Assessing the Impact of a Statewide STEM Investment on K –12, Higher Education, and Business/Community STEM Awareness Over Time

2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toni A. Sondergeld ◽  
Carla C. Johnson ◽  
Janet B. Walten
2020 ◽  
pp. 106648072094886
Author(s):  
Larry K. Phillippe ◽  
Nicole Noble ◽  
Bret Hendricks ◽  
Janna Brendle ◽  
Robin H. Lock

Family counselors at times work with families in which a family member with a disability is transitioning into higher education settings. Frequently, these counselors are unaware of the federally protected rights of all students and they may not know how to access this information. This article explains the differences between laws for students with disabilities in K–12 school settings and the components of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its subsequent ADA 2008 Amendments to inform family counselors on how to support clients and their families in the transition to higher education. In this article, the authors discuss the ADA and the ADA 2008 Amendments, which dramatically impacted the college experience of all students with disabilities. With record numbers of students with disabilities now attending college, counselors, as they advocate for families, should be aware of federal guidelines that require physical access to educational facilities, the use of universal design, electronic accessibility, and the provision of academic accommodations and modifications in college classrooms. Through family counselors’ awareness of these significant changes in the higher education experience, they can more fully assist families with students with disabilities who are transitioning from high school to higher education. This article describes each of these four facets of the ADA 2008 Amendments as well as the impact each major facet of the amendment has on the higher education landscape for students with disabilities.


2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-77
Author(s):  
J.J. Vauterin ◽  
T. Virkki-Hatakka ◽  
K.E. Michelsen

For a better understanding of the impact of global student flows on industries and knowledge societies, we need to rethink the relationship between global student mobility and migrant knowledge. The authors elaborate on the view that current policy and practice relating to higher education mobility puts too much emphasis on mobilizing pools of knowledge, thereby ignoring the fact that knowledge flows tend to be concentrated among people who are actively participating in the knowledge flow. Adopting a shared social context perspective on the dynamics of knowledge flow embedded in mobile minds may enable a better assessment to be made of the impact of student mobility over time on industries and societies. Given such an assessment, policy and practice measures can be developed to encourage those involved in the knowledge flow to exploit student talent flow more effectively.


10.28945/4664 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 093-121
Author(s):  
Madhumita Banerjee

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to explore levels of Technological Access (ownership, access to, and usage of computer devices as well as access to Internet services) and levels of Technological Efficacy (technology related skills) as they pertain to underserved (UNS) and underrepresented (UNR) students. Background: There exists a positive correlation between technology related access, technology related competence, and academic outcomes. An increasing emphasis on expanding online education at the author’s institution, consistent with nationwide trends, means that it is unlikely that just an increase in online offerings alone will result in an improvement in the educational attainment of students, especially if such students lack access to technology and the technology related skills needed to take advantage of online learning. Most studies on levels of Technological Access and Technological Efficacy have dealt with either K-12 or minority populations with limited research on UNS and UNR populations who form the majority of students at the author’s institution. Methodology: This study used a cross-sectional survey research design to investigate the research questions. A web survey was sent to all students at the university except first semester new and first semester transfer students from various disciplines (n = 535). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the survey data. Contribution: This research provides insight on a population (UNS and UNR) that is expanding in higher education. However, there is limited information related to levels of Technological Access and Technological Efficacy for this group. This paper is timely and relevant as adequate access to technology and technological competence is critical for success in the expanding field of online learning, and the research findings can be used to guide and inform subsequent actions vital to bridging any educational equity gap that might exist. Findings: A critical subset of the sample who were first generation, low income, and non-White (FGLINW) had significantly lower levels of Technological Access. In addition, nearly half of the survey sample used smartphones to access online courses. Technological Efficacy scores were significantly lower for students who dropped out of or never enrolled in an online course. Transfer students had significantly higher Technological Efficacy scores while independent students (determined by tax status for federal financial aid purposes) reflected higher Technological Efficacy, but at a marginally lower level of significance. Recommendations for Practitioners: Higher education administrators and educators should take into consideration the gaps in technology related access and skills to devise institutional interventions as well as formulate pedagogical approaches that account for such gaps in educational equity. This will help ensure pathways to sustained student success given the rapidly growing landscape of online education. Recommendation for Researchers: Similar studies need to be conducted in other institutions serving UNS and UNR students in order to bolster findings and increase awareness. Impact on Society: The digital divide with respect to Technological Access and Technological Efficacy that impacts UNS and UNR student populations must be addressed to better prepare such groups for both academic and subsequent professional success. Addressing such gaps will not only help disadvantaged students maximize their educational opportunities but will also prepare them to navigate the challenges of an increasingly technology driven society. Future Research: Given that it is more challenging to write papers and complete projects using a smartphone, is there a homework gap for UNS and UNR students that may impact their academic success? What is the impact of differing levels of Technological Efficacy on specific academic outcomes of UNS and UNR students?


Author(s):  
Donna M Velliaris ◽  
Craig R Willis ◽  
Paul B Breen

Education has evolved over time from face-to-face teaching to computer-supported learning, and now to even more sophisticated electronic tools. In particular, social technologies are being used to supplement the classroom experience and to ensure that students are becoming increasingly engaged in ways that appeal to them. No matter how educationally beneficial, however, new technology is affected by its users. To investigate this, lecturers at the Eynesbury Institute of Business and Technology (EIBT)—a Higher Education pathway provider—were surveyed to determine their perception and application of social technolog(ies) in their personal, but predominantly ‘professional' lives. Utilising a qualitative and autoethnographic approach, one author provides an insight into their own attitude toward social technologies, coupled with responses to three open-ended questions. Thereafter, the same questions were posed to EIBT academic staff to understand their willingness or reluctance to use social technologies in their practice as part of their first-year pathway course(s).


2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Downes ◽  
Kieran M. Killeen

We examine changes in the use of nontax revenues for education finance from 1991 to 2010. Beyond the summary of usage over time, we ask whether nontraditional revenues like fees accentuate or mitigate the impact of downturns. More generally, we examine the extent to which school districts have responded to fiscal pressures by turning to nontax revenues. We also document the extent to which the use of nontax revenues varies across districts according to student poverty status. We show that alternative revenues continue to be a small source of local revenues and have increased quite little since the early 1990s. There was at most a minimal shift to nontax revenues in downturns, though there is evidence of greater use of these revenues among school districts facing more permanent fiscal pressures like tax limits. Differential access to fee revenues and other alternative revenues during downturns may slightly accentuate inequities in K–12 education spending.


Author(s):  
Linsay DeMartino ◽  
S. Gavin Weiser

This chapter considers the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the reality of educational administrators in U.S.-based institutions of education. Looking closely at 17 educational administrators from both K-12 systems and institutions of higher education, the authors come to a more comprehensive understanding of crisis leadership and its impact on equitable educational practices – both for students as well as for the administrators themselves. This chapter is based on a larger project the authors undertook to explore through narratives and photography the experiences of administrators during the global COVID-19 pandemic that began in early 2020. This chapter illustrates the ways that communication, support, and equitable solutions for the learning community are and are not well articulated by leaders. The authors close out this chapter with recommendations for educational leaders during times of crisis as well as for potential follow-up research.


2019 ◽  
pp. 824-850
Author(s):  
Cara Marie DiEnno ◽  
Sarah Plummer Taylor

While the impact of service-learning on students and to some extent on communities is well documented, little research addresses the direct impact on instructors. To fulfill the historic civic mission of education and contribute to civic health, a holistic understanding of impacts on all stakeholders will be necessary. This chapter presents the findings of interviews conducted with diverse service-learning practitioner types (higher education faculty members, K-12 teachers, and nonprofit instructors), institutions and years of experience. The findings demonstrate three categories of benefits that accrue to practitioners: pedagogical, personal and relational. Additionally, indirect impacts also contribute to practitioners' satisfaction. Many of these impacts map nicely onto the existing literature that describes the motivations that lead practitioners to undertake service-learning. The link then between motivations and actual benefits received leads to several salient recommendations that can support instructors and administrators wishing to advance engaged work at their institutions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linsay DeMartino ◽  
S. Gavin Weiser

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic took the world into crisis. We saw the virus alter a multitude of spheres worldwide, including our healthcare, economies, politics, social processes, and education. In fact, the impact of COVID-19 on educational administration took our leaders into forced emergency measures. Our study aims to better understand the experiences of educational administrators under crisis to ascertain what might be learned on how educational institutions may better respond to the crisis in the future. These stories were collected from educational leaders, both from K-12 and higher education, throughout the United States. In brief, this article is framed in the theory and literature associated with the complexity of leading in times of crisis. We explore the resiliency of leadership forged in crisis and the rethinking of administrative as administration as a caring and trustful acts. Our research began as a hermeneutic phenomenological interview study, but transitions into a two-round project, where after the first interview, participants were invited to share some images that typify and speak to the experiences being educational administrators during this time. We are engaged in sensitive topics that are ongoing and changing. Moreover, throughout, we are asking for images that speak to their experiences. Across both K-12 and higher education, our results indicated varied responses, from immediate to delayed administrative action. However, albeit they looked contextually different, there are clear indications the participants valued continuous, transparent communication, authentic caring, trust, and agency. In our discussion, we elaborate on the distinction between what the institutional response was as compared to what was valued by our educational leaders. Finally, as a contribution to the field, we seek to provide guidance for future administrators in crisis based on our own experiences and the recommendations provided by our educational leaders.


NASPA Journal ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha F. Cleveland-Innes ◽  
Claudia Emes

The nature of interaction in higher education environments impacts not only end outcomes, but also the approach to learning itself. Using a quasi-experimental research design, this empirical study tests the impact of social and academic interaction on student approaches to learning. Findings demonstrate significant correlations between contextual variables and approaches to learning. Most importantly, Peer Interaction and Faculty Interaction have an effect on change in approach to learning over time. This demonstrates the potential of interaction in the learning context to affect not only learning outcomes, but also the way learning itself takes place.


Author(s):  
Cara Marie DiEnno ◽  
Sarah Plummer Taylor

While the impact of service-learning on students and to some extent on communities is well documented, little research addresses the direct impact on instructors. To fulfill the historic civic mission of education and contribute to civic health, a holistic understanding of impacts on all stakeholders will be necessary. This chapter presents the findings of interviews conducted with diverse service-learning practitioner types (higher education faculty members, K-12 teachers, and nonprofit instructors), institutions and years of experience. The findings demonstrate three categories of benefits that accrue to practitioners: pedagogical, personal and relational. Additionally, indirect impacts also contribute to practitioners' satisfaction. Many of these impacts map nicely onto the existing literature that describes the motivations that lead practitioners to undertake service-learning. The link then between motivations and actual benefits received leads to several salient recommendations that can support instructors and administrators wishing to advance engaged work at their institutions.


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