This study investigated the use of digital technologies in secondary and post-secondary graphic communication education. Specifically it investigated: 1) the extent to which graphic communication educators utilized digital technologies in conjunction with instruction; 2) how selected factors affected graphic communication teachers' implementation of digital technologies in their instruction; and, 3) how selected factors affected teacher and learner-centered instructional practices. The Levels of Technology Implementation (LoTi) and "Technology Use Survey" instruments were administered to secondary and post-secondary graphic communication educators via the Web to assess: 1) the frequency of use of 17 different digital technologies; 2) the nature and level of digital technology implementation; 3) current instructional practices; and 4) demographic characteristics. Graphic communication educators (n = 191) responding to the survey utilized a wide variety of digital technologies as part of their instruction. The data indicated that most students in graphic communication classes use computers, page layout software, and the Internet (for accessing digital content) "almost daily." Most graphic communication students were creating and/or editing vector and raster graphics "several times a week." Most graphic communication teachers reported student use of digital still cameras, digital instructional tutorials and the Internet (to solve technical problems) was limited to "several times a month," while most students were creating digital multimedia projects only "several times each year." Most respondents chose "never" to describe students' use of: digital video cameras, digital drawing tablets, creating and/or editing Web pages with a WYSIWYG or HTML editors, digital spreadsheets, digital databases, and digital animations. Findings from this study further indicate graphic communication educators demonstrate high to extremely high skill levels using computers for personal use and implement digital technologies in ways that begin to shift the learning environment from teacher-centered to student-centered, but may not be effectively updating their curriculum to reflect current graphic communication industry workforce needs. / Ph. D.

The integration of student-centered learning (SCL) practices in higher education, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, is essential for addressing persistent challenges such as high failure rates among underrepresented groups. Institutions of Higher Education are increasingly emphasizing evidence-based, student-centered instruction, leading to the development of PD programs aimed at promoting instructors' adoption and integration of SCL practices, particularly in STEM. However, faculty resistance remains a challenge. Traditional PD approaches often focus on short-term outcomes without considering long-term instructor persistence or the contextual complexities of SCL integration. This dissertation research addresses these gaps by examining STEM instructors' role identities before, during, and after participating in SCL PD programs, using the Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity (DSMRI) (Kaplan and Garner, 2017) to analyze development in identity formation. The study highlights the diverse ways participants integrate SCL into their role identities and the complex interplay between role identities, situational and contextual pressures, and instructional practices. The findings highlighted two emergent theoretical dimensions that characterized the different STEM instructors’ incorporation of SCL into their role identities: Scope of Identity and Degree of Identity Integration. Differences in Scope of Identity and Degree of Identity Integration framed the different long term implementations of SCL by the different participants and provided an initial theoretical framework to conceptualize and evaluate long-term instructor change processes post-PD. A thematic analysis also highlighted how contextual/situational factors framed participant negotiation of departmental and institutional pressures and included institutional policies and procedures, coordinated courses and student achievement gaps. Emergent role identity elements of self-perceived fallibility and sense of community building were central to the successful identity negotiation of situational pressures around implementing SCL. Implications for theory, PD practice, and university policy are discussed, emphasizing the need for continued support, collaboration, PD design that promotes identity exploration, and understanding of the systemic influences shaping SCL integration in STEM. Future research should further explore the role of institutional and departmental culture in SCL integration, leveraging frameworks like the DSMRI to deepen our understanding of identity formation and SCL integration among instructors across disciplines and institutions. Additionally, collaborative efforts between university administration, course structuring, and instructional goals are essential to aligning institutional priorities with SCL implementation strategies, ensuring better student engagement, increased student success, and enhanced retention particularly for underrepresented students in STEM. / Educational Psychology

The Boyer Commission report (1998) argued that normative educational approaches to higher education deprive undergraduates of opportunities for substantial intellectual engagement and rely too heavily on ‘knowledge transfer’ as the principal mode of teaching. In response, they advocated for the use of inquiry-based methods to foster intellectual stimulation and excitement for learning and discovery, and remove barriers to interdisciplinarity (1998). A central challenge in the development of interdisciplinary educational enterprises, such as the adoption of an inquiry-based approach, is the cultivation of a shared vision across disciplines with different norms of discourse, epistemology, and pedagogy (Mahony, 2003). Using semi-structured interviews and qualitative thematic analysis, we examined how inquiry-based pedagogy is understood by faculty members from established undergraduate programs at McMaster University as well as those involved in the development of a new interdisciplinary program employing inquiry-based approaches. The key questions addressed in this study are: How do faculty members from different disciplines understand inquiry-based pedagogy, and what factors are associated with long-term sustainability of inquiry-based curricula in higher education? Four key themes were identified in this analysis including 1) guiding tenets of inquiry-based learning, 2) inquiry environment, 3) inquiry as a programmatic ethos, and 4) inquiry as subversion/resistance. From this analysis, this research was able to articulate instructors’ understanding of inquiry-based pedagogy, discussing common themes and challenges, highlighting the connections to critical pedagogy, and identifying factors such as curricular design, collaboration among staff and support from administration that have contributed to the sustainability of this approach at McMaster University / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Increasing underrepresented minority youth (URMY) engagement in STEM education remains at the forefront of our Nation's educational battle. The aim of this study was to create, implement, and evaluate the impact of innovative food science and technology (FST) lesson plans on URMY engagement in, and attitudes towards science, and their awareness of the field of FST. The 2011 United States census recalls that URMY make up only 13.3% of the STEM workforce. This study identifies URMY as individuals representing one or more of the following demographics: Low income, African American, Latino(a) American, and Indian American. Eight 5th-6th grade youth participated in a seven-week program, The Enliven Program (TEP), which is a STEM education program created for the purpose of this. The Enliven Program focuses on youth engagement in science learning through the implementation of a FST curriculum. The lessons delivered in TEP utilized the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) 5E instructional model as its foundation. This model focuses on five phases of student centered learning: engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation. Data was collected using a fixed-mixed methods design. A qual-quan approach was employed to measure youths' positive behavioral and cognitive engagement in science learning. Measures of positive behavioral and cognitive engagement demonstrated that youth were positively behaviorally and cognitively engaged in the science learning activities. Furthermore, relationship building played an instrumental role in maintaining youth participants' positive attitudes towards and engagement in TEP activities. The results display an overall increase in youth's desire to do science and self-concept in science. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / The aim of this interdisciplinary study was to create innovative teaching methods, based on existing food science and technology (FST) curricula, with a broader goal of increasing engagement in science among underrepresented minority youth (URMY). In this study, the sample of URMY were individuals, in the 5^th-6^th grade, representing one or more of the following demographics: Low income, African American, Latino(a) American, American Indian. Eight youth participated in a seven-week program, The Enliven Program (TEP), a STEM education program, which focused on implementing engaging science activities, with the purpose being to examine engagement of youth in science learning. This program utilized the Biological Science Curriculum Study (BSCS) 5E educational model as its foundation, forming each lesson using a 5E lesson plan template. This model focuses on five phases of student centered learning: engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation. Each lesson focused on the implementation of FST curriculum through the use of food and culinary arts techniques. In TEP, youth also had the opportunity to interact with professionals in the field of food science and technology. Measures of positive behavioral and cognitive engagement demonstrated that youth were positively behaviorally and cognitively engaged in the science learning activities. Furthermore, building rapport and a relationship with youth as a group, and on an individual level, was essential in maintaining youth participants’ positive attitudes towards and engagement in TEP activities. Results reveal an overall increase in youth’s desire to do science and self-concept in science.

This project investigated the problem of how to enable a student-centered environment in reading instruction through effectively incorporating meaningful web-based technology into the community college reading curriculum. Three multimedia strategies were tested to promote individual and collaborative meaning making: ePortfolios, eJournals, and the Class Know-It-All. The success of these strategies was measured against that of a previous course with identical materials and resources with the exception of multimedia integration.

No description available.

Portrait of Your Stream (POYS) is a stream ecology and student action program designed for use with middle-school students. The program is correlated with learning cycle pedagogical methods emphasizing student-centered lessons and activities in both classroom and outdoor settings. Implementation of a pilot program in the Fall semester of 1999 was used to collect formal and informal responses and data from students and teachers. Data included changes in student knowledge, skills and attitudes and were analyzed for determination of the success of program objectives and modifications to the program. The final POYS program is currently distributed and administered by the Botanical Research Institute of Texas.

As past research has found benefits of outdoor education and the current global society is facing a decline in access to beneficial natural spaces due to urbanization (Keniger, Gaston, Irvine & Fuller 2013), the aim of this master thesis research project was to explore the idea of an Outdoor Primary School, a way to provide children the access to beneficial natural spaces. In order to explore this idea, Professional Outdoor Educators (n= 61) were interviewed and asked to fill out a survey about the following aspects: outdoor and indoor spaces, learning activities, curriculum and challenges related to an Outdoor Primary School. There was a wide range of results showing that an Outdoor Primary School is a way to incorporate beneficial ways of learning, such as project-based learning, experience-based and practical learning, social learning, play and student-centered learning in formal schooling. Including learning content and activities that can aid children’s development such as food, animals and sustainability is also possible in an Outdoor Primary School as shown below. Furthermore, an Outdoor Primary School is an institution that can be equipped with beneficial learning environments, such as natural environments, a vast space, spaces for cooking, growing food and keeping animals, quiet zones, play zones and opportunities for creating, building and crafts. These results go in line with previous research about Outdoor Education and related fields, suggesting that an Outdoor Primary School both holds challenges but also is a possible model to bring together many beneficial ways of learning that are already being practiced today.

Este estudo explora uma abordagem ativista, a fim de desenvolver um protótipo de modelo pedagógico do esporte, para trabalhar com meninos residentes em áreas de vulnerabilidade social, respondendo às seguintes questões de pesquisa: a) qual é o tema central, os elementos críticos e os resultados da aprendizagem de um protótipo de modelo pedagógico?; b) quais processos ocorrem na construção colaborativa do tema central, elementos críticos e resultados da aprendizagem?; c) quais são os desafios e facilitadores no processo de construção colaborativa do tema central, elementos críticos e resultados de aprendizagem? Durante seis meses em 2013, foi conduzida uma pesquisa ação participativa num programa de futebol, em uma área de vulnerabilidade social do Brasil. O estudo incluiu 17 meninos, quatro treinadores, um coordenador pedagógico e uma assistente social. Também uma especialista em pedagogia centrada no aluno e numa abordagem ativista baseada em questionamentos, participou do trabalho como facilitadora (debriefer), ajudando na análise progressiva dos dados e no planejamento das sessões de trabalho. Múltiplas fontes de dados foram coletadas, incluindo: 38 diários de campo/observações e gravações de áudio de 18 sessões de trabalho com os jovens, 16 sessões de trabalho com os treinadores e três sessões de trabalho com os jovens e com os treinadores. Além disso, aconteceram 37 encontros entre o pesquisador e a especialista. O tema central que emergiu foi à necessidade da co-construção de possibilidades de empoderamento, por meio do esporte, para meninos residentes em áreas de vulnerabilidade social. Cinco elementos críticos surgiram quando se trabalhou com meninos residentes nas referidas áreas: a importância de uma pedagogia centrada no aluno, uma abordagem ativista baseada em questionamentos, uma ética do cuidado, uma atenção para a comunidade e a formação de uma comunidade de esporte. Quando os cinco elementos críticos foram combinados, surgiram os resultados de aprendizagem: \"tornando-se responsáveis/comprometidos\", \"aprendendo com os erros\", \"valorizando o conhecimento um do outro\", e \"comunicando-se com os outros\". O processo de construção colaborativa foi dividido em duas fases. A primeira destinada a entender os meninos e como poderíamos fazer um esporte melhor para eles. Os cinco elementos críticos foram desenvolvidos nessa fase. Os quatro resultados de aprendizagem emergiram na segunda fase (fase ativista), quando os cinco elementos críticos foram combinados e usados em conjunto para desenvolver um programa de liderança. Foi necessário negociar desafios, tais como: \"encontrar maneiras de nomear nossas experiências\", \"falta de confiança no processo\", \"valorizar e privilegiar o conhecimento de adultos\" e \"premissas sobre os jovens\" na primeira fase. Negociamos esses desafios, permitindo que todos tivessem \"tempo para desenvolver relacionamentos\", apresentassem uma \"disposição de viver na desordem\" e serem \"pacientes de modo que os elementos críticos pudessem surgir\". Na segunda fase, os desafios negociados foram: \"premissas sobre os jovens\", \"valorizar e privilegiar o conhecimento de adultos\" e a \"cultura do esporte\". Esses desafios foram negociados apresentando-se uma \"predisposição para aceitar riscos\", assumindo \"possibilidades transformadoras realistas\" e sendo \"pacientes para o programa se desenvolver\". O esporte pode ser um bem cultural capaz de beneficiar jovens residentes em áreas de vulnerabilidade social, oferecendo-lhes um espaço onde possam se sentir protegidos e sonhar com outros futuros - movendo-se do que é para o que poderia ser / This study explores an activist approach for developing a prototype pedagogical model of sport for working with boys from socially vulnerable backgrounds, answering the following research questions: a) what is/are the key theme, critical elements and learning outcomes of a prototype pedagogical model?; b) what processes take place in the collaborative construction of the key theme, critical elements and learning outcomes?; c) what are the challenges and enablers in the process of collaborative construction of the key theme, critical elements and learning outcomes? This 2013 six month participatory action research was conducted in a soccer program in a socially vulnerable area of Brazil. The study included 17 boys, four coaches, a pedagogic coordinator and a social worker. An expert in student-centered pedagogy and inquirybased activism assisted as a debriefer helping in the progressive data analysis and the planning of the work sessions. Multiple sources of data were collected, including 38 field journal/observation and audio records of: 18 youth work sessions, 16 coaches\' work sessions, 3 combined coaches and youth work sessions, and 37 meetings between the researcher and the expert. The key theme that emerged was the need to co-construct empowering possibilities through sport for boys from socially vulnerable backgrounds. Five critical elements arose when working with boys from socially vulnerable backgrounds: the importance of a student-centered pedagogy, an inquiry-based activism approach, an ethic of care, an attentiveness to the community and a community of sport. When the five critical elements were combined, becoming responsible/committed, learning from mistakes, valuing each other\'s knowledge, and communicating with others were the learning outcomes that emerged. The process of collaborative construction was divided into two phases. The first phase was designed to understand the boys and how sports could be improved for them. The five critical elements developed in this phase. The four learning outcomes emerged in the second phase (activist phase) when the five critical elements were combined and used together to develop a Leadership Program. It was necessary to negotiate challenges such as: \"finding ways to name our experiences\", \"lack of trust of in the process\", \"valuing and privileging adult knowledge\" and \"assumptions about youth\" in the first phase. We negotiated these challenges by allowing all involved \"time to develop relationships\", having a \"willingness to live in messiness\", and being \"patient so that the critical elements could emerge\". In the second phase, the challenges negotiated were: \"assumptions about youth\", \"valuing and privileging adult knowledge\" and \"the culture of sport\". These challenges were negotiated by having a \"willingness to take risk\", taking \"realistic transformative possibilities\", and being \"patient while the program unfolds\". Sport can be a cultural asset to benefit youth from socially vulnerable backgrounds by offering them a place where they can feel protected and dream about other futures - moving from what is to what might be

The purpose of the current outcome study was to determine the impact of Student Success Skills (SSS) classroom guidance lessons on the Academic Behaviors (motivation, social engagement, self-regulation) and Key Learning Skills and Techniques associated with college-career readiness (CCR) indicators for Grade 5 students (ACT, 2008a; Brigman & Webb, 2012; Conley, 2010; Robbins, Allen, Casillas, Peterson, & Le, 2006). School counselors in the treatment schools were trained in the implementation of the SSS classroom program and subsequently taught the material to Grade 5 students. Comparison school counselors conducted business as usual. The study applied a quasi-experimental pre/post1/post2 design utilizing student self-report instruments (Student Engagement in School Success Skills Survey [SESSS], Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire [MSLQ]), and a teacher survey instrument (Student Participation Questionnaire [SPQ]). / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015 / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection