ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Engineering Education for Generation Z
Author: Moore, Kevin
Date: 2017-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Engineering Education,Generational Differences,Student Needs,College Faculty,Educational History,Educational Change,Enrollment Trends,Teaching Methods

Generation Z is gaining popularity as the name used to refer to those born beginning in the mid to late 1990s. This is the generation that follows the Millennials, and they are just starting to arrive on college campuses. Much attention has been paid to Millennials and their impact on society, and because of this Generation Z members are often lumped together with this older cohort. But Generation Z students are unique, and universities and colleges must prepare to meet the challenges of instructing this new generation. Engineering educators in particular are being challenged to adapt to the speed of technological change. Faculty must consider how to adjust to this new environment, including the changing needs and expectations of Generation Z students. This paper explores these topics. The first section will explore the concept of a generation and describe some of the attributes associated with Generation Z. The second section will review the development of engineering education in the United States and some of the major reforms that have occurred in the past 100 years. The last section will discuss potential changes in the classroom to try and address some of the characteristics of Generation Z students.
Measuring Learners&apos; Attitudes toward Team Projects: Scale Development Through Exploratory And Confirmatory Factor Analyses
Author: Chyung, Seung Youn
Date: 2017-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Engineering Education,Student Attitudes,Teamwork,Student Projects,Active Learning,Factor Analysis,Undergraduate Students,Student Surveys,Problem Solving,Capacity Building,Attitude Measures,Teaching Methods,Maximum Likelihood Statistics,Statistical Analysis

Team projects are increasingly used in engineering courses. Students may develop attitudes toward team projects from prior experience, and their attitudinal responses could influence their performance during team project-based learning in the future. Thus, instructors need to measure students' attitudes toward team projects during their learner analysis to better understand students' characteristics and be proactive in providing effective strategies to help students succeed in a team project environment. The purpose of our study was to develop a survey instrument that measures students' attitudes toward team projects to be used as a learner analysis tool, derived from our local practical needs and due to the lack of appropriate existing instruments. The study was conducted at a mid-sized university in the northwestern United States during 2015-2016. After we generated an initial pool of 50 items, we administered the survey to 225 undergraduate engineering students, performed exploratory factor analysis on the data, and arrived at a four-factor solution of 20 items and a three-factor solution of 14 items. We tested the two competing solutions with another set of 330 undergraduate engineering students. Based on our confirmatory factor analysis results, we arrived at a three-factor model of 12 items as the finalized scale, which measures: (a) professional capacity building, (b) learning and problem-solving skills development, and (c) workload challenges. We call the scale, the Attitudes toward Team Projects Scale on Capacity, Learning, and Workload (ATPS-CLW). Suggestions for future research include continuous development, testing, and validation of the scale.
Using the System of Least Prompts to Teach Personal Hygiene Skills to a High School Student with Comorbid Visual Impairment and Autism Spectrum Disorder
Author: Probst, Kristi M.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Visual Impairments,High School Students,Autism,Pervasive Developmental Disorders,Prompting,Hygiene,Daily Living Skills,Program Implementation,Workshops,Coaching (Performance),Males,Fidelity,Skill Development,Special Education Teachers,Paraprofessional School Personnel,Scores,Teamwork,Observation,Video Technology,Intervention

Introduction: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a workshop and follow-up coaching sessions on the implementation of the system of least prompts procedure by classroom team members and explored whether this intervention resulted in personal hygiene skill acquisition by a male high school student with comorbid visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder. Methods: Implementation fidelity data were analyzed descriptively through visual analysis. A multiple baseline design across behaviors was utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of the system of least prompts procedure on student skill acquisition. Results: Implementation fidelity was high and increased over the course of the study: paraeducator 1: 93.9% (range, 70 to 100%); paraeducator 2: 78.2% (range, 11 to 90%); and special education teacher: 94.1% (range, 35 to 100%). In addition, the student's independent performance improved from baseline to intervention across each targeted skill, with Tau-U scores as follows: cleaning the augmentative and alternative communication device: 0.78; washing hands: 0.76; and brushing teeth: 0.92. Classroom team members found both the training procedures and the system of least promptsintervention to be of value and effective. Discussion: During intervention, classroom team members implemented the system of least prompts with fidelity and the student mastered each skill. These results are promising and add to the significantly limited literature on instructional interventions for students with comorbid visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder. Implications for practitioners: Classroom team members can effectively be taught to use the system of least prompts with students with comorbid visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder. Furthermore, the intervention might be used to increase independent functioning for students with these comorbid conditions
Women in Engineering: Insight into Why Some Engineering Departments Have More Success in Recruiting and Graduating Women
Author: Bossart, Jean
Date: 2017-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Females,Engineering Education,Undergraduate Students,Majors (Students),Disproportionate Representation,Graduation Rate,Gender Differences,Comparative Analysis,Regression (Statistics),Academic Persistence,Student Recruitment,Trend Analysis,Educational Trends

Universities across the United States (U.S.) are perplexed as to why fewer women than men study engineering and why even fewer complete the curriculum and earn an undergraduate degree in engineering. The percentage of undergraduate engineering degrees awarded annually to women in the U.S. since 2000 has remained relatively constant at around 20%. However, some engineering disciplines have had much greater success in graduating women, with some programs awarding 50% or more of their bachelor's degrees to women. The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of why women preferred certain engineering disciplines over others. Up to 17 years of undergraduate engineering department data from the University of Florida (UF) and national averages from the National Science Foundation (NSF) were reviewed to evaluate graduation rates for women in engineering. The total number of graduates at the undergraduate level were compared to the number of undergraduates who identified themselves as women. Linear regression of the data was used to identify trends. In the last 17 years, there has been little change in the overall percentage of women engineering undergraduates, but there is a great disparity between the engineering disciplines. Women earn larger proportions of undergraduate degrees in engineering disciplines where they perceive a societal benefit. How can engineering departments improve their enrollment and retention of women? One way is by providing early-on specific real life examples of how engineers solve society's most challenging problems.
Bridging the Gap between Physical Therapy and Orientation and Mobility in Schools: Using a Collaborative Team Approach for Students with Visual Impairments
Author: Szabo, Joanne
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Visual Impairments,Physical Therapy,Visually Impaired Mobility,Interdisciplinary Approach,Allied Health Personnel,Specialists,Special Education,Core Curriculum,Public Schools,Special Schools,Multiple Disabilities,Disabilities,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Equal Education,Educational Cooperation

This article explores transdisciplinary collaboration and role-release strategies that would allow physical therapists and orientation and mobility (O&amp;M) specialists to more effectively support students with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) and additional disabilities with their expanded core curriculum (ECC) goals. Through examining public and specialized school special education documentation for 20 school-aged students, the authors seek to better understand current practice patterns of both O&amp;M and physical therapy professionals who are working with students who are visually impaired with additional disabilities, and suggest ways in which educational team members from both disciplines can work together toward common goals for their students.
The Significance of Specialist Teachers of Learners with Visual Impairments as Agents of Change: Examining Personnel Preparation in the United Kingdom through a Bioecological Systems Theory
Author: McLinden, Mike
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Visual Impairments,Specialists,Teacher Education Programs,Case Studies,Models,Foreign Countries,Holistic Approach,Student Needs,Classroom Techniques,Influences,Teacher Responsibility,Teacher Qualifications,Teacher Competencies,Educational Environment,Educational Policy,Financial Support

Introduction: The unique challenges to learning and participation in education associated with visual impairment are well documented in the literature, as is the importance of addressing these challenges through ensuring practitioners who support them are equipped with appropriate knowledge, understanding, and skills. We use a bioecological systems theory as a lens through which to examine the personnel preparation of vision specialist teachers to act as agents of change. We draw on the different teacher preparation programs for specialist teachers of learners with visual impairments in the United Kingdom to demonstrate how this theory can be applied. Methods: We use a bounded case study to bring together the respective teacher preparation programs in the UK in order to demonstrate complementary characteristics of the theoretical model proposed. Results and discussion: We argue that a bioecological systems theory offers a holistic framework for educators involved in personnel preparation to explicitly engage with vision specialist teachers in their role as potential agents of change. This preparation includes developing distinctive knowledge, understanding, and skills to facilitate learner participation in education through promoting &quot;progressive&quot; and &quot;mutual&quot; accommodation between the active learner and the changing learning environments in order to achieve successful outcomes. Implications for practitioners: The article is original in applying a bioecological systems theory to the preparation of these specialist teachers, with a focus on their role as agents of change. We argue that it has significance, therefore, for practitioners and researchers concerned with the personnel preparation of other practitioners for learners with distinctive educational needs across national contexts and settings.
Enriching Doctoral-Level Preparation Programs through a Nationwide Consortium Model: The National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities
Author: Kruemmling, Brooke
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Doctoral Programs,Consortia,National Programs,Visual Impairments,Leadership,Special Education,Hearing Impairments,Universities,Stakeholders,Enrichment Activities,Graduate Students,Program Effectiveness,Capacity Building

The National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities (NLCSD) trained doctoral scholars at universities across the United States to increase the number and quality of professionals specializing in educating children with sensory disabilities. NLCSD produced 40 new doctorates and created a community of learners comprised of scholars, faculty, and leaders in policy and advocacy.
Selecting Top-of-the-Class Teachers for an Alternative Principal Preparation Program
Author: Mallory, Barbara J.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Administrator Education,Nontraditional Education,Qualitative Research,Student Recruitment,Admission Criteria,Public School Teachers,College School Cooperation,Partnerships in Education,School Districts,Universities,Semi Structured Interviews,Administrators,Identification

In an attempt to improve training and development of principals, the General Assembly in North Carolina established a competitive grant program to transform the way principals are certified. This qualitative study aimed to inform principal preparation practices by examining the initial, critical steps of recruitment, screening, and selection of candidates to enroll in a non-traditional, university-based program. The grant that funded the principal preparation program specified that program providers partner with school districts to tap top tier educators to enroll as principal trainees. In this study, public school district partners conducted the recruitment and initial screening of aspiring candidates internally. Through interviews of district leaders and scrutiny of documents associated with recruitment, screening, and selection, the researchers of this study found that the multi-tiered process of recruiting, screening, and selection worked effectively. The challenges of a university-school district partnership are presented as lessons learned. Findings are discussed in terms of recommendations for universities and school districts as to how to work collaboratively, as well as some pitfalls to avoid to make the process equitable and fair to emerging leaders in public schools.
Improving Observation and Practicum Experiences for a Preservice Teacher with Visual Impairment through the Use of Assistive Technology
Author: Lima, Jonathan M.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Specialists,Visual Impairments,Observation,Practicums,Assistive Technology,Video Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Interviews,Student Attitudes,Program Effectiveness,Audio Equipment

This article describes and evaluates a technological approach to support a preservice teacher of visually impaired students with extremely low vision to conduct essential assessments for a learner with multiple disabilities and visual impairment with limited distraction to the child and classroom. The selected technology discussed here was purchased with funds provided by a departmental grant, but it would be relatively affordable to an individual living on the average salary of a teacher working in the United States. In addition, as the demand for streaming sports cameras and tablets rises, basic economics indicate that the cost of such items should continue to reduce. Experimental research is needed to address whether the technology described in this paper can be used to decrease distractions and increase the quality of assessments completed by teachers of students with visual impairments who are visually impaired themselves. Concurrently, other uses of live-streaming video and bug-in-ear communication could prove beneficial for other pre-service or professional teachers with visual impairments who may need assistance in working with learners with or without visual impairments and with or without additional disabilities for assessment, classroom management, or academic instruction.
Community Mentors: The Perspectives of Working Adults with Visual Impairments
Author: Hong, Sunggye
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mentors,Visual Impairments,Adults,Interviews,Teacher Education Programs,Graduate Students,School Community Relationship,Program Descriptions,Program Effectiveness,Teacher Certification

Although most teachers of students with visual impairments spend time in internships prior to teaching, they often begin teaching without firsthand contact with capable adults who have visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision). As a result, they may be unfamiliar with the daily planning and adaptation undertaken by those adults. To provide future teachers with an understanding of adult experiences, The University of Arizona's program to prepare teachers of students with visual impairments requires each graduate student to spend time with a community mentor who is visually impaired. This Research Report describes the first phase of outcome analysis for the project, based on interviews with 17 community mentors.
Graduate Student Perspectives of Interdisciplinary and Disciplinary Programming for Teaching Development
Author: Bishop-Williams, Katherine E.
Date: 2017-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Graduate Students,Student Attitudes,Interdisciplinary Approach,Online Surveys,Focus Groups,Statistical Analysis,Educational Benefits,Foreign Countries,Faculty Development,Qualitative Research

Interdisciplinary (i.e., university-wide programming) and disciplinary (i.e., programming open to participants from one college or department) teaching development programs for graduate students have been used for many years in higher education. Currently, research on the benefits of these teaching models remains scant in terms of a contextualized understanding, and empirical studies are needed. The purpose of this study was to determine graduate students' perspectives related to interdisciplinary and disciplinary teaching and learning experiences. Two online surveys were used: a quantitative survey and a qualitative follow-up survey. Three participatory focus groups were also conducted to allow for further in-depth exploration in both an interdisciplinary and disciplinary group setting that represented seven distinct colleges. Statistical and thematic analyses were conducted with survey responses, and thematic analyses were conducted on focus group data. Similar themes emerged from the survey and focus group data identifying perceived benefits of participation in either interdisciplinary or disciplinary teaching development. Respondents' perceived benefits were related to: (a) becoming a better teacher; (b) social learning; and (c) that while the perceived benefits of the models vary, the outcomes of both experiences are shared. The lived experiences of these graduate students expand the characterization of interdisciplinary and disciplinary programming. This study points to the need for graduate student programs--specifically teaching development offered by educational development units--to provide both interdisciplinary and disciplinary teaching development opportunities that achieve a blend of benefits for learners.
Designing and Evaluating Students&apos; Transformative Learning
Author: Namaste, Nina B.
Date: 2017-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Transformative Learning,Instructional Design,Cultural Awareness,Study Abroad,Skill Development,Cognitive Processes,Multicultural Education,Assignments,Scoring Rubrics,Foreign Countries

Transformative learning hinges on navigating cognitive dissonance; thus, intercultural competency assignments and experiences need to be integrated into study abroad/away courses to help students process and make sense of the cognitive dissonance such an experience provides. Assignments, therefore, need to consciously and intentionally triangulate learning by addressing the read (course readings), the lived/observed (conversations, interactions, activities, excursions, observations about public portrayals of culture, etc.), and the compared (home culture vs. host culture). The hope is to improve students' experiences so that semesters abroad are consistently deep, enriching, and intellectual as opposed to simply an extended tourist sojourn. This article documents the process by which I designed for and assessed, via an in-depth analysis of students' texts/writings, students' transformation of their intercultural competency skills and development. In addition, I compared students' works from two differing semesters to evaluate whether transformation in intercultural competency is inherent in the nature of study abroad or must be explicitly taught and cultivated. My Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) project corroborated the almost ten years of research that confirm our fears: exposure to another culture is not enough; studying and living abroad does not necessarily lead to increased intercultural learning. Meaningful, integrative, &quot;learning-laden,&quot; and transformative study abroad experiences hinge on students' ability to make sense of cognitive dissonance. Intercultural competency assignments, therefore, need to be fully and intentionally designed and integrated into such experiences, and evaluated to document such growth.
Redefining Roles of Vision Professionals in Education and Rehabilitation
Author: Siu, Yue-Ting
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Rehabilitation,Visual Impairments,Special Education Teachers,Blindness,Braille,Instructional Materials,Assistive Technology,Accessibility (for Disabled),Physical Environment,Pedestrian Traffic,Orientation,Visually Impaired Mobility,Daily Living Skills,Travel Training,Physical Disabilities

Over the last decade, many innovations have significantly changed the classroom. As a result, the authors believe the roles of vision professionals, primarily teachers of students with visual impairments, orientation and mobility (O&amp;M) specialists, and braille transcribers, have likewise changed drastically in that time period. Although the core mission of these professionals remains advancing the independence and capabilities of individuals who are visually impaired (that is, those who are blind or have low vision), the scope of practice in the field of visual impairment has undergone shifts that require the attention of fellow practitioners and professional training programs. This thought piece is a result of observations from the field and discussions with fellow colleagues and stakeholders who are visually impaired, including a focused discussion held with attendees of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) conference in the summer of 2016. This paper is not intended to reflect a stance but rather to open a discussion on updating professionals' roles within the field of educational and rehabilitative vision services. More specifically, addresses changes to the tools used to accomplish the mission of the field of visual impairment, the way its professionals instruct students and train future personnel, and the professional linkages that must be forged for members of the field of visual impairment to be successful in their work. Some of the principal changes discussed in this paper include: (1) the effect of ubiquitous computing on daily living and learning experiences; (2) the increased prevalence of multimedia in the classroom and community; (3) advancements in delivery options for accessible educational materials; (4) changes in the built environment (both physical and digital); and (5) the need for more transdisciplinary collaborations, including partnerships in the design, technology, engineering, and architecture fields.