ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
A Capabilities Based Critique of Gutmann's Democratic Interpretation of Equal Educational Opportunity
Author: DeCesare, Tony
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Democratic Values,Elementary Education,Role of Education,Equal Education,Educational Opportunities,Citizenship Education,Educational Philosophy,Freedom,Outcomes of Education,Criticism

One of Amy Gutmann's important achievements in &quot;Democratic Education&quot; is her development of a &quot;democratic interpretation of equal educational opportunity.&quot; This standard of equality demands that &quot;all educable children learn enough to participate effectively in the democratic process.&quot; In other words, Gutmann demands that all children attain essential democratic learning outcomes up to a specified threshold. Gutmann's emphasis on equalizing outcomes up to this threshold reflects her commitment to primary education's role in promoting political equality. Indeed, for Gutmann &quot;'equality' means political equality.&quot; Her democratic interpretation of equal educational opportunity is specifically meant to ensure that all children, as future citizens, are prepared for political participation. This is not to suggest that Gutmann's thinking about equality cannot be--or has not been--usefully extended to the non-political aspects of education, but in light of recent and increasing concern over political inequality in the United States and new proposals for how civic or democratic education can help to reduce such inequality, it seems like a particularly relevant time for revisiting Gutmann's interpretation of equality in its original context. This paper attempts to do so by offering a critique of Gutmann's thinking about equality in democratic education. The author argues that Gutmann focuses too intently on democratic learning outcomes and does not consider carefully enough children's opportunities (more precisely, their effective opportunities or real freedoms, that is, their &quot;capabilities&quot;) to be educated for democracy. Being attentive to children's capabilities to be educated for democracy helps us to identify significant inequalities in children's educational experiences--inequalities that are often missed by evaluations of learning outcomes or formal learning opportunities.
Development of an Evidence-Based Professional Learning Program Informed by Online Teachers' Self- Efficacy and Threshold Concepts
Author: Gosselin, Kevin P.
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Faculty Development,Evidence Based Practice,Self Efficacy,Fundamental Concepts,Electronic Learning,College Faculty,Mixed Methods Research,Case Studies,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Interviews

As online education continues to expand across varied educational sectors, so does the demand for professional development programs to guide academic teaching staff through the processes of developing their capacities to design and teach online courses. To meet these challenges at one higher education institution, a mixed methods research study was implemented to identify the professional learning needs of academic teaching staff for the purposes of developing a tailor-made professional development program. The principles of self-efficacy and threshold concepts were used to inform the design of the study. Data were systematically gathered from the participants to determine self-efficacy, concerns, and questions and experiences of academic teaching staff with online teaching. Findings revealed that academic staff held threshold concepts, skills and attitudes about online teaching. Three groups of staff were identified, all with varying forms of professional development requirements. This case study account demonstrates how an evidence-based project provided the basis for a research-informed institutional professional development program that is currently guiding academic staff through their development as online course designers and teachers.
A Study of Faculty Governance Leaders' Perceptions of Online and Blended Learning
Author: Ciabocchi, Elizabeth
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Governance,College Faculty,Attitude Measures,Leadership,Leaders,Surveys,Colleges,Interviews,Online Courses,Blended Learning,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Institutional Characteristics,Likert Scales

This article reports the findings of a study on the perceptions of faculty governance leaders to online and blended learning. For the purposes of this study, faculty governance was defined as formally established bodies in colleges and universities such as senates, councils, and collective bargaining organizations that are affiliated with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). While there have been many studies on the perceptions of students, faculty, and administrators, there has been very little research on the perceptions of faculty governance leaders who hold critical positions in colleges and universities. Governance leaders are at the crux of approval processes that influence the development of curricula, faculty personnel policies, and academic programs, all of which can impact the implementation of online and blended learning initiatives. The research methodology for this study included a survey sent to a sample of governance leaders at U.S. institutions of higher education and follow-up phone interviews or email correspondence with a small number of volunteers. The sample was identified using an American Association of University Professors (AAUP) membership list. The results of this study provide important new information on the perceptions of this influential group of leaders on matters related to online and blended learning.
Accountability for Students in K-12 Online Learning: Perspectives from Michigan Stakeholders and Beyond
Author: Archambault, Leanna
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,Accountability,Stakeholders,Online Courses,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,State Legislation,School Choice,Distance Education,Semi Structured Interviews,Coding,Qualitative Research

Policy surrounding K-12 online learning continues to evolve as the field grows exponentially. In Michigan, Section 21f of the State School Aid Act enacted in 2013 strengthened parents' and students' ability to request online courses: &quot;A student enrolled in a district in any of grades 6 to 12 is eligible to enroll in an online course as provided for in this section.&quot; The passing of 21f raised concerns around accountability in a choice environment. Examples of such concerns included a pervasive belief about the lack of rigor or quality in online courses, an aversion to another district educating a student for one or two courses yet remaining responsible for that student's growth, and uncertainty about how mentors and teachers would be evaluated on their online students. Consequently, a legislative directive was issued to the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute, the research arm of Michigan Virtual University that centered on accountability. In response to that directive, Michigan stakeholders, as well as experts from other course access states and national organizations, were interviewed to better understand the conversations surrounding accountability in K-12 online learning in Michigan and beyond and to make key recommendations for moving the field forward in an informed way. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Implications for research, policy, and practice are shared.
Developing a Quality Improvement Process to Optimize Faculty Success
Author: Merillat, Linda
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Nursing Education,College Faculty,Educational Improvement,Enrichment Activities,Computer Uses in Education,Resource Centers,Teaching Skills,Best Practices,Integrated Learning Systems,Faculty Development,Educational Technology,Student Evaluation of Teacher Performance,Nursing Students,Program Effectiveness,Correlation,Teacher Effectiveness

As part of a major shift to embed quality improvement processes within a School of Nursing at a medium-sized Midwestern university, a faculty enrichment program using a Plan-Do-Act-Study design was implemented. A central focus for the program was the development and maintenance of an online faculty resource center identified as &quot;My Faculty Center.&quot; Nursing faculty used the tools in My Faculty Center to assess their baseline skills in the areas of teaching &amp; learning best practices, use of learning management system, and technology. The first goal (Goal 1) of the systematic faculty development program was to measure the impact of the Faculty Enrichment program on overall faculty development with regards to technology. The second goal (Goal 2) was to evaluate the relationship, if any, between faculty development and student evaluations. To meet Goal 2, data from IDEA end-of-course evaluations (IDEA, n.d.) and the skills assessments were correlated. Results indicated that the instructor's desire to learn more about teaching and learning best practices was positively correlated with students providing higher scores on progress on relevant objectives, perceiving the instructor as an excellent teacher, and the course summary scores. When students rated an instructor as an excellent teacher, that instructor self-reported a higher level of applying skills in using Desire-to-Learn (D2L). Negative correlations were found between the instructor's self-reported skills with presentation and multimedia tools and the students' perception of progress toward objectives, excellence of course, and overall course score. Based on the initial results, future professional development will optimize adequate training on the Learning Management System (i.e. D2L), for all faculty, and emphasize the effective use of technology in the classroom.
A Comparative Structural Equation Modeling Investigation of the Relationships among Teaching, Cognitive and Social Presence
Author: Kozan, Kadir
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Structural Equation Models,Correlation,Teaching (Occupation),Cognitive Processes,Social Influences,Online Courses,Educational Technology,Higher Education,Graduate Students,Questionnaires,Student Surveys,Student Attitudes,Statistical Analysis

The present study investigated the relationships among teaching, cognitive, and social presence through several structural equation models to see which model would better fit the data. To this end, the present study employed and compared several different structural equation models because different models could fit the data equally well. Among the models compared, the results indicated that the model with cognitive presence as a full mediator and the model with social presence as a partial mediator could achieve an equally satisfactory data fit. This conclusion may depend on the level of the presences: The present results indicated a statistically higher level of teaching presence than cognitive and social presence as well as a statistically higher level of cognitive presence compared to social presence. The results further suggested that teaching presence could either have a direct or indirect relationship with cognitive presence thereby increasing it without or with social presence as a mediator between teaching and cognitive presence. The results further suggested that teaching presence efforts spent on increasing cognitive presence can function directly, which may also promote social presence, and indirectly through social presence. Further research comparing different possible structural equation models of the relationships among the presences in different learning contexts is warranted.
&quot;Comfort&quot; as a Critical Success Factor in Blended Learning Courses
Author: Futch, Linda S.
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Blended Learning,Classroom Environment,Case Studies,Community Colleges,College Faculty,Interviews,Barriers,Success,Influences,Classroom Techniques,Two Year College Students,Course Organization,Classroom Communication,Models,Grounded Theory

There are substantial quantitative research and anecdotal reports on blended learning and blended learning courses. However, few research studies focus on what happens at the classroom level. This research study aims to consider the highly contextual environment of effective blended learning courses by identifying the strategies instructors use to unify the face-to-face and online components of their courses to support student success. Using a case study model, interviews were conducted with three community college instructors who were identified as exemplary teachers of blended learning courses in their institutions. The research questions explored in this article are: (R1) What are exemplary community college teachers' perceived obstacles to student success in blended courses? and (R2) What solutions or strategies do exemplary community college teachers employ to overcome perceived obstacles to student success in blended courses? The interviews were analyzed by the researchers to identify descriptive themes and sub-themes related to student success. It was found that &quot;comfort&quot; emerged as a mediating factor for student success, with &quot;organization,&quot; &quot;communication,&quot; and &quot;support&quot; acting as supporting themes. These findings will be reported as pedagogical strategies and scalable best practices for the design of blended courses that promote student success.
Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, and Turnover Intention of Online Teachers in the K-12 Setting
Author: Larkin, Ingle M.
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Job Satisfaction,Online Courses,Intention,Faculty Mobility,Mixed Methods Research,Likert Scales,Teacher Surveys,Questionnaires,Online Surveys,Focus Groups,Barriers,Student Motivation,At Risk Students,Parent Participation,Access to Computers,Interpersonal Relationship,Institutional Characteristics,Student Characteristics,Compensation (Remuneration),Teacher Evaluation

The purpose of this study was to measure and explore factors influencing K-12 online teachers' job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions. Using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (1954), Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of Satisfaction (1959, 1968), Meyer and Allen's measure of Organizational Commitment (1997), and Fishbein and Ajzen's Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior (1975), this mixed-methods study was conducted in public, private, charter, for-profit, and not-for-profit K-12 online schools in a single Southeastern state. The researchers used a sequential explanatory design by collecting and analyzing quantitative data and then qualitative data in two consecutive phases. Phase I included a 74-item survey with responses from 108 participants. Results revealed that K-12 online teachers have a moderate to high level of job satisfaction, which corresponds to their affective commitment to their organization and their intent to remain teaching in the online setting in the immediate, intermediate, and long-term future. Participants identified flexibility, meeting student needs, technical support, and their professional community as the most satisfying aspects of their jobs. Compensation, workload, missing face-to-face interaction with students, and unmotivated students were identified as least satisfying aspects of their work. In Phase II, eight qualitative focus group interviews were conducted and analyzed using constant comparative methods; these findings confirmed and illuminated quantitative results from Phase I. This study informs K-12 online school leaders, policymakers, and researchers of statistically significant variables that influence K-12 online teacher satisfaction, commitment, and retention.
Adaptive Learning in Psychology: Wayfinding in the Digital Age
Author: Dziuban, Charles D.
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Psychology,Online Courses,Affective Behavior,Student Surveys,Student Attitudes,Usability,Delivery Systems,Educational Practices,Educational Strategies,Educational History,Courseware,Questionnaires,Student Reaction,Affective Measures,Student Experience,Academic Achievement,College Students,Maximum Likelihood Statistics,Likert Scales

This paper presents the results of a pilot study investigating the use of the Realizeit adaptive learning platform to deliver a fully online General Psychology course across two semesters. Through mutual cooperation, UCF and vendor (CCKF) researchers examined students' affective, behavioral, and cognitive reactions to the system. Student survey results indicated that students found the system easy to use and were generally positive about their seamless transition to adaptive learning. While the majority of students were successful, learning outcome metrics utilizing Realizeit indices indicated a potential for early prediction of students who are likely to be at risk in this environment. Recommendations are presented for the benefits of cooperative research between users and vendors.
A National Study of Differences between Online and Classroom-Only Community College Students in Time to First Associate Degree Attainment, Transfer, and Dropout
Author: Shea, Peter
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Community Colleges,Two Year College Students,National Surveys,Online Courses,Conventional Instruction,Classroom Environment,Associate Degrees,Time to Degree,Educational Attainment,College Transfer Students,Educational Experience,Dropout Rate,Transfer Rates (College),Data Analysis,Schematic Studies,Correlation,Student Records,Intermode Differences,Postsecondary Education,Longitudinal Studies

Previous research indicates that online learning at the community college level results in higher rates of withdrawal, failure, and dropout compared to classroom-based education (Xu &amp; Smith Jaggars, 2011; Smith-Jaggars &amp; Xu, 2010). The primary goal of the current study was to examine national data (US Dept. of Ed. Beginning Postsecondary Student Survey, 2004-09) on three outcomes for community college students with and without online education experiences. The outcomes were attainment of first associate degree, transfer, and dropout. In contrast to previous research, compared to exclusively classroom-based students, initial results suggest significantly more students who had engaged in online education had either attained an associate degree at the end of the observation period or transferred to a different institution. These results are interpreted with regard to their implications for policy and practice.
An Integrated Approach to Preempt Cheating on Asynchronous, Objective, Online Assessments in Graduate Business Classes
Author: Sullivan, Daniel P.
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Graduate Students,Cheating,Prevention,Business Administration Education,Masters Programs,Computer Assisted Testing,Asynchronous Communication,Objective Tests,Online Courses,Technology Integration,Test Anxiety,Learner Engagement,Efficiency,Test Construction,Integrated Learning Systems,Pretests Posttests,Ethics,Online Surveys

Cheating, left untended, erodes the validity of evaluation and, ultimately, corrupts the legitimacy of a course. We profile an approach to manage, with an eye toward preempting, cheating on asynchronous, objective, online quizzes. This approach taps various technological and social solutions to academic dishonesty, integrating them into a technology-centered, socially-sensitive pedagogy. The resulting design engages a battery of technology tools, within a social context moderated by the testing effect, to minimize the practicality, productivity, and hence, students' propensity to cheat. Operationally, we used the Canvas LMS to generate a differentiated series of objective quizzes from question banks holding several hundred potential items. We assess cross-sectional data from 178 MBA students spanning eight online-only classes. The results support the effectiveness of an integrated blend of technology tools and social methods to encourage students' consciousness of the resulting uselessness of cheating. We review the implications of the results to test anxiety, student engagement, learning effectiveness, and workflow efficiency.
Examining Interactive and Metacognitive Processes in Student Learning: Findings from a Hybrid Instructional Environment
Author: Meyers, Shelly
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Metacognition,Cognitive Processes,Online Courses,Student Behavior,Interaction,Graduate Students,Asynchronous Communication,Synchronous Communication,Discussion Groups,Discourse Analysis,Verbal Communication,Educational Environment,Student Surveys,Foreign Countries,Nonparametric Statistics,Statistical Analysis

This study examines the interaction behaviors and metacognitive behaviors of graduate students in the online portion of a flipped classroom. For their time outside the face to face classroom, students were given the choice of two online methods for their interactions--synchronous verbal discussions and asynchronous written discussions. Students were provided a detailed outline for their discussions. Discussions were analyzed and interactive and metacognitive behaviors were categorized and counted. Interaction behaviors and metacognitive behaviors were present in both environments. Synchronous verbal discussions were found to include significantly more interaction behaviors in five of six categories. There was no significant difference in the number of metacognitive behaviors. Students demonstrated the same level of learning behaviors in both environments.
Students' Desired and Experienced Levels of Connectivity to an Asynchronous, Online, Distance Degree Program
Author: Schroeder, Shawnda
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Asynchronous Communication,Online Courses,Distance Education,Preferences,Student Attitudes,Student Experience,Expectation,Graduate Students,Sense of Community,Student Participation,Student Surveys,Teacher Student Relationship,Peer Relationship,Special Education Teachers,Questionnaires,Online Surveys,Correlation,Age Differences,Faculty Advisers,Likert Scales,Statistical Analysis

This study examined graduate students' desired and experienced levels of connectivity in an online, asynchronous distance degree program. Connectivity was conceptualized as the students' feelings of community and involvement, not their level of access to the Internet. Graduate students enrolled in a distance degree program were surveyed on both desired and experienced connectivity to their program, students, instructors, and advisors. Overall, student's desired and experienced high connectivity to the program, their advisors, and their instructors. However, they did not want, or experience, high connectivity with fellow students. Specifically, three findings emerged: (1) students desired high connectivity overall, with greatest connectivity desired with advisors and less with other students; (2) participants desired connectivity with both instructors and other students presented statistically significant variation by age category; and (3) students &quot;experienced&quot; high connectivity overall. The relationships between graduate online learners and their instructors and advisors were correlated with the level of connectivity students experienced with their program. It was not as important to foster high connectivity among peers in the online learning environment. Further study should compare desired and experienced connectivity between departments, and across other universities to determine variables that may influence the desire for and perception of connectivity.