Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

An Examination Of The Predictive Relationship Between Mode Of Instruction And Student Success In Introductory Biology, Lynette Kathleen Hauser

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Community colleges continue to increase online course offerings as these institutions strive to offer open access, cost effective education to a growing student population. With an increased student demand for online learning, community colleges should explore the possibility of offering all courses in the online environment, including science courses. The purpose of this quantitative research was to investigate the success of non-science major students in biology 102 on campus comparing students who completed biology 101 online to students who completed biology 101 on campus within Virginia community colleges. This was the first multi institutional, multi semester study of community college …

Product Lifecycle Management: Measuring What Is Important - Product Lifecycle Implementation Maturity Model, Abram Walton, Cynthia Tomovic, Michael Grieves

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Industry reports that benefits of PLM are difficult to assess because the same benefit can be expressed as a function of time, cost, quality, or any combination. Based on a review of the PLM literature in an earlier study, a PLM Process Model and an initial list of PLM related metrics was generated and later confirmed through interviews with experienced PLM users. In the current study, the original PLM Process Model was refined and the list of metrics was subjected to an exploratory factor analysis in which specific metrics were found to be related to one of four factors: Inputs, …

A Comparative Analysis Of Point-Of-View Modeling For Industrial And Technology Education Courses, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Todd D. Fantz, Millie Jones

STEMPS Faculty Publications

(First paragraph): Enrollment in technology education at the college level has been declining (Isbell & Lovedahl, 1989; Volk, 1997; Daugherty, 1998; Hill, 1999; Ndahi & Ritz, 2003; Moye, 2009). It is essential for technology teacher educators to investigate ways to increase the enrollment in their programs, or the profession may fail to provide technology teachers in the future (Ndahi & Ritz, 2003). A solution that several institutions with technology education programs have adopted is the offering of the program via distance learning. Distance learning “allows participants to collapse time and space” (Cole, 2000, p. ix). According to Flowers (2003) technology …

In Search For Instructional Techniques To Maximize The Use Of Germane Cognitive Resources: A Case Of Teaching Complex Tasks In Physics, Yekaterina Sliva

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to introduce an instructional technique for teaching complex tasks in physics, test its effectiveness and efficiency, and understand cognitive processes taking place in learners' minds while they are exposed to this technique. The study was based primarily on cognitive load theory (CLT). CLT determines the amount of total cognitive load imposed on a learner by a learning task as combined intrinsic (invested in comprehending task complexity) and extraneous (wasteful) cognitive load. Working memory resources associated with intrinsic cognitive load are defined as germane resources caused by element interactivity that lead to learning, in contrast …

Obstacles To Developing Digital Literacy On The Internet In Middle School Science Instruction, Jamie Colwell, Sarah Hunt-Barron, David Reinking

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Obstacles, and instructional responses to them, that emerged in two middle school science classes during a formative experiment investigating Internet Reciprocal Teaching (IRT), an instructional intervention aimed at increasing digital literacy on the Internet, are reported in this manuscript. Analysis of qualitative data revealed that IRT enabled students to explain and demonstrate appropriate strategies for locating and evaluating information on the Internet when they were asked to do so. However, students did not use these strategies or they quickly abandoned them when working independently or in small groups during inquiry projects. Data revealed three obstacles that inhibited efforts to promote …

Polynomial Calculus: Rethinking The Role Of Calculus In High Schools, William Crombie, Melva R. Grant

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Access to advanced study in mathematics, in general, and to Calculus, in particular, depends in part on the conceptual architecture of these knowledge domains, and in this paper we outline an alternative architecture. Our general strategy is to separate advanced concepts from the particular advanced techniques used in their definition and exposition. This alternative architecture, thus, affords access to advanced concepts from an elementary standpoint to a larger group of learners than is presently accomplished. In the case of the Calculus we develop the beginning concepts of the Differential and Integral Calculus using only concepts and skills found in secondary …

Serious Game Design Principles: The Impact Of Game Design On Learning Outcomes, Michael W. Martin

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the research question "How do video game design principles affect learning outcomes in serious games?" This research first develops a theoretical foundation concerning the meaning of the terms "game" and "serious game". This conceptual clarification is broken down into analytic propositions, which state that games have participants, rules, goals and challenges, and synthetic propositions, which state that the games should be intrinsically compelling, provide meaningful choices, and be self encapsulated. Based on these synthetic propositions, three hypotheses were developed. The hypotheses are that games with an enhanced aesthetic presentation, more meaningful choices, or provide player competition will …

The Nature And Role Of Physical Models In Enhancing Sixth Grade Students' Mental Models Of Groundwater And Groundwater Processes, Debra Lynne Foster Duffy

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Through a non-experimental descriptive and comparative mixed-methods approach, this study investigated the experiences of sixth grade earth science students with groundwater physical models through an extended SE learning cycle format. The data collection was based on a series of quantitative and qualitative research tools intended to investigate students' ideas and changes in ideas rather than measure their achievement. The measures included a groundwater survey, classroom observations, and one-on-one follow-up student interviews for triangulation of data sources. The research was carried out at a K-12 independent school in eastern Virginia using two classes of sixth grade earth science students (n=30).

The …

Productive Peer Culture: Algebra Project Students’ View, Melva R. Grant

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine students’ perspectives about productive peer culture for mathematics learning. The participating students were attending an annual residential summer institute and have been participating in Algebra Project activities for at least one year. Of the 26 high school students attending the institute, they all participate in mathematics literacy work1 through their local Young People’s Project (YPP) groups, while 20 of those students also receive their regular school-based mathematics instruction within an Algebra Project Cohort Model (APCM) structured classroom².

The Algebra Project targeted persistently underserved mathematics students who typically scored in the …

Ertle Thompson - 1929-2012

Virginia Journal of Science

Obituary for Dr. Ertle Thompson, 83.

The Use Of Non-Cognitives And Learning Strategies As A Predictor For Completion Of Developmental Mathematics At A Community College, Megan Healy

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

With a large global, national, state, and local drive for post-secondary credentials, higher education institutes are exploring new retention and graduation strategies to meet the needs of the employers and employees. Many students who are unprepared for college level work will enter a community college to take developmental courses. Developmental mathematics has been a large barrier to completion and success in community college.

The purpose of this study was to explore the ability of non-cognitive traits to predict persistence in completion of a developmental math sequence at a community college. Non-cognitive traits were identified from the three components of strategic …

The Impact Of State Fiscal Effort On Student Achievement Measured By Math Scores From The National Assessment Of Education Progress (Naep), Lorena Leeann Kelly

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The current financial state of our nation, in combination with the pressure to meet state accountability testing and a global call for better prepared twenty first century learners, has produced a situation where all levels of government have to make difficult decisions regarding expenditures. In order to ensure that education receives appropriate funding, research is necessary to show a relationship between spending and student achievement. This study examines the effects of sustained increases and decreases in state fiscal effort on student achievement measured by scores from 4th and 8th grade math NAEP scores over an eighteen year period. A quantitative …

The Impact Of Developmental Mathematics Courses And Age, Gender, And Race And Ethnicity On Persistence And Academic Performance In Virginia Community Colleges, James Dael Wolfle

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

This research study examined the 2006 cohort of First-Time-in-College students from all 23 community colleges in Virginia. The goal was to examine the persistence of these students to the fall 2007 semester and the success of these students in their first college-level mathematics course. The main predictor variable was whether the first mathematics course taken was a developmental or college-level course. Other main predictor variables examined were the age, gender, and race and ethnicity of the student. Race and ethnicity was broken into the categories White, Black, and Other. Interaction variables were created to determine if age, race and ethnicity, …

Learning Theory And Online Technologies, By Linda Harasim. Routledge: New York, 2012 (Book Review), Diane Carver

STEMPS Faculty Publications

[First Paragraph] Learning Theory and Online Technologies presents readers with an outline of the current position of online learning, beginning with an historical review of e-learning and learning theories, and proposes a model of e-learning solutions for today's learners. Written by Linda Harasim, professor of Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, the book includes examples of how the online collaborative learning theory can be applied in an online course and provides case studies of how the theory is being implemented in educational institutions.

Factors That Female Higher Education Faculty In Select Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Fields Perceive As Being Influential To Their Success And Persistence In Their Chosen Professions, Phyllis Bernice Opare

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine factors female higher education faculty in select science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields perceived as influential to their success and persistence in their chosen professions. Females are underrepresented in STEM professions including academia, despite the fact that female educational attainment in all fields have increased significantly.

Four research questions were used to guide this study and they are: 1) What personal factors affect females' ability to successfully persist in STEM faculty positions? 2) What social factors affect females' ability to successfully persist in STEM faculty positions? 3) What academic/institutional factors affect …

Section Abstracts: Education

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Education Section for the 89th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 25-27, 2011, University of Richmond, Richmond VA.

The Effects Of Expressive Writing On Anxiety, Mathematics Anxiety, Stress, Cognitive Processes And Psychological Processes On The Virginia Standards Of Learning (Sol) On A Sample Of Urban High School Students Failing Mathematics, Claudia Lorene Hines

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

High school students who fail one or more mathematics' classes tend to be more likely to fail the Virginia Standard of Learning (SOL) tests and thus delaying their graduation. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of expressive writing on general anxiety, math anxiety, stress, cognitive processes and psychological processes on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) on a sample of urban high school students failing mathematics. The participants (n=93) male and female students in grades 9-12, ranged in ages from 14 to 19 years of age, from various socio-economic backgrounds. The intact classes were used to …

Epistemic Strategies For Solving Two-Dimensional Physics Problems, Mary Elyse Hing-Hickman

Physics Theses & Dissertations

An epistemic strategy is one in which a person takes a piece of knowledge and uses it to create new knowledge. Students in algebra and calculus based physics courses use epistemic strategies to solve physics problems. It is important to map how students use these epistemic strategies to solve physics problems in order to provide insight into the problem solving process.

In this thesis three questions were addressed: (1) What epistemic strategies do students use when solving two-dimensional physics problems that require vector algebra? (2) Do vector preconceptions in kinematics and Newtonian mechanics hinder a student's ability to apply the …

Analysis Of Attitude And Achievement Using The 5e Instructional Model In An Interactive Television Environment, Gamaliel R. Cherry

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine attitude and achievement among fifth grade students participating in inquiry and lecture-based forms of instruction through interactive television. Participants (N = 260) were drawn from registered users of NASA's Digital Learning Network™. The first three levels of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy were used to measure levels of achievement while the Science Attitude Inventory II was used to measure science attitudes.

Results indicated a significant interaction between inquiry and topic area, as well as achievement for remember, understand, and apply levels of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. Differences between mean scores were in favor of …

The Visport Project: Visualization Of Port Logistics, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Ginger S. Watson

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article focuses on the introduction of Visualization in Port Logistics (VisPort) web-based tool project for the visualization of port careers and logistics in the U.S. It outlines the educational objectives of the project including the virtual reality experience associated with port operation, the multimedia environment for the learning of students, and the simulation of port logistics. It mentions that the scientific and technical visualization curriculum offered to students enhances the skills related to scientific and mathematical concepts as well as the experience on graphic techniques.

Improve Or Perish, Revisited -- Again, Johnny J. Moye, Petros J. Katsioloudis

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article reviews the articles "A Major Problem in Education: Improve or Perish," by M. Ray Karnes and "Improve or Perish-Revisited," by John V. Gallagher.

The Effects Of Tinkerability On Novice Programming Skill Acquisition, Tian Luo

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This paper reports on an exploratory study which used a graphical programming environment, Scratch, to facilitate the comprehension of a scripting programming language, ActionScript. Online survey questionnaires were distributed to 34 enrolled students, in a graduate level programming course with a 70% response rate. Findings indicated that Scratch contributed to the understanding of basic programming concepts such as event handling, sequential, and conditional statement but it was less helpful in assisting students’ understanding of more abstract concepts such as variables. This study also suggests that students’ learning style preference and proficiency with programming also make a difference in their perception …

Rethinking The Development Of Weapons And Their Impact, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Mildred V. Jones

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article presents information on conventional weaponry and threats posed by it for the environment. Weapons consist of chemical, biological, depleted uranium, landmines, nuclear, jet fighters, and even the conventional lead bullets. It is stated that the manufacturing of biodegradable weapons that don't pollute the environment must be promoted, as they also strengthen the laws which ban the use of toxic and other chemical weapons. A table on correlation with standards for technological literacy, is also presented.

Mathematics In The Age Of Technology: There Is A Place For Technology In The Mathematics Classroom, Helen Crompton

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

In today’s world of ubiquitous computing there are a number of technologies available to K-12 educators for teaching and learning mathematics. However, Koehler and Mishra (2008) have described how teaching and learning with such technologies presents a “wicked problem,” as it can involve a number of variables, independent of each other and contextually bound, that need to be brought together. This article highlights the advantages technology offers for mathematics education and looks at some of the reasons behind the poor uptake, such as teacher beliefs and lack of training. A number of solutions are offered to address these issues, including …

How “Struggling” Readers Engage In Literacy Events In Middle School Science: An Analysis Of Interactions In Literacy Events, Kristin Cartwright Palmer

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

This study examined opportunities for participation and learning for "struggling" readers in a sixth grade science classroom. Literacy practices, language differences, activity structures, and the social and cultural identities and associated practices and everyday funds of knowledge of both "struggling" and nonstruggling readers in one sixth grade science classroom were documented and analyzed using a qualitative research design. Over sixteen hours of audio and video recordings as well as numerous student work samples were transcribed and analyzed. Analyses of the classroom interactions and artifacts documented in this study revealed several important affordances available in the context of this classroom related …

Section Abstracts: Education

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Education Section for the 88th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 20--21, 2010, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

The Effect Of Individual Or Group Guidelines On The Calibration Accuracy Of High School Biology Students, Camilla C. Walck

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

The effect of individual or group guidelines on the calibration accuracy of high school biology students was investigated. The study was conducted with 102 International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program biology students in a public school setting. The study was carried out over three testing occasions. Students worked in group or individual settings with and without calibration guidelines. Four intact classes were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: groups calibrating without guidelines; groups calibrating with guidelines; individuals calibrating without guidelines; individuals calibrating with guidelines. The students participated in the calibration activities one block before they actually took each of the …

Urban Elementary Students' Views Of Environmental Scientists, Environmental Caretakers And Environmentally Responsible Behaviors, Patricia Lynne Horne

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the nature of the relationship between urban elementary fifth graders, environmental workers, and the environment. The study examined 320 urban fifth grade elementary students' drawings of environmental scientists (DAEST) and environmental caretakers (DAECT). Additionally, semi-structured interviews were included to elucidate student illustrations. The study's sample represented one-third of all fifth graders in the mid-Atlantic school district selected for this research. Approximately 5% of participants were chosen for follow-up semi-structured interviews based on their illustrations.

A general conclusion is some of the stereotypes, particularly related to gender, revealed in prior research (Barman, 1999, …

Research In Technology Education, Philip A. Reed (Editor), James E. Laporte (Editor)

STEMPS Faculty Books

Due to the laboratory-based nature of technology and engineering education programs, professionals in our field have often focused on the resources in our classrooms and laboratories and the instructional methodologies used to address specific concepts. Formal research into content and practice has often given way to “what seems right”. New curriculum is constantly being introduced (based on what is occurring in business and industry), yet the inclusion for those evolving concepts in courses and programs is typically not verified.

Hence, the importance of the 2010 CTTE yearbook and its focus on the dire need for an aggressive research agenda in …

Examining Sociocultural Contexts Of Classrooms To Foster Student Mathematical Discourse And Learning, Melva R. Grant

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Mathematics learning and teaching are optimized in classrooms when reform-oriented culture (ROC) is present. This report presents a case study that illustrates how ROC manifested and influenced mathematical Discourses in one sixth-grade classroom. The data was drawn from a study that addressed the question: How do classroom interactions influence mathematical Discourses? The study used interpretive methodology for analysis. One finding was that classroom boundary interactions either enhanced or hindered mathematical Discourses dependent upon sociocultural context alignments. An implication of this research is when “effective” learning and/or teaching strategies are identified, “effective” implementation may require paying close attention to sociocultural context …