ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
African-American Literature and &quot;Post-Racial&quot; America. Or, You Know, Not.
Author: Blackwell, Jacqueline A.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: African American Students,Undergraduate Students,African American Literature,Graduate Students,African Studies,Universities,African American History,United States Literature,Poetry,College Faculty,Teacher Attitudes,Community Colleges,Race,United States History

In 1983, when the author began graduate school at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville as the only black student in the Graduate English School, it offered no graduate-level African-American Literature course. Today an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia can major in African-American and African Studies and take courses like African-American Drama, Black Women Writers in America, and Fictions of Black Identity. A graduate student can take her pick of four graduate-level courses: Early African-American Literature, African-American Poetry, Studies in African-American Literature and African-American Literature. Now there are arguments about the &quot;balkanization&quot; of literature, and a graduate student in English Language and Literature at the University of Virginia can take a course in Charles Dickens, Keats, Mark Twain, or Joyce's &quot;Ulysses&quot;. Arguments have begun, even among black scholars, against continuing to teach black literature and/or black history in American universities and colleges. In this article, the author argues that some scholars no longer see the need for African-American literature courses, and this trend may already be reflected on at least one community college campus. She contends that there is no way to get to the &quot;post-racial&quot; part of future history unless one discusses the hard subjects.
Teaching the Research Paper through Inquiry-Based Instruction
Author: Zeek, Sara
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Research Papers (Students),World Problems,Student Research,Writing (Composition),Political Science,Plagiarism,Inquiry,Cooperation,Active Learning,Writing Skills,College Freshmen,Community Colleges,Interdisciplinary Approach,College Faculty

The freshman research paper can be a labor for both the teacher and the student with its many layers of skills and expectations. While academia has moved beyond note cards and simplified documentation models, students continue to get lost in the research process, often to the point that instructors may even wonder if they had been teaching in an alternate reality once they begin grading the finished products. As a dual enrollment instructor for Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) and Botetourt County Public Schools for the past eight years, the author has struggled to make the research process more appealing to her students so that their investment in their final papers is greater and yields more success. Typically educators see the research process as an individual and isolating experience where no one shares ideas or sources to avoid plagiarism. The truth is that students freely share ideas and sources and have become adept at hiding their collaboration from instructors. An interdisciplinary English composition/political science course used inquiry-based learning, technology, collaboration, and a real-world problem to engage students in a memorable project. The author reports that this approach reduces plagiarism, increases the students' research and writing skills as well as their interest, and decreases her workload.
Lessons Learned through the Piedmont Futures Program: Why Career Education Is Important to Student Success
Author: Hughey-Commers, Erin
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Community Colleges,Experiential Learning,Career Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Problem Based Learning,College School Cooperation

Hands-on learning with business professionals is at the heart of the educators' approach with the Piedmont Futures program at Piedmont Virginia Community College. Too often educators provide the answers before students have asked the questions; they create career pathways without providing students with sufficient opportunities to explore which path they want to take. The author participated in her community college's new K-12 career education division as it developed tutoring programs, workshops, and expositions where students could join in hands-on learning sessions with business professionals. The result was a learning experience for everyone involved. Having worked with the Piedmont Futures initiative for nearly four years now, the author has realized how important career education is to student success.
Intrapersonal Intelligence Strategies in the Developmental Writing Classroom
Author: Gleason, Mary Ellen
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Intelligence,Basic Writing,Personal Narratives,Higher Education,Essays,Student Journals,English Instruction,Reflective Teaching

While many of these intelligences can be incorporated into the higher education classroom, intrapersonal intelligence poses some intriguing opportunities in the developmental writing classroom. As an instructor of developmental writing, the author stumbled upon the value of students developing their self-knowledge as an aid in learning to write more fluently and with confidence. The author believes that student writing as a means to making sense of one's experience is inherently utilizing the intrapersonal intelligence. In this article, the author relates how she improved the fluency and voice of her developmental students' writing, as well as their confidence, by utilizing personal narrative essays, reflective journaling, and self-assessment strategies.
Using Gaming to Motivate Today&apos;s Technology-Dependent Students
Author: Petkov, Marin
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,Interaction,Conventional Instruction,Educational Technology,Influence of Technology,Video Games,Educational Games,Blended Learning,Student Motivation,Motivation Techniques,Student Attitudes

In the past several decades, technology has become a big part of American society. It has changed the way people interact with one another as well as how they proceed with everyday life. However, K-12 educational systems have been resistive to change, with most American schools still using traditional instruction in the classroom, consisting mainly of lectures and textbook readings. Lectures are focused on the teacher with minimal student interaction in the discussions. Research has shown that outdated traditional instruction does poorly in motivating the students. However, motivation is a very important factor in academic success. This paper will talk about the use of games in the classroom to increase the students' motivation.
Career and Technical Education Teacher Shortage: A Successful Model for Recruitment and Retention
Author: Wilkin, Thomas
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: High Schools,Teacher Shortage,Skilled Workers,Vocational Education,School Holding Power,Teacher Recruitment,Teacher Persistence,Models,Partnerships in Education,Personnel Management,Educational Trends,Case Studies,Teacher Selection,Program Descriptions,Teacher Education Programs

The role of Career and Technical Education (CTE) as a major source of skilled workers for the American economy and a vital component of American education is well established. Several recent studies show that when CTE programs combine rigorous academic standards and industry-based technical content, the result is higher academic achievement and better economic outcomes for an increasing number of high school students. In spite of the documented successes and achievements of CTE high schools, studies show that many high school programs are faced with serious challenges, not the least of which is the difficulty in attracting qualified CTE subject teachers. This article examined one highly successful CTE teacher recruitment effort in New York that involves the city department of education, the teachers union, and a public university. The article focuses on the key elements of the teacher training program as a model for effective CTE teacher recruitment and retention.
Selected Core Thinking Skills and Cognitive Strategy of an Expert and Novice Engineer
Author: Dixon, Raymond A.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Expertise,Internet,Inferences,Thinking Skills,Engineering,Cognitive Processes,Concept Formation,Design,Protocol Analysis,Engineering Education,Graduate Students,Problem Solving,Comparative Analysis

This exploratory study highlights certain differences in the way an expert and a novice engineer used their analyzing and generating skills while solving a fairly ill-structured design problem. The expert tends to use more inferences and elaboration when solving the design problem and the novice tend to use analysis that is focused on the functional relationship between the parts of the designed component. This difference might be attributable to the mental models or analogies that they generate. The mental representations used by the expert not only allowed him to go beyond merely predicting the performance of his conceptualization, but to also improve his solution by adding additional details that the novice, who because of his limited experience, was unable to add. The findings from this study would suggest that a proper grasp of systems concept is necessary to raise the problems solving ability of students to be reflective of experts. How components interrelate with each other and to the entire system, whether it be a simple or a complex system, are important for students to understand in order to increase their ability to generate conceptual solutions and solve functional issues. (Contains 4 figures and 3 tables.)
Performance and Cognitive Assessment in 3-D Modeling
Author: Fahrer, Nolan E.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Performance Based Assessment,Cognitive Tests,Scores,Differences,Engineering Education,Drafting,Student Evaluation,High School Students,Vocational Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate identifiable differences between performance and cognitive assessment scores in a 3-D modeling unit of an engineering drafting course curriculum. The study aimed to provide further investigation of the need of skill-based assessments in engineering/technical graphics courses to potentially increase accuracy in evaluating students' factual and conceptual knowledge in preparation for the workplace. The study consisted of 92 high school students enrolled in Drafting II-Engineering. Students were administered existing assessment items provided in the 3-D Modeling unit of the Drafting II-Engineering curriculum. The results provided evidence that there were no significant differences between performance and cognitive assessment in the particular unit; however, it is necessary to further develop and implement performance-based assessments in Career &amp; Technical Education that require students to exhibit both skills and knowledge. (Contains 6 figures and 6 tables.)
The STEM Initiative: Constraints and Challenges
Author: Herschbach, Dennis R.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: STEM Education,Scientific Concepts,Educational Philosophy,Curriculum Design,Curriculum Development,Integrated Curriculum,Unified Studies Curriculum,Fused Curriculum,Course Organization,Education Work Relationship,Barriers,Performance Factors,Educational Practices

There is considerable national interest in STEM initiatives, but yet there is little discussion concerning what STEM means in terms of a curriculum concept to be applied to school programming. This article focuses on STEM as a curriculum concept. First, STEM programming is discussed in terms of separate subjects, correlated and broad fields curriculum models. The issue of subject structure is examined. A distinction also is made between the four STEM subjects in terms of formal and applicative uses of knowledge. Second, some practical programming issues are discussed. These include the almost exclusive focus on science and math to the exclusion of technology and engineering; the challenge of serving multiple student populations; and the issue of what to do with the &quot;T&quot; in STEM. A concluding section suggests ways that the STEM initiative can be conceptualized in order to realize its considerable potential to achieve curriculum reformulation. (Contains 2 figures.)
Open Courseware and STEM Initiatives in Career and Technical Education
Author: Asunda, Paul A.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Vocational Education,Courseware,Open Source Technology,STEM Education,Scientific Literacy,Educational Needs,Curriculum Evaluation,Science Activities,Curriculum Enrichment,Technological Advancement,Influence of Technology,Educational Trends,Educational Practices,Science Course Improvement Projects,Stakeholders,Constructivism (Learning)

The past several decades have been times of widespread change in world economies. The 21st century has witnessed scientific technological innovations that have had an impact on almost every sector of our social institutions and the way we do things. To succeed in these changing economies and secure meaningful employment, STEM literacy and education is viewed as a priority. This essay reviews STEM initiatives and curriculums that support integration of Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering in Career and Technical Education (CTE) curriculum. A variety of open course software that can be directed to address different aspects of enriching STEM activities in CTE curricular subjects is presented. (Contains 2 figures.)
A Case Study: Teaching Engineering Concepts in Science
Author: Stricker, David R.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Curriculum Development,Interviews,Scientific Literacy,Teaching Methods,Concept Teaching,Scientific Concepts,Educational Strategies,Engineering Education,High Schools,Secondary School Curriculum,Content Analysis,Curriculum Evaluation,Delivery Systems,Change Strategies,Case Studies,Educational Practices,Teacher Attitudes,Barriers,Performance Factors,Science Course Improvement Projects,Mathematical Concepts,Numeracy

This study was conducted to describe a high school engineering curriculum, identify teaching strategies used to increase math and science literacy, and discover challenges and constraints that occur during its development and delivery, as well as what strategies are used to overcome these obstacles. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the engineering instructor. In addition, students were observed and curriculum documents, teacher lesson plans, and teacher resources were examined. Concepts created the platform for delivery, curricular trial and error was at work, science and engineering competitions were leveraged as a basis for learning activities, and project based learning and teaching was critical. There was a clear emphasis on creative thought and work. Assessment of student learning was dubious and elusive and stakeholders tended to be uneasy with this new pedagogy. Financial and instructional support through business partnership and administrative support were found to be critical strategies used to overcome obstacles identified. (Contains 1 figure.)
High School Engineering and Technology Education Integration through Design Challenges
Author: Mentzer, Nathan
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Technology Education,Engineering Education,Instructional Design,Barriers,Performance Factors,Curriculum Design,Integrated Curriculum,Observation,Content Analysis,Student Projects,Science Course Improvement Projects,Science Activities,Technological Literacy,Unified Studies Curriculum,Interdisciplinary Approach,Portfolio Assessment,High School Students,Engineering Technology

This study contextualized the use of the engineering design process by providing descriptions of how each element in a design process was integrated in an eleventh grade industry and engineering systems course. The guiding research question for this inquiry was: How do students engage in the engineering design process in a course where technology and engineering intersect? Data to address this question were collected during six weeks of observation and discussions with students at a suburban high school of 1500 students. Additional data were obtained from student and teacher generated documents, such as lesson plans, handouts, student journals, reports and presentations. This study assumed six critical elements of engineering design: problem definition, development of solutions, analysis/modeling, experimentation, decision making and teamwork. These six elements of an iterative process were derived from a review of engineering design literature and became a lens through which the classroom learning experiences were viewed. Evident in the observations was the theme of student transition from teacher driven problems with narrow boundaries, to student driven problem definition with wide boundaries. In this research, projects started as small individual activities early in the fall term. As the semester progressed, projects became more complex, and a necessity for teamwork emerged. Each activity in the fall provided students with experience and skills in areas of engineering design and material fabrication. This preparation provided a conceptual and practical foundation for the open-ended spring design challenge. (Contains 4 figures and 2 tables.)
Perceptions of Indiana Parents Related to Project Lead The Way
Author: Werner, Gary
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Engineering Education,High Schools,College Credits,Engineering,Technological Literacy,Scientific Literacy,STEM Education,Parent Attitudes,Science Curriculum,Curriculum Design,Program Implementation,Parent Role,Income,Gender Differences,Educational Attainment,Parent Background,Parents,High School Students,Surveys

The nation's public schools serve as the foundation for preparing a workforce that is literate in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (The National Academies, 2007). In the report, &quot;Rising above the gathering storm: Energizing and employing America for a brighter economic future,&quot; members of The National Academies identified that meaningful and high-wage employment in the new global economy will require technological literacy and engineering skills. The National Academies (2007) stated that Project Lead The Way (PLTW) was the model engineering curriculum to address the nation's technological workforce needs. The purposes of PLTW are to develop technologically literate high school graduates, to generate interest in engineering-related fields, and to encourage high school students to pursue engineering as a career pathway. Currently there is a lack of data related to parents' perceptions of high school engineering education (PLTW) and its effect on their child's career goals. The purpose of this study was to determine the current perceptions of PLTW held by parents of students enrolled in PLTW engineering courses at one Indiana high school. Considering the important role parents play in helping their children prepare for their future, the results of this study provides vital information for PLTW leadership, PLTW teachers, and PLTW students and parents. The study found that parents' perceptions of PLTW had the greatest variation in the understanding of college credit that can be earned for successfully completing PLTW classes. (Contains 9 tables.)
The Three &quot;Faces&quot; of Technology Education
Author: Renfrow, Duane A.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Technology Education,Behavioral Objectives,Educational Objectives,Educational Needs,Career Education,Technical Education,Academic Standards,Industrial Education,High Schools,Curriculum Evaluation,Relevance (Education)

There are three &quot;faces&quot; of Technology Education. What is meant by this? It means that more emphasis should be given to the students who take industrial technology education (ITE) classes at the high school level with less emphasis given to standards, objectives, or outcomes developed by national organizations. Viewed in this light, three different faces, or types of students, can be envisioned as being served by ITE programs. The first face seen is that of a young person wearing safety glasses, a hard hat, and with a pencil behind one ear. The second face is that of a young person wearing safety glasses who is holding an iPod listening to music. The third face is that of a young person wearing safety glasses who is operating a graphing calculator. The purpose of this paper is to identify the three &quot;faces&quot; of ITE, to show how current curriculums address the first and third &quot;faces&quot;, and to suggest how the second &quot;face&quot; should be supported.
An Examination of the Benefits and Costs of Sabbatical Leave for General Higher Education, Industry, and Professional-Technical/Community College Environments
Author: Otto, Linda R.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Community Colleges,Industry,Sabbatical Leaves,Cost Effectiveness,Technical Institutes,College Faculty,Eligibility,Costs,School Policy,Released Time

The purpose of this literature review is to examine the differences in the use of sabbatical leave among the arenas of general higher education, industry, and professional-technical/community college. The purposes and policies applied to sabbatical leave, along with the cost of using sabbatical leave in these three environments are compared and contrasted to determine what similarities and differences exist. The potential benefits of the use of sabbatical leave to enhance organizational commitment are then examined. The result of this review can be used to determine the need for further study of how sabbatical leave might be used in professional-technical and community colleges to the benefit of the faculty, students and organizations.
Learning Styles in Technical Drawing Courses as Perceived by Students in Egypt and Nigeria
Author: Elbitar, Hamdy M.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cognitive Style,Learning Processes,Classification,Measures (Individuals),Validity,Reliability,Foreign Countries,Trade and Industrial Teachers,Technical Education,Teaching Methods,College Faculty,Drafting

Students have unique ways of learning, which may greatly affect the learning process and its outcome. In the process of education, instead of classifying students according to their insufficiency, teachers should try to get to know them and determine their cognitive, sensorial and kinetic characteristics. This study on improving learning style inventory, aims to help technical industrial teachers determine students' attributes in individualized educational activities in technical drawing course at technical/industrial colleges. The study involved four stages: determining the questions for the learning style inventory, preparing the trial inventory, applying the inventory, and determining validity and reliability. Nine experts validated the instruments: four lecturers from the University of Nigeria; Nsukka, Nigeria, and Delta State University; Abraka, Nigeria, while five lecturers and experts validated the instrument in the College of Education, Assiut University; Assiut, Egypt and College of Education, Suez Channel University; Suez, Egypt. The reliability coefficient of 0.92 was determined using students that are not part of the population under study, but registered technical drawing as a common course in College of Technical Education; Beni-Suef University, and University of Nigeria. All the data obtained were analyzed using SPSS (t-test). As a result of the analysis eight factors were determined. (Contains 4 tables.)