Online and Distance Education Commons^™

Cultivating An Environment For Continued Growth In Nurse Educators, Amanda Hawkins, Elizabeth Frander, Stephanie Lewis

Perspectives In Learning

Along with the significant shortage of registered nurses, the United States is also experiencing a serious shortage of nursing faculty. Despite the high demand for nurses, many nursing programs are unable to accept all qualified students due to this shortage. This essay identifies reasons why nurse educators are leaving the academic setting and why there are fewer qualified and willing candidates to fill the vacant positions. In addition to discussion of the problem, practical strategies for recruitment and retention are proposed. Through appropriate planning and leadership, there are many practical solutions that can be implemented in the workplace setting to …

The 4 Cs Of Teaching At-Risk Youth, Jeanine Fittipaldi-Wert, Claire Mowling

Perspectives In Learning

The purpose of this article is to assist educators in creating an environment that is safe and conducive to learning for at-risk students through implementation of the 4 Cs (caring, choices, commitment, and challenges). The 4 Cs can provide a framework for educators in providing suggestions on how to engage and meet the needs of all students, including those at-risk, while creating an emotionally safe environment that facilitates cooperation, responsibility, motivation, and respect for self and others.

Strategies For Success For English As A Second Language (Esl) Students In The Post-Secondary Setting, Tamara Condrey, Sherika Derico

Perspectives In Learning

English as a Second Language (ESL) students in the college setting have a higher rate of attrition than non-ESL students due, in part, to communication barriers. Retention and graduation rates of these students impact cultural diversity in practice settings for professionals who work with diverse populations. Colleges and universities must seek ways to assist ESL students with communication barriers in order to lower the attrition rate for this segment of the population and, ultimately, to improve the diversity needed in these professions. This article seeks to explore communication barriers for ESL students and offer strategies for overcoming these challenges in …

Table Of Contents

Perspectives In Learning

Table of Contents

About This Issue

Perspectives In Learning

About this Issue

Learning Styles: The Key To Learning, Lisa Egan

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This Master's thesis contains components and documentation of the reasoning for the creation of a community website entitled, Learning Styles: The Key to Learning in which learners of all ages can explore the topic of learning styles in order to gain personal insights into their unique styles of learning. The website is designed to help individuals including children, adults, and educational professionals to embrace their personal styles, understand the learning styles of others and gain knowledge leading to the creation of optimal learning environments for themselves and their community members. The author suggests that the understanding of learning styles leads …

2011 Ijbe Front Matter, Tamra Connor

International Journal for Business Education

1. Editorial Board
2. President's Letter
3. SIEC-ISBE International

Managing Childhood Asthma In The School Environment, Amanda Hawkins, Leslie Painter, Sally Richter

Perspectives In Learning

It is often taken for granted that schools are instrumental in the spread of illness from child to child as well as from child to teacher. In addition to the nagging colds, stomach viruses and other temporary maladies, the school environment may actually contribute to some lifelong medical conditions. Many children face an unhealthy school environment on a daily basis, year after year, which may contribute to a condition called asthma. Asthma causes the airways of the lungs to swell and constrict and can often flare up without warning. Asthma is one of the top childhood disorders and is also …

Resolving The Conflict: Brain-Based Learning, Best Practices, And No Child Left Behind, Cindy Bowen

Perspectives In Learning

Research shows brain-based learning is achieved best when the students are in an active, low-stress state (Jensen, 2008), and people have unique learning styles that facilitate the assimilation of new knowledge (Gardner, 1983). However, current testing practices hinder the creation of an optimal learning environment, because teachers feel they have to build test-taking skills and spend valuable educational time teaching in ways they believe are not best practices. Changes in the brain can be seen with highly sophisticated imaging technology such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI, and positron emission tomography (PET) (Drevets & Raichle, 1998). This imaging technology …

Teaching And Helping College Students With Personal Problems During Tough Economic Times, Marcia Rossi

Perspectives In Learning

The student population today may be facing increased need for support services, due to a wide variety of potential personal problems. Reasons for this include the increased number of students in college who have learning disabilities or other disabilities, the economic downturn of 2008 driving older students to pursue college degrees, and the number of veterans in school who are returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Faculty members and academic advisors may be approached by students who are experiencing personal problems, and may not know how to offer help. Suggestions for helping and teaching such students are offered; these …

Winning The War Against Childhood Obesity: The Role Of Teachers And Schools In Early Childhood Education, Paula Walker

Perspectives In Learning

American children are at the epicenter of a global childhood obesity epidemic. Due to increased adiposity, school-aged children are being routinely diagnosed with adult illnesses like Type II diabetes, hypertension, and elevated cholesterol levels. The keys to combating these epidemiological trends are prevention and early intervention. Since the majority of American children are enrolled in school, school-based interventions offer enormous potential in teaching lifelong health habits and curbing the incidence of childhood obesity, especially when these habits are taught proactively as a component of early childhood education. Adiposity rebound is the critical period of increasing body mass index (BMI), that …

Table Of Contents

Perspectives In Learning

Table of Contents

Learning About Teaching: Redesigning Teacher Preparation, Barbara Buckner

Perspectives In Learning

Our country has not yet tackled the question, how do we best prepare teachers. Maybe because the question should be; how do we best support our candidates to learn about teaching in order for them to develop into highly qualified and effective teachers? The answer seems to lie in strategic partnerships between universities and school districts, the quality and length of clinical experiences, and state policies for teacher preparation. Reformers call for a shift towards more clinically based programs that integrate academic content and professional knowledge and skills. Some models that show promise are those that have tried to emulate …

About This Issue

Perspectives In Learning

About this Issue

Does Time-Of-Day Of Instruction Impact Class Achievement?, Amanda J. Wile, Gary A. Shouppe

Perspectives In Learning

This article explores literature related to Time-of-Day instruction and possible impact on student achievement for students. The possibility of schools as a contributing factor to the problem of low academic performance by some students due to a conflict between personal chronotype and school schedule may have research significance. In order for learning to take place, student engagement must be paramount and provide optimal opportunities for students to utilize their personal learning, for modalities may hinge on physical readiness as well. Several studies at multiple grade levels related to the investigation of circadian rhythms and biological patterns which indicate an effect …

Facilitating Online Collaboration And The Development Of Digital Communities, S. Wade Bradt, Samantha Tackett

Perspectives In Learning

This discussion focuses on the utility of two unique Web 2.0 tools designed to elicit more interaction among students and to increase learning outcomes while instructing at a distance. While Web 1.0 could be described as that iteration of the World Wide Web that focused simply on making information accessible, the philosophy of Web 2.0 applications is based upon user-centered designs and the proliferation of volunteer collaboration. Fortunately, the explosion of Web 2.0 technologies and social networking platforms have provided a wide array of applications uniquely suited to addressing distance education challenges. We discuss the application of two Web 2.0 …

Exploring Podcasting Of Required Reading In A Graduate Counseling Course, Richard Long, Dee Fabry

Perspectives In Learning

Podcasting is a relatively unexplored technology tool in education (Hew, 2009). This study explored the integration of podcasting in an onsite graduate counseling course to determine how digital students responded to the integration of podcasting and to determine if podcasting impacts student comprehension of required reading materials. The results indicated that, while students came to class better prepared to discuss the material and enjoyed the podcasts, they preferred traditional teacher-led discussions to the podcasting technology.

Key words: podcasting, technology skills

Editorial Board

Perspectives In Learning

Editorial Board

Considerations Regarding The Future Of Andragogy, John A. Henschke Edd

Adult Education Faculty Works

Andragogy has a long and rich history that has shaped understanding of adult learning and continues to be a strong force in guiding the way adults learn. While adult educators in the U.S. are familiar with andragogy through the work of Dr. Malcolm Knowles, the theory of andragogy reaches a worldwide audience of practitioners striving to improve learning through its respectful and engaging method focused on the learner.

Surveying The Online Classroom : Student Reactions To E-Learning, Jordan Dierks

Graduate Research Papers

The utilization of commercial, open source, and institution designed learning management systems are increasing in higher education. Universities are competing with each other to find qualified applicants or increase enrollment. Many higher education institutions are evaluating their return on investment for educational technologies, white public institutions are facing the reality of shifting funding sources from state support to self-sufficiency. The purpose of this study is to determine if the use of a learning management system (LMS) in an online classroom supporting either a full-web or blended course affects student satisfaction with the learning experience. Additional areas examined include whether students …

An Exploratory Study Of Students’ Perception Of Their Online Learning Experiences In A Midwestern University, Tian Luo

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Online learning programs and online courses have seen a rapid rise in recent years; however, how to improve those online programs to enhance student learning often remains an issue. This study seeks to gain insights into learners’ perceptions of online learning and investigate problems that take place in online learning. 33 students enrolled in online courses offered by a Midwestern university participated in this study. A survey instrument of ten questions targeted three major domains, including course design, instructor facilitation, and social presence. Most students reported positively with course design and instructor facilitation. Interestingly, students demonstrated a relatively ambiguous and …

Is One Life Enough? Delivering A Module In Second Life, John O'Connor, Claudia Igbrude

Conference Papers

The potential of online virtual environments, such as Second Life for delivering remote learning continues to be debated by academics. It would appear to offer particular opportunities to support remote learning in art & design, where there is a particular requirement for live visual interaction.

The School of Art, Design & Printing at the Technological University Dublin (DIT) received funding to develop a module for undergraduate students to test this theory. A five-credit module (under the European Credit Transfer System) received formal approval from the Institute in 2009 and was delivered as a pilot to academic staff who were interested …

The Relative Value Of Online Learning Environments As Perceived By High School Teachers, Daryl Joe Scoggin

Dissertations

Online learning environments have become more popular for use in education from year to year. This medium for teaching and learning has been successfully used in higher education for years. Only within the past decade has this instructional platform made its way into the P-12 arena. With the expansion of online learning environments becoming more popular, this type of lesson delivery may eventually make its way to the building or site level. As in a face-to-face classroom, teachers have an effect on the success of the students. The perceptions of teachers regarding dimensions of implementation and use of online learning …

2010 Ijbe Front Matter, Tamra Connor

International Journal for Business Education

1. Editorial Board
2. President's Letter
3. SIEC-ISBE International

Editorial Board

Perspectives In Learning

This is the document on the editorial board

Invited Essay: Philosophy Of Teaching, Rebecca Alexander

Perspectives In Learning

No Abstract

Table Of Contents

Perspectives In Learning

This is the table of contents.

The Road To The White House: Using Experiential Learning In The Classroom, Gregory Domin

Perspectives In Learning

This case study presents a first hand account of experiential learning undertaken by the author and 16 Mercer University students during the 2008 presidential nominating season. The author was able to arrange a seminar entitled “The Road to the White House” which included an observation trip to South Carolina for the Republican Primary, 16-21 January, 2008, where students both witnessed and participated in the unfolding events of the 2008 presidential campaign

Optimistic Bias In The University Classroom, Harvey Richman Ph.D.

Perspectives In Learning

This research investigated the prevalence of “optimistic bias” (unrealistic performance expectations) among low scoring students. Possible causes and remediations are discussed. Two hundred seventy four undergraduate students were surveyed after their first course exam, and again after their second exam, to assess the effects of optimistic bias. At both survey points, each student provided (1) a performance estimate for the recently taken exam, (2) actual score for that exam after receiving it, and (3) an estimate of future exam performance. The sample was divided into quartiles based on first exam actual scores. Lowest quartile students were overly optimistic regarding their …

Taking The Lead Role In Intern Supervision: The Mentor Teacher Intern Project, Melissa Sullivan

Perspectives In Learning

Classroom teachers participate in many university teacher education programs as partners in the education of teacher candidates. The Mentor Teacher project was initiated in 2003 to allow teachers a voice in the school internship or student teaching process. This study investigated the strengths and weaknesses of the program through individual interviews and open-ended surveys. The program was perceived as very successful by the Mentor Teachers as they moved into a new level in their profession.