Examining the Connection between Classroom Technology and Student Engagement

Technological pedagogy is being relied upon more-and-more as a way to address the growing needs of higher education. This study investigated the use of a tool designed with the specific purpose of student engagement in a large classroom. The tool allows students to post to a community based discussion in a manner similar to a Twitter feed. Despite engaging in a community dialogue, findings suggest that as usage of the technology went up a student’s sense of community learning went down. This result prompted the authors to consider how this tool was utilized in the classroom. We close with a warning that adoption of a novel technology alone does not produce a greater sense of community learning

Developing, Implementing and Assessing Large-Scale Redesign Effort at a Research University: Tales from the IMPACT Initiative at Purdue University

Presentation given at the Assessment Institute, IUPUI. Summarizes goals, methods, and assessment of Instruction Matters Purdue Academic Course Transformation. (IMPACT). Discusses challenges of faculty development and classroom redesign. Presents results of assessment surveys of student perceptions and learning and retention

The Combined Effect of Learning Space and Faculty Self-Efficacy to use Student-Centered Practices on Teaching Experiences and Student Engagement

Research on pedagogy and learning spaces often assumes that active learning spaces enhance faculty’s ability to implement student-centered practices and relies on student perspectives. Faculty completed surveys that assessed their self-efficacy for student-centered pedagogy, teaching experiences, and student engagement when teaching in active and traditional learning spaces. Self-efficacy positively predicted teaching experiences and student engagement within the same space, but negatively across spaces. Only self-efficacy in active learning spaces positively predicted student-centered strategy use. Findings challenge the assumption that skilled faculty will feel successful in any space, and necessitate the development of policies and trainings that consider pedagogy and space

Student Perceptions of a 21st Century Learning Space

Higher education institutions are increasingly building or remodeling classrooms to become flexible spaces that support learner-centered instruction. However, little is known about the actual impact of these spaces on student outcomes. Using a mixed method design, this study examined student perceptions of a flexible learning space on student learning and engagement compared to traditional classrooms. Students reported that the flexible space enhanced their learning experience by supporting classroom engagement. This study demonstrates the importance of incorporating student perceptions when planning learning spaces and suggests a need for further studies on the complex relationships among space, student learning and motivation.

Development of a Student Self-Reported Instrument to Assess Course Reform

This study examines the development and implementation of a survey-based instrument assessing the effectiveness of a course redesign initiative focused on student centeredness at a large midwestern university in the United States. Given the scope of the reform initiative under investigation in this study, researchers developed an instrument called the Classroom Experience Questionnaire (CEQ), which was administered to students enrolled in redesigned courses. Early findings demonstrate strong construct validity and internal reliability of the CEQ instrument as well as concurrent validity between the CEQ and observation data gathered in concert with self-report data. The authors conclude that in the absence of trained classroom observers, the developed student self-report protocol can serve as a useful tool for measuring the constructivist orientation of pedagogy and student-centered nature of the learning environment in a higher education setting

The use of zoo exhibits by family groups to learn science

In the last twenty years, research about science learning in informal contexts such as museums, science centers, zoos and aquariums has proliferated. Many studies have created detailed descriptions of learning as it occurs in informal contexts. Science education researchers have defined learning in several different ways. The selection of a conceptual framework through which to view science learning determines the questions that a researcher can explore. My study applied Roth and Lee\u27s (2002) understanding of science learning as a collective praxis to the context of informal science learning at a community zoo. This conceptual framework is rooted in the view of learning as situated cognition as described by Lave and Wenger (1991). My research explored the interaction of the sociocultural and physical contexts for informal learning as defined by Falk (2000) and investigates how family groups collaborate to learn science at zoo exhibits and how they incorporate the physical features of the exhibit into their collaboration. My interpretations of each family\u27s discourse yielded a variety of genres or accepted patterns used to learn science. All families engaged in highly parent-directed discourse during their visit. For one family parent-controlled, directed explanation was present in all science learning events; the other families\u27 science learning events were a mixture of directed explanation and more collaborative genres of discourse. All the families in this study used exhibit text in two different ways: as a way of framing or guiding their interaction with the exhibit or as a resource in the context of the Family\u27s own frame. For all of the families in this study, each exhibit was a separate learning event—none of the families applied or linked ideas or explanations created at one exhibit to ideas or explanations created at another exhibit. Implications of this study include more longitudinal research on the role of zoo visits on family learning and more explicit connections among exhibits that allow visitors to reflect on their learning and encourage a broader view of the nature of science

Protocol for Qualitative Systematic Review

Details of steps for the qualitative systematic revie

Describing the competences of regulatory scientists in sub-Saharan Africa for regulatory registration and inspection to improve the safety, quality and efficacy of medical products– A qualitative systematic review

A project to develop a competency framework for regulatory scientists in sub_Saharan Africa involved in regulatory registration and inspectio