Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons^™

A Word From The Writing Center (November 2017), Jennifer Wilson, Ms, Els

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

This issue includes:

• Stylish academic writing
• The Write Stuff

Continuing Derrick Bell's Devotion In Creative Action, Angela Mae Kupenda

Journal Articles

I remember my first time seeing Derrick Bell in person and hearing him speak, just a few years before he passed away. I was in awe of him for many reasons, but primarily for two reasons. First, I noted from watching him with his devoted students, how mutual was the devotion coming from him—devotion to them as people and as those who would surely carry on his great work of seeking to forge equality in America and beyond. And second, I was in awe of him because of his devotion to the elimination of racism, while at the same time …

Autoethnography As An Instrument For Professional (Trans) Formation In Pharmaceutical Care Practice, Daniela Álvares Machado Silva, Simone Araújo Medina Mendonça, Maureen O´Dougherty, Djenane Ramalho De Oliveira, Clarice Chemello

The Qualitative Report

The recent inclusion of pharmacists in primary healthcare in Brazil through the Family Health Support Team has encouraged them to reflect on the need to change from a professional focused on medications to one focused on individuals. This autoethnography allowed a pharmacist to confront her perspectives on clinical practice between 2014 and 2016, a period when she decided to challenge her traditional training as a pharmacist centered on medications. Using pharmaceutical care practice as the theoretical framework that prompted the profession of pharmacy to change its focus to the patient, the authors collaborated to construct a monologue that engages readers …

Roundtable – Teaching Human Rights: Challenges And Best Practices, Shayna Plaut, Kristi Kenyon, Joel Pruce, William Simmons

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

Over the past 20 years, courses addressing human rights have grown dramatically at both the undergraduate and graduate levels worldwide. Many of these courses are housed in specific disciplines, focus on specific issues, and require practical experience in the form of internships/practicums. Amid this growth there is a need to reflect on teaching human rights including the challenges, fears, and best practices.

Recognizing that education takes place inside and outside a classroom, this roundtable brings together scholars teaching human rights in a variety of settings to examine the current state of university human rights education. This includes a discussion of …

Stalled At The Gate: Addressing Student Failure In A "Gateway" Course, Susan Rhoades Neel

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

This article is a case study of how student data can guide instructors in course redesign. A significant percentage of students enrolled in an American Civilization course did not successfully complete the course. An examination of ACT scores, GPAs, grades in math and English composition, reading tests, and assignment completion rates indicated that two key obstacles to student success were a lack of student engagement and a disparity between student reading capabilities and the required instructional materials. Following a change in the topical focus of the course, the addition of active learning projects, and supplemental aids to the textbook, course …

Extracurricular Undergraduate Research: Student Perspectives And Experiences, Steven Goetz, Matthew Romero, Michael Robertson

ASA Multidisciplinary Research Symposium

This qualitative research examined the experiences and perspectives of undergraduate researchers to understand why they engaged in their research, what benefits they gained from the experience, and what challenges they faced in the conduct of their research.

Book Review: The End Of College: Creating The Future Of Learning And The University Of Everywhere, Bruce Henderson

Teacher-Scholar: The Journal of the State Comprehensive University

Review of Kevin Carey's The End of College: Creating the Future of Learning and the University of Everywhere.

Increasing Research Requirements For Tenure At Teaching Universities: Mission Creep Or Mission Critical?, Elizabeth Blakey, Crist Khachikian, Daisy Lemus

Teacher-Scholar: The Journal of the State Comprehensive University

What social forces are driving the increase in research requirements for tenure at teaching universities? Engaging Pierre Bourdieu's field theory, this case study examines a state comprehensive university, at multiple levels of analysis, and via multiple methods. Field theory is a viable alternative to neoinstitutional theory for higher education scholars. The methods used are quantitative content analysis, qualitative discursive analysis and interviews. The study provides a detailed account of whether economic or cultural forces are the stronger influence on the trend to increase research requirements. Economic factors, such as national enrollment trends, do not necessarily have a strong effect on …

Understanding Chinese Students’ College Choice To Increase Chinese Student Recruitment: A Focus On Music Majors, Tamara Yakaboski, Sonja Rizzolo, Lei Ouyang

Teacher-Scholar: The Journal of the State Comprehensive University

The focus of this study was to understand why 20 Chinese students selected a rural, regionally focused research university. The research sought to (1) offer new, nuanced understanding of how Chinese students selected a university not well-known to international students and (2) advance how an institution of this type could meet its goal of improving and increasing Chinese student recruitment. As a majority of the Chinese students who selected this institution were majoring in music, this study offers implications for niche marketing and recruitment. In addition to the knowledge produced, this study models academic and student affairs collaboration where the …

Story Sharing For First-Generation College Students Attending A Regional Comprehensive University: Campus Outreach To Validate Students And Develop Forms Of Capital, Colby R. King, Jakari Griffith, Meghan Murphy

Teacher-Scholar: The Journal of the State Comprehensive University

This paper describes a story-sharing program, called Our Stories, in which faculty and staff at a regional comprehensive university share their personal experiences about attending college as first-generation, working class, or financially insecure (FGWCFI) students with an audience of undergraduate students of various backgrounds. Using preliminary qualitative and quantitative data, we find evidence that these programs validate the experience of these student attendees and build their social, cultural, and psychological capital. This paper reviews literature on outreach to first-generation students, provides an overview of the story-sharing program, discusses how these events support student success, and suggests that such outreach efforts …

The Student Centered Approach Storied: What Students Have To Teach Us, Taylor A. Norman

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

In this paper, the pedagogical method known as student centered instruction is storied. Classroom narratives, called pedagogical stories, are shared to inform the collective practice of teaching. Together, stories of classroom experiences speak in one voice (Coles, 2004). A voice that tells preservice teachers stories of what they might encounter when applying their learned methods to classroom practice; stories of classroom situations that aim to inform theory and method with practice. Through the use of classroom narratives, the author suggests that the student centered approach has a responsibility to culturally responsive teaching, especially in the language arts classroom.

Creating The Learning Environment For Limited English Proficient Students Online, Lisa H. Thomas, Francisco Brizuela, Michael S. Mott, Susan S. Mcclelland

Journal of Contemporary Research in Education

When offering online program options for higher education students, one of the primary concerns for institutions of higher learning program administrators is achieving high quality learning experiences for students. To achieve this goal, faculty must understand how to employ new and innovative technologies in a manner that ensures all students have positive learning outcomes. Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students are not missing in this equation. Institutions offering online courses have discerned that developing these courses requires an understanding of technologies with which many faculty are unfamiliar. As a result, administrators must create "pedagogical models that enable educators to capitalize on …

The Common Core And Its Implications For The Temporal Pace And Homework Assignments For Ap Calculus, Louise Perkins

Journal of Contemporary Research in Education

We collect and combine two types of assessment data for an AP Calculus course, standardized testing and student feedback. This data informs us, both directly and indirectly, about the efficacy of the existing pre-calculus high school curriculum. We apply this information to an analysis of the common core curriculum to which the school is currently transitioning. The assessment analysis is designed to focus the class examples and homework assignments in pre-requisite courses to strengthen concepts needed during the AP Calculus class, and to assist teachers in planning concepts to re-teach in follow on classes. More broadly, our approach is a …

The Readiness Is All: How Surprise Observations Improve Pre-Service Teachers' Preparation, Elise Langan, Juan Walker

Journal of Contemporary Research in Education

This article discusses ways to improve the practice of pre-service teachers during their clinical experiences by bridging the gap between theory and practice. The authors emphasize the need for unannounced visits and immediate feedback by clinical supervisors during the field experience to better prepare pre-service teachers for the profession. Pre-service teachers were sent an online questionnaire asking them to respond to the pros and cons of surprise and scheduled visits by their supervisors. The participants in the study were enrolled in a state college in the Southeastern United States. Pre-service teachers’ responses indicate a preference for direct feedback and unannounced …

An Assessment Of The Business Model Paradigm Shift In Education, Richard Gardiner, Jessica O'Keeffe

Journal of Contemporary Research in Education

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Role Of The Common Core State Standards For Mathematics In Mathematics Methods And Mathematics Content Courses For Prospective Teachers, Sarah Ives, Anne Marie Marshall, Emerald Shee

Journal of Contemporary Research in Education

The reform efforts brought about by the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) necessitate inquiry into how these standards are (or are not) being addressed in teacher preparation courses. This study examines the extent that the CCSSM are emphasized in mathematics content and mathematics methods courses for prospective teachers. We implemented a web-based survey and follow-up interviews of faculty from institutions across the nation. Results indicate a moderate level of variability in opportunities that prospective teachers have to learn about the CCSSM. Additionally, results show that mathematics teacher educators have changed their courses to include discussions around the CCSSM …

Are Academically At-Risk College Students More Entitled Than Their Non-At-Risk Peers?, Rebekah Reysen, Matthew Reysen, Suzanne Degges-White

Journal of Contemporary Research in Education

Academic Entitlement (AE) is a belief held by students that they deserve high grades in school despite a lack of effort put forth into their work (Chowning & Campbell, 2009). Although AE has become a major focus of conversation amongst higher education professionals, few studies have been published on this topic in relationship to student retention and success. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between academic performance and AE for two college student groups. Results included academically at-risk students scoring significantly higher on AE than the non-at-risk group, with AE being negatively correlated with GPA.

Improving Literacy Rates For Students With Dyslexia In A Rural School District, Steven W. Havens, Michael Seth Mott

Journal of Contemporary Research in Education

This applied research study aimed to improve literacy rates for students identified as having dyslexic tendencies in the Lynn County School District (LCSD). The need to improve literacy rates of students with dyslexia in the Reaching Reading Success Program was identified through Mississippi K-3 Assessment Support System data. Using the two elements found in the program evaluation, accurate identification of dyslexic students and multisensory interventions the study sought to improve the literacy rates for students with dyslexia in kindergarten. Assessment, survey, and interview data were used in this applied research study to determine success. The findings indicated early identification, multi-sensory …

A Book Review Of Donelson R. Forsyth’S College Teaching: Practical Insights From The Science Of Teaching And Learning, Deidra Faye Jackson

Journal of Contemporary Research in Education

As an advanced doctoral student and former college instructor for 12 years, I reviewed Forsyth’s (2016) book, College Teaching: Practical Insights from the Science of Teaching and Learning, to determine how the author created an accessible and contemporary text for novice and veteran higher education instructors, alike. In a straightforward appeal, the book offers proven college teaching recommendations and debunks what the author, an experienced social and personality psychologist, considers faulty theoretical analyses by bolstering arguments in empirical studies grounded in psychology theory and research. The book’s discussions, which are backed by ample supporting qualitative and quantitative data distributed …

Being Nomadic In A Neo World, C. Steven Page, Rebecca G. Harper

Journal of Contemporary Research in Education

Teachers are often classified into groups based on performance, identity, and through the use of metaphors. This article utilizes a post structuralist lens to build on past research by posing the classification of teachers into three personas: the nematode, neo, and nomad. These personas are not always chosen by the teacher, but instead are reactions to environments, colleagues and administrators, and education mandates. Standardization and accountability, which are forced on education by neoliberal policies, affect teachers’ identities in negative ways and often cause them to be the type of teacher they never desired to be to their students. Utilizing Deleuze’s …

From Oral To Written Language: Scaffolding Literacy Development In A Kindergarten Classroom, Cynthia Leung

Journal of Contemporary Research in Education

The purpose of the present study was to explore how an experienced kindergarten teacher used oral language to scaffold her students in their development of written language skills. The research design was a yearlong qualitative case study that employed prolonged engagement, persistent observation, and triangulation. Data sources included participant observation, fieldnotes, audio and video recording of classroom literacy events, informal interviews with the teacher and students, photographs, and a collection of students’ drawings/writings. This article provides examples of read-aloud and writing events where the classroom teacher made connections between oral and written language or re-accented the students’ oral productions into …

How Would Executive Functions Play A Role In Comprehending Art?, Burhanettin Keskin

Journal of Contemporary Research in Education

This study is a theoretical attempt to explain the relationship between the components of executive functions and comprehending art. Specifically, the study examined the specific executive functions’ (i.e., inhibitory control, suppressing irrelevant information, and sustained attention) role in comprehending art. Cognitive skills that rely on paying attention to relevant cues rather than prevailing yet irrelevant features and sustained attention are used in the process of comprehending artwork. Suggestions are made for early childhood teachers regarding how art can be used to improve children’s executive functions.

Open Educational Resources Workshops: Instruction, Interaction, Incentive, Elaine M. Lasda, Julie Cuccio Slichko Dr.

Open Access Day

Open educational resources (OERs) are a viable alternative to costly textbooks because they improve economic accessibility to higher education, course completion rates, and student learning outcomes. Through SUNY’s Innovative Instruction Technology Grant program, the University Libraries and Information Technology Services have partnered to create a model for professional development in facilitating the adoption of OERs in online courses. Details of this model will be discussed, and the Fall 2017 program faculty cohort will be announced.

Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, And American Capitalism, Kris Principe

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

Pope Francis’ writing of both Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel) and Laudato Si’ (On Care For Our Common Home) has led several in the popular press to comment on the Pope’s distrust of capitalism. Here, the pope’s commentary is reconciled with the American perspective on capitalism. Consumer sovereignty and corporate governance, carried out in accordance with the three pillars of Catholic Social Justice of human dignity, solidarity and subsidiarity, can fulfill the Pope’s mandate in Evangelii Gaudium.

On Evangelii Gaudium: An Asia/Pacific Perspective, Young Back Choi

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

Evangelii Gaudium is largely divided into two parts: one is on evangelism and the other concerns the social and economic conditions of the time in which evangelism is to take place. The chief aim of Evangelii Gaudium is to restore, as an integral part of sharing the joy of the Gospel, the dignity of the poor, which is presumably lost because of inequality in the modern society. Pope Francis admits that “… neither the Pope nor the Church have a monopoly on the interpretation of social realities or the proposal of solutions to contemporary problems”. Pope Francis offers his views/diagnoses …

Evangelii Gaudium: A European Perspective, Salvatore Moccia

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

In order to understand the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, we have to analyze the strategic roots of this Pope, a shepherd who lived his life with the smell of the sheep. Only if we recognize the “great enemy” we can fully understand all the Papal “No’s” of the Encyclical: no to an economy of exclusion, no to the new idolatry of money, no to a financial system which rules rather than serves, and no to the inequality which spawns violence. We believe that Pope Francis, with his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, has updated most of the Franciscan reflections on the …

Africa And An Economy Of Universal Human Solidarity: In The Footsteps Of Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium, Laurenti Magesa

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

In his recent Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium or The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis indicated the shortcomings of capitalism, the economic order dominant in the world today. The inhuman social conditions Francis has attributed to global capitalism can be observed concretely in the lives of the peoples of the African continent. As a result, there exists within Africa itself, on the one hand, and between Africa and other regions of the world, on the other, a cavernous gap between the rich and the poor classes. The main problem is that poverty revolves around fundamental injustices in the creation, distribution, …

Latin America: When The Pope’S Economic Message Finds Home, Denise Chrispim Marin

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

When Pope Francis wrote that “we have to say ‘thou shalt not’ to an economy of exclusion and inequality”, this new “commandment” could not find a more challenging audience than in Latin America. According to United Nations Development Program (UNPD) data, Latin America was the only region in the world that has managed to reduce the income inequality in the last decade. In this same region, alternative forms of doing business are flourishing as a result of the social, cultural and environmental engagement of old and new companies, either for the sake of their image or for their own conviction. …

Economy Of Exclusion: Global Perspectives On Pope Francis On Capitalism, Charles Clark

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

Twenty-eight years after the fall of communism and final victory of capitalism, there is increasing unease with the ideology and lived reality of capitalism around the world, and even in America (the Cold War victor). While it is impossible for any one entry to fully represent a continent’s perspective, it is hoped that geographic diversity will also reflect the diversity in the lived experience of capitalism. In challenging capitalism, Pope Francis is thus joining a long tradition of popes who have critiqued both the ideal and the reality of it. The values of capitalism are those that led the rich …

Table Of Contents

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

No abstract provided.