14,076 research outputs found
MountainRise, Volume 4, Number 2
Get PDFVolume 4, Number 2 (2008). MountainRise, an open, peer-reviewed, international electronic journal, was published by the Coulter Faculty Commons for Excellence in Teaching & Learning at Western Carolina University. Originating in the ancient mountains of western North Carolina, MountainRise served as an international vehicle for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL). MountainRise applied insightful scholarly methodologies to the processes of teaching and learning. The aim of the journal was to foster a higher education culture that embraced innovation in teaching and learning
E-PORTFOLIOS: THEIR IMPACT ON PRESERVICE TEACHERS\u27 SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING AND COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY SKILLS
Get PDFStudents in the Teacher Education Program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis have to complete their professional E-portfolios to be certified for the program. An E-portfolio demonstrates a future teacher¿s knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired through teaching and learning. Five qualitative case studies were investigated to understand how E-portfolios impact preservice teachers¿ self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) and computer technology skills (CTS). Data were gathered from the preservice teachers¿ pre- and post-questionnaires, interviews, observations, and their completed E-portfolios. Two internship students and three student teachers were observed creating their E-portfolios during a 16-week semester. During the period, some sought assistance from the E. Desmond Lee Technology and Learning Center Staff while others worked independently. Using the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (Guglielmino, 1977), all the participants increased their SDLR scores. However, although each of their scores increased, they remained in their initial level. For example, if a person had an initial ¿above average¿ score (227-251), he or she stayed in the same level after creating an E-portfolio. Based on a CTS Questionnaire, which examined the preservice teachers¿ Internet, PowerPoint, Excel, and E-portfolio skills, just to name a few, each preservice teacher increased his or her computer technology skills. Thus, it appears that creating an E-portfolio can serve as a useful tool in helping preservice teachers enhance their self-direction and computer technology literacy. Teachers should carefully consider how computer technology should be used to further their goals of professional development. The knowledge gained from this study may assist adult educators in motivating student teacher candidates to use E-portfolios. Knowledge about the self-directed learning process would contribute to both theory and practice of self-directed learning in the digital age. In addition, this study may provide the foundation for further research into E-portfolio curriculum design and how to use E-portfolios as an assessment tool for effective professional development. Developing E-portfolios may help students in all programs improve their computer technology skills and trigger their self-direction and desire to learn. In addition, E-portfolios may provide faculty with an effective, alternative assessment tool (Barrett, 2000). Future research could examine more students in other teacher education programs
The Crazy Ideas You Had: The Impact of a Literacy Course Design, Delivery, and Teacher on Preservice Teachers\u27 Reading Attitudes
Get PDFThis study sought to determine whether the design and/or the instructor of a required literacy course impacted preservice teachers\u27 attitudes toward reading. Furthermore, the study sought to contrast the attitudinal impact of varying course delivery (onsite versus online). Additionally, the study attempted to identify those course activities and/or instructor behaviors perceived by the preservice teachers to have most affected their reading attitudes.
Using mixed methodology research design, this study made use of empirical data obtained from three subscales of the Adult Survey of Reading Attitudes, or ASRA, (Smith, 1990a): Reading Activity and Enjoyment; Social Reinforcement; and Tutoring. Preservice teachers enrolled in two sections (online versus onsite) of an undergraduate literacy course completed pre- and post-course instruments. In order to determine whether the design of a required literacy course impacted preservice teachers\u27 attitudes toward reading and if varying course delivery (onsite versus online) affected any such impact, the pre- and post-course data was subject to statistical analysis. The study also utilized qualitative narrative analysis of pre- and post-course writing pieces, Reading Autobiographies and Final Reflections, to identify specific course activities and instructor behaviors perceived by the preservice teachers to have affected their reading attitudes.
Statistical analysis in this research confirmed that intentional course design and delivery of both online and onsite literacy classes does significantly impact respondents\u27 attitudes in terms of Reading Activity and Enjoyment. Participation in an onsite section was also determined to significantly impact respondents\u27 attitudes with regards to the Social Reinforcement of reading; however, no statistically significant result was obtained on the Social Reinforcement subscale in the online section. Neither online nor onsite course delivery significantly impacted respondents\u27 reading attitudes as displayed on the Tutoring subscale. Qualitative narrative analysis of preservice teachers\u27 assigned writings was consistent with previous studies indicating that social modeling, learning communities, and authentic experiences with literature most influence students\u27 dispositions towards reading. Narrative analysis also provided subjects\u27 perceptions about those course activities and teacher behaviors believed to have most affected attitudinal change. Because these activities and behaviors are replicable, future teacher education courses may be intentionally modified to attain similar results
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Digital portfolios: Advancing assessment through technology
Get PDFThe project discusses how evolving technologies used to create digital portfolios can demonstrate student achievement in virtually unlimited ways. Evidence of student growth and achievement can be documented digitally. Such evidence can take the form of text, graphics, photos, sound, video data, and can even include database records of standardized or course-end test scores and grades
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