ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Engaging Undergraduates in Soil Sustainability Decision-Making through an InTeGrate Module
Author: Fortner, Sarah K.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Soil Science,Sustainability,Active Learning,Agriculture,Interdisciplinary Approach,Geology,Environmental Education,Community Colleges,Observation,Teaching Methods,Student Attitudes,Experiential Learning,Focus Groups,Instructional Materials,Problem Solving,Essays,Ecology

Continued agricultural productivity hinges on understanding how to manage soil resources. A 2-week undergraduate introductory-level module: &quot;A Growing Concern: Sustaining Soil Resources Through Local Decision Making&quot; was collaboratively developed through the InTeGrate Project. InTeGrate modules and courses engage students in grand challenges of sustainability (e.g., agriculture, water, and climate) using active learning strategies. In &quot;A Growing Concern&quot;, students examine physical and chemical distinctions between intensively managed agricultural landscapes (e.g., conventional tillage) and natural vegetative types. They analyze geospatial and soil profile data to identify how intensive land management threatens soil sustainability. After exploring land practice and climate impacts on soil, they create extension-style fact sheets that provide recommended practices to reduce soil erosion. To maximize accessibility, we piloted the module in three settings: (1) an interdisciplinary Ecological Agriculture course at a Land Grant Institution, (2) a Geology of the Critical Zone course at a 4-y college, and (3) an Introduction to Environmental Science course at a 2-y community college. Classroom observations using the reformed teaching observation protocol revealed that the instructors used reformed teaching practices. Students also commented favorably on the hands-on nature of the module within focus group sessions. All students passed the culminating fact sheet, which was aligned with the rubric used in module development. Students had some difficulty interpreting site-specific geologic data and applying systems thinking. Revisions to instructional materials emphasized local data and greater systems diagramming.
Putting the Deep Biosphere and Gas Hydrates on the Map
Author: Sikorski, Janelle J.
Date: 2016-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Oceanography,Geology,Introductory Courses,Science Instruction,Science Education,College Science,Undergraduate Students,Fuels,Case Studies,Marine Biology,Earth Science

Microbial processes in the deep biosphere affect marine sediments, such as the formation of gas hydrate deposits. Gas hydrate deposits offer a large source of natural gas with the potential to augment energy reserves and affect climate and seafloor stability. Despite the significant interdependence between life and geology in the ocean, coverage of the deep biosphere is generally missing in most introductory oceanography textbooks, so there is a need for instructional materials on this important topic. In response to this need, a course module on the deep biosphere with a focus on gas hydrate deposits was created. The module uses Google Earth (Google, Mountain View, CA) to support inquiry-based activities that demonstrate the interaction of the deep biosphere with geology. The module was tried as both a series of in-class exercises and as an out-of-class assignment in an introductory, undergraduate oceanography course. The students took short, preactivity and postactivity quizzes to determine the effectiveness of the module in improving student knowledge about gas hydrates. The module was effective at increasing student knowledge about the basic environmental and biological controls on the formation of gas hydrates on the seafloor. Students showed a consistently low initial comprehension of the content related to gas hydrates, but most (&gt;80%) of the students increased their quiz scores for all module activities. This module on gas hydrate deposits increases the available teaching resources focused on the deep biosphere for geoscience educators.
A Mixed Methods Approach to Determining the Impact of a Geoscience Field Research Program upon Science Teachers&apos; Knowledge, Beliefs, and Instructional Practices
Author: Luera, Gail
Date: 2016-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Education,Science Instruction,Science Teachers,Earth Science,Mixed Methods Research,Field Experience Programs,Teaching Methods,Teacher Attitudes,Self Efficacy,Focus Groups,Active Learning,Inquiry,Research Methodology,Content Analysis,Place Based Education,Research Projects,Professional Development,Pretests Posttests,Graduate Students,Undergraduate Students,Likert Scales

A mixed methods research approach was used to investigate the impact of a geosciences research institute upon 62 science teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and teaching practices related to teaching the geosciences. Pre- and postinstitute quantitative and qualitative assessments revealed mixed results. Results of a quantitative measure found a statistically significant increase in the teachers' self-reported overall knowledge of the geosciences, knowledge of watersheds, and knowledge of brownfield sites. However, a more specific quantitative instrument that measured watershed knowledge indicated no change except in the teachers' awareness that the water quality in different towns is related. In addition, their science teaching self-efficacy, which was used as a quantitative measure of the teachers' beliefs about teaching science in general, showed a statistically significant decrease. Focus group discussions provided an indication as to why the teachers' self-efficacy decreased, as teachers described numerous barriers that limited their capacity to engage their students in field-based research projects even while noting the benefits of such an experience. Although the study was limited in the ability to measure direct impact on instructional practices, the teachers' perception of their confidence in their capability to use inquiry-based instruction in the classroom showed a statistically significant increase. The discrepant results provide useful information about the complex impact of a professional development experience upon teachers, while identifying possible limitations of the experience and of the assessment measures, as well as providing recommendations for future research.
A Google Earth Grand Tour of the Terrestrial Planets
Author: De Paor, Declan
Date: 2016-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Internet,Geology,Science Education,Simulated Environment,Astronomy,Pretests Posttests,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Teaching Methods,College Students,College Science,Program Effectiveness,Semi Structured Interviews

Google Earth is a powerful instructional resource for geoscience education. We have extended the virtual globe to include all terrestrial planets. Downloadable Keyhole Markup Language (KML) files (Google Earth's scripting language) associated with this paper include lessons about Mercury, Venus, the Moon, and Mars. We created &quot;grand tours&quot; of these bodies, guiding students to explore atmospheres, magnetospheres, landscapes, and interiors. The tours benefited from a study of 364 students in an introductory astronomy class. We compared learning outcomes for students using Google Earth versus static portable document format (PDF) files. In pre- and immediate posttests, there were small but statistically significant (p-value &lt; 0.05) learning gains from the use of Google Earth; however, these did not persist in a long-term follow-up. There may have been insufficient differences between viewing text and images in Google Earth placemark balloons versus identical text and images in a PDF document. Consequently, we revised our tours, adding many more three-dimensional models, draped maps, and movies. We also assembled a table of links to virtual globes for other planets and moons, and a virtual solar system model, thus building a comprehensive teaching resource for introductory lunar and planetary science courses.
Predicting Performance in an Advanced Undergraduate Geological Field Camp Experience
Author: Dykas, Matthew J.
Date: 2016-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Education,Science Instruction,Undergraduate Students,College Science,Geology,Field Experience Programs,Questionnaires,Student Attitudes,Grade Point Average,Student Motivation,Academic Records,Learning Motivation,Measures (Individuals),Academic Ability,Self Concept Measures,Correlation,Factor Analysis,Multiple Regression Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Likert Scales

This study examined the factors that contribute to students' success in conducting geological field work. Undergraduate students (n = 49; 51% female; mean age = 22 y) who were enrolled in the 5-wk State University of New York at Oswego (SUNY Oswego) geology field program volunteered to participate in this study. At the beginning of the field program, students completed a series of questionnaires inquiring about their academic record and their personal attitudes and beliefs. Next, participants completed a continuous series of geological field activities across 35 d in two locations in the northeastern U.S. Finally, multiple instructors independently rated students' field work performance and assigned final field program grades. Findings indicated that factors such as students' cumulative grade point averages and self-perceived preparedness for field work did not predict higher final field program grades. Instead, self-reported indices of motivation, academic self-concept, and self-efficacy predicted those grades. Moreover, evidence emerged that two domain-specific factors--intellectual orientation and achievement orientation--were uniquely associated with students' final field work grades. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of instruction, learning, and professional employment.
Using a Web GIS Plate Tectonics Simulation to Promote Geospatial Thinking
Author: Bodzin, Alec M.
Date: 2016-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Plate Tectonics,Geographic Information Systems,Geographic Location,Geographic Concepts,Simulation,Earth Science,Thinking Skills,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Instructional Materials,Spatial Ability,College Science,Science Education,Science Instruction,Undergraduate Students

Learning with Web-based geographic information system (Web GIS) can promote geospatial thinking and analysis of georeferenced data. Web GIS can enable learners to analyze rich data sets to understand spatial relationships that are managed in georeferenced data visualizations. We developed a Web GIS plate tectonics simulation as a capstone learning activity in an undergraduate Earth Science course that integrated geological and geophysical data sets to allow students to dynamically reconstruct ancient plate motions. To assess the effectiveness of the Web GIS tectonics simulation, all 12 students in the course submitted three artifacts that were assessed with a reliable, criterion-based rubric. The students also completed a survey to assess the effectiveness of the online interface and its capability to promote geospatial thinking. The students preformed quite well on the assignment. The survey results supported that the students perceived the Web GIS tectonics simulation as having helped them think geospatially. Our Web GIS design and embedded capabilities allowed students to advance and confirm their understandings about the tectonics concepts. Student responses indicated that the Web GIS supported their geospatial analysis for making inferences about space, geospatial patterns, and geospatial relationships among the data that were visualized in the Web GIS. Design features that contributed to the successful implementation are discussed.
Reading Achievement and Reading Efficacy Changes for Middle School Students with Disabilities through Blended Learning Instruction
Author: Pace, Jesse R.
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Achievement,Middle School Students,Disabilities,Blended Learning,Reading Instruction,Grade 6,English Instruction,Reading Improvement,Comparative Analysis,Instructional Effectiveness,Special Education,Quasiexperimental Design,Gender Differences,Self Efficacy

This study evaluated the effects of a blended learning instructional experience for sixth-grade students in an English/language arts (ELA) course. Students at two treatment schools participated in a blended learning instructional paradigm, and their ELA test scores were compared to one comparison school that used a face-to-face delivery. Other variables of interest were gender status, disability status, and student reading efficacy. The results of the analysis indicated that no significant changes in reading achievement were found that could be attributed solely to treatment versus comparison, to gender, or to disability status. Perhaps of greater significance to practitioners and researchers is the identification of person and programmatic-level factors that influence adoption and implementation of effective blended instruction. Implications are discussed.
Administrator Work in Leveraging Technologies for Students with Disabilities in Online Coursework
Author: Carter, Richard Allen, Jr.
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Disabilities,Teamwork,Interviews,Documentation,Individualized Education Programs,Content Analysis,Cooperative Planning,Administrators,Special Education,Interaction,Computer Mediated Communication,Case Studies

This article describes a study of online educators' use of technology as part of the accommodations they provided to students with disabilities at their school. Specifically, research focused on four teachers who were members of an interdisciplinary team in a large virtual school program, in a state with established policies regarding online education, and online course work as a requirement for graduation. Data were collected over 4 months in a series of weekly interviews and through a content analysis of stipulated accommodations and modifications in student Individualized Education Program (IEP) documents. The findings of this study indicated (1) providing technologically grounded accommodations and modifications required intensive collaboration with students, parents, and other special education support staff at the virtual school, (2) online teachers struggled to keep up with all of the possible means and methods of enhancing the learning experience and providing accommodations that were stipulated in the IEP while also remaining sensitive to practices and supports that they could provide (using technology that were not mandated), and as a result (3) technology use as part of accommodation was most often relegated to what naturally exists in an online learning environment and is available to all students. The implications of this work are that transferring disability service plans, and IEPs in particular, is no simple matter, and that moving to a technological environment (and the notion that the online environment is inherently accommodating) needs interrogation at every level (practice, research, and policy).
Universal Design for Learning: Scanning for Alignment in K-12 Blended and Fully Online Learning Materials
Author: Basham, James D.
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Instructional Materials,Accessibility (for Disabled),Access to Education,Disabilities,Test Construction,Measurement Techniques

In the process of evaluating online learning products for accessibility, researchers in the Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities concluded that most often consultation guides and assessment tools were useful in determining sensory accessibility but did not extend to critical aspects of learning within the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. To help fill this void in assessment, researchers created the UDL Scan tool to examine online learning products alignment to the UDL framework. This article provides an overview of how accessibility has been historically measured and introduces the need to move beyond the traditional understanding of accessibility to a broader UDL-based lens. With this understanding, a UDL Scan tool was developed and validated to investigate the alignment of online learning content to UDL. This article will present the process of development, the validation, and discuss how the measurements provide critical benchmarks for educators and industry as they adopt new online learning systems.
An Operationalized Understanding of Personalized Learning
Author: Basham, James D.
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Individualized Instruction,Disabilities,Educational Technology,Access to Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Observation,Interviews,Independent Study,Technology Uses in Education,Academic Achievement,Achievement Gains,Educational Environment

As referenced in the Every Student Succeeds Act and the National Educational Technology Plan, personalized learning is the new focus in many K-12 learning environments. Nonetheless, few people understand what personalized learning really means and even fewer can design and implement a personalized learning environment appropriate for all learners, especially learners with disabilities. This 18-month descriptive research study focused on identifying the design characteristics of personalized learning environments and the initial results of these environments. Findings indicate that personalized learning environments require more than technology, that the technology itself is simply a tool to support implementation. These personalized learning environments were highly learner self-regulated, had transparent and actionable near-real-time data, provided various structures for student voice and feedback, and integrated purposeful supports for embedding the principles of Universal Design for Learning at the cornerstone of practice. Personalized learning requires a shift in instructional practice on behalf of both the teacher and the learners. Implications for further research and practice are discussed.
Preparing Special Educators for the K-12 Online Learning Environment: A Survey of Teacher Educators
Author: Smith, Sean J.
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Disabilities,Online Surveys,Special Education Teachers,Teacher Education Programs,Teacher Competencies,Standards,Elementary Secondary Education,Teacher Educators

Pioneering research studies in teacher preparation in online settings have taken place, yet little to no work has been done specifically focused on teacher preparation for special education and learners with disabilities. In the present study, researchers from the Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities conducted a web-based survey of special education teacher preparation faculty to determine the level to which they were attending to online education preparation. The survey was developed with a specific alignment to the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) online teacher standards. The results of this survey pinpoint several areas of need in the preparation of teachers who are will be working in online education and attending to students with disabilities in these settings.
Current Problems in Developing the Natural Resource Potential of the Russian Exclave in the Baltic
Author: Fedorov, Gennady M.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Natural Resources,Geographic Regions,Economic Development,Foreign Countries,Comparative Analysis,Tourism,Industry,Sustainability,Climate,Recreation,Agricultural Production,Geology,Water,Animals,Statistical Analysis

The compact Kaliningrad region boasts relatively favourable environmental conditions and a remarkable diversity of natural resources. This article seeks to compare the natural resources of the exclave and other Russian regions. The authors examine recent statistical data to estimate the region's natural and resource potential, analyse its development in different areas of the economy (agriculture, tourism, extractive industry, etc.), and describe avenues of economic growth based on a more efficient use of the region's potential.
Ion Beam Diagnostics Planar Epitaxial Structures Nanophotonics, Nanoelectronics and Microsystems Technology
Author: Afanasiev, Sergey A.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Spectroscopy,Nuclear Physics,Optics,Molecular Structure,Technology,Science Education,Science Instruction,Radiology,Science Experiments

The background of the study is that the planar film heterostructures are nowadays the most common objects nanophotonic and nanoelectronic technologies. The authors noted that, among such objects found so-called quantum wells, which are formed by a complex series of nanoscale layers are deposited with differing elemental composition, and simple single-layer coatings. Test heterostructure may be polycrystalline or amorphous sequentially deposited layers, but can be provided epitaxial objects. In addition to the interest in the composition, structure and thickness of the layers of heterostructure itself, it is important and knowing the width and the quality of the interlayer boundaries, as well as the presence-absence of their mutual diffuse infiltration. The results of the article is that of the operating experience of experts are usually quite clearly represent technological equipment, what type of heterostructures and the distribution of elemental composition therein can be expected. However, the intended routing is always in need of an objective independent confirmation. For planar nanoheterostructures most effective method of non-destructive testing of the objective distribution of elements over the depth of the target and the presence-absence is epitaxially ion beam diagnostics.
Philosophical Aspects of Global Environmental Issues
Author: Lazutinaa, Tatyana V.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Environmental Influences,Global Approach,Economic Factors,Scientific Literacy,Scientific Principles,Technology,Philosophy,Technological Advancement,Science Instruction,Science Education

The relevance of this paper is determined by understanding of global environmental problems in the context of social ecology. The purpose of this paper is the analysis of main modern environmental global problems created by the equipment representing a public and social basis for the practical transformation of public relations and also the development of ways out of the crisis in culture. The principal approach to a research of this problem is the system approach allowing considering global environmental problems as a system object, and also an axiological approach, applied to the social ecology that promotes understanding of valuable components of relations in the system &quot;person-equipment&quot; and leads to understanding of the personality as a supreme value of culture. It is established that among global environmental problems the special value belongs to problems functioning at the &quot;science-nature&quot; level where the person creating techno-knowledge is a peculiar intermediary between these worlds that allows performing the forecasting of rates of instrument improvement. It leads in turn to the effective application of high technologies and implementation of resource-saving technologies, promoting progressive development of humanity. Materials of this paper can be useful to understanding of the nature of environmental global problems, and as well as development of the way out strategy in the situation of the ecological crisis in a modern civilization.