Analysis is typically listed in taxonomies of higher order thinking. Academics consider these taxonomies worthwhile, but they are hard to teach and we are apt to ignore them. Today higher education is criticized for “dumbing down” curriculum or lowering standards. To rectify this, many policies at the state or national level are requiring higher education institutions to change. In K-12 education, Race to the Top and Common Core requirements are placing new demands on K-12 teacher preparation, which include evaluation of the analysis skills of pre-service teachers. But professors do not always view their disciplines as the proper place for teaching analytical skills. Others become frustrated when trying to teach analysis. But if we do not teach these skills, our teacher candidates will be poorly prepared for success, a problem which will cascade throughout our society, rendering our citizens less educated. In this paper, we describe our efforts to teach analysis in two courses from widely differing subject areas, literacy and mathematics education. We are now requiring teacher candidates to analyze simulated or actual samples of student work. We have developed a sequenced process of analysis education that we believe can be generalized to many other courses

Many programs are experimenting with distance education technologies (e.g., webcams, interactive video, ect.) to provide support of clinical experiences. This session will review the literature to determine if using a webcam to observe teacher candidates in the field is a viable and useful option for many institutes of higher education.

Since their advent as supplemental staff at community colleges four decades ago, part-time instructors, or adjuncts, have since been employed with increasing frequency and in escalating numbers across all institutional types of American higher education. Currently comprising approximately forty percent of all postsecondary faculty, part-time instructors now outnumber full-time nontenure-track, tenure-track, and tenured faculty respectively on many campuses. This pervasive trend has created a professional climate of uncertainty and, in some cases, even hostility as American colleges and universities struggle to adapt to ever changing enrollment populations, market demands, technological innovations, and political pressure. As the sustainability of traditional faculty tenure hangs in the balance and as opportunities to secure tenure-track appointments continually diminish, the arguably inequitable working conditions of college faculty hired off the tenure track have fallen under public and political scrutiny since these instructors now provide such a large proportion of undergraduate education. This dissertation offers a comprehensive overview of the adjunct staffing model’s development and consequences as well as a proposed solution particularly to chairpersons of academic departments that have become inordinately dependent upon part-time instructors to teach their undergraduate curriculum. Combining personal experience with recent research, the first chapter offers a detailed description of the typical adjunct’s current working conditions, which include heavy workloads, poor compensation, and insufficient time for preparation and professional development. I briefly review the origins of and dramatically increasing reliance upon postsecondary adjunct employment over the past forty years. I situate the present undervaluing of part-time instructors within the context of colleges’ persistently rising “sticker prices,” which most commonly derive from curricular as well as extracurricular amenities and a drastic increase in non-instructional staff. I suggest that colleges cannot afford to ignore the adjunct problem much longer due to growing public and political awareness of the issue. I conclude by encouraging college governing boards, administrators, and faculty to collaborate in order to arrange respectable and sustainable terms of employment. The second chapter analyzes how the current model of adjunct employment adversely affects higher education. In addition to the first chapter’s grievances pertaining specifically to adjuncts, college faculty as a whole suffers from the deprofessionalization and bifurcation resulting from the widespread overdependence upon part-time instruction. Furthermore, college students suffer from part-time instructors’ compromised ethos and resultant “shielding,” last-minute staffing practices by means of which institutions often hire adjuncts, part-time instructors’ inadequate access to instructional resources, and irrational models for adjunct compensation. Finally, the adjunct problem harms the reputations of postsecondary institutions overall, indicating dysfunction and lack of accountability to an already skeptical public. The chapter closes with a call to action, encouraging all postsecondary institutions to consider improved, sustainable employment for all faculty. The third and final chapter proposes a solution in the form of a standardized college faculty position, which I call the core-survey instructor. Based loosely on a specific definition of contingent faculty, such a professor would assume reasonably heavy teaching loads as a full-time employee of one institution in exchange for a respectable salary, renewable multi-year contracts, and limited benefits. I explain how core-survey instructors will benefit postsecondary institutions not only by resolving the detriments listed in the second essay but also via improved remedial instruction, academic advising, and participation in shared governance.

The Center of Graduate Schools (2015) published a report detailing applications, enrollment, and trends in graduate schools across the nation showing that approximately one third of all first-time graduate school applicants in master’s degree programs utilizing the GRE assessment identify their career path in either business or teacher education. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of classroom teachers who concurrently pursued graduate studies to earn a master’s degree in education and to understand how adult learning provided opportunities for personal growth and the attainment of professional goals. Individual interviews and two focus groups were conducted to uncover the essence of experiences across participant stories. Seven themes emerged from the data: 1) Teacher-scholars’ reasons for returning to higher education varied based on their personal and professional needs, 2) The teacher-scholar experience elicits a vast array of emotions, challenges, and successes, 3) Teacher-scholars were self-driven to start their programs however intrinsic and extrinsic motivation provided encouragement for continued desire for success, 4) Teacher-scholars’ support systems were integral to their success in their master’s programs, 5) Teacher-scholars were reflective about their teaching and learning and used reflection as a tool to improve their professional capabilities, 6) Teacher-scholars used concrete learning experiences to bring their learning into their classrooms and professional lives, and 7) Teacher-scholars’ educational journeys provided opportunities for here-and-now learning as well as increased marketability for a future in the field of education. Additionally, a revision to David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle (2015) was presented. Participant data highlighted collaboration as a necessary component to teacher-scholar success yet it was not addressed in Kolb’s original model. Results from this study can be used to inform teacher education programs as well as teacher-scholars on the expectations, experiences, and perceptions of teachers who concurrently pursued higher education.

University branch campuses play a vital role in today’s higher education field. Branch campuses help facilitate the delivery of knowledge, development, and learning opportunities to populations that may not have any other prospect in regard to pursuing their educational goals. Branch campuses have also become a new way for institutions of higher education to collaborate and work together to serve students’ interests. Yet, despite enrollment growth across thousands of higher education branch campuses that exist in the United States, the literature on branch campuses is scant. Furthermore, branch campuses, like their main campus counterparts, have a responsibility to ensure that their students are successful and reach their learning objectives. One of the ways in which branch campuses are promoting student persistence is through the use of High Impact Practices (HIPs). HIPs have helped shape education policy at colleges and universities since they were first introduced a decade ago. While there is still active debate on their effectiveness, they have become an established part of the curriculum as colleges and universities invest in resources to implement and institutionalize these practices. Given the lack of literature examining HIPs at university branch campuses, this phenomenological study sought to examine what branch campus students experience in relation to HIPs, and how these experiences influence student persistence. Additionally, this study uncovered other experiences that influence the persistence of branch campus students and assists in providing a fuller understanding of the branch campus student experience.

This qualitative study examined the impact of TRIO-Upward Bound and Math Science programs for 12th-grade African-American male participants. The overall aim studied their self-efficacy in fulfilling graduation requirements and academic achievement in preparation for acceptance into a postsecondary institution. Data collection methods for this study were comprised of interviews, surveys, and student achievement data. Utilizing the qualitative director interviews, the researcher analyzed the data and presented the impact of independent variables on the effectiveness of the Upward Bound TRIO program for African-American 12th-grade males. A comparison of two Upward Bound TRIO programs at a select urban southern institution was conducted in the southern region of Georgia. The results were analyzed and queried as to whether the academic challenges confronting economically disadvantaged potential first generation college students, particularly African-American males, suggest an urgent call to action for an effective intervention strategy.

The increasing demand of online education is a driving factor for development of training for online pedagogy as a separate entity of traditional pedagogical practices. Literature relating to online teaching suggests that continued research is needed to understand the development of online pedagogy, in order for higher education institutions to provide relevant training and support for online instructors. The problem examined in this study is understanding professional development and support needs of online instructors to enhance the continuous development of pedagogical skills in an online learning environment. The purpose of the study was to identify online instructor support needs by investigating perceptions, successes, and challenges of online instructors at a multicampus state college in the southeast. The study explored the experiences of online instructors, in order to form an understanding of the types of professional development strategies that are needed to guide the transition from face-to-face instruction to online instruction. Using case-study techniques, this qualitative study assessed the perspectives of five faculty participants from academic disciplines representing computer science, mathematics, nursing, psychology, and sociology. Data were collected from interviews and resource documents and analyzed to reveal several findings relating to the practice of online instruction. Three key themes emerged from the findings: reflection of practice, connection to students, and process of work. Reflecting on personal experiences and learning from the experiences of other online instructors is influential to the development of online pedagogical skills. Connecting to students using multiple methods of delivery and developing an organized course structure is critical to successful online instruction. Navigating student communication, developing engaging course content, and identifying when students need help are challenges associated with managing the work of online instruction. Results of this study indicate the need for professional development programs that provide a structured emphasis on the development of online pedagogical skills. To address the evolving nature of online instruction, professional development programs should provide the opportunity to reflect on the practice of online teaching, assess individual training needs for online instructors, and guide the development of relevant online course content. As the demand for online education continues to grow along with emerging technologies associated with online learning, future research should be conducted on the length of time required to develop effective online pedagogical practices. The increasing demand of online education is a driving factor for development of training for online pedagogy as a separate entity of traditional pedagogical practices. Literature relating to online teaching suggests that continued research is needed to understand the development of online pedagogy, in order for higher education institutions to provide relevant training and support for online instructors. The problem examined in this study is understanding professional development and support needs of online instructors to enhance the continuous development of pedagogical skills in an online learning environment. The purpose of the study was to identify online instructor support needs by investigating perceptions, successes, and challenges of online instructors at a multicampus state college in the southeast. The study explored the experiences of online instructors, in order to form an understanding of the types of professional development strategies that are needed to guide the transition from face-to-face instruction to online instruction. Using case-study techniques, this qualitative study assessed the perspectives of five faculty participants from academic disciplines representing computer science, mathematics, nursing, psychology, and sociology. Data were collected from interviews and resource documents and analyzed to reveal several findings relating to the practice of online instruction. Three key themes emerged from the findings: reflection of practice, connection to students, and process of work. Reflecting on personal experiences and learning from the experiences of other online instructors is influential to the development of online pedagogical skills. Connecting to students using multiple methods of delivery and developing an organized course structure is critical to successful online instruction. Navigating student communication, developing engaging course content, and identifying when students need help are challenges associated with managing the work of online instruction. Results of this study indicate the need for professional development programs that provide a structured emphasis on the development of online pedagogical skills. To address the evolving nature of online instruction, professional development programs should provide the opportunity to reflect on the practice of online teaching, assess individual training needs for online instructors, and guide the development of relevant online course content. As the demand for online education continues to grow along with emerging technologies associated with online learning, future research should be conducted on the length of time required to develop effective online pedagogical practices.

Excerpt: In response to the shortage of special education teachers in rural areas, many teacher preparation programs are providing supervision to pre-service teachers via distance education technologies.

LibGuides, as a method of creating pathfinders for instruction of information literacy and content management has long been used by academic libraries, but has not been widely used by school libraries. This article describes a collaborative plan between a distance education librarian and a professor of school library media using LibGuides to overhaul a print pathfinder project in a reference sources for youth course. The methodology, results of the products, and student feedback from the assignment are discussed. The project exemplifies potential collaborative efforts between academic distance education librarians and school library media instructors.

Objectives: 1) To evaluate the impact of an interprofessional blended learning course on pharmacy and medical students’ communication skills; 2) To compare pre- and post-course communication skills across cohorts. Method: Pharmacy (N = 57) and medical (N = 67) students enrolled in a required Communication Skills for Health Professionals course completed asynchronous online modules and face-to-face standardized patient interview sessions over the course of 1 semester. Students completed pre- and post-course objective structured clinical examinations with standardized patients and were evaluated by trained faculty using the validated Common Ground Instrument. Communication skill domains evaluated on a 1 to 5 scale included: rapport building, agenda setting, information management, active listening, addressing feelings, and establishing common ground. Nonparametric statistical tests were used to examine paired pre-/post-course domain scores within professions and pre- and post-course scores across professions. Results: Performance in all communication skill domains increased significantly for pharmacy and medical students (p valuesImplications: The blended learning Communication Skills for Health Professionals course improved students’ interpersonal communication skills across multiple domains. Fostering communication skill development in medical and pharmacy students could improve the extent to which future health care professionals engage in patient-centered communication.