Higher Education and Teaching Commons^™

Using Academic Advising To Increase Motivation And Engagement In First-Year College Students, Lisa Remsing

Wayne State University Dissertations

According to ACT Educational Services (2010), more than one-third of college freshmen will not progress to their sophomore year. Several states, including Michigan, have proposed higher education performance funding models, which directly correlate state funds to student retention and graduation rates (Jesse, 2012). As higher education suffers from diminishing resources, there is a heightened focus to increase retention and graduation rates (Tinto, 2007).

The transition from high school to college can be a traumatic time for adolescents. This age group has unique motivational needs as they adjust to an unfamiliar academic environment (Perry et al., 2005). The first year of …

A Model For Designing Instructional Narratives For Adult Learners: Connecting The Dots, Debra Mary Smith

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

A MODEL FOR DESIGNING INSTRUCTIONAL NARRATIVES:

CONNECTING THE DOTS

by

DEBRA M. SMITH

May 2013

Advisor: Ingrid Guerra-López, Ph.D.

Major: Instructional Technology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The purpose of this study was to develop a research-based model for designing and deploying instructional narratives based on principles derived from narrative theory, development theory, communication theory, learning theory and instructional design theory to enable adult learning and retention and the effective transfer of that retained learning to practice (performance contexts). Findings from these five areas were used to identify elements to inform the development of a model for the design and …

Faculty Attitudes Toward Students With Intellectual Disabilities In Postsecondary Educational Settings, Diane F. Fekete

Wayne State University Dissertations

Research has indicated that participation in some aspect of postsecondary education, either for credit or audit, could improve a disabled individual's changes for success in adult life. Research also has shown that faculty attitudes toward, and perceptions of students with disabilities play an important role in student success. The purpose of this study was to examine faculty attitudes toward the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in college classes and willingness by faculty to accommodate the course content to meet individual student needs. An internet survey instrument was developed to gather information concerning students with intellectual disabilities and faculty attitude …

Great Expectations: Twenty-First Century Public Institutions And The Promise Of Technology Based Economic Development: A Case Study, Tara K. Baas

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

American research universities, especially over the past 30 years, have increasingly become involved in technology transfer activities. For public land grant institutions, involvement is largely inspired by a desire to maximize revenue opportunities and demonstrate economic relevance. This intrinsic case study addresses the efforts of a public, land grant and flagship institution, the University of Kentucky, to augment its technology transfer activities, with a specific focus on its attempts to spin off university technology-based firms. The data were gathered primarily through oral history interviews with technology transfer personnel, entrepreneurs, and spinoff personnel. Its purpose is to understand better the structure …

Geol 440/840: Tectonics—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Inquiry Portfolio, Caroline M. Burberry

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This document is a follow-up document to the Benchmark Portfolio for this course, created in 2012. It details the changes made to the course following the observations from the Benchmark Portfolio and demonstrates that discussion of the metacognitive issues surrounding critical thinking does have some effect on increasing student learning. The document concludes with changes which will be made to the 2014 iteration of the class, to continue this inquiry and improvement process.

Hrtm 479: Perspectives On The Hospitality Industry (Capstone Course)—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Dipra Jha

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This benchmark portfolio investigates teaching and learning in HRTM 479: Perspectives on the Hospitality Industry, a senior capstone course for Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism management majors, which integrates hospitality core and content courses into managerial and leadership practice within the hospitality, restaurant and tourism industry.

Muop 356/856: Intermediate/Advanced Opera Techniques—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Jamie M. Reimer

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

I began the investigation of this course and subsequent course portfolio with the following objectives in mind:

1. To solidify and articulate the skills I intend students enrolled in this course to achieve by the end of the semester;
2. To think creatively about the presentation of course material to most effectively engage and empower students' success; and
3. To assess the effectiveness of the course activities in achieving course goals stated in the syllabus.

I am also excited to explore the options available for different methods of content delivery in this course, particularly the application of recorded performance for assessment. In the …

Elec 2110: Elements Of Electrical Engineering—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Mahmoud Alahmad

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

I have been teaching this class for the last five years. As an introductory course to electrical engineering, there is a lot of material that needs to be covered. All the material is important and relevant, and I try to go in-depth in each topic area. This approach has resulted in overwhelming the students and made them struggle with the course content, application and utilization. As I consider this course for the peer review, I am evaluating the depth of each topic and the opportunity to adjust the approach and method used to introduce new concepts and at the same …

Ensc 220: Introduction To Energy Systems—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Francis Hay

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This course portfolio investigates "Introduction to Energy Systems," a cross departmental class that is part of the Energy Sciences Minor. The class has a diverse student population and is taught accordingly. Students learn units, magnitudes, terminology, and basic function of current and emerging energy systems. Students finish the semester able to compare and discuss energy systems related to their feedstock, efficiency, capacity factor and environmental impacts. Student learning was evidenced throughout the course in tests, quizzes, writing assignments, discussions, and projects.

Mued 345: Instrumental Music Methods, Dale Bazan

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

The course Instrumental Music Methods (MUED 345) is designed to provide a fundamental preparation for future music educators to teach instrumental music--both orchestral and band--to adolescents in schools. The description in the UNL Schedule of Classes describes this course as dealing with "administrative approaches, rehearsal techniques, and modern comprehensive teaching styles for the secondary instrumental teacher." I chose this course for my peer-review because preparing future instrumental music teachers is one of my primary responsibilities as the instrumental music education specialist at UNL, and this course is the primary course to prepare students for this outcome. It is therefore vital …

Spanish Tutoring Center—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Inquiry Portfolio, Lola Lorenzo

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

In this Portfolio I have one assessment of the Tutoring Center in Spanish during his first year of work. This center has one on-line component that students can use and also one face to face. I provide information about the type of students that use the Tutoring Center and also the reflection of the Graduate Students working in the Tutoring Center.

Adpr 357: Account Planning—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Sriyani Tidball

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

A course portfolio investigating student learning in ADPR 357, complete with case studies of student work.

Jomc 486: Mass Media Law—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, John R. Bender

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Mass Media Law, JOMC 486, is a required course for all majors in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. This includes majors in journalism (traditional print journalism and online journalism), broadcasting and advertising-public relations. The purpose of this portfolio is to assess whether the learning objectives of the course are achieved. The evidence compiled for this portfolio suggests that the students are learning basic information about mass media law. Further, analysis of the tests shows that they are also learning how to apply the principles of media law to situations they have not encountered, thus preparing them for dealing …

Metr 200: Weather And Climate—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Matthew S. Van Den Broeke

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This benchmark portfolio is meant to be an assessment of how well the objectives of METR 200 (Weather and Climate) are being attained by students in several classifications of academic major. Students from a wide range of backgrounds enroll in this course as a general science elective, and for many, it will be the only science course taken in college. Thus, it is important that course material be sufficiently accessible for all students, while providing meaningful information which will be applicable by students of all backgrounds once they leave the course. In this portfolio, an analysis will be presented showing …

Law 799: Clinical Practice-Criminal—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Steven Schmidt

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio provides a broad overview of my teaching of Law 799. It not only gives the reader an understanding of the goals I have for the course, but also how I endeavor to reach those goals. Finally, through the use of student assessment, this portfolio provides insight as to whether my goals were reached and to what degree. Thus, the portfolio serves to inform me of areas needing improvement.

Chme 223: Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Hossein Noureddini

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio was intended to provide a broad overview of the course. Initially, when I decided to write this portfolio my intention was for it to help me in the student's outcome assessment of teaching for the course and in a broader scope, for my department's effort in establishing a systematic student outcome assessment process. However, as I became more familiar with the program I realized other aspects of the course could also benefit from this portfolio. My goal for this portfolio is to be broad with emphasis on course objectives, delivery methods and their assessment. I like for this …

Geog 140: Human Geography—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Katherine Nashleanas

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This benchmark portfolio will systematically evaluate my course in relation to ACE and Advanced Placement Human Geography standards and objectives. It will enable me to evaluate ways of increasing student engagement in large lecture classes, student retention, and organization that supports student mental health. As a result of writing this portfolio, I will be able to evaluate the internal consistency and coherence of my course. This portfolio provides a conceptual structure and physical place to put observations and notes about course improvement from semester to semester, which will enable me to become even more secure about the intellectual and pedagogical …

Geol 106: Environmental Geology—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Leilani Arthurs

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

The Peer Review of Teaching (PRT) program provides faculty members the environment, support, structure, and time to carefully think about how they teach a particular course. PRT benchmark portfolios are prepared as a part of this program to assist faculty members in reflecting on and documenting their instructional practices and the potential impact they have on student learning.

This benchmark portfolio targets the Spring 2013 semester of GEOL 106: Environmental Geology. It documents the course objectives that provided the foundation for the instructional approach, the course-level learning goals that defined what students should be able to do by the end …

Metr 323: Physical Meteorology—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Jun Wang

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Hands-on out-door activities are added into a course that is designed to teach students atmospheric physics ranging form solar light transfer to cloud and precipitation formation in the atmosphere. Statistical analysis and anonymous survey are conducted to benchmark the improvement in students' learning. Results show that these hands-on activities increase the student's interest and understanding in the course materials, and also improve the overall students' satisfaction for the course.

Cive 489: Senior Design—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Karen Schurr

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Course Background: Over recent years, the careers of professional civil engineers have become increasingly collaborative, multidisciplinary, entrepreneurial and focused on sustainability. With that comes an expectation from the profession to adequately prepare work force entrants for such challenges. In addition to traditional foundations in math, science, engineering fundamentals and an understanding of professional ethics, graduates now need interdisciplinary depth, critical thinking ability, ingenuity, creativity, leadership, multifaceted communication skills, flexibility and a broad understanding of civil systems in global economic, environmental and societal contexts. The UNL Civil Engineering Department strives to meet the profession's expectation with the capstone design course, CIVE …

Annual Impact Report 2013: A Report By The Impact Data Collection And Analysis Team, Impact Management Team, Impact Assessment Team

IMPACT Reports

This is an annual report of Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation (IMPACT). IMPACT was created in 2010, and is a large collaborative initiative on the Purdue West Lafayette campus involving multiple key partners across campus including the Office of the Provost, Center for Instructional Excellence (CIE), Information Technologies at Purdue (ITaP), Purdue Libraries, the Discovery Learning Research Center (DLRC), and Purdue Extended Campus (PEC). IMPACT works with instructors to redesign large enrollment, foundational courses with the aim of engaging students more fully in their learning and creating a more student-centered environment, with the expectation that this will improve student …

Impact Flc Schedule, David Nelson, Pat Reid, Clarence Maybee

IMPACT Creative Materials

Schedule of topics for weekly meetings that are part of the semester-long IMPACT Faculty Learning Community (FLC) program.

Impact Flc Syllabus, David Nelson, Pat Reid, Clarence Maybee

IMPACT Creative Materials

Example syllabus for the IMPACT Faculty Learning Community (FLC) that outlines expected outcomes, materials and requirements.

Factors Prospective Students Consider When Selecting An Mba Program, Lorie Plyler Briggs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper adds to existing literature regarding MBA selection processes and helps identify and better understand the needs that motivate consumers to pursue an MBA degree. Through a series of qualitative, one-on-one interviews with 17 brand-new MBA students or prospective students, this research found that while many people have "always wanted" to earn the advanced degree, most have toyed with the idea of a graduate business degree for many years. The most frequent reasons that people cite regarding their decision to seriously consider an MBA at a large southern university centers around four desires. These are, not surprisingly, the desire …

Mapping Dissertation Genre Ecology, Kate Lisbeth Pantelides

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Though the pervasive rumor that the “traditional” dissertation persists because of the “I suffered, so they too should suffer” mentality — the professor revenge theory — students are often the ones eager to pin down writing genres so that they can master them. However, hopes to stabilize and thus capture the secret or equation of the dissertation genre are futile, since genres, like language, are alive: rhetorical, evolving, and flexible. Thus, to demonstrate the contemporary context of the dissertation genre, the conflicting perspectives of university stakeholders, the forces working on the genre to enact change, and the process by which …

Translation, Adaptation And Invariance Testing Of The Teaching Perspectives Inventory: Comparing Faculty Of Malaysia And The United States, Jecky Misieng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As a result of growing attention in cross-cultural research, existing measurement instruments developed in one language are being translated and adapted for use in other languages and cultural contexts. The benefits of having the same instrument across cultures can only be realized if the process of translation and adaptation of the measurement instruments produces measurement operations that function similarly across national and cultural boundaries. Producing invariant measurement instruments that assess educational and psychological constructs provide a way of testing the cross-cultural generality of theories that include these constructs.

The major purposes of the study were to translate and adapt the …

The Relationship Of Undergraduate First-Time-In-College Students' Expectations Of Interactions With Faculty And Four-Year College Degree Completion, Craig N. Story

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Faculty are the academic heart of colleges and universities. They guide learning and facilitate student academic and social integration in the campus community. As described by Tinto, student integration is an important component to success in college. Out-of-class and in-class faculty-student interaction supports student integration and may lead to improved college completion. Students enter college with expectations for what they are about to experience, including expectations for faculty interaction. Smart adapted Holland's vocational choice theory to study college disciplines and found that faculty in six broad categories of disciplines displayed specific environmental and personality traits and interacted differently with students. …