Higher Education Commons^™

Course Portfolio For Math 407 Mathematics For High School Teaching: Refining Conceptual Understanding In A Mathematics Course For Pre-Service Teachers, Alexandra Seceleanu

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

My intention in this portfolio is to present my approach to teaching an upper-level mathematics course for pre-service secondary level mathematics teachers. Several teaching strategies are discussed in the context of designing a coherent approach to this course, which emphasizes the need for conceptual reasoning above all other goals. These strategies are evaluated and assessed in connection to the learning outcomes using samples of student work from the course.

Also presented are samples of course materials that were used to lead students through an organized discussion of the relevant concepts. These materials convey some basic mathematical knowledge and therefore may …

Sped 415/415a Reading And Writing Disabilities: A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Judith Wilson

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio explores four aspects of the lecture and practicum that comprise the coursework for students learning to tutor children with reading and writing disabilities. The first aspect is the alignment of the course objectives, teaching methods, assessments and scores. The second aspect is innovation in curricula for tutoring, explored through student response to surveys at the end of the tutoring session. The third aspect is student experience of participating in the course at mid-point and suggestions for improvement of course delivery, gathered by a mid-semester survey. The fourth aspect is topics and content students would like to see added …

Strategic Financial Management, Fina-475, Roberto Stein

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Strategic Financial Management is the new, case-based capstone course of the Finance Major at the UNL College of Business. Introduced in the Fall 2016 Term, it has since been revised and is being continually updated, to better achieve the its academic goals. In this portfolio, I describe the course’s overall structure, goals and main components. I then detail a number of changes made for the Spring 2018 version of the course, and proceed to analyze data pertaining to the outcomes observed from these changes. Finally, I outline potential strategies and further changes that might be implemented in future iterations of …

A Digital Class For An In-Person Discipline: Creating An Online Class For Introduction To Theatre, Ian Borden

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

No abstract provided.

Aecn 376-Rural Community Economics: Engaging Students In Learning, Daniela M. Mattos

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

AECN376-Rural Community Economics attracts students with different economics background and interests. In the three previous years I taught this course I was struggling to find a balance in class activities to make the course more engaging and effective to all students. The usual method of delivery is lecture along with PowerPoint slides. While this is the dominant form of pedagogy, particularly in higher education (Harvard Magazine 2015, Time Magazine 2012), an increasing amount of research indicates that the somewhat passive learning environment of the lecture does not reach all students with the same efficiency. In creating this portfolio, my goals …

Aecn 141- Introduction To The Economics Of Agriculture, Timothy Meyer

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Course portfolio for AECN 141- Introduction to the Economics of Agriculture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Fren 302: Representative Authors Ii-A Peer Review Of Teaching Benchmark Portfolio, Julia Frengs

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio traces the process of the design, teaching methods, and assessment tools I used in my first time teaching a survey of French literature course, FREN 302, or “Representative Authors II.” The primary goal of the course is to introduce students to “masterpieces” of French literature spanning from the Middle Ages to the present. The course is certified for the ACE 5 outcome, which emphasizes the use of analysis and interpretation. My own principal objective for the course, developing student autonomy and critical thinking skills, which intersects with this ACE 5 outcome, is the main focus of this study. …

Adpr 333-001: Design And Layout--A Peer Review Of Teaching Portfolio, Octavio Kano-Galvan

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

No abstract provided.

Mucp 183-983: Applied Music Composition--A Course Benchmark Portfolio, Gregory Simon

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

MUCP 183-983, Applied Music Composition, is the core of the music composition course curriculum for students at all levels, from freshman to doctoral candidate. Like all applied lesson environments, it is a one-on-one, individualized study that principally involves the instructor giving students feedback on their musical works-in-progress. This time-honored paradigm for teaching composition has produced brilliant artists, but is rife with pitfalls and traps that can tarnish a student’s growth: composition pedagogues can coerce students into writing music like their teachers, or can prescribe a curriculum that makes composition accessible only to students who have already played classical music for …

Edps 951: Academic And Behavior Assessment--A Peer Review Of Teaching Benchmark Portfolio, Scott A. Napolitano

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

No abstract provided.

Cyaf374: Purposeful Planning—Reflection And Practice In Enriching Students’ Lesson Design, Kelley Buchheister

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio documents my process of embracing, modeling, and implementing reflective teaching practices to enhance the lesson designs of my prospective early childhood professionals in CYAF374: Curriculum Planning in Early Childhood. Throughout this project I attended to and applied five critical components emphasized in the peer review of teaching project and integrated these ideas within the foundational elements of Japanese lesson study in order to implement instructional practices that would benefit my students. These five elements are extensively discussed throughout the portfolio on multiple levels: (a) understanding the role of reflective practice, (b) identifying goals through backward design, (c) outlining …

Ethn 201: Introduction To Native American Studies--A Benchmark Portfolio, Margaret Huettl

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio traces the process of the design, teaching methods, and assessment tools I used in reconfiguring ETHN 201: Introduction to Native American Studies. “Introduction to Native American Studies” (INAS) is an introductory survey course taken either as an elective or as the foundation of a Native Studies minor. The class size is relatively small, capped at twenty-four students. Students who take this course come from a broad cross-section of disciplines in the College of Arts and Sciences and beyond, although perhaps the greatest portion comes from the Humanities. The course serves as an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of …

Benchmark Portfolio For Soft 261: Software Engineering Iv, Suzette Person

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This benchmark portfolio documents the course objectives, teaching strategies, and assessments for the inaugural offering of SOFT 261: Software Engineering IV at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). This is the final course in the core sequence of software engineering courses taken by students in the new undergraduate program in software engineering at UNL. These courses teach fundamental computer science concepts in the broader context of engineering software. As an ACE (Achievement-Centered Education) 2 course, the instructional material in SOFT 261 is focused on teaching visual communications skills in the context of applying software engineering processes to a real-world software project. …

Reflecting On Edad 840 – College Student Development: A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Corey B. Rumann

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio describes the intended learning outcomes of the EDAD 840 – College Student Development course and the course activities and assessment of student learning connected to those outcomes. The process of analyzing the course and implementation of various course activities, revisions to the course design, and assessment processes are also outlined and discussed. Planned changes based on that analysis are documented and a brief reflection on the process is included.

Stat 380: Statistics And Applications, Yumou Qiu

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio prepares for the introduction level undergraduate statistic course (Stat 380) for the students with calculus background, which includes the course goals, contents as well as teaching methods for large session classes. Analysis and evaluation of student learning are also included. In-class activities and discussion helping students’ engagement are introduced. The homework is assigned by Canvas, which summaries the students’ solution and provides analysis for each student.

Mi Voz: Latinx Student Perceptions Of Affirmative Action On Their College Application And Enrollment Told Through Their Funds Of Knowledge, Ashley J. Idrees

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies: Doctoral Research Projects

In this study, I explored how LatinX students understood affirmative action strategies used by higher education institutions through their Funds of Knowledge and how this knowledge shaped their post-secondary decisions. Using a qualitative case study design, I conducted semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations, and document analysis to center the voices of those underrepresented in the academy to support high school to university transition. The LatinX students’ awareness of affirmative action was present and, in many cases, was a factor in their decision to attend an institution of higher education. This awareness was often the result of guidance from an influential figure …

Student And Faculty Perceptions Of Live Synchronous Distance Education For Allied Health Students Following Program Expansion To A Rural Campus, Betsy J. Becker, Kelsey Rutt, Allyson Huntley, Harlan Sayles, Kim Michael

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background & Purpose: Distance education (DE) is a means to meet allied health workforce needs in rural locations where healthcare worker shortages are apparent. Five allied health programs were expanded to a rural campus teaching synchronously using distance education technology. The purpose of this convergent parallel mixed methods study was to explore perceptions of allied health students and faculty at two campus locations.

Methods: Quantitative and qualitative information were collected through a survey of students and faculty (physical therapy, physician assistant, and medical imaging [diagnostic medical sonography, radiography, magnetic resonance imaging] programs). Both campuses served as live and distance sites …

"I Don't Have The Time!" Analysing Talk Of Time In Lecturers' Use Of The Vle, Claire Mcavinia, Deirdre Ryan, David Moloney

Journal Articles

This paper reports on findings from the recent extension of the VLE survey which examined VLE usage from a staff perspective. 580 staff across seven institutions responded to the survey. The survey explored staff perceptions of the VLE and the opportunities for and barriers to its effective use. Qualitative and quantitative data were analysed in order to identify the major factors influencing staff engagement with the VLE. Time (or the lack thereof) emerged as the greatest barrier to effective use of the VLE. When time was in scarce supply, staff evaluated where to spend it and prioritised accordingly. The amount …

Impact Of A Postcollege Service-Learning Year: From Self To Social Justice, Kelly S. Hall, Cheryl H. Keen

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Recent college graduates in the United States are increasingly pursuing a year of service in programs such as Teach for America, AmeriCorps, and Volunteers Exploring Vocation. A cohort of 689 volunteers participating in 18 Volunteers Exploring Vocation programs across the nation was surveyed both at the beginning and end of their year of service. Principal component analysis was used to analyze the two surveys. Repeated measures captured volunteers’ motivations for entering the programs and opportunities important to them upon exiting programs. Upon entering, program participants were motivated by opportunities for discovery about themselves in relation to community and for exploring …

The Influence Of Social Support And Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction On Student Academic Motivation At A Cameroonian University: Structural Equation Modeling, Samuel Adamou

Dissertations

Problem

The growing number of students at the university level in Cameroon created maladaptive behaviors including lack of behavior adaptation, interests, respect, happiness, self-esteem, which led to strikes, vandalism, academic failure and resulting in school dropout (Nwaimah, 2008). The Cameroonian government proposed a number of reforms to solve these issues. One of the major proposed reforms consisted of implementing the Bologna Model in higher education through borrowing and transferring of policies, ideas, and practices from a European higher education area (Eta, 2015; Mngo, 2011). Yet despite the surface progress, the question of how to enhance student learning and improve instruction …

A Course Project Designed To Aid Students’ Understanding Of The Structure Of Advertisements: An Application Of The Who Says What To Whom Over What Channel With What Effect Model, Paul J. Costanzo

Atlantic Marketing Journal

The author describes a project using a classic communication and attitude-change model and explains how instructors teaching a course in promotional strategy, advertising, or integrated marketing communications can use it to help students better understand the critical elements of an effective advertisement. The author provides an overview of the research on the classic model and describes how the model is still useful today. One benefit for the instructor who adopts this project in their respective course is that students are required to synthesize knowledge of the model with information provided in the current advertising literature and then use this knowledge …

Developing A Resilience-Thinking Leadership Mindset Scale, Lloyd Duman

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to develop a resilience-thinking leadership mindset construct and scale. Although literature exists on developing resilience and relational leadership theories, very little research and literature address a resilience-thinking mindset as a leadership strategy. This study represents an initial step in filling this gap. This research project was the initial phase toward the development of a resilience-thinking leadership mindset (RTLM) scale. I used a mixed-methods approach which was divided into three stages. Stage 1 involved the development of the scale items and assessment of both face and content validity to revise the original scale. Stage 2 …

The Relevance Of Extracurricular Activities For Citizenship: Why Cutting Budget For Student Associational Activity Is A Bad Policy, Jason A. Laker, Tomaž Deželan, Domen Kos

Faculty Publications

Universities are tasked with providing rigorous education and training for successful entry into disciplinary and professional fields. Their instrumental roles are situated within broader commitments to political communities through cultural stewardship. As such, the process of socializing students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of democratic citizenship is a complementary and acute obligation of institutions of higher education. Student Associations arguably serve as strategic enablers of this key responsibility through their unique identities as laboratories of shared governance. When students participate in co-creating their educational and community experiences, the dividends for learning and development escalate. The deliberative processes and activities …

Measuring Undergraduates' Global Perspective Development: Examining The Construct And Cross-Cultural Validity Of The Global Perspective Inventory Across Ethnoracial Groups, Lisa Davidson

Dissertations

This study examined the construct and cross-cultural validity of the Global Perspective Inventory’s (GPI’s) 32 global perspective development items, which measure six related dimensions of development spanning cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal domains. The study’s sample consisted of 7,092 undergraduates who completed the GPI General Form between 2015-2017. The GPI’s hypothesized hierarchical factor structure was used for all confirmatory factor analyses and multiple-group confirmatory factor analyses for this study. The data from the GPI were ordinal in nature, presenting important considerations. This study makes several contributions to survey validation efforts. First, it provides a nuanced definition of the concept of validity …

Activism And Identity: How Asian American College Students Define Contemporary Activism For Social Justice, Lester Manzano

Dissertations

Since the height of student activism in the 1960s, little research has explored how college students conceptualize and define activism for social justice. In addition, the extant literature on student activism has been limited in its treatment of marginalized communities, including Asian American students. Given an increase in students’ self-reporting that they expect to engage in student activism while in college (Eagan et al., 2016), students’ engagement in conventional forms of activism may be on the rise, but how contemporary activism is defined needs to be examined from the perspective of student activists themselves. Thus, contemporary notions of student activism …

Asian American Engagement In Racial Justice: Journeys Through Identity Development And Critical Consciousness, Megan Segoshi

Dissertations

This dissertation study explored how ten Asian Americans' racial identity and critical consciousness were connected to their engagement in racial justice work. Guided by Critical Race Theory, the researcher conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews to understand how and why Asian Americans developed a commitment to racial justice work, not only for Asian Americans, but for other communities of color.

Graduate Catalog 2018-2019, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Graduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

In-Service Teachers’ Training: The Case Of University Teachers In Yangon, Myanmar, Mark B. Ulla

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Research studies show a number of significant contributions of professional development programs towards teachers’ teaching skills. This paper explores the views of eight (8) university lecturers in a university in Yangon, Myanmar with regards to the teacher capacity building and language enhancement training program they attended from 2014-2016. The interview data, which were subjected to qualitative content analysis were taken from the participants’ personal knowledge and experience of the teacher training program. The data were read many times, coded, and assigned to different themes. Findings revealed two themes; appreciation and hardships. Although teacher participants were glad to be part of …

Creating Multicultural Music Opportunities In Teacher Education: Sharing Diversity Through Songs, Dawn Joseph, Rohan Nethsinghe, Alberto Cabedo Mas

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper contributes to the knowledge base for preparing pre-service teachers (PSTs) for contemporary multicultural classrooms. To do so, we refer to our ongoing project “See, Listen and Share: Exploring intercultural music education in a transnational experience” across three Higher Education sites (Australia and Spain). Drawing on our narrative, and PSTs’ questionnaire data, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to analyze and code the PST data, we report on our initial experience and findings across the three sites and cultural contexts. Generalisations to other institutions cannot be made. We discuss what was taught and how it was taught in our three settings, …

Listening To Our Graduate Students' Feedback: Graduate Student Exit And Alumni Surveys, Alison W. Hong-Novotney

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Student and alumni surveys have become some of the most widely-used methods of assessment of student learning in higher education. While the majority of literature on student surveys and assessment focuses on undergraduate students, this study looks specifically at why graduate student exit and alumni surveys can be valuable tools within a comprehensive assessment plan. Listening to the feedback of current and former graduate students, and then acting upon that feedback, is crucial for the engagement and success of this unique population of students who bring their particular strengths and needs to their educational experiences. This study examined how master’s …