Yarcusko

Journal of Catholic Education

An all-boys secondary Jesuit Catholic school in the Midwest, recently transitioned to a rotating block schedule with the goal of supporting deeper learning for all students. Though the transition to longer class meetings helped achieve this goal, less frequent class meetings presented a new challenge in that it tended to exacerbate the natural “forgetting curve.” Retrieval practice, one of the most widely cited high-impact learning strategies to boost student memory, is most beneficial when used alongside spaced practice. A team of teachers implemented and tested the impacts of retrieval and distributed practice on memory in a rotating block schedule. Our …

The Ignatian Cybergogical Experience Model: Fostering Competence, Conscience, Compassion, And Commitment In The Digital Age, Theresia Y. Setyawan, Chatarina A. Budiningsih, Sugeng B. Wahyono

Journal of Catholic Education

Despite advances in educational technology, learning models that effectively integrate digital tools to develop not only competence but also learners’ conscience, compassion, and commitment remain limited. This article introduces the Ignatian Cybergogical Experience (ICE) model, a novel framework designed to foster these four essential characteristics in digital learning environments. Rooted in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, the model deliberately integrates Ignatian Pedagogy’s proven framework for values formation and reflective practice with cybergogy’s capacity to engage digital learners through technology-mediated experiences. This synergistic blending addresses critical limitations in existing approaches: the ICE model simultaneously develops technological competence and moral character, which neither …

Reimagining Arabic As A Foreign Language Learning Through Place: Teachers’ And Students’ Perspectives On Pbl, Hebatalla Salem

Faculty Journal Articles

This one-cycle design-based research study aims to explore the perceptions of both teachers and students toward place-based learning. To achieve this, interviews were conducted with teachers, and questionnaires were administered to students who were directly engaged in place-based learning. The findings indicated positive outcomes, demonstrating that place-based learning offers multiple benefits, particularly in engaging learners in authentic experiences that enable them to apply what they learn in class within meaningful, community-based contexts. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on place-based learning by providing design principles that can support teachers in the design, development, and implementation of place-based learning …

The Social Validity Of The Zones Of Regulation, Tracy Grass

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine teachers’ perceptions of the social validity of the Zones of Regulation, specifically in terms of the constructs of acceptability, feasibility, and perceived effectiveness, in elementary school classrooms. Despite the popularity of this social-emotional learning (SEL) program, limited research has explored its social validity. To address this gap, a mixed-methods research design was used to gain a comprehensive understanding of teacher perceptions and experiences.

A total of 43 elementary teachers completed the Usage Rating Profile—Intervention Revised (URP-IR), and seven teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. Abductive thematic analysis was used to integrate data and …

Math In Melody: How Music Strikes A Chord With Memory And Learning, Aidan V. Waters

Honors Theses

As a result of personal curiosity, this thesis seeks to understand the current status of music integration within educational settings, discussing its importance and potential impact. By considering existing literature, it analyzes music’s effectiveness in K-12 education, particularly within the mathematics classroom. Based on the current body of research, the study identifies three key features of music integration: its effectiveness as an energizer, a memory tool, and a means of creating structure within the classroom. Building on these findings, a proposed ten-day, music-integrated Algebra I unit on functions is presented, applying the research in a variety of ways. The unit …

The Effects Of Visual Supports On The Acquisition Of Guitar Chords, Cole S. Jahna

Thesis Projects

There is a current literature gap in applied behavior analysis (ABA) and music-based leisure activities. This study utilized a multiple-probe design to evaluate the effects of visual supports on the guitar fretboard combined with behavioral skills training (BST) to teach correct strumming and finger placement of three guitar chords (i.e., E, C, and G) to a neurodivergent adult. By using a task analysis, the strum and each individual finger placement were scored as correct or incorrect during each chord trial. Three chords that were under 50% accuracy in baseline were selected for the intervention. The intervention was introduced sequentially to …

The Bridge Between Home And School: Assessing The Impacts Of No-Homework Policies On Primary School Students, Kate Castillo Galeote

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

The subject of having homework in primary school education has been an ongoing debate sparking interests amongst school administration, parents, and students. Homework serves as the foundation of learning to many children and the skills they develop. It has also been known to be an extension to the school day, providing at home practice to further develop skills. Primary school institutions are now shifting towards a no homework environment, disrupting many skills and habits during a child's development. Through analyzing academic works related to the effectiveness of homework in primary school institutions, I find a consensus among works that demonstrate …

Beyond Memorization: Transforming Spelling Instruction For Grades K-Second, Victoria J. Mason

Student Scholar Showcase

Engaging students in effective instructional strategies in spelling influences overall decoding abilities and literacy development.  During this session, participants will explore how spelling patterns and word analysis strategies support literacy achievement throughout elementary grades. We will examine the developmental stages of spelling, learn how to explicitly teach spelling patterns and rules, and practice strategies for providing interventions that meet the needs of struggling spellers. Participants will partake in a lesson simulation to role play instructional strategies effectively during phonics instruction.

Ethically Integrating Ai In Occupational Therapy Education: Enhancing Learning And Practice For The Future, Amy Sadek, Sabrina Gowette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around since the 1950s and is gaining traction in higher education and among health care professions. In this era of technology, it is imperative we equip both educators and students to have tech centric skills to support learning, improve efficiency, and enhance skills. Faculty and students alike need to be able to understand the ethics behind using digital information, such as that from AI tools and sources. As educators and students become more reliant on technology, and specifically AI, it is imperative not to lose the human connection in education. Educators are an integral part …

Bank Street School For Children’S Story Of Integrating Structured Phonics Into A Progressive Literacy Approach, Melanie Bryon, Douglas R. Knecht, Emily Linsay, Emily Schottland

Occasional Paper Series

This article explores how the Bank Street School for Children (SFC), a historically progressive institution rooted in child-centered, experiential learning, has successfully integrated structured phonics into its literacy program. Traditionally focused on whole language practices, SFC recognized inconsistencies in student reading outcomes and, beginning in 2017 undertook a multi-year evaluation of its literacy approach. Guided by the core values of child development and equity, and research in cognitive science, the school adopted a research-based phonics program, implementing it across Kindergarten through fourth grade over multiple years. This shift aimed to ensure all students—not just those with strong language backgrounds—gain the …

Lessons From The Field On The Science Of Reading: School And Classroom Stories Across Contexts

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

“It Was Hard, But It Worked:” Children’S Theories Of Learning To Read, Cristina Valencia Mazzanti, Laura Tiktin-Sharick, Madeleine Zuck, Tiphareth Ananda

Occasional Paper Series

In this paper we come together as teachers, a school leader and a professor to examine children’s theories of learning to read captured in written and illustrated texts created by 143 children currently enrolled in kindergarten to sixth grade. This collection of children’s theories of reading was created in the context of a progressive elementary school located at Smith College, a women's liberal arts college in Massachusetts. Our hope in examining children’s theories is to humanize and historicize current debates about how reading is taught. We also hope to offer a counter narrative to the dichotomies currently shaping reading education, …

Thinking Narratively About Science Of Reading Forces, Moral Injury, And Teacherhood, Kyle C. Arlington

Occasional Paper Series

Stories of teachers’ classroom lives shape the public imagination of what it means to be a “good teacher,” yet these narratives are always partial, contextual, and entangled with broader cultural and institutional forces. This research essay narratively explores the experiences of Lisa, a veteran literacy teacher navigating Science of Reading (SoR) mandates in her elementary classroom. It examines how her identities, values, and visions for literacy teaching intersect with the discursive, material, and affective dynamics that shape how SoR unfolds in the context of Lisa’s classroom life. (Re)storying her experiences draws attention to the emotional toll and moral dissonance teachers …

All Flourishing Is Mutual: Cultivating A Gift Economy Of Literacy, Lindsey Lush, Melissa Kurtz

Occasional Paper Series

In this paper, two scholars and practicing elementary educators argue that the policies and practices of the Science of Reading (SoR) movement in early literacy education are being constructed with the logic of a market economy, shaped by neoliberal ideologies of individualism, scarcity, and competition. Compelled by our concerns for the bodies and beings of readers and reading teachers in the context of our Northeast Georgia public elementary school and provoked by our shared engagement with The Serviceberry, Indigenous scientist and scholar Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book on lessons from the natural world, we engage a postqualitative approach to emergent, relational …

When Science Of Reading Policy Meets Classroom Reality: The Nonsense Word Problem, Lisa Dewing-Birno, Luis Lopez

Occasional Paper Series

A central feature of many Science of Reading (SoR)-aligned curricula is the use of nonsense words in early literacy assessment to measure a student's ability to decode unfamiliar words using knowledge of letter-sound correspondences. However, the research base for using nonsense words as an instructional tool is much weaker and more contested. Through two narratives, we illustrate how the implementation of SoR instruction with nonsense words can be particularly problematic. We argue that effective literacy instruction demands what we call pedagogical clarity, the ability to integrate pedagogical practices with deep understanding of individual learners, their cultural and linguistic resources, and …

Uplifting The Legacy Of Black Teachers: Loving And Liberatory Pedagogies In A Science Of Reading Context, Natasha A. Thornton, Amanda L. Armstrong, Brooke Blacknall, Jordan Freeman, Elaine Nevers-Williams, Mukkaramah Smith

Occasional Paper Series

This article explores Black liberatory pedagogy (BLP) as a critical approach to navigating current Science of Reading (SoR) mandates, which are often restrictive and fail to honor the literacies and linguistic practices of Black children. Through the narratives of six educators—classroom teachers, teacher candidates, and teacher educators—the article examines how they have experienced and responded to the implementation of SoR standards and curriculum shifts. These stories also illuminate what becomes possible when teachers are in spaces that allow for autonomy, imagination, and culturally responsive pedagogy. The educators’ experiences, expertise, and cultural wisdom are centered, demonstrating how they enact BLP through …

Lessons From The Field On The Science Of Reading: An Introduction, Gail Boldt, Patricia Enciso

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Atp Architect - Development Of A Metabolism Boardgame, Selene J. Welch, Micah Burk, Brooklyn Gilchrist, Emma Haase, Timothy T. Jones

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Traditional metabolism instruction often leaves students struggling with pathway interconnectedness and metabolite flux. To foster systems thinking, we are developing an educational board game where students manipulate tokens to navigate physiological constraints and achieve target energy goals. Grounded in Design-Based Research (DBR), the game undergoes iterative refinement based on player feedback. The design utilizes constructivism by allowing students to "fail safely" and revise strategies in real-time, while leveraging embodied cognition to externalize abstract flux into the physical trading of resource tokens.

Social Emotional For Secondary English Language Learners, Summer E. Wallace

ASPIRE 2026

A presentation about Social Emotional Learning (SEL), it's importance, and how to implement it in the classroom. Specific considerations are included for secondary English Language Learners. Parts of lesson plans created for this population of students on the topic of SEL are included, as well, to show how this type of instruction can be effectively implemented in the classroom.

Dialectical Inquiry: Questions And Conversations That Enhance Learning And Encourage Development Of Self-Governance, Linda Barrett

Master of Arts in Classical Studies

This research considers the influence of dialectical questions and conversations on learning and the development of self-governance. The term dialectic has roots in the Greek dialegesthai, meaning to talk through, or to converse. Dialectic is a form of dialogue that pursues truth through questions that consider opposing or multiple perspectives of an idea or issue and conversation toward a clearer understanding of those perspectives. The dialectic is the “spirit of inquiry” at the heart of classical Christian education. It is often the locus, or place, of learning because asking questions and engaging in dialogue are essential ways in …

Cultivating Wisdom And Virtue: A Professional Development Model For Teachers Entering Classical Schools, Andrea Lyons Wells

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Andrea Lyons Wells on April 10, 2026.

Teaching And Ai – Penalty Vs. Process, Scott B. Thesen

Research Days

In Fall 2025 I completed my Interdisciplinary Leadership doctoral capstone, "Perceptions of Implementation from Higher Education Participants in Online Course Design Professional Development". The purpose was to determine if and to what degree transference had taken place from training to regular practice by instructors. Twelve GovState faculty participated in Quality Matters workshops on online teaching best practices facilitated from March 2021 to June 2023. Interviews with study participants revealed common themes and were compared to training responses and usage in Blackboard courses to determine transference. Results showed training was applied to regular practice in not only online courses but other …

An Innovative Curriculum To Empower Trainees And Faculty To Address Patient-Initiated Identity-Based Misconduct In The Clinical Learning Environment, Nkanyezi Ferguson, Lauren E. Hock, Patrick Barlow, Aisha S. Jamison, Marcy E. Rosenbaum, Nicole Del Castillo

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Introduction: Training residents and attending physicians on effective communication strategies to manage biased patient and visitor comments is lacking. The I-RESPOND toolkit curriculum provides strategies for addressing identity-based misconduct in the clinical setting. Methods: Resident physicians and faculty in 12 departments at a single academic center participated in the workshop between June 2021 and February 2022. The workshop consisted of interactive didactics, an introduction to the I-RESPOND toolkit, and opportunities to practice communication strategies with formative feedback. Retrospective pre/postworkshop survey instruments and a follow-up survey were used to evaluate the workshop and subsequent experiences. Results: Sixty-six (32%) of 204 participants …

The Design Of Chatbot Learning Media For Arabic Vocabulary Learning For 7th Grade Students At Mtsn, Rizki Alifia Putri, Alif Cahya Setiyadi

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Arabic language learning at the Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTsN) level often faces challenges such as limited curriculum time allocation and the dominance of conventional teacher-centered methods. This research aims to produce a design for chatbot-based learning media using the Smojo.Ai platform, focusing on vocabulary (mufradat) mastery for 7th-grade students. The approach used is Research and Development (R&D) with the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation); however, this report is limited to the Design and Development (expert validation) stages. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, documentation studies, and validation questionnaires. The results indicate that the characteristics of the "Mufrodaty" chatbot integrate …