ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The DiaCog: A Prototype Tool for Visualizing Online Dialog Games' Interactions
Author: Yengin, Ilker
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Games,Dialogs (Language),Interaction,Cognitive Mapping,Electronic Learning,Teaching Methods,Cooperative Learning,Critical Thinking,Thinking Skills,Distance Education,Computer Mediated Communication,Discussion Groups,Persuasive Discourse

This paper proposes and explains the design of a prototype learning tool named the DiaCog. The DiaCog visualizes dialog interactions within an online dialog game by using dynamically created cognitive maps. As a purposefully designed tool for enhancing learning effectiveness the DiaCog might be applicable to dialogs at discussion boards within a variety of online learning platforms. The most prominent instructional use of this tool refers to promoting collaborative knowledge building and critical thinking skills. Finally, this paper provides a new perceptive on utilizing visual elements and mind-maps into dialog games' interaction which may take place during the act of online learning.
Promoting Hispanic Student Retention in Two Texas Community Colleges
Author: Samuel, Karissa R.
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Community Colleges,Hispanic American Students,Academic Persistence,Student Surveys,Graduation Rate,Educational Practices,Two Year College Students,College Freshmen,Best Practices,Goal Orientation,Demography,Gender Differences,Stopouts,Age Differences,Enrollment,Dependents,Measures (Individuals),Student Attitudes,Statistical Analysis

Texas' Hispanic population has increased dramatically since 2000 as have Hispanic enrollments in higher education (+118%). Despite having the largest spike in college enrollment, Hispanic students' completion rates remain the lowest among all ethnic groups. To identify institutional practices that might encourage Hispanic student retention, researchers surveyed 100 first-time students at two Hispanic-serving metropolitan community colleges in Texas during the 2012-2013 academic year. Survey response data were analyzed using a variety of statistical methods. Results indicated that Hispanic students chose to attend college because they wanted a better future (80%) or wanted to learn new skills (41%) and that the majority was paying for college with cash. In terms of institutional practices, students identified meal plans, on-campus child care, mandatory orientation, and work-study opportunities as most important campus services to help them balance academic and social obligations and stay in school. Institutional initiatives to build parental and peer support were valued as were non-traditional forms of financial aid such as book vouchers, supplemental education services, and club scholarships. Community colleges often attract students who are less prepared for college than those who attend 4-year institutions, and with the growth of the Hispanic student demographic, it is important for them to devise institutional practices that support these students' retention and completion.
The Relationships among Teachers' Perception of University Partnership and the Factors of Student Support and Teacher Affiliation
Author: Devia, Lydia Medina
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Partnerships in Education,Teacher Attitudes,Correlation,Beliefs,Teacher Surveys,Relevance (Education),College School Cooperation,Questionnaires,Collegiality,Teacher Student Relationship,Student Behavior,School Districts,Teacher Collaboration,Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers

The focus of this correlation study was to explore teachers' set of perceptions of a university partnership; their beliefs in the partnership, the necessity of such partnership, and the partnership itself, student supports and teacher affiliation. Thirteen out of thirty five teachers responded to this survey. Although the data indicated there was no correlation among teacher perceptions and the factors of student support and teacher affiliation, the descriptive statistics seemed to suggest that teachers' perceptions indicated they found the university partnership necessary and future interventions successful.
A Comparison of the Incidence Rate in MTSS Tiers
Author: Rackaway, Andrea
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Surveys,Elementary School Teachers,Public School Teachers,Benchmarking,Instructional Effectiveness,Reading Instruction,Mathematics Instruction,Student Evaluation,Progress Monitoring,Faculty Development,Response to Intervention,Gender Differences,Teaching Experience,Teacher Attitudes,Response Rates (Questionnaires)

The Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) is an evolutionary educational method recently introduced to schools in Kansas. As part of an ongoing investigation into the deployment and effectiveness of the MTSS system, this pilot study established initial participation rates in the program. This project sought to define the incidence rate among males and females in MTSS tiers in the study region. The study also sought initial teacher satisfaction with support for their development and training into the new MTSS system. A survey consisting of 13 items was sent to 600 randomly selected elementary public school teachers in the Kansas First Congressional District. As expected, students placed in Benchmark constituted the highest number of participants. Students across MTSS tiers in Central and Western Kansas schools are distributed according to MTSS guidelines and are gender neutral. An implication of this study is that it is vital for effective instruction in reading and mathematics to approach instruction based on students' assessment results which are gained by frequent progress monitoring and assessment. A second implication is the need for leaders in school districts to provide teachers with MTSS professional development during their first through third year of teaching.
Building Character through Literacy with Children's Literature
Author: Almerico, Gina M.
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Citizenship Education,Teaching Methods,Childrens Literature,Elementary Education,Elementary School Students,Literacy,Books,Picture Books,Adolescent Literature,Personality Traits,Caring,Altruism,Empathy

Character education is described as curriculum specifically developed to teach children about the quality and traits of good character. One means in which children can learn about good character is through the pages of high quality children's literature. In this study, the author defines the characteristics of an effective character development program for grades K-6 built around children's literature. Discussion focuses on how literature can be brought into the curriculum in helping to develop character traits in a meaningful, substantial manner.
Resiliency, Self-Efficacy, and Persistence of College Seniors in Higher Education
Author: Garza, Kristopher K.
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Seniors,Resilience (Psychology),Self Efficacy,Academic Persistence,Mixed Methods Research,Hispanic American Students,Interviews,School Counselors,First Generation College Students,Demography,Questionnaires,Rating Scales,Measures (Individuals),Ethnicity,Gender Differences,Grade Point Average

Institutions of higher learning have struggled to retain incoming freshmen, especially Hispanic students, who historically face greater challenges to succeed. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate the relationship between resiliency, self-efficacy, and persistence of college seniors with an emphasis on first- and continued-generation Hispanic students. An examination of how retention factors have supported Hispanic college seniors was explored through qualitative interviews. Implications of this research provide insight to college, career, school, and community counselors working with prospective Hispanic students. Counselors are likely to address and support the needs of first- and continued-generation Hispanic students while contributing to the improvement of university programs. An emphasis on strategies to increase the number of Hispanic college graduates must include commitment at all levels of campus communities. Such emphasis will be advantageous to college and university counseling centers as they work with this particular population.
Do MOOCs Pose a Threat to Higher Education?
Author: Finkle, Todd A.
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Large Group Instruction,Higher Education,Educational Technology,Educational History,Internet,Technology Uses in Education

Higher education is facing several obstacles, one of which is the prolific rise in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). This article examines the history of online education and also provides a background of the current organizations that are competing in the MOOC industry. The success of MOOCs and the current hurdles they have to overcome are examined. The article also discusses the current and future potential impact of MOOCs on higher education. Finally, the authors make recommendations to schools of higher education on how to deal with this potential threat.
Engaging Students in Online Courses
Author: Jacobs, Pearl
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Educational Technology,Distance Education,Teaching Methods,Group Activities,Evaluation Methods,Program Effectiveness,Formative Evaluation,Feedback (Response),Cooperative Learning,Group Dynamics,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Reflection,College Students

Online education is gradually being incorporated into college and university programs. It is proving to be an effective educational tool for our rapidly changing global marketplace. The fact that online courses operate differently than on ground courses cannot be ignored. Thus, they require teaching techniques and assessment techniques specifically geared for this educational experience. Group projects are quite familiar to students taking courses in the classroom. They are less familiar and perhaps feared by students taking courses online. The fact that participants in online courses do not physically interact with each other leads some to believe that this approach is not viable in an online course. This paper dispels this belief by discussing how group projects can be successfully incorporated into online courses. The paper also describes specific assessment tools which can be used to determine the success of online courses. Specifically, some formative assessment techniques are presented as particularly useful and appropriate for online courses.
A Guided Empowerment Self-Audit as a School Improvement Strategy
Author: Smith, Charity Fleming
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Improvement,Empowerment,Audits (Verification),School Turnaround,Self Evaluation (Groups),Institutional Evaluation,Evaluation Methods,School Effectiveness,Educational Indicators,Capacity Building,Program Improvement,Reflection,Communities of Practice,Futures (of Society),Teacher Attitudes,Barriers,Academic Achievement,Educational Change,Change Strategies,Efficiency,Guides,Benchmarking,Interrater Reliability,Misconceptions,Documentation,Coaching (Performance),Standards,Parent Attitudes,Instructional Leadership

No Child left Behind, The ESEA Flexibility Program, and the Race to the Top contest have spurred a multitude of School Improvement programs, businesses, initiatives and more. The current emphasis on standardized testing, data gathering and analysis, and measuring effective schooling has caused many education agencies, state and local, to seek evaluation services and to employ evaluation methods. A Guided Empowerment Self-Audit of any organization can reveal areas of concern that the organization can address to improve the effectiveness of the organization. The Guided Empowerment Self Evaluation approach is designed to help school communities monitor and evaluate their own performance while using indicators for School Improvement and School Turnaround. Anytime the people in the organization can be involved in a meaningful self-analysis and development of a plan of action, they are more apt to take ownership in the plan and carry it through to fruition. A Guided Empowerment Self-Audit Evaluation builds program capacity and fosters program improvement. It teaches people to help themselves by learning how to evaluate their own programs. Key concepts include: a critical friend, cycles of reflection and action, and a community of learners. The basic steps of empowerment evaluation include: 1) establishing a mission or unifying purpose; 2) taking stock--creating a baseline to measure growth and improvement; and 3) planning for the future--establishing goals and strategies to achieve objectives, as well as credible evidence to monitor change. The Guided Empowerment Self-Audit uses the Eleven Identified Indicators of Effective Schooling identified by an international evaluation firm. This research project was a comparison of Guided Empowerment Self-Audits performed by 8 schools to determine common areas of concern uncovered by the schools. One of the major areas of concern revealed by the Guided Empowerment Self-Audits was a disconnect between teachers' perceptions of the implementation of the Eleven Indicators of Effective Schooling and the school's student achievement data. Identifying barriers to success can aid any organization as it seeks to improve.
Online Learning and Post-Secondary Expectations: Bridging the Gap from Academic Leaders to Instructors
Author: Muldrow, Marian
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Expectation,Online Courses,Electronic Learning,Postsecondary Education,Instructional Leadership,Leadership,Teacher Administrator Relationship,Strategic Planning,College Administration,Educational History,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Trend Analysis,Leadership Effectiveness,Leadership Qualities,Teaching Skills

The purpose of this study is to explore the leadership gap that exists between instructors and academic leadership that prohibits students from being successful in online courses, which is the result of academic leaders who inadequately prepare faculty. This is a leadership gap because programs should be established by the administrators to ensure all avenues of learning are addressed. As the enforcers of the college's strategic plan, academic leaders should be held accountable for training the staff to teach growing numbers of online courses. Students' experiences in online learning are a direct result of the instruction they receive. However, instructors can only educate students based on the knowledge and training they receive. Furthermore, academic leaders should employ strategies to bridge the gap between the instructor and the online learning platform. The skills approach to leadership as outlined by Robert Katz (1955) is useful in examining the challenges and experiences of the instructors and how those apply to the characteristics of a leader. A skills leader possesses three different abilities: technical skills, human skills, and conceptual skills (Katz as cited in Virkus, 2009). The skills-based leader recognizes that a particular knowledge base is needed in order to conduct an institution effectively.
Fixing Advising: A Model for Faculty Advising
Author: Crocker, Robert M.
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Models,Academic Advising,Academic Achievement,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,College Faculty,College Students,Regression (Statistics),Case Studies,Change Strategies,Departments,School Holding Power

This paper addresses mandates to fix the advising process with a focus on faculty advising systems. Measures of student success and satisfaction, administrative issues, and faculty concerns are among the many factors discussed. Regression analysis is used to explore long-voiced faculty complaints that students do not follow advice. A case study is used to illustrate changes in one department's advising process and measures of student satisfaction are reported. A model of advising components is offered to illustrate practices suggested to realize the full potential of the advising process.
Finding the SurPriSe: A Case Study of a Faculty Learning Community
Author: Michel, Roberta M.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Case Studies,College Faculty,Communities of Practice,Institutional Characteristics,Interdisciplinary Approach,Group Dynamics,Educational History,Interpersonal Communication,Research Projects,Knowledge Management,Conferences (Gatherings),Faculty Publishing,Instruction,Program Descriptions

This article details a faculty learning community (FLC) that started in 2009 on the campus of a Midwestern University and has evolved into an interdisciplinary research, teaching and social community of practice and learning called SurPriSe. SurPriSe is an acronym that reflects the interest area of the FLC; Sur for surveillance, Pri for privacy, and Se for security. This case study provides understanding of the social context, the institution and the nature of encouraging established faculty to engage in new research and pedagogical interests that are interdisciplinary.
Describing the Labor Sectors in Jordan--The Factors That Attract Employees from Graduated Students' Perspectives
Author: AL-Zou'bi, Dalal Mohamad
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis,College Graduates,Motivation,Labor Force,Work Environment,Employees,Student Attitudes,Predictor Variables,Public Colleges,Private Colleges,Majors (Students),Grade Point Average,Gender Differences,Career Choice,Labor Market,Self Esteem,Job Security,Personal Autonomy,Self Actualization,Student Surveys,Measures (Individuals),Validity,Reliability

This study aimed at exploring perceptions of Jordanian graduating students for the factors that attract them in the work environment based on porter's theory in motivation. A Questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 807 graduating students at three universities. Means, Frequencies, Percentage, Variance analysis and chi-square test were used to answer the study questions. The data analysis revealed that the factors that attract graduating students were respectively as follows in terms of their influence: appreciation and self esteem, autonomy, self-actualization, security factors, and affiliation factors. The private sector found to be attractive three-fold than the public one.
Establishing a Learning Community to Support Research and Scholarly Training: A Case Study
Author: Mills, Jane
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Case Studies,Communities of Practice,Program Descriptions,Research Projects,Barriers,Performance Factors,Leadership Styles,Inclusion,Research Skills,Training Methods,Nursing Education,Foreign Countries

This paper examines the concept of learning communities as defined in the literature. An existing case study is described, and the issues that facilitated and constrained the development of this learning community are considered and discussed. Strategies to address threats to the ongoing viability and usefulness of a learning community to support research training are offered. The influence of leadership styles and their interaction with the theoretical underpinnings of the concept of learning communities is used to support the argument.
Educational Decisions and Academic Achievement: A Focus on Mexican American Students
Author: Fernandez, Mary Ruth
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Decision Making,Academic Achievement,Mexican Americans,Student Attitudes,Mixed Methods Research,Special Education,Elementary School Students,Grade 3,Grade 4,Validity,Outcomes of Education,Public Schools,Disproportionate Representation,Student Records,Teacher Attitudes,Identification,Cultural Differences,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Educational Practices,Correlation,Interviews

This mixed methods study examines factors associated with student learning outcomes for Mexican American students in the public elementary schools. The problem of disproportionate identification of cultural and linguistically diverse students in special education is addressed. This study looks at 23 third and fourth grade students by means of a retroactive educational records review; an interview with a sub set of educators and parents and the use of member checks with a select group of adult participants to evaluate the validity of the interpreted results. The results from this study affirm the effect of categorical factors previously described in the literature as having positive or negative effects of academic achievement and identifies specific team practices associated with academic student outcomes for thirteen educational teams.
Toward Achievement in the &quot;Knowledge Economy&quot; of the 21st Century: Preparing Students through T-STEM Academies
Author: Gonzales, Alberto
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: STEM Education,Knowledge Economy,Educational Change,Career Academies,College Preparation,Instructional Effectiveness,Educational Quality,Postsecondary Education,Data Analysis,Rural Schools,Urban Schools,High Schools,Academic Achievement,Case Studies,Qualitative Research,Program Evaluation,College Readiness,Observation,Semi Structured Interviews

Schools are constantly engaged in implementing reform strategies to prepare students for postsecondary education leading to their career choices. Challenges here involve education initiatives addressing programs not strategically planned, educators not prepared for transition, and no follow-up support beyond initial implementation stages. This study examined school reform initiatives by the Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math academies toward better-quality instruction, to prepare students for post-secondary education, and in-turn, for the knowledge economy of the 21st century. The purpose of the study was to gauge the effectiveness of these academies in math, science, and engineering, and if these academies are successful educational-reform systems. Inductive data analysis was conducted from general program data and teacher interviews from one rural and one urban high school. Data were obtained through observations, interviews, and program documents. The coding system subdivided the data into domains to establish semantic relationship, and to uncover frames within the data. Terms under each domain served as parameters for each respective domain. The practice of member-checking, peer debriefing, and data triangulation ensured validity, and case study protocols established reliability of results. Results indicated that T-STEM academies have implemented educational reform strategies that produce better-prepared graduates for post-secondary education and perhaps students that are prepared for the knowledge economy. Implications of the study for social change include heighten awareness of effective instructional practices to increase student achievement, as well as contribute to future STEM development relative to economic trends.
Male-Female Student Retention in HBCUs: A Comparative Analysis of Sample Data across Five Colleges
Author: Ezeala-Harrison, Fidel
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Black Colleges,School Holding Power,Gender Differences,African American Students,Academic Persistence,Decision Making,Classification,Educational Finance,Teacher Student Relationship,College Faculty,Student Adjustment,Academic Achievement,Study Habits,Goal Orientation,Self Concept,Attendance,Student Attitudes,Educational Attitudes,Employment,Career Choice,Peer Relationship,Comparative Analysis,College Freshmen

Several factors contribute to the college retention rates of black students. There could be issues related to the student's own personality attributes, personal and/or family circumstances, financial factors, background events, social factors, as well as a myriad of institutional factors associated with the school system and/or a particular school itself. This paper identifies a set of 14 retention variables and categorizes them into three composite units, which are then used to address the issue of whether the various retention parameters affect black male students differently as much as they affect black female students in regard to their continuity decisions.