This examination describes the perceptions of faculty, student affairs professionals and students in regard to what students should learn as a result of college and what means are important for collegiate student learning. Some similarities and significant differences are found between groups as well as within groups in relation to what students should learn and how they learn. All three groups were found to place importance on the acquisition of critical thinking and communication skills as an outcome of college attendance. Faculty were found to place more-importance on in class skills and competencies when compared to student affairs professionals or students. All three groups identify traditional in class means of learning as significantly more important than out of class learning within the college environment. / Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of customer service in higher education. Student perceptions of customer service were collected and examined through a survey instrument developed for this study. Two-hundred and seven participants completed the survey resulting in a 23% return rate.Freshmen students at Ball State perceive themselves to be customers entitled to a high quality service through both service areas and academic departments of a university. Results from the survey showed that a majority of the students believe they are the most important group of people at a university. In addition, over 90% believe a university's purpose is to serve students. Students reported they have experienced courteous and personalized service in both academic departments and service areas of a university. They also stated that customer service wasequally important in both academic and service areas of a university.When describing positive and negative interactions between faculty and staff, students' responses varied greatly. About half of the respondents reported experiencing positive interactions with both faculty and staff, while the other half, experienced negative interactions with both faculty and staff. When discussing negative interactions with both faculty and staff, some of the common themes included: rudeness, being treated like a child, individuals not knowing their names, and not having time to help them. On the contrary, the common themes with positive interactions included: politeness, being treated with respect, knowing names of the students and helpfulness. / Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education

The purpose of the study was to provide a descriptive data analysis for program planners on knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding organ donation among undergraduate students enrolled at Ball State University. An 84-item questionnaire was administered to undergraduate students. The subjects were obtained from a convenient sample.The data were analyzed using mean and Pearson's r to answer the research questions. The overall attitudes of the subjects were positive (M=20.88 out of a possible 26). The knowledge of the subjects toward organ donation was low (M=9.98 out of a possible 22). About one half of the subjects indicated that they are organ donors, by indicating on the survey that they have signed an organ donor card or a similar document. Attitude regarding organ donation (r =.232) was found to be a greater influence on willingness to become an organ donor than was knowledge about organ donation (r = .106). Recommendations are to submit results to program planners to help create more effective organ donation recruitment. / Department of Physiology and Health Science

This thesis explored standardized assessment practices and analyzed accommodations commonly provided to address the unique needs of students with a sensory impairment. Current assessment practices in Indiana result in well below average scores on the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress - Plus (ISTEP+) and the Graduation Qualifying Examination (GQE) for students who have a sensory impairment. Using a mixed-method of qualitative and quantitative processes, the researcher postulated that if assessment processes were equitable for this population of students, their scores should approximate the normal distribution seen in the overall state totals for the total school population; albeit with a slightly lower trajectory. Reasoning being that the overall population of students with a sensory impairment spans from students with high ability to students with multiple disabilities. Through a literature review and meta-analysis on the topic of assessment, surveys and discussions with varied local experts, and interviews with state and national experts in the sensory areas represented, this study sought to establish a framework for accommodating this population of students on standardized assessments. Using descriptive analysis procedures, the various data sets brought forth 25 qualities or practices that the diverse experts agreed should be in place when assessing this population of students. The data reflected a high level of consensus among parents, teachers, state, and national experts regardless of region of state represented. The data also reflected consensus across sensory subgroups (blind, deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing/cochlear implant, and low vision). The research concluded with a modified confirmatory factor analysis of the 25 qualities with the state-dictated permissible accommodations published in the test guidance manual. This analysis revealed less than half of the perceived best practices were in place for the current state-mandated assessment system. Suggestions for improving accommodation options on future assessment procedures and the prospective for further research were offered. / Department of Special Education

The purpose of this exploratory study was to look at the perceptions of Indiana’s special and general education administrators and teachers regarding service delivery and instructional models used with secondary students with emotional disabilities (ED) and the transitional outcomes for this population of students. Study participants were provided an electronic survey using Ball State’s inQsit software program. Demographic data (i.e. age, gender, and ethnicity) were collected along with school size and educational roundtable location. Study participants were asked to report which service delivery (placement) and instructional (personnel) models were currently being used with their students with ED and also what transitional outcome (i.e. graduating with a diploma) best summarized their students with emotional disabilities. Respondents rated the effectiveness of current placements and personnel used with their students using a Likert-type scale. The study found that administrators and teachers regardless of specialty area perceived their students with ED being educated in the regular classroom or resource room. They also indicated this service delivery model was effective. In regards to personnel, the teacher with paraprofessional support was still reported as the dominant choice for instructional model and was perceived as being effective. Respondents also reported that their students with ED were leaving school with a diploma or certificate of completion. However, over 15% of respondents indicated their students with ED were dropping out of school. The study recommended follow up research to investigate current curriculums used to provide instruction to students with emotional disabilities. Survey participant size (n=245) was considered too small to make generalizations, but the study provides useful insight into potential future research. / Department of Special Education

The general purpose of this study completed in 1999 was to create an accurate, documented description of the experiences of nine students, three faculty members and two administrators in higher education in Chile during the military government 1973 - 1990.A qualitative approach was selected as the most appropriate methodology to' complete the study. A variety of methods and data collection strategies were used. The major data collection strategies were interviews and reviewing of primary and secondary written sources. The interviews were used to collect evidence concerning interviewees' experiences, as well as their attitudes, and perceptions regarding the events that occurred in higher education during the rule of the military government 1973 - 1990.The researcher decided to use a judgment sample of interviewees from the population based on their knowledge about the topic and their willingness to share their knowledge and experiences. Geographical representation, position within the institutions, kind of institution represented, and gender were major the considerations at the moment of selecting the sample too.Thanks to the U.S.A. Freedom of Information Act, which established an effective statutory right to access by any person or organization to federal government information, the researcher found official information that allowed for triangulation of evidence.The findings showed that the changes the military government implemented through their modernization of the educational system did not follow the historical trend of educational development in Chile. Furthermore, under the military government, policymaking in higher education was circumscribed to autocratic arenas, which usually coincided with government policy. Education was utilized to serve the purpose of the government. The educational system 1973 - 1990 failed to serve those with special needs. Free-market policies profoundly transformed education from a right available to all, to a commodity available in varying quantity and quality according to purchasing power of individuals.The impact of military government on higher education during the military rule was notorious and huge. Even though they were destructive in some aspects the military government did good things for the educational system. The issue in discussion is the price that was paid. / Department of Educational Leadership

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Anatomy A215: Basic Human Anatomy (Anat A215) is an undergraduate human anatomy course at Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) that serves as a requirement for many degree programs at IUB. The difficulty of the course, coupled with pressure to achieve grades for admittance into specific programs, has resulted in high remediation rates. In an attempt to help students to improve their study habits and metacognitive skills Medical Sciences M100: Improving Learning Skills in Anatomy (MSCI M100) was developed. MSCI M100 is an undergraduate course at IUB which is taught concurrently with Anat A215, with the hopes of promoting academic success in Anat A215. This multifaceted study was designed to analyze the factors associated with students who remediate Anat A215, to predict at-risk students in future semesters, and assess the effectiveness of MSCI M100. The first facet involved analysis of Anat A215 students’ demographic information and class performance data from the spring semester of 2004 through the spring semester of 2010. Results of data analysis can be used by IUB instructors and academic advisors to identify students at risk for remediating, as well as provide other undergraduate anatomy instructors across the U.S. with potential risk factors associated with remediation. The second facet of this research involved analyzing MSCI M100 course assignments to determine if there are improvements in student study habits and metacognitive skills. This investigation involved quantitative analysis of study logs and a learning attitudes survey, as well as a thorough inductive analysis of students’ weekly journal entries. Lastly, Anat A215 exam scores and final course grades for students who completed MSCI M100 and students who did not complete MSCI M100 were compared. Results from these analyses show promising improvements in students’ metacognition and study habits, but further research will better demonstrate the efficacy of MSCI M100.