ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Incremental Progress: Re-Examining Field Experiences in K-12 Online Learning Contexts in the United States
Author: Archambault, Leanna
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Teacher Education Programs,Elementary Secondary Education,Educational Research,Educational Change,Field Experience Programs,Internet,Questionnaires,Enrollment Trends,Partnerships in Education,Futures (of Society),Program Descriptions,Mixed Methods Research

Despite the call for a transformation of teacher education in the 21st century, surprisingly little has changed. This includes how the practical, hands-on component, known as a field experience is structured. Previous research, conducted in 2010, specifically examining how teacher education programs address K-12 online learning through their field experiences found that only seven programs nationally, or 1.3% of responding programs, offered such an experience. In comparison, the current study found a small expansion that includes 15 programs across nine states, representing 4.1% of responding teacher education programs. Despite being limited, there appears to be slow, targeted growth, particularly in contexts in which partnerships have formed between teacher education programs and K-12 online providers. However, while signs of progress are evident, significant work to move the field forward with respect to K-12 online teacher preparation remains.
A Place-Based Process for Reimagining Learning in the Hawaiian Context
Author: Sang, Kau'i
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cultural Influences,Social Values,Indigenous Knowledge,Culturally Relevant Education,Immersion Programs,Hawaiians,Language Usage,Place Based Education

What would an educational system centered on core Hawaiian values look like? The Office of Hawaiian Education, established by the Hawai'i Department of Education (HIDOE) in 2015, has been exploring this question through a community-based process that differs significantly from typical Western approaches to policymaking. Often, policymakers use a top-down approach to policy formulation and implementation that focuses on outputs, outcomes, and impact. In contrast, Hawai'i's new student outcomes framework emphasizes community and indigenous values, knowledge, and shared ownership. This values-based approach is embedded in every aspect of the Office of Hawaiian Education's work--from the student outcomes framework, to the implementation process, to the way they speak about their work. Hawai'i's unique emphasis on community, adaptability, and teaching to the whole child contains transferrable lessons for other policy efforts and contexts. This article provides reflections from leaders in the Office of Hawaiian Education as they answer questions and review their process in developing a culturally responsive assessment framework rooted in Hawai'i's indigenous context, values, and beliefs.
The Status of Middle and High School Instruction: Examining Professional Development, Social Desirability, and Teacher Readiness for Blended Pedagogy in the Southeastern United States
Author: Parks, Rebecca A.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Secondary Education,Middle Schools,High Schools,Faculty Development,Social Desirability,Readiness,Teacher Attitudes,Blended Learning,Secondary School Teachers,Public School Teachers,Educational Practices,Measures (Individuals),Novices,Knowledge Level,Statistical Analysis,Surveys

Using quantitative methods, the current study addresses the phenomenon of blended learning and the impact of professional development (PD) in blended learning on teacher practice. Two separate but complementary investigations, Oliver's (2013) focus group data for examining Oliver's Framework for Blended Instruction and Parks' (2015) national open-ended survey results, unveiled a common thread, which provided motivation for this study. A purposeful sample of 366 secondary public school teachers located in the Southeastern United States completed the Blended Practice Profile, a self-assessment diagnostic instrument, to measure their practices in blended teaching. Results indicate contradictory data, demonstrating that the majority of participating teachers who self-identify as blended educators actually fell within the novice and emerging range for competency in blended instruction, concluding that blended learning is socially desirable and not fully understood in its entirety. The data illuminate a need for personalized professional development for teachers of blended instruction to meet their specific needs and gaps in understanding of the competencies necessary for effective blended pedagogy. The authors suggest that both formal and informal professional development should model blended instructional practices and techniques that focus on enhancing learning and measure for efficacy to successfully impact and transform blended instruction and behaviors in the classroom with fidelity.
Standards Based Design: Teaching K-12 Educators to Build Quality Online Courses
Author: Quiroz, René E.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Educational Quality,Instructional Design,Faculty Development,Standards,Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Transfer of Training,Outcomes of Education,Student Projects,Teaching Methods,Active Learning,Teacher Competencies,Higher Education,Research Universities,Computer Simulation,Program Descriptions,School Districts,Academic Achievement,Teacher Certification

The number of online courses, programs, and schools are growing exponentially in K-12 education. Given the unique nature of online courses and the distinct skills necessary to create a quality online course, it is essential that effective professional development be provided for teachers designing online courses. Online courses need to be of the same quality as their face-to-face counterparts. Thus, K-12 teachers must learn how to design an online course to meet recognized standards of quality. The current study explored the effects of a professional development model designed to provide an authentic, project- and standards-based experience to K-12 educators. The extent to which teachers designed an online module to meet Quality Matters standards was assessed. Overall, the majority of participants (n = 97) were able to successfully transfer learning to design and develop an online course to meet standards. Areas of concern regarding specific standards are discussed. Recommendations for more rigorous research are suggested to determine the degree to which outcomes are specifically related to the course experience as opposed to outside variables such as learner and instructor characteristics. Results of this study can be used to inform design of effective professional development for online course design.
Credit Recovery in a Virtual School: Affordances of Online Learning for the At-Risk Student
Author: Oliver, Kevin
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: At Risk Students,Repetition,Required Courses,High School Students,Online Courses,Virtual Classrooms,Teacher Surveys,Student Surveys,Program Effectiveness,Comparative Analysis,General Education,Honors Curriculum,Qualitative Research,Likert Scales,Statistical Analysis,Academic Failure,Barriers,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Grades (Scholastic)

This paper summarizes evaluation findings about a high school credit recovery (CR) program as solicited by a statesponsored virtual school in the United States. Student and teacher surveys explained why CR students failed previous instances of face-to-face courses and defined how the online CR model helped these learners overcome both internal issues of self-direction and time management and external issues of teacher support and feedback. Comparisons between the CR course group and general studies and honors course groups suggested several significant differences of interest that were interpreted by qualitative comments and prior research. Comparative data helped to define unique needs of the CR population (e.g., may require added technology and support to participate online), areas of success in the CR program (e.g., CR students report learning more online), and areas for expansion in CR courses (e.g., may benefit from added collaborative, project-based work).
The Future Is Performance Assessment
Author: French, Dan
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Performance Based Assessment,Accountability,Standardized Tests,Public Opinion,Educational Change,Student Evaluation,National Surveys,Educational Improvement,Public Schools,Equal Education,Achievement Gap,Alternative Assessment,Educational Trends,Trend Analysis

As more people question the value of standardized testing, the public appetite for a change in the accountability system grows. A 2016 national survey found that &quot;voters consider standardized tests the least important factor in measuring the performance of students,&quot; preferring instead to have a multiple-measures data dashboard of student progress (McLaughlin &amp; Associates 2016). In an annual national poll on attitudes toward public schools, 64 percent of respondents stated there was too much emphasis on testing, and testing was ranked dead last on a list of what is most important as a strategy for improving public schools (PDK International 2015). Transitioning to performance assessments as a measure of student learning has equity at its center, with the goal of enabling a greater diversity of students to demonstrate proficiency in what they know and are able to do. More research is needed on the impact of performance assessments on student learning. With an ever diversifying student enrollment, going down the path of promise rather than continuing to use a system that suppresses creative learning and perpetuates wide gaps in achievement by group seems like the best solution. This article also includes a &quot;Perspective&quot; entitled &quot;A Foundation's View on the Importance of Performance Assessment&quot; by Nick C. Donohue (president and CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation).
Value-Added in a Virtual Learning Environment: An Evaluation of a Virtual Charter School
Author: Lueken, Martin
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Virtual Classrooms,Charter Schools,Electronic Learning,Online Courses,Distance Education,Elementary School Students,Middle School Students,Value Added Models,School Effectiveness,Student Characteristics,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Standardized Tests,Minority Group Students,Special Needs Students,High Achievement,Low Achievement,Public Schools

This paper evaluates an online charter school that serves children in grades K-8 in a southern state in the United States. We compare growth in math and literacy learning on state standardized assessments between students enrolled in this school and &quot;matched twin&quot; students enrolled in traditional public school students statewide each year from 2010 to 2012. We also examine the impact of the school subgroups that include minorities, students with special needs, and students in the bottom and top quartiles within their schools. We then use propensity score matching to match students who enrolled in the online school at least three consecutive years with an individually matched comparison group of public school students and estimate the differential value-added in math and literacy between the two groups. We find evidence of negative transition effects in the first year for students who enroll in the online school. These effects, however, dissipate after the first year and, in some instances, turn positive.
Adult Offenders' Perceptions of Rehabilitation Programs in Africa
Author: Ngozwana, Nomazulu
Date: 2017-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Criminals,Rehabilitation Programs,Adult Education,Qualitative Research,Observation,Focus Groups,Program Effectiveness,Motivation,Participation,Institutionalized Persons,Correctional Institutions,Semi Structured Interviews

This article reflects on adult offenders' perceptions of rehabilitation programs in Africa. It also evaluates whether offenders are consulted when planning rehabilitation programs. Adult education principles were used as a lens to understand offenders' perceptions of rehabilitation programs. Using an interpretive paradigm and qualitative approach, individual interviews, observations and focus group meetings were held with offenders and other participants who were chosen through purposive and snowball sampling. Qualitative data analysis was used to generate the themes from the data. The findings revealed that rehabilitation programs are ineffective and imposed on offenders. Furthermore the data revealed that offenders see themselves as hard- labour while participating in rehabilitation programs. This has an implication for offenders' rehabilitation and reintegration into their societies as transformed citizens.
Evaluating Continued Use of an Online Teacher Professional Development Program with a Sustained Implementation Scale
Author: Rasmussen, Clay L.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Faculty Development,Online Courses,Program Effectiveness,Scores,Comparative Analysis,Instructional Materials,Grounded Theory,Online Surveys,Teacher Attitudes,Weighted Scores,Teaching Experience,Program Descriptions,Active Learning,Curriculum Implementation,Elementary School Teachers,Multiple Regression Analysis,Individual Development

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a teacher professional development (PD) program as measured by the extent that participants have continued to use lessons and materials up to three years after the PD experience. The PD was delivered online and structured by five key characteristics of effective PD. A causal-comparative analysis of 65 participants of the Food, Land, and People (FLP) PD was performed using a sustained implementation scale (SIS). Participants completed an online survey answering certain demographic variables and indicating the number of lessons and activities they had used from the FLP PD. The SIS model was used to create weighted FLP use scores and compare participants within each group. Results suggest participants continued to use PD materials up to three years after the PD. Further analysis found significance between SIS scores and years of teaching experience. Results suggest that the FLP PD program was effective in obtaining long-term continued use of materials.
Design and Enactment of Online Components during Four Blended Learning Courses
Author: Wayer, Nicola
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Blended Learning,Online Courses,Course Organization,Secondary School Teachers,Models,Curriculum Design,Curriculum Development,Curriculum Implementation,Fidelity,Algebra,Biology,Health Education,Physical Education,English,Content Analysis,Course Content,Faculty Development,Case Studies,Statistical Analysis

This study investigated the ways in which four K-12 teachers, following professional development in blended learning, designed the online portion of their blended learning courses and how these online components were ultimately enacted with students. Specifically, the study investigates what kind of content, resources, or activities were developed online; how content, resources, or activities were enacted with students; and how blended learning practices differed across content areas. Findings revealed that the online components of these courses varied in how much they were enacted as designed; levels of online student activity; the amount of control students had over time, place, path, and/or pace; and whether the online components were oriented towards learning from technology or learning with technology.
A Call to Action for Research in Digital Learning: Learning without Limits of Time, Place, Path, Pace…or Evidence
Author: Cavanaugh, Cathy
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Research,Electronic Learning,Teaching Methods,Educational Trends,Trend Analysis,Instructional Effectiveness,Communities of Practice,Computer Software,Instructional Design,Educational Technology

This essay is a call for rethinking our approach to research in digital learning. It plots a path founded in social trends and advances in education. A brief review of these trends and advances is followed by discussion of what flattened research might look like at scale. Scaling research in digital learning is crucial to advancing understanding as digital learning quickly becomes mainstream (Watson, Pape, Murin, Gemin, &amp; Vashaw, 2014) and as learning environments and pedagogies shift rapidly. Educators and leaders need more current and detailed insights into effective practice as education becomes more personalized (Kennedy, Freidhoff, &amp; DeBruler, 2014).
How 7th Grade Students Are Using Resources for Learning in an Online Science Course
Author: Schafer-Mayse, Diane L.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grade 7,Middle School Students,Online Courses,Mixed Methods Research,Metacognition,Correlation,Cognitive Style,Science Instruction,Multimedia Instruction,Thinking Skills,Educational Resources,Interviews,Surveys,Student Attitudes,Intervention,Independent Study,Learning Strategies,Validity,Interrater Reliability

In this study, 7th grade students were observed completing a series of lessons in an online science course to explore their thinking and strategies for: (1) using curriculum resources for learning, (2) developing thinking and strategies for self-assessing &quot;assessment readiness,&quot; and (3) exploring the relationship between resource use and student grade in science, end-of-lesson assessment score, and student learning style. A convergent-parallel mixed methods research design was used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data in the same phase of this study, in order to merge the results and gain a greater understanding of student learning in the online environment. Observations of students completing lessons online, survey, and interview data were collected. Qualitative results indicate that students demonstrated various levels of metacognitive strategy use in choosing online curriculum resources and in determining their readiness for lesson assessment. Quantitative results indicated that resource use was higher for multi-media learning resources and lower for notes-based resources. Use of at least 70% of lesson resources overall showed a relationship with a higher student grade in science and higher end-of-lesson assessment score. Student learning style showed mixed results related to resource use. Continued mixed-methods research observing student learning in the online environment is needed to better understand the individual student experience of learning online, and to inform specific interventions within the online learning environment to support learning as students transition into more effective self-directed learners.
Listening to the Teachers: Using Weekly Online Teacher Logs for ROPD to Identify Teachers' Persistent Challenges When Implementing a Blended Learning Curriculum
Author: Riel, Jeremy
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Blended Learning,Curriculum Implementation,Barriers,Middle School Teachers,Social Studies,Computer Mediated Communication,Teacher Student Relationship,Curriculum Development,Self Management,Teacher Expectations of Students,Behavioral Objectives,Technology Uses in Education,Usability,Faculty Development,Qualitative Research,Diaries

Curricular interventions that embed blended learning technologies and pedagogies should support teachers' everyday practice. However, teachers' perspectives of what is happening &quot;in the trenches&quot; are often not systematically considered when evaluating curriculum and PD goals. Responsive online teacher professional development (ROPD) programs afford teachers and instructional designers with opportunities to collaborate on implementation. But in order for ROPD to be effective, curriculum coaches need to know what challenges teachers are facing. In this study, the researchers performed a qualitative inductive analysis to systematically identify and document challenges that teachers faced during the implementation of a blended learning curriculum. 56 middle school social studies teachers who implemented a new blended learning curriculum called GlobalEd 2 (GE2) completed 442 weekly online teacher logs, from which the researchers identified challenges that continued to persist for the teachers. The researchers identified 6 themes of challenges that persisted for teachers, divided into 18 sub-categories. These themes and sub-categories empirically provide a useful taxonomy and rich descriptions of the challenges that teachers commonly face in blended learning. In addition, the method developed in this study is a useful model for future ROPD programs to solicit feedback from teachers during an implementation of ROPD.
Threshold Concepts in the Development of Problem-Solving Skills
Author: Wismath, Shelly
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Problem Solving,Puzzles,Science Education,Theory Practice Relationship,Fundamental Concepts,Transformative Learning,Skill Development,Likert Scales,College Students,Concept Teaching,Student Behavior,Cognitive Style,Observation,Qualitative Research

Problem-solving skills are often identified as a key component of 21st century education. This study collected data from students enrolled in a university-level Liberal Education science course called &quot;Problems and Puzzles,&quot; which introduced students to the theory and practice of problem solving via puzzles. Based on classroom observation and other qualitative data collected over three semesters, we have identified three significant changes in student behaviour at specific points in the course. These changes can be posited to reveal three underlying threshold concepts in the evolution and establishment of students' problem-solving skills.
Smart Schools an Innovation in Education: Malaysian's Experience
Author: Mirzajani, Hassan
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Technology Integration,Cross Cultural Studies,Documentation,Web Sites,Electronic Publishing,Cultural Differences,Foreign Countries,Access to Computers,Internet,Teacher Role,Barriers,Elementary Secondary Education

According to the new environment created by the information period, training and learning new skills are being inevitable. Retraining the skills of group working to coordinate the information age has created special conditions for education. Smart schools are one of the strategies adopted by schools in response to today's modern needs. Smart schools are active for entrepreneurship, using modern methods to improve the quality of education, and training qualified people who at any time have the capability and efficiency of modern industry. The purpose of this study, is the use of ICT in Malaysian Smart School and comparing it with the Smart Schools in Iran. To conduct this study, library, documents, Web sites and electronic journals are available. The results of this study show that although there are significant differences between the education system and deployment of ICT in Iran with the standards in smart schools in leading countries like Malaysia, according to the original development of smart schools in Iran which has been adapted from Malaysia, recognizing the realities of this action in Malaysia, can be effective in the development of schools in the country and prevent indiscriminate development.