ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Disconnected in Maryland: Statewide Data Show the Racial and Economic Underpinnings of the Digital Divide. The Abell Report. Volume 34, No. 1
Author: Horrigan, John B.
Date: 2021-01-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: COVID-19,Pandemics,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Online Courses,Internet,Access to Computers,Ownership,Computers,Information Technology,Geographic Location,Racial Differences,Socioeconomic Status,Rural Urban Differences,Age Differences,Ethnicity,Community Programs,Statewide Planning,Urban Areas,At Risk Persons,Rural Areas,Family Income

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed a number of shortcomings in the nation's social infrastructure, one of which is access to the internet. When school is exclusively online or medical appointments rely principally on telehealth, those without online access are not merely inconvenienced. They are socially excluded, given their limited means to get online. This turns attention to digital inclusion -- making sure people have the ability to go online from home, with the digital hardware and skills to enable participation in society. This report takes stock of digital inclusion in Maryland by examining two digital access tools that enable robust online access. The first is wireline high-speed internet subscriptions at home. The other is whether a household has a working desktop, laptop, or tablet computer. [The Community Development Network of Maryland (CDN) commissioned this research report, funded by a grant from the Abell Foundation.]
Pandemic-Era Innovations for the Future of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Programs. OPRE Report 2021-188
Author: McCay, Jonathan
Date: 2021-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Federal Programs,Family Programs,Welfare Services,COVID-19,Pandemics,Delivery Systems,Disease Control,Unemployment,Information Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Job Training,Coaching (Performance),Video Technology,Computer Mediated Communication,Social Support Groups,Online Courses,Access to Computers,Internet,Computers,Telecommunications,Social Media,Participation,Accountability,Employment Level

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the way Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs operate in unprecedented ways. This brief has two purposes: (1) To capture some of the adaptations and innovations that programs designed to meet the rapidly evolving circumstances of the pandemic; and (2) To highlight promising practices and pose design questions for programs to explore, refine, and possibly test as next steps. Throughout the pandemic, Mathematica collected data from TANF programs to understand the challenges they faced, the innovations they developed, and the promising strategies that were emerging. Two primary sources were collected for these data. First, they documented the experiences and topics described during virtual learning community groups with state and local TANF program leaders and staff, held between May and September 2020. Second, they conducted seven web-based surveys with TANF program leaders and staff between January and March 2021, addressing topics such as office safety and reopening, use of technology, staff and participant well-being, and performance and accountability, among others.
Adult Education and the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An International Perspective
Author: Dikhtyar, Oksana
Date: 2021-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Adult Education,COVID-19,Pandemics,Economic Impact,Labor Needs,Retraining,Skill Development,Employment Potential,Unemployment,Vocational Education,Continuing Education,Postsecondary Education,Apprenticeships,Lifelong Learning,Educational Finance,Adults,Foreign Countries

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused one of the worst economic crises since the Great Depression. Although countries responded quickly to support displaced workers with assistance packages and funding for education and training, additional measures might be needed. Each country's economic recovery will most likely depend on how well its workforce is prepared to meet the needs of the changed labor market. Providing workers with opportunities to upskill or reskill is of major importance in meeting these challenges and improving low- and middle-skilled workers' reemployment prospects. This qualitative study examines measures taken in response to COVID-19 in adult education and training (AET) in seven countries. The findings are based on key informant interviews with international experts and online sources they provided. Some countries have increased government funding for vocational and continuing education or offered financial support for post-secondary students while others have provided funds to employers to offer training and retraining for their employees. [This paper was published in: &quot;Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning&quot; v23 n1 p201-210 Jun 2021.]
ED COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 3: Strategies for Safe Operation and Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education Students, Faculty, and Staff. OPEPD-IO-21-03
Author: Department of Education (ED), Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development
Date: 2021-06-00
Type: Guides - General
Subjects: COVID-19,Pandemics,Higher Education,College Students,Disease Control,Prevention,School Closing,School Safety,Educational Change,Health Promotion,Immunization Programs,Distance Education,Federal Aid,Federal Legislation,Grants,Student Financial Aid,Federal Programs,Electronic Learning,Access to Computers,Needs Assessment,Internet,Students with Disabilities,Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),Scholarships,State Programs,Nutrition,Housing,Access to Health Care,Well Being,Caregivers,Child Care Centers,Mental Health Programs,Counseling Services,Grading,Alternative Assessment

President Biden is committed to seeking and providing the necessary resources to support the safe operation of institutions of higher education (IHEs) and addressing the ongoing impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education students, adult education students, faculty, and staff. In Volume 3 of this Handbook, a series to support the safe reopening and operation of K-12 schools and IHEs, the Department of Education addresses several priority areas of interest to the higher education community with an eye towards both a response and a recovery that leaves the Nation's students and IHEs stronger than before the COVID-19 pandemic began. These priorities include: (1) Practices to aid IHEs in implementing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) &quot;Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs)&quot; and resources by identifying common prevention strategies and providing examples of actions IHEs can take with Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant funding; (2) Institutional responses to ongoing challenges and potentially lasting impacts on underserved populations, including the transition to online learning and the provision of basic needs; (3) Ways in which IHEs have already been and can continue to be sources of support to their communities' ongoing response and recovery from the pandemic; and (4) A catalog of the resources and administrative flexibilities offered to IHEs as they address rapidly changing conditions and needs on the ground, including resources that support both students and IHEs under the American Rescue Plan (ARP). This document is intended to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies. [For &quot;ED COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 1: Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools. OPEPD-IO-21-01,&quot; see ED614453. For &quot;ED COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 2: Roadmap to Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students' Needs. OPEPD-IO-21-02,&quot; see ED614454.]
Improving Kindergarten Students&apos; Writing Outcomes Using Peer-Assisted Strategies
Author: Puranik, Cynthia S.
Date: 2018-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Kindergarten,Writing Achievement,Writing Strategies,Outcomes of Education,Peer Teaching,Curriculum Implementation,Student Satisfaction,Instructional Effectiveness,Teaching Methods,Student Characteristics,Writing Skills,Spelling,Punctuation,Sentences,Faculty Development

The primary focus of this study was to determine the feasibility of teacher implementation of peer-assisted writing strategies (PAWS) in improving the writing outcomes of kindergarten children. Six classrooms were recruited, and 3 were randomly assigned to the experimental condition. Results indicated that the content, length, and formatting of the lessons were adequate for the teachers to deliver the lessons with fidelity. Students enjoyed PAWS, as reflected in the end-of-the-year surveys. Statistically significant differences between the experimental and control classrooms were noted for punctuation and sentence writing quality. In addition, preliminary results with our small sample size suggest that differences in writing performance between the PAWS and control classrooms were moderated by school type. In the medium performing schools, differences between pre- and posttest scores were statistically significant for alphabet-writing fluency, punctuation, and sentence and essay curriculum based writing measures, with effect sizes ranging from 0.69 to 1.96. [This article was published in &quot;Elementary School Journal&quot; (EJ1180329).]
Promoting a Culture of Continuous Learning in Early Care and Education Settings: A Summary for ECE Leaders. OPRE Report 2021-207
Author: Tout, Kathryn
Date: 2021-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Educational Quality,Quality Assurance,Sustainability,Educational Change,Program Improvement,Technical Assistance,Social Emotional Learning,Disadvantaged Youth

Young children and their families benefit from early care and education (ECE) settings that implement high-quality practices that support children's well-being, health, and safety. Activities to support quality are a focal point of federal and state investments, including more than $1 billion of the Child Care and Development Fund and nearly $240 million in Head Start Training and Technical Assistance. The work of quality improvement in ECE is challenging using existing methods, and sustained changes in quality across ECE settings have not been widespread. ECE leaders and staff are seeking new approaches to quality improvement that can promote meaningful and sustained changes in practice. The purpose of this brief is to share findings from the Culture of Continuous Learning (CCL) project, a study of the Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC) in ECE programs. The BSC is a quality improvement methodology tested in ECE programs to support practice change by addressing individual and organizational factors associated with sustaining high-quality practices. This brief will provide information for decision makers at the federal, state, and local levels who fund quality improvement strategies. [This brief was prepared with University of Massachusetts Boston, Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation and JRA Consulting Ltd. For &quot;Promoting a Culture of Continuous Learning in Early Care and Education Settings. OPRE Report 2021-208,&quot; see ED616411.]
Digital Skills and Older Workers: Supporting Success in Training and Employment in a Digital World
Author: Hecker, Ian
Date: 2021-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Technological Literacy,Job Skills,Employees,Barriers,Online Courses,Educational Technology,Adult Education,Poverty,Access to Computers,Internet,Adults,Older Workers,COVID-19,Pandemics,Age Differences,Social Bias,Aging (Individuals),Minority Groups,Racial Bias,Ethnicity,Gender Bias,Educational Attainment,Immigrants,Rural Urban Differences

The acceleration of the shift to online and remote learning and working brings new opportunities, but it also brings the potential for further inequities in the labor market. Older workers stand to benefit greatly from the expanded access that online and remote learning and working provides. This report documents some of the barriers and opportunities that exist for older workers accessing online programs, with a focus on their digital skill levels. We analyze data from the 2017 Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies survey to explore the digital skill levels of older workers and how older workers' characteristics are associated with digital skill levels. We also analyze American Community Survey data to understand how older workers' poverty status and access to broadband, internet, and computers and other devices is associated with digital skill levels. Our analysis is complemented by information collected during interviews with leaders of programs to support digital skill training for older adults. We find that although many Americans lack digital skills, older Americans have lower levels of digital skills than the average American, and digital skill levels for older Americans from historically oppressed groups are lower still. There are opportunities to support the development of digital skills for older workers to allow them leverage their other skills and improve economic outcomes. [This brief was funded by the AARP Public Policy Institute.]
Scaling Standards-Aligned Instruction through Teacher Leadership: Methods, Supports, and Challenges
Author: Cassata, Amy
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Common Core State Standards,Alignment (Education),Teacher Leadership,Professional Development,Mathematics Teachers,Science Teachers,Instructional Improvement,Context Effect,Public Schools,Elementary Secondary Education,Teacher Collaboration,Collegiality,Trust (Psychology),Self Efficacy,Time Management,Change Agents

Background: The Common Core Standards for Mathematics and Next Generation Science Standards were adopted by states with the goal of preparing students with knowledge and skills needed for college, careers, and citizenry. Adopting these standards necessitated considerable changes in instructional practice. While teacher leadership is known to be important for instructional change, there is little research that articulates the processes through which that influence occurs, and how contextual factors constrain or support those processes. This paper provides a case study of efforts in the Chicago Public Schools to promote widespread instructional change around standards reform through a teacher leader model using retrospective from 2013-2017 interviews with 16 math and science teacher leaders serving grades 6-12, along with quantitative analysis of districtwide data showing patterns of change and professional learning. It builds off prior research to articulate a framework of how teacher leaders promote instructional change. Findings: There were five patterns of teacher leader action: &quot;inspiring others,&quot; &quot;sharing with colleagues,&quot; &quot;working in collaboration,&quot; &quot;advocating for change,&quot; and &quot;providing individual support,&quot; and an interplay between teacher actions and school level contextual factors, with some contextual factors more important than others for different types of actions. In particular, sharing and collaborative work were facilitated in schools with designated collaboration time, trusting relationships, and colleagues who were also trained and knowledgeable about the new standards. The degree of collective efficacy the teacher leaders felt seemed to be driven mostly by the presence of other knowledgeable change agents in the school. Conclusions and Implications: The study adds to the existing literature on teacher leadership by articulating the mechanisms through which teachers exert influence around instructional improvement of their school peers and providing examples of each. Further, the study illustrates how these mechanisms are facilitated or constrained by the larger school context. Together, the articulation of mechanisms and contexts, along with illustrative examples, provides a guide for supporting instructional change through teacher leadership in schools and districts. [This article was published in &quot;International Journal of STEM Education&quot; (EJ1299605).]
How Drawing Prompts Can Increase Cognitive Engagement in an Active Learning Engineering Course
Author: Wu, Sally P. W.
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Freehand Drawing,Prompting,Cues,Active Learning,Learner Engagement,Engineering Education,Undergraduate Students,Value Judgment,Introductory Courses,Problem Solving,Instructional Effectiveness

Background: Recent engineering education research has found improved learning outcomes when instructors engage students actively (e.g., through practice problems) rather than passively (e.g., in lectures). As more instructors shift toward active learning, research needs to identify how different types of activities affect students' cognitive engagement with concepts in the classroom. In this study, we investigate the effects of prompting novice students to draw when solving problems, a professional practice of engineers. Purpose: We investigate whether implementing instructional prompts to draw in an active learning classroom (a) increases students' use and value of drawing as a problem-solving strategy and (b) enhances students' problem-solving performance. Method: We compared survey data and exam scores collected in one undergraduate class that received prompts to draw in video lectures and in-class problems (drawing condition) and one class that received no drawing prompts (control condition). Results: After drawing prompts were implemented, students' use and value of drawing increased, and these effects persisted to the end of the semester. Students were more likely to draw when provided drawing prompts. Furthermore, students who received prompts outperformed students who did not on exam questions that target conceptual understanding. Conclusions: Our findings reveal how implementing drawing prompts in an active learning classroom may help students engage in drawing and solve problems conceptually. This study contributes to our understanding of what types of active learning activities can improve instructional practices in engineering education. Particularly, we show how prompts that foster authentic engineering practices can increase cognitive engagement in introductory-level engineering courses. [This is the online version of an article published in &quot;Journal of Engineering Education.&quot; For the final published version of this article, see EJ1272945?.]
Perception of Teachers and Students towards the Implementation of Choice Based Credit System at Undergraduate Level
Author: Mahakur, Sonia
Date: 2019-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,College Faculty,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Program Implementation,College Credits,Gender Differences,Intellectual Disciplines,Art Education,Science Education,Business Administration Education,Educational Objectives

The present study examines the perception of teachers and students of undergraduate colleges towards the implementation of Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) by investigating the significance of difference in the perception of teachers in relation to stream and students in relation to sex, streams and types of colleges. For this purpose near about 60 teachers and 120 students were selected through random sampling from 4 undergraduate colleges of Bargarh district affiliated to Sambalpur University, Odisha. The descriptive survey method was used by the researchers. The data were collected through five point perception scale developed by the researchers for teachers and students separately. For the analysis of the obtained data test was used. The result indicated that Arts, Science and Commerce teachers did not differ significantly in their perception towards implementation of CBCS at undergraduate level. The Science students differed significantly from the Commerce and Arts students in their perception towards the implementation of CBCS at undergraduate level. But Arts and Commerce students did not differ significantly in their perception. There was no significant difference in the perception of male and female students. The students of Government College differed significantly from the students of private college and government aided colleges in their perception towards the implementation of CBCS at under graduate level.
Reconsidering Language Assessment Courses in Teacher Training Programs during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic
Author: Kilickaya, Ferit
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Teachers,Language Tests,Teacher Education Programs,COVID-19,Pandemics,Evaluation Methods,Test Format,Assessment Literacy,High School Teachers,Foreign Countries,Teacher Attitudes,Summative Evaluation,Formative Evaluation,Technical Support,Integrity,High Stakes Tests

Assessing learners' performance is crucial as it informs about learners' achievement levels in addition to their strengths and weaknesses, not only in face-to-face but also in online teaching. The study aimed at investigating the challenges faced by language teachers in assessing learners during online teaching and to offer some suggestions regarding language assessment courses in teacher training programs. The study adopted a qualitative approach to data collection and analysis. The participants included 22 language teachers aged between 24 to 48. Of these teachers, 8 were male, while the rest were female. Their teaching experience varied from 2 to 25 years, with an average of 11.8 years. The data was based on the responses of the participants during semi-structured interviews. The participants were asked to attend ZOOM meetings to be held, considering their availability. The interviews lasted 10 to 25 minutes. The results of the study indicated that the challenges faced by the participants included five major themes: Assessment type, assessment item formats, support, previous training (assessment literacy), and academic integrity. Several suggestions were offered considering online testing and assessment literacy and language assessment courses in teacher training programs.
The Effects of Instructions in L1 and L2 in EFL Listening Classes on A2 Level Learners
Author: Gündüz, Tarkan
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Native Language,College Preparation,Undergraduate Students,Scores,Teaching Methods,Listening Skills,Foreign Countries,Listening Comprehension,Student Attitudes,Comparative Analysis,Learning Activities,English (Second Language),Pretests Posttests,Instructional Effectiveness

The current study aimed to investigate the effects of providing instructions in L2 listening activities on the participants' performance in the classroom as well as the participants' views regarding the use of L1. The study included 48 students from the preparatory classes in the School of Foreign Languages, at a state university in Turkey. Through the post-test, only quasi-experimental research design, the participants' performance was compared in classes with L1 and L2 instructions in the listening activities. The results indicated that the participants in the experimental group scored higher than those in the control group who were exposed to L2 instructions.