Higher Education Commons^™

Developing Scholarly Teachers Through An Sotl Faculty Fellowship, Beth A. Fisher, Michelle D. Repice, Carolyn L. Dufault, Denise A. Leonard, Regina F. Frey

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The increasing interest in incorporating evidenced based teaching in higher education has created a pronounced need for faculty to learn the theory and practice of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). This article describes a program designed to prepare faculty to (a) draw on existing SoTL studies when designing and implementing evidenced based teaching methods, (b) design SoTL studies to test the effectiveness of those methods, and (c) integrate their new knowledge of SoTL into the practice of “scholarly teaching.” This program has proven to be a successful model for incorporating evidenced based teaching into undergraduate science, technology, engineering, …

Sequential Online Course Redesign: When “It Just Takes Time” Works No Longer, Genevieve G. Shaker, Sarah K. Nathan, Elizabeth J. Dale

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Despite the increase in formats of online education, evidence suggests that the academic achievement gap could widen without iterative adaptation. This comparative case study analyzes the implementation of an online undergraduate course delivered consecutively in hybrid and fully online formats. Student feedback and instructor reflection address adaptive processes for online learning and adjustments to enhance the second course following a sequential redesign. Results include students’ challenges with technology and workload, benefits of cross course collaboration, instructor efforts to mediate challenges without sacrificing rigor, and advice for educational developers as they support online teaching through rapid adaptation by design.

The Effect Of Mentoring On The Academic Success Of College Sophomores, John C. Lee

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

A review of the higher education literature indicates that the majority of retention research has focused on first-year students and that additional research is needed for other class levels – particularly sophomores (Graunke & Woosley, 2005). However, the reality is that sophomores benefit from a minimal number of special programs, minimal contact with faculty and others in leadership positions, and minimal attention from student affairs personnel (Anderson & Schreiner, 2000). An unintended consequence of this reduced attention is higher than expected rates of sophomore attrition.

This exploratory research study employs a quasi-experimental quantitative research design to evaluate the results of …

Community College Vice Presidents' Perceptions Of Academic Partnerships, Gloria Jean Savage-Early

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Partnerships have a very important place among two- and four-year institutions as they allocate limited resources to continue to give higher education students a quality education. Community college vice presidents desire to give students options of completing degrees while maintaining jobs and supporting families along with options of pursuing advanced degrees. This qualitative study, which uses a phenomenological approach, will explore the perceptions of higher education community college vice presidents regarding the factors that affect partnerships between two- and four-year institutions of higher education. The main research question and sub-questions, to be explored are as follow: How do vice presidents …

Global And Criteria Based Judgments Of An Undergraduate Exit Writing Examination, Katrice Alexandria Hawthorne

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

The effect of a calibration strategy requiring students to predict and postdict their scores on a writing exam was investigated. The utility of rubric-referenced calibration and the interaction between achievement and self-efficacy on calibration accuracy were also explored. Five hundred ninety six undergraduate students enrolled in an urban, comprehensive, public university participated. Students were assigned to one of three calibration conditions: (1) a global condition (overall judgments only), (2) a global and criteria condition (a general rubric), or (3) a global and detailed criteria condition (a detailed rubric). Students in all three conditions provided global calibrations before and after the …

Efficacy Of Hybrid Coursework On Retention Rate In Online Higher Education, Kevin Struble

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Recent developments and technological advances in online education have provided the adult learner with new opportunities to obtain a college education. However, online coursework offers new challenges particularly for online student retention, as these rates are lower than traditional students on a college or university campus. The following research outlines a quantitative study for the perceived effect of social learning for adult online learners through hybrid coursework on undergraduate retention rates through two research questions using a causal-comparative design for research question one and a correlational design for research question two. This study examined retention theory in regards to social …

Dating Violence On Small Rural College Campuses: Are Administrator And Student Perceptions Similar?, Jean Allen Oldham

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

In recent years dating violence has become more and more prevalent on college campuses. Reports of the range of dating violence vary widely, with studies reporting from 20% to 85% of college women experiencing dating violence. However, almost all research has been conducted among urban and/or large colleges and universities, with virtually no attention to what is happening on small and/or rural college and university campuses.

When a possible 20% of college women have experienced dating violence on college campuses, there becomes a crucial need for administration at a college to have an accurate assessment of the college’s liability, and …

Financial Summary 2014, Sacred Heart University

News, Magazines and Reports

FY 2014.

Sacred Heart University continues to grow after demonstrating another year of positive results. We continue to meet the demands of our students and the challenging economy of the higher education sector. Sacred Heart University operated with a balanced budget once again in the fiscal year ended June, 30, 2014.

The Perceived Importance And Impact Of Instructor Actions In Online Graduate, Education Students' Satisfaction, Rochelle Franklin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the impact of online instructor actions on student satisfaction in online, graduate education courses. Students at an online institution that offers graduate degrees in Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, and Educational Technology completed the Priority Survey of Online Learners, which included questions about various aspects of their online learning experience, specifically focusing on timeliness, responsiveness and frequency of online instructor actions. This causal-comparative, quantitative research study employed survey strategy of inquiry. The sample consisted of 256 graduate, education students at an online, private institution. Paired t-tests were employed in data analysis. The results of this study revealed …

Teaching Styles And Teacher Growth, Evan Spooner

Honors Projects

Through the use of empirical research and a personal reflection journal, this project examines how differing teaching styles between mentor and student teachers affect student learning and offers a chronicling of my experiences running a classroom for the first time. Several sources were utilized for this project including pre and post-assessment surveys to study the negative or positive impact my teaching had in the classroom, one video-recorded lesson, and a reflection journal covering my experiences each day in class. The results indicate that most students were able to adapt to the teaching style, and in some cases felt their learning …

Introduction To Parallel Computation, Clinton Mckay

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Introduction to Parallel Computing is a course designed to educate students on how to use the parallel libraries and tools provided by modern operating systems and massively parallel computer graphics hardware.

Using a series of lectures and hands-on exercises. Students will learn about parallel algorithms and concepts that will aid them in analyzing a problem and constructing a parallel solution, if possible, using the tools available to their disposal.

The course consists of lectures, projects, quizzes, and homework. The combination of these components will deliver the necessary domain knowledge to students, test them, and in the process train them to …

Standardized Assessment Of Information Literacy Skills: What The Sails Tests Reveal Over Time, Carolyn J. Radcliff, Kevin Ross, Annie Knight

Library Presentations, Posters, and Audiovisual Materials

What can standardized assessments tell us about the information literacy levels of our students? When an institution chooses to use a national assessment, the institution is faced with negotiating the existing testing process and making sense of the results within the local context. Chapman University and its sister institution Brandman University have measured information literacy for several years with the Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (SAILS). In this presentation we compare three models of implementation: (1) administering the SAILS cohort test to incoming freshmen; (2) giving the SAILS individual-scores test to freshmen and seniors; and (3) administering the SAILS …

Chemistry Students’ Attitudes About Peer-Led Team Learning Workshops: Comparison To The Six Critical Components, A.E. Dreyfuss, Janet Liou-Mark, Leo Gafney

Publications and Research

While tracking students’ performance and perseverance is important to determine the effect of the incorporation of workshops in courses, little has been published on students’ attitudes toward workshops: How do students feel about PLTL workshops? One method of examining this question is through a questionnaire developed by Gafney. This paper will present the results of a three-semester study using this questionnaire on how students view workshop in their introductory chemistry courses.

Peer Leaders’ Views On A General Chemistry Workshop Program, A.E. Dreyfuss, Janet Liou-Mark

Publications and Research

How do Peer Leaders feel about their role organizationally? What motivates them to serve? Peer Leaders are the heartbeat of the PLTL instructional model. To improve any PLTL program, feedback from Peer Leaders is necessary and beneficial. Their experiences, ideas, and honest critiques will assist in shaping the program to meet its ultimate goal: To ensure all students are engaged in their learning process through an active community setting.

2014 Spring - Veterans Upward Bound Newsletter, Veterans Upward Bound, East Tennessee State University

Veterans Upward Bound Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Right-Skilling: Rabbis And The Rabbinic Role For A New Century, Barak D. Richman, Daniel Libenson

Faculty Scholarship

This chapter applies Clayton Christensen's model of organizational innovation to Jewish contexts. It observes a parallel between the many challenges that currently confront U.S. healthcare and American Jewry: a mismatch in the skills acquired by professionals and the needs expressed by the broader public; expensive institutions with high fixed costs that are struggling to provide value and maintain sustainable revenues; a failure to respect individual autonomy and cultural mores; and a disenfranchised public that suffers from high costs and unmet demand for meaningful services. It then applies Christensen's adapted model for the healthcare sector to American Jewish institutions, suggesting reforms …

Integration Of Technology Into A Nursing Curriculum Using A Mixed Method Approach, Susan Ramnarine-Singh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2011, the Institute of Medicine and 2010 Affordable Care Act addressed the need to use technology in nursing programs. The purpose of this study was to understand faculty perceptions of technology use and integration into the nursing curriculum at a college located in Texas. Lewin’s change theory acted as the theoretical framework to explore organizational dynamics involved in effective strategies. The guiding research questions explored faculty perceptions of technology use, types of technology used, and correlation to teaching experience using a convergent mixed-method approach. Thirty faculty members completed the Teacher’s Intention to Use Technology survey and 15 faculty members …

Community College Students With Psychological Disorders And Their Perceptions Of Online Learning, Gretchen Winifred Langford Warren

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Research focusing on students with learning disabilities is abundant for secondary and higher education. Studies utilizing data on students with psychological disorders cover secondary and 4-year university education. However, community college students with psychological disorders and their perception of online classes is an area of educational research which lacks data. Students across a wide spectrum of psychological disorders tend to find learning challenging. The community college's learning environment may best fit their learning styles. With modem educational innovations, the online learning methods must take into consideration the unique psychosocial, cognitive, and academic needs of the community college student population.

Enhancing Students’ Skills Through Technology (Esst) : A One-To-One Computer Solution At Fiji National University, Chaminda Jayasundara Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Fiji National University has come a long way from its time of inception in terms of information and communication technological resources and capabilities. Achievement of its primary responsibility of human capital development depends largely upon its teaching and learning resources. Research has confirmed that ICT has significant potential to assist students who are currently disadvantaged by gender, disability, ethnic and socio economic background. Total student population of the FNU comprises of 75% students who are basically from lower income families of which the annual income is lower than FJD 15,000/=. Therefore, majority of the students do not have their own …

Survival Strategies: Doctoral Students’ Perceptions Of Challenges And Coping Methods, Shirley H. Dickerson, Valerie Tharp Byers, Rachel N. Smith, Eunjin Hwang, Kay E. Angrove, Jason I. Chandler, Kelsey M. Christian, Leah Mcalistar-Shields, Stephen P. Thompson, Magdalena A. Denhem, Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie

Librarian and Staff Publications

The purpose of this collective case study was to use a critical dialectical pluralistic (CDP) philosophical lens to investigate select doctoral students’ perceptions about the challenges that they encountered while in a doctorate program and the coping strategies that they found effective in mitigating these challenges. A major goal of CDP is to empower research participants maximally by giving them the role of participant-researchers. Participants were 10 doctoral students enrolled at a Tier-II university in the United States, who were selected via convenience sampling. Each student participated in a face-to-face interview with a member of the research team—consistent with a …

20140826.2: Affirmative Action, 1981-1985, Affirmative Action

Guides to University Archives

These items include materials from Affirmative Action at Marshall University from 1981-1985. Items were received in 2014 and include notable materials regarding the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy and Affirmative Action plan from 1985. This is not an exhaustive list, but the attached inventory will give a broad overview of what is contained in each of the boxes.

20140822.3: Affirmative Action, 1980-1998, Affirmative Action

Guides to University Archives

These items include materials from the office of Affirmative Action at Marshall University from 1980-1998. Items were received in 2014 and include notable materials about interviewing and hiring practices, sexual harassment policy proposals, and Marshall's Affirmative Action Plans spanning the 1980s and 1990s. This is not an exhaustive list, but the attached inventory will give a broad overview of what is contained in each of the boxes.

2014-2015 Graduate Catalog, Morehead State University

Morehead State Catalog Archive

2014-2015 graduate catalog for Morehead State University.

2014-2015 Undergraduate Catalog, Morehead State University

Morehead State Catalog Archive

2014-2015 undergraduate catalog for Morehead State University.

The Experience Of Peer Leadership And Its Impact On Stem Success, A.E. Dreyfuss, Guannian Zeng, Yanna Chen, Janet Liou-Mark

Publications and Research

How do Peer Leaders view their leadership experience? A survey was administered during the Spring 2013 semester to current and former peer leaders at New York City College of Technology (“City Tech”) of the City University of New York (CUNY). The survey examined peer leaders’ perseverance and retention in their science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) disciplines, and their views on how the facilitation experience had impacted their personal and leadership growth and skills.

Students’ Attitudes About Peer-Led Team Learning Workshops In General Chemistry: A Critical Incident Study, A.E. Dreyfuss, Janet Liou-Mark

Publications and Research

How would students respond to open-ended questions regarding their experiences with PLTL workshops? This paper will present the results of a two-semester qualitative study on how students view workshop in their introductory chemistry courses, using Brookfield’s (1995) Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ). The five questions probe what stands out in the affirmative and negative, using key words: engaged, distanced, affirmed, puzzled or confused, and surprising. Collecting key moments from students in workshop, after several weeks of meeting, allow a grounded sense of how students view the workshop experience.

The New Stem Faculty Profile: Balancing Family And Dual Careers, Patricia Wonch Hill, Mary Anne Holmes, Julia Mcquillan

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Purpose — This chapter contrasts “ideal worker” with “real worker” characteristics among STEM faculty in gendered organizations. The gap between the two reveals the need for academic institutions to revise the notion of and the policies for typical faculty members.

Design — All STEM faculty at a Midwestern research intensive university were asked to participate in a mail and web-based survey to study faculty experiences within departments. The response rate was 70%. Faculty were then categorized by their employment, education, and parent status, and by the work status of their spouse/partner, to assess how closely the faculty matched the ideal …

The Effects Of A Technology-Driven Science Application On Postsecondary Chemistry Student Achievement And Self-Efficacy, Darrell Byrum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to establish if distinction exists in both student achievement and self-efficacy through the application of technology-based instructional approach in the laboratory environment of undergraduate chemistry courses. The achievement of 52 college students in the southeastern region of the United States was measured through one posttest assessment. Following this assessment, students were examined through a self-efficacy scale to determine preexisting thoughts of working in an undergraduate chemistry laboratory environment, as well as peer interaction. Accordingly, three separate college chemistry I courses were used to generate data via a nonequivalent control group design. From the three …

Articulation Agreements: Academic Success, Persistence And Graduation From Online And Face-To-Face Degree Completion Programs, Darnette Hall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal-comparative study is to examine whether differences exist in the retention and persistence of articulation participants based on face-to-face or online degree completion. The study will determine the rate of completion of articulation participants who transfer from a North Carolina Community College to a state university in North Carolina and enroll in traditional face-to-face classes versus articulation participants who enroll in online degree completion. There is considerable literature on articulation from the perspective of student satisfaction and an administrator's perception. Substantial research on policies and procedures as well as comparison to native and transfer students. There …

An Engineering Journey: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of African-American Engineers' Persistence, Kristy Somerville-Midgette

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological research study examined the perspectives and lived experiences of African-American female engineers related to the factors that led to their persistence to enter, persist through, and remain in the field. The study was guided by four research questions: (a) How do K-12 experiences shape African-American female engineers' decisions to enter the STEM field? (b) What persistence factors motivated African-American female engineers to enter the engineering profession? (c) What are the factors that shape African-American female engineers' persistence to progress through postsecondary engineering programs? (d) How do professional experiences shape African-American female engineers' persistence in the field? Cognitive …