Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons^™

Promoting Belonging And Equity Through Course Content., Primrose Igonor

Together We RISE (Making Excellence Inclusive)

As our education systems become increasingly diverse, it is crucial for “diverse” students to see themselves reflected in the course materials they consume as this may lead to higher persistence, retention and overall student success. It is also vital for “non-diverse” students to gain a better understanding of the experiences of others particularly as they navigate a world which is much more diverse and global minded than ever before.

(Re)Considering Craft And Centralizing Cultures: A Revision Of The Introductory Creative Writing Workshop, Zoë Bossiere, Micah Mccrary

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

This article explores options for introductory creative writing curricula that allow for and encourage a greater consideration of personal identity and audience on the part of the student-author. It reaches toward possibilities for revising the introductory creative writing course as a space for student-authors to not only consider the cultural positions of the professional authors they study, but also the ways in which their own subject-positions influence their writing practices, craft choices, and understandings of genre. The article overall proposes a holistic revision to the standard, introductory creative writing curriculum, moving student-authors beyond considerations of “good” creative writing, and toward …

Triangulating Research That Focuses On Decolonizing And Race-Based Educational Theories, Beth Dotan

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

The normalization of white cultural and societal educational standards often produce uniform consumers of knowledge. In an effort to seek modification from conventional educational belief systems, this literature review looks at a collection of critical, race-based, and anti-/ de-colonial epistemologies and challenges traditions of inquiry. The research: 1) articulates how national culture perpetuates divisiveness through race and racism in colonized American society and institutions, 2) contemplates the amalgamation of Jewishness and whiteness, and 3) considers utilizing critical theory and social justice views to decolonize educational methodologies as a path to implement change. Historical context and the diverse array of scholarship …

"Agents Of Change" – Lessons Learned From The Nation’S First Undergraduate Civil Rights Advocacy Clinic, Kath E. Rogers, Olu K. Orange

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education

How can universities support their students in pursuing civil rights activism? In doing so, how can universities prioritize students from marginalized communities who are most affected by justice issues? This paper will explore lessons learned from the nation’s first civil rights clinic at the undergraduate level. Responding to the urgency of our time, the University of Southern California, Dornsife College, launched "Agents of Change: Civil Rights Advocacy Initiative” in January 2021 to support students in addressing civil rights challenges in the Los Angeles community. This paper will discuss the importance of the civil rights activism clinical model at the college …

Teaching With Quantitative Data In The Social Sciences At The University Of New Hampshire: An Ithaka S+R Local Report, Patricia Condon, Eleta Exline, Louise Buckley

Faculty Publications

This exploratory study investigated the teaching practices of social science instructors at the University of New Hampshire who engage with undergraduate students using quantitative data in the classroom. The participants interviewed teach both general and discipline-specific data concepts as academic, work, and life skills. Primary challenges discussed by the participants that students face in engaging with these topics are understanding math and statistical concepts, learning new software and computing skills, limited prior exposure to data, and lack of retention of content from earlier courses. Participants addressed challenges in several ways in order to lower barriers to learning, including finding, vetting, …

Eureka: Identifying What It Means To Practice Student- Centered Teaching In A Hypermodern Age, Audra Diers-Lawson

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Contemporary professional reports and research suggest that in corporate communication and related programs, we are not creating environments for modern students to thrive nor are we meeting the industry’s expectations in a ‘hypermodern’ world. Using personal ethnography, this article to analyzes industry-articulated limitations in the knowledge and skill sets of new communication practitioners, reviews contemporary literature identifying the learning needs of today’s students, and proposes a set of best practices based on the literature and the author’s own journey as a higher education practitioner of 20 years. Best practices identified incorporate elements of entertainment, engagement, and an ‘open-world’ approach that …

Oer Guide For Wr 227 Instructors: Using Open Educational Resources (Oers) In Wr 227 Courses, Sarah Read, Jordana Bowen, Henry Covey

PDXOpen: Open Educational Resources

The "OER Guide for WR 227 Instructors: Using Open Educational Resources (OERs) in WR 227 Courses" aims to help instructors make sense of and sort the massively decentralized and varying content of existing OERs available to support technical and professional writing courses. This guide is intended as a resource for introductory technical writing course instructors to adapt an existing course to integrate OER resources, or, to build a new course with all-OER student resources. This guide was developed for the specific use of WR 227 instructors at Portland State University and across Oregon; however, the material in the guide or …

An Artificial Intelligence Tool For Accessible Science Education, Jacob D. Watters, April Hill Dr., Melissa Weinrich Dr., Cary Supalo, Feng Jiang Dr.

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

One of the most important issues in accessible science education is creating a laboratory workspace accessible to blind students or students with visual impairments (VI). Although these students are often provided access to the science lectures, they are usually denied full participation in hands-on laboratory work. Current solutions to this problem focus on providing special accommodations such as asking sighted lab partners to complete the hands-on work. Although the accessibility of laboratory devices in modern science education has been improved in recent years, students with VI often remain passive learners. In this work, we developed a new artificial intelligence tool, …

Making Scientific And Technical Materials Pervasively Accessible, Jason J.G. White

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

In this paper, the question is explored of what policies, standards and practices are desirable to ensure that hardware, software and publications in the sciences and associated disciplines are created from the outset to be accessible to people with disabilities. Insight into this question can be obtained by considering the unique accessibility challenges that these materials pose, including complexities of notation, language, and graphical representation.

Having analyzed what sets this problem apart from broader issues of accessibility, the advantages and limitations of current international standards are reviewed, and contemporary developments in standards and policies are considered from a strategic perspective. …

The Perceptions Of Teachers Of Students With Visual Impairments On Students With Visual Impairments And Graphing: How To Teach, Ashley N. Nashleanas Ph.D.

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Many gaps exist in what is known around teaching students with visual impairments (SVI) about how to use graphs (Rosenblum et al., 2018; Rosenblum & Herzberg, 2015; Zebehazy & Wilton, 2014a;2014b;2014c). When teachers first experience a student with a visual impairment, some of the questions that come to mind are: How can I be sure this student understands what I am saying about these graphs I show on the board? Will this student be able to keep up? The study herein, based on findings from Author (2018), serves as a guide for teachers to consider in the case that SVI …

Being Against The Black: Bad Faith And Anti-Black Racism (Guest Editors' Introduction), Amir A. Gilmore, Latoya Brackett, Davida Sharpe-Haygood

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

As a special journal issue, the guest editors continued their study on (anti)blackness within K-12 schooling and teacher preparation programs. Through the introduction’s white space, the guest editors attempt to theorize and center (anti)Blackness. Moreover, they existentially critique the “ordinary” assumptions about who can be a human and explain why Black existence continues on despite their collective suffering. The introductory article is organized as follows: (1) a thorough explanation of bad faith and antiblackness, (2) an illustration of antiblackness’ manifestations in K-12 schooling, and (3) the importance of using jazz as an analytic frame to curate the contributors’ scholarship.

Black Liberation In Teacher Education: (Re)Envisioning Educator Preparation To Defend Black Life And Possibility, Justin A. Coles, Darrius Stanley

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

Current configurations of teacher education programs are insufficient in attracting and producing teachers equipped to teach through the permanence of antiblackness, instead still relying on race-neutral or color-evasive pedagogies that perpetuate the misrecognition of antiblackness. As evident by the sustained inequities experienced by Black children and the routine marginalization of Black (teacher) educators in the field, we recognize that teacher education programs, and subsequently P-12 classrooms, are not designed nor equipped to reduce the harm caused by persistent anti-Black racism. Despite the ways Blackness is derided and invisibilized in educator preparation, Black students, families, and communities have long countered anti-Black …

Preparing Emerging Adults For The 21st Century: Diapraxis As A Bridge To Dialogue In The First-Year Seminar, Katina Fontes

Educational Studies Dissertations

What is success in college? And what are the implications of that success (or failure) in the life of students after college and for society more broadly? This ethnographic study explores first-year college programming and the potential benefits of diapraxis-inspired instructional methods as a bridge to authentic dialogue for 18- and 19-year-old (emerging adult) students and the foundation for more productive civic engagement in the post-college adult lives of students. Opportunities for dialogue are lacking in many college classrooms, especially during the first year, and, given the current lack of civil communication between adults on a national and global scale, …

This Ain't Yo' Mama's Composition Class: Addressing Anti-Blackness By Implementing Anti-Racist Pedagogy, Sharanna B. Brown

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

Kyoko Kishimoto writes that those who practice anti-racist pedagogical practices are not only required to teach about race, but instead "teach about race and racism in a way that fosters critical analytical skills, which reveal the power relations behind racism and how race has been institutionalized in U.S. society to create and justify inequalities" (541). This is the work. And I have chosen to do it.

Steeped in anti-racist pedagogy “This Ain’t Yo’ Mama’s Composition Course” aims to explore the ways that writing classrooms can affirm students’ autonomy while simultaneously equipping them with skills that equate to “cultural capital.” Anti-racist …

Social Capital: Increasing Pedagogy In Higher Education Institutions, Jeanne Hager Burth, Melissa J. Marks

Journal of Research Initiatives

The paper utilizes the fundamental components of social capital theory. It assesses a hypothesis that higher levels of social capital result in benefits for professional development of pedagogy in higher education institutions' faculty. A year-long study was conducted that offered faculty training in increasing critical thinking skills in teaching. The research explored the benefits to faculty when learning alongside colleagues in the higher education institute. Qualitative methods were used to analyze pre-and post-surveys, focus groups, descriptions of lesson plans, and real-time observations. Findings focused on the power of collegial collaboration and peer reviews, the lack of pedagogical knowledge, and the …

Charity-And Project-Based Service Learning Models Increase Public Service Motivation Outcomes Among Dietetic Students In A Community Nutrition Course, Lauren Dinour, Jennifer Kuscin

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective:

To determine whether dietetic students would report a change in their public service motivation (PSM) following a community nutrition service learning (SL) course, and whether the SL model (charity v. project) influences this change differently.

Design:

Using a pretest–posttest, nonequivalent groups quasi-experimental design, this study compared students’ PSM at the beginning and end of a 15-week college-level course. PSM and four component dimensions (attraction to public policy, commitment to public interest, compassion and self-sacrifice) were measured via electronic survey using the PSM scale. Average PSM scores were compared between and within the charity and project groups using independent samples …

Teaching Learning Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 3, Sastra Deemed To Be University

TLC Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Development Of An Online General Biology Open Educational Resource (Oer) Laboratory Manual, Dmitry Y. Brogun, Azure N. Faucette, Kristin Polizzotto, Farshad Tamari

Publications and Research

Currently, many academic institutions are using one or more variations of online modalities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and science educators face a unique challenge with distance-learning laboratories. Many resources to engage students in virtual, interactive laboratory activities exist, but we found that high costs and/or overlooked content left gaps for several topics typically taught in a general, introductory biology course for undergraduate biology majors (e.g., organismal biology). Additionally, resources for an online lab must be identified and curated from multiple sources, requiring intense demands on the instructors’ time. To meet this need and to overcome the financial burden of …

Use Of Standardized Test Results By Faculty And Students For Advanced Practice Nurse Certification Success, Dinorah Martinez-Anderson

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

The utilization of standardized testing as a recognized educational strategy to measure pre-professional readiness in Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) graduate programs has increased. Research supports such use for predicting licensure success for undergraduate education, however when related to the use in graduate nursing education, it is limited. Teaching and learning practices of APN faculty and students have not been comprehensively explored. This study examined the use of standardized testing results by faculty and students in APN graduate education that contributes to student national certification success. The Reconceptualization of Vygotsky’s Theory of Zone of Proximal Development (RVZPD) underpins the study. An …

A Mathematics Teacher's Learning Through Reflection-In-Action, Theodore J. Rupnow, David Barker

Perspectives In Learning

In this study, I investigated the learning of one secondary mathematics teacher through observations in two class periods. I analyzed his learning in relation to the communities of practice framework and found reflection-in-action was instrumental in his learning. I characterized the teacher’s reflection-in-action with the descriptors: developmental, hypothetical, and experimental. Developmental reflection-in-action involved the development of new understandings or practices. Hypothetical reflection-in-action involved imagined future situations. Experimental reflection-in-action involved repeated trials. I propose that the use of a cycle of reflection-in-action in professional communities may have a positive impact on teacher learning.

Preparing Students For Civic Engagement In The Era Of `Fake News’, Nathan J. Combes

Perspectives In Learning

I recommend that instructors allow students to determine the content for Introduction to American Government. I also recommend that instructors assign students to conduct independent research on each unit of American Government rather than assigning a textbook. There are numerous benefits to implementing these practices. Students take ownership of their education and feel empowered to fill gaps in knowledge. Students are more prepared for class. It allows course content to match current events in real time. Students learn how to analyze the credibility of various sources. Class conversations are more dynamic. Students develop a better understanding of opinions that …

Stand And Deliver: An Epistemologically-Driven Perspective Of College Lecture, Bonnie Bost Laster, Matthew Davis

Perspectives In Learning

Current pedagogical trends reveal lecture is steadily losing favor as contemporary techniques (e.g., constructivist, experiential, and flipped) gain popularity in higher education. While these techniques have merit and evidence for their use is compelling, we contend that lecture need not be abandoned entirely. With support from personal epistemological theories, as well as research on student preference, we purport that there is still a place for lecture in the modern academy. We consider students’ personal epistemological maturation during the college years; namely, the ways in which students view and construct their knowledge and beliefs. We posit that active lecture may be …

Teacher Impact On Student Growth Mindset, Cassandra Jennings, Joshua A. Cuevas

Perspectives In Learning

The main goals of this study were to determine if student growth mindset impacted achievement and motivation and to see if gender and ethnicity made a difference in the type of mindset a student possesses. The study was conducted in a suburban middle school in Georgia with a predominantly white population and above-average socio-economic status. Ninety-five students from four 7th grade social studies classes took part in the eight-week study. The results from the study showed that there was no statistically significant relationship between mindset gains and academic gains; however, there was a strong positive, statistically significant relationship between mindset …

Tools That Facilitate The Reflective Process: Supporting The Learning And Development Of College Educators, Rachel Wlodarsky

Perspectives In Learning

The author discusses an ongoing study that focuses on one particular concept, personal and professional reflection, as a means toward learning and development for educators working within the system of higher education. The purpose of this paper is to give greater attention to the tools component within the Event Path model, a reflective process that emerged from the data. Faculty members were asked to define reflection and discuss tools they use to facilitate their reflection. A thorough description of those tools and the characteristics associated with them is detailed. The author argues that faculty members and other professionals must realize …

Volume 19 Issue 1 Preliminary Pages, Jennifer Brown

Perspectives In Learning

n/a

Review Of Collaborative Learning Communities In Middle School Literacy Education: Increasing Student Engagement With Authentic Literacy By Jolene T. Malavasic, Maryann Dunn

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

School Administrators’ Perceptions Of Critical Teacher Skills, Vance L. Austin, Stephen Caldas, Micheline Malow, Andrew J. Ecker

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

Forty school administrators in the Lower Hudson Valley of New York State were surveyed about the characteristics of preservice and novice teachers believed most critical. These administrators represented a broad and socio-demographically diverse cross-section of rural, suburban and urban school districts. The administrators collectively rated establishing rapport with students and behavior management as the most critical skills for preservice and new teachers to possess. Examining roles separately, assistant principals valued rapport with students and creating effective lessons as most important, whereas principals rated effectively communicating with parents and guardians, and reflecting on teaching performance as being most important. The most …

Which Came First: Literacy Or Social Studies? How Primary Sources Can Bridge The Divide, Elise Langan, Salika A. Lawrence

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

Due to the implementation of No Child Left Behind and the Common Core State Standards, disciplinary literacy has become a vital component of social studies instruction in middle and secondary classrooms. This paper determines the degree to which nine middle and high school social studies teachers were successful in designing integrated learning experiences for their students after attending professional development. Data from semi-structured interviews, teachers’ instructional units, workshop surveys and field notes were collected and analyzed for the qualitative study. The study considers how teachers’ instructional units incorporated primary sources to support students’ foundational literacy skills, scaffolded disciplinary understanding, historical …

Letter From The Editors, Christine E. Ashby, Julia White

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

Message From The President, Andrea Lachance

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.