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Background: This study posits that scaffolded team-based computational modeling and simulation projects can support model-based learning that can result in evidence of representational competence and regulatory skills. The study involved 116 students from a second-year thermodynamics undergraduate course organized into 24 teams, who worked on three two-week-long team-based computational modeling and simulation projects and reflected upon their experience. Results: Results characterized different levels of engagement with computational model-based learning in the form of problem formulation and model planning, implementation and use of the computational model, evaluation, and interpretation of the outputs of the model, as well as reflection on the process. Results report on students' levels of representational competence as related to the computational model, meaning-making of the underlying code of the computational model, graphical representations generated by the model, and explanations and interpretations of the output representations. Results also described regulatory skills as challenges and strategies related to programming skills, challenges and strategies related to meaning-making skills for understanding and connecting the science to the code and the results, and challenges and strategies related to process management mainly focused on project management skills. Conclusion: Characterizing dimensions of computational model-based reasoning provides insights that showcase students' learning, benefits, and challenges when engaging in team-based computational modeling and simulation projects. This study also contributes to evidence-based scaffolding strategies that can support undergraduate students' engagement in the context of computational modeling and simulation.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of interdependent and independent group contingencies on pre-service teachers' performance on class quizzes that reflected their knowledge of evidence-based practices for students with extensive support needs. In the interdependent condition, the course instructor awarded extra credit points to groups of pre-service teachers who performed at 80% or higher on class quizzes. In the independent condition, the course instructor awarded extra credit points to individual pre-service teachers who met the same performance criterion. Quizzes were based on content from weekly course topics in a special education teacher preparation course focusing on evidence-based practices for students with extensive support needs. Group performance improved across all groups with overall higher performance scores in the interdependent contingency. Pre-service teachers reported both contingencies to be effective and valuable. Implications for practice, limitations, and future research are discussed.

Research question: For students enrolling in introductory computer science classes at community colleges, how did they experience the class in an emergency remote teaching environment, particularly in contrast to in-person instruction at the start of the semester? Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 students from diverse backgrounds who were enrolled in introductory computer science at a community college in California during the first semester of online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grounded theory data analysis was conducted on the interview data. Results: Students' overall educational trajectories were largely unchanged by the shift to emergency remote teaching. However, one crucial factor in many students' learning experiences was the lack of a physical transition to the campus and a corresponding transition into a school or studying mode supported by physically gathering with other students and away from distractions at home. Experiences in the classroom were found less engaging by many, and virtual interactions were sometimes awkward. Students struggled to get individualized help from instructors and campus resources and to interact with peers. Conclusions/Contributions: Instructors and administrators in community colleges need to be aware that the loss of college campus spaces and embodied peer interactions may pose an especially large barrier to success for the population they serve. An important takeaway for instructors is that the modalities and tools employed in emergency remote teaching are experienced quite differently by different students, and that additional supports, such as videotaped classes and flexibility in due dates, can be key for students' success.

This paper reports on a longitudinal study in the North of England with 13 educators in schools, colleges and universities during two lockdowns. The project was designed to 'unlock' education by providing spaces to co-create new ways of thinking about education in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Focus groups were conducted with school and college teachers as well as university staff at the end of the first and second English lockdowns, in summer 2020 and spring 2021. An initial analysis identified issues with expectations and communication between educators and executive management as well as a lack of agency of educators, and how participants framed them as impacting on their identity as educators. Therefore, the framework of "tactics of intersubjectivity" was adopted to explore how educators discursively positioned themselves and others through constructions of similarity and difference, realness and power, and how their professional identities were affected by the experience of working through the pandemic and by those around them. Whilst educators took opportunities to "authenticate" their identity and reimagine education, their agency was undermined by top-down governing involving little successful communication, leading to "denaturalising" and "illegitimising" experiences for educators. Executive management were perceived as lacking engagement with staff and understanding of the implications of their decisions on them. The findings call for relationship building and recognition of educators' voice.

Although special education teachers are expected to implement evidence-based practices, teachers of students with extensive support needs have reported challenges in identifying and implementing effective practices to meet the unique needs of their students. Systematic instruction has been identified as an evidence-based practice for students with extensive support needs and can be used to support students across a wide range of skill domains. We used an experimental pretest-posttest design to examine the effectiveness of two training approaches, video performance feedback and video self-monitoring, on the implementation of systematic instruction among pre-service special education teachers. Overall, both approaches resulted in improved implementation of systematic instruction by pre-service special education teachers and were viewed as socially valid. We present directions for future research and implications for practice in special education teacher preparation.

The discipline of data science is gaining attention due to a significant increase in the amount of data generated on a real-time basis. Despite the efforts from the institutions and national agencies, it has been witnessed that there have been substantial challenges in retaining and attracting students in the discipline of data science. Learning communities have been identified as effective mechanisms to improve student retention. However, fewer studies focus on student experiences within the context of a Data Science Learning Community. This study intends to investigate the student experiences within a Data Science Learning Community known as the The Data Mine (TDM) through the lens of Communities of Practice (CoP) and explore the contribution of the three tenets of CoP: "domain," "community," and "practice" in shaping student experiences. The study used a mixed-method case study design to understand the experiences of first-year students within TDM and identify the benefits and challenges associated with participating in the living-learning community. The findings of the study revealed that students considered participating in the learning community a valuable experience as it helped them collaborate with like-minded peers and mentors, also helped them develop data science skills.

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are widely used in large introductory courses. Recent research focuses on MCQ reliability and validity and overlooks questions of accessibility. Yet, access to the norms of academic discourse embedded in MCQs differs between groups of first-year students. We theorize these norms as part of the institutionalized cultural symbols that reproduce social and cultural exclusion for linguistically diverse students. A sociological focus on linguistic diversity is necessary as the percentage of students who use English as an additional language (EAL), rather than English as a native language (ENL), has grown. Drawing on sociology as pedagogy, we problematize MCQs as a medium shaping linguistically diverse students' ability to demonstrate disciplinary knowledge. Our multimethod research uses two-stage randomized exams and focus groups with EAL and ENL students to assess the effects of a modification in instructors' MCQ writing practices in sociology and psychology courses. Findings show that students are more likely to answer a modified MCQ correctly, with greater improvement for EAL students.

Although it has been established that U.S. students typically enter college unprepared to engage in interreligious conversations, it is unclear whether and to what extent a university course focused on the sociolinguistics of religion equips students to feel better prepared for such conversations. Therefore, this study employs an exploratory case study approach in the context of a public university's undergraduate course on the sociolinguistics of religion. For the course, students read journal articles, watched documentaries, wrote reflections, and discussed their views with classmates. To assess changes in students' self- perceived preparedness for interreligious conversations, data from a beginning-of-semester survey are compared with end-of-semester interviews and reflection papers. At the end of the semester, students reported new insights regarding their prior lack of knowledge and awareness, their perceptions of the Other, the possibility of holy envy, and their orientation toward religious truth claims.

Making in schools, where students produce and share physical or virtual objects, has garnered increased global attention for its potential to foster twenty-first century learning in STEM and develop students' inventiveness, creativity, and entrepreneurial thinking. However, there has been limited attention paid to how maker-centred learning environments might plan a role in how "undergraduate university students" access, belong to, and persist in STEM-related pathways and majors. A regression analysis revealed that sophomores enrolled in the studied "maker" course were 44% more likely major than a matched comparison group (who did not take the course) to maintain or declare being a STEM. Through an identities-in-practice theoretical lens, we also analyzed qualitative interviews with 10 of the sophomores enrolled. The sophomores interviewed developed skills, expressed varying feelings of community and belonging, and evolved in their conception of Making in relation to STEM during the course. Their identities were also confronted and shaped during the course -- either reinforcing or competing with their identity as a STEM person. These findings support prior calls in the literature to go beyond making as just a way to instil twenty-first century skills and consider how maker courses could more intentionally foster all students' STEM identity.

The teaching and learning that takes place in clinical settings has a significant influence on the practice of future health professionals. This article describes the use of a logic model and case study methodology to evaluate an online and face-to-face video-club, a novel professional development activity designed with the aim of improving clinical educators' teaching practice. A video-club brings together a small group of clinical educators who have a shared interest in exploring their educator role through collective inquiry, using video-recordings of their authentic teaching practices as stimuli for learning discussions. The article focuses on the extent to which the learning design was both implemented and working as intended and offers an examination of proximal outcomes and an initial examination of distal outcomes. The authors claim that the video-club's core activity -- watching and discussing the video-excerpts -- was successful in generating the requisite 'teacher talk' necessary to influence clinical educators' teaching practices. The examination of the video-clubs' impact on clinical educators' practice was promising and justifies a larger study to fully investigate the intervention's effectiveness. In order for the video-club to grow and thrive, systemic changes, particularly at the level of policy and 'culture', are likely to be required.

As open-access institutions serving diverse student populations, community colleges are perfect settings for broadening participation in computing efforts in higher education. The very nature of open access, however, places students with a wide variety of previous experience in the same introductory computer science classroom, intimidating the students with little programming exposure, many of whom are traditionally underrepresented in computer science. This paper reports on a pre-semester, intensive program designed to increase the computer science confidence and motivation of students with no previous programming exposure implemented at a community college in California. Framed using social cognitive career theory, results from the accompanying research project indicate preliminary success; we found the program to be well received by the majority of students, who had increased self-efficacy and interest in computer science. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Most peer-mentoring research examines structured programs with faculty or staff facilitation, overlooking programs that are student-initiated and student-led. We present data from focus groups with participants of a student-led peer-mentoring program at a large North American University. This case study addresses two research questions: (1) how do peer mentors and mentees perceive the student-led nature of the program?; and (2) what institutional assistance do participants expect for their program? Findings demonstrate the value students place in the program being student-led and why it is important for this type of programming to be decoupled from institutional interests. We also outline three ways in which institutional support that does not infringe upon student-led directives can be provided.

This research advances communities of practice (CoPs) theory by documenting a role distinct to CoPs within student newsrooms. Using a survey (N = 127) of college student media advisers, the data support a liminal role in which advisers are simultaneously inside and outside the CoP. This study also develops and verifies scales for each of the four pillars of a CoP in student newsrooms, that is, practice, community, identity, and meaning. Furthermore, these findings explore the impact of newsroom structure on the formation of CoPs and the differences among advisers regarding time spent in mentorship and assessment.

Participating in mentored undergraduate research experiences can improve students' grade point averages, retention, and job placement. Graduate students also benefit from serving as mentors, as they gain teaching and research management experience. In early 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic caused many institutions to shut down physical work spaces and move research and teaching online. In this study, we explore how graduate student mentors and undergraduate student mentees at Washington University in St. Louis adapted to virtual research mentoring during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined changes in mentoring methods, research productivity, and the impact on the future plans of both mentors and mentees across six science/engineering departments. Survey responses from 79 mentees and 38 mentors indicated that a majority of mentees were able to have meaningful and productive virtual mentoring experiences, while other mentors failed to adequately involve their mentees in continued mentoring. Focusing virtual research experiences on activities such as literature review and data analysis and collaborating on goal setting can serve as a way for mentors to engage mentees even when they are unable to access lab equipment. Data from the present study reveal opportunities and challenges of virtual mentoring and can be used to inform effective research mentoring practices in the future.

College-educated women in the workforce are discovering a latent interest in and aptitude for computing motivated by the prevalence of computing as an integral part of jobs in many fields as well as continued headlines about the number of unfilled, highly paid computing jobs. One of these women's choices for retraining are the so-called coding boot camps that teach programming skills through intensive multi-week courses. This article reports on a qualitative research study focused on the Silicon Valley area of California. We used social cognitive career theory (SCCT) to investigate the larger context surrounding women entering computing professions through boot camp learning sites, including: the "environment" of a booming technology workforce, boot camps as "learning settings," the "characteristics" of women who attend boot camps, how retraining at a coding boot camp influence women's computing "self-efficacy" and "outcome expectations," and the "performance attainments" of women at boot camps. Interview data was collected from 14 women who had attended boot camps--first before graduating from the boot camp and again after six months in the workforce. To contextualize the computing ecosystem, we conducted single interviews with 6 boot camp organizers/curriculum developers, 7 industry hiring managers, and 14 university computer science faculty. To provide a contrast with women at boot camps, we interviewed 5 women who majored in computer science at the university and with 17 men who had attended boot camps. Structural data coding and analysis was done focused on the SCCT mechanisms of environment, person inputs, learning experiences, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and performance attainments. Findings here demonstrate that training at a boot camp can be the catalyst for college-educated women to attain computing jobs and careers, although these entry-level jobs may be a compromise to the goal of a software development job and are unlikely to lead to a job at large, well-known, established technology companies.

Background and Purpose: There are misconceptions among clinicians and educational bodies that online courses would not suit clinically orientated medical education, where bedside management and direct contact with real patients is the key to the learning process. Whereas, the proponents of online education believe that a well-designed and properly blueprinted course can deliver the required education that would efficiently meet the expectations of both the student and these educational bodies. While variations in medical practice are a norm that warrant a flexible and, at the same time, a focused approach is required to ensure that "threshold concepts" are learnt, which is an additional challenge. We aimed to facilitate the students to develop skills of learning from work-based reflective practice by linking with their own real-time analysis of their own clinical experience. This is supported by a robust scientific basis, a unique opportunity for many clinicians who may not have a reliable opportunity for discussion and, thereby, this course (MSc in Transplantation) provides a platform that allows everyone to learn from each other's experience by using "e-blackboard®". Methods: Not just a knowledge transfer, the critical thresholds of each and every chapter in the 4 modules of MSc in Transplantation Sciences were defined to a razor-sharp precision. Learning objectives of learning activity were aimed to achieve constructive alignment with critical threshold. We employed Kirkpatrick pyramid (satisfaction, learning, impact, results and return on investment) (a) for the evaluation of our performance as educators of the programme, and (b) to evaluate the acceptance of this non-traditional format in clinical medicine education by postgraduate students (80 transplant clinicians from 22 countries). Results: Students' survey of the first cohort (satisfaction, Kirkpatrick level 1) reported 93% students' satisfaction rate. 93% of the students passed module one (learning Kirkpatrick level 2) and 100% subscription to module two (return on investment Kirkpatrick level 5). Conclusion: For a successful model in distance learning in clinical medicine it is imperative to establish an effective supportive contact using a range of modalities in order to allow real-time reflective practice that is so crucial in enabling the students to learn from their own clinical experience.

Introduction: It was a challenge to design a feedback pathway for distance learning course that deals with complex and ambiguous clinical subject like organ transplantation. This course attracts mature clinicians (n = 117 spread over three modules) from 27 countries where in addition to the time and zone barriers; there are cultural, institutional background and also ethnic barriers. In addition to the challenges faced in designing the curriculum and assessment that match this diverse group of students, we have to deliver a quality feedback to achieve our leaning objective. How would we construct and deliver this feedback to students you have not seen (in a virtual classroom) and may be on a different continent of this busy planet? Methods: We analysed the published data on feedback with reflection on the nature of this course and the pedagogy used while considering the diversity of the students joined this course. Conclusion: In this distance-learning course constructing a quality feedback to the students is more technically demanding compared to a traditional course. Students in distance learning need much more support and feedback than in a traditional course. There is a potential threat that these students feel isolated in their own online world and may not engage with this virtual educational environment properly.

Background: Good performance in a summative assessment does not always equate to educational gain following a course. An educational programme may focus on improving student's performance on a particular test instrument. For example, practicing multiple choice questions may lead to mastery of the instrument itself rather than testing the knowledge and its application. We designed an assessment strategy that consistently valid and reliable that would fit with the students with a range of 27 nationalities with a different institutional, cultural and educational background in this totally online masters programme in transplantation. Methods: Based on the published evidence, we analyzed 2 main assessment domains: (a) self-assessment and (b) peer-assessment. We compared them with traditional teacher-led assessment considering the diversity of students. Conclusion: We conclude that traditional teacher-led assessment supplemented by self-assessment is a strong drive in the learning process in this on-line course, whilst peer-assessment is challenging and associated with many flaws giving the diversity of our students. Peer-assessment may be unreliable and not valid due to the difference in the institutional background and variation in experience between the students.

The nature of institutions is an important question for the Personal Learning Environment (PLE). Whilst the PLE has tended to focus on what is considered to be "non-institutional" technology like social software, most online tools today have a corporate/institutional foundation. How should educators position themselves with learners who have to negotiate different institutional and discursive contexts--whether within corporate social software, formal education, work or the family? Drawing on previous work focusing on how learners maintain personal coherence in organising learning between different contexts, institutional theory is used to revise the model of the learner as a "viable system", which focuses on the dynamics of transactions that learners make with different institutional entities. Data from an online Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course in acute cancer care is analysed to show how learner transactions indicate constraints bearing upon learners both from their professional context and from their formal educational study. The pattern of learner engagement suggests that the interaction of constraints creates the conditions to motivate in-depth contribution to the course forums. This finding leads us to suggest a rethink of pedagogy within the PLE, and a broader consideration of institutional and other constraints in educational dynamics.

The primary goal of honors administrators is to deliver the highest quality honors education possible at their institutions; however, this has become more of a challenge since budgets at state-supported institutions have decreased dramatically over the last decade. Although this situation often appears to paint a gloomy picture, honors administrators often learn early in their honors careers that a healthy relationship between honors and higher administration is essential for honors to flourish. While deans of honors colleges have structural ties to the higher administration, maintaining a strong relationship is often hard for directors of honors programs who do not have a seat at the table where budget decisions are made. In this article, Kathy Lyon draws upon her own experience to illustrate how important a strong relationship with higher administration is key to the health of an honors program. By accentuating the success of an established, low-cost, and popular one-credit-hour honors symposium, Lyon explains how she was able to garner institutional support for three-credit-hour general education honors courses.

Reflective practice is becoming a more necessary skill across all disciplines and industry sectors. This study describes the reflective processes capstone engineering students engaged with as part of modelling-based learning assignments over the entire course of a semester. Students answered multiple reflection questions asking them about planning, monitoring, and evaluating their performance during the modelling-based learning exercises. A rubric was used to quantify the student performance on the reflection assignments and clustering analysis to identify and characterise different student groups. Thematic analysis was then performed on students' reflections within the different clusters to understand the qualitative differences in student reflective practices. Our results uncovered two groups of students with similar patterns in their reflective practices, which we called active and inactive reflectors. The implications of the study include instructional approaches that can give students repeated practice and encourage them to engage in active reflection behaviours.

This study used rhetorical and relational goal theory to examine the different ways college instructors respond to disruptive behaviors by students in the classroom. Student participants provided and described a critical incident involving a disruptive classmate that either was or was not handled effectively by the instructor. Results identified differences between effective and ineffective instructors' responses. Although teachers responded to similar types of incidents, there were thematic differences between what students named as effective and ineffective responses, with effective teachers managing both rhetorical goals and relational goals successfully. These teachers facilitated an open discussion, provided explanations to students' questions, remained composed and respectful, and managed cumbersome issues outside of the classroom. In contrast, ineffective teachers insisted on their own view and/or dismissed students' voices, ignored and/or avoided students' concerns, escalated conflicts, or indulged students or issues for too long. They showed little attention to relational goals and did not pursue highly effective rhetorical goals. Furthermore, participants often had strong, negative lasting impressions when instructors handled issues poorly.

A university geology department partnered with a STEM-focused high school to introduce project-based learning-centered geoscience content at the ninth-grade level. We hypothesized that these students, already interested in science, would be a natural recruitment pool into geoscience. Because they are enrolled by lottery, their demographics match those of the community, potentially enhancing the recruitment of underrepresented minorities. We administered a survey of students' attitudes and experiences before and after a semester of geoscience content intervention. We found that two barriers often cited as hindrances to recruitment in geosciences--family/friend opinions and interest in outdoor activity--were not an issue for our students. Students also reported previous exposure to both geoscience and environmental science content, which is significant because they cited interests developed before high school as key influences on college major choice. Although many had not decided on a major, they appear disinclined to view geology as a possibility. Despite their interest in geoscience and "environmentally friendly" careers, fewer students reported a desire to learn more about geoscience after the course than before, and they tended to consider geology as a low-prestige, relatively low-paying career option, perhaps suggesting a failure of the curriculum intervention as a means of recruitment. Our findings also suggest that primary and middle school exposure to geoscience may not adequately convey career possibilities to students. As more geoscience content is integrated at lower grade levels through the Next Generation Science Standards, we should examine how this material is being taught, particularly in promotion of environmental stewardship.

This study was designed to explore development of skill acquisition in dental education, utilizing the Dreyfus and Dreyfus continuum. By identifying what skill progression may be recognized in the expert dental educator and what experiences appear to influence this growth, the knowledge gained may inform more efficient, effective faculty support, development and life-long learning. Employing a qualitative approach, individual interviews were conducted with experienced educators and analyzed. Open coding of responses revealed that skill acquisition necessary to good teaching, as expressed by these experienced educators, reflects common themes and a learning curve similar to that noted by Dreyfus and Dreyfus and other investigators. In addition, to supporting knowledge and technique development, dental faculty described working to share with students a wide range of non-cognitive competencies such as professionalism, communication, and an ethic of care and service. Findings increase understanding of teaching skill acquisition in dental education and may help provide support for health care faculty who desire to become excellent educators.

Professions exist to serve the needs of society and, in the case of the dental profession, patients. Academic dental institutions strive to help meet these needs by educating and developing future practitioners, educators, researchers, and citizen leaders who serve the community and shape the changing environment in which they provide care. As patient needs, practice patterns, scientific evidence, and economic conditions evolve, dental education must respond with self-assessment and innovation. Guiding any institution through authentic reform requires a number of strategies. Lee Bolman and Terrance Deal suggest four organizational constructs, or frames, through which to observe and navigate a complex organization: Structural, Human Resource, Political and Symbolic. This qualitative case study examines a major curricular reform initiative in a North American school of dentistry through Bolman and Deal's organizational frames.

Critical reflection allows students to synthesize their learning and deepen their understanding of an experience (Ash & Clayton, 2009). A recommended reflection method is for students to write essays about their experiences. However, on a large scale, such reflection essays become difficult to analyze in a meaningful way. At Roanoke College, we have developed a system to automate the qualitative coding process using a software analysis tool (i.e., NVivo). This inductive approach allows us to identify patterns in student learning that indicate effective and ineffective aspects of applied learning experiences. It provides a more nuanced and rich approach to the analysis of student learning outcomes in order to ensure the quality of our programs through continuous improvement.

Given contemporary ethical concerns, the authors conducted a national survey of 216 college counselors' perceptions of integrating religious and spiritual issues in multicultural counseling and counselor education. Using cluster analysis, the authors identified 4 patterns of commitments to multiculturalism and religiosity. Respondents demonstrated ethical bracketing in that they considered religious and spiritual issues favorably within the framework of multicultural counseling, irrespective of their commitments to those topics. Counselors can openly address spiritual and religious diversity.

Community colleges play a large role in educating students who are historically underrepresented in computer science (CS), including women, Latino men, and Black men, as well as post-traditional (older or working) students. In spite of this, there is a dearth of research on the institutional factors that influence whether or not community college students who are enrolled in CS classes and who express an interest in transferring and completing a bachelor's degree in the field persist. The overused "pipeline" metaphor, which indicates a supply-side lack, has been replaced by many with that of a "pathway." However, the "pathway" image suggests a general forward-moving trend that can be misleading. In this work, we draw from qualitative interviews with 14 CS students from groups traditionally underrepresented in the field who have studied introductory computer programming at a community college to investigate the following question: "What are the institutional barriers along a CS bachelor's degree track that includes community college?" Our findings indicate that there are three categories of institutional barriers along the transfer pathway: setbacks that hinder student progression forward, discontinuities in which students leave and re-enter the pathway, and departures in which students leave computer science and/or leave college altogether. We describe specific examples of each and introduce the idea of student movement as a game of "chutes and ladders," a convoluted trail where students can slide backwards or off the path (chutes), necessitating the implementation of targeted institutional supports that can boost student progress forward (ladders). We suggest institutional interventions that can help students facing each type of barrier to continue on course through community college and transfer to a four-year university.

One way to view "equitable pedagogy" is through an opportunity to learn (OTL) lens, meaning that regardless of race, class, or culture, a student has access to rigorous and meaningful content, as well as appropriate resources and instruction necessary to learn and demonstrate understanding of that content. Assessment holds a unique position in the classroom in that it can both uncover whether inequitable conditions exist (i.e., performance gaps, denied OTL) and provide an OTL by mediating communication between teacher and students regarding learning progress and what is important to learn. Nevertheless, individuals entering teacher education programs often hold deficit views toward marginalized students, such as Language Minorities (LMs), believe that assessment strictly serves to evaluate learning, and do not do consider how language and culture influence student thinking--views supplanting assessment's role at supporting an equitable pedagogy for LMs. Through surveys, interviews, program artifacts, and classroom observation, I report on a case study of one pre-service physics teacher, Dean, to depict how his expertise at assessing science did evolve throughout his yearlong teacher education program in terms of (a) becoming more knowledgeable of the role of language and (b) developing a belief in incorporating 'discourse' while assessing science. Within the case study, I analyze one particular episode from Dean's teaching practicum to highlight remaining challenges for pre-service teachers to integrate science and language in classroom assessment--namely, interpreting students' use of language along with their understanding of core science ideas. The findings underscore the need for connecting language and equity issues to content-area assessment in teacher preparation.

Poster sessions are often used to educate communities. In this paper, we describe a project in which students summarized research findings on child development issues in poster form and showcased their work to the campus community. Through a variety of assessments, we show that poster walk participants not only enjoyed the event but also became more knowledgeable about child development issues.

This paper examines a core leadership strategy for transforming learning and teaching in distance education through flexible and blended learning. It focuses on a project centred on distributive leadership that involves collaboration, shared purpose, responsibility and recognition of leadership irrespective of role or position within an organisation. Distributive leadership was a core principle in facilitating the transformation of learning and teaching through a Teaching Fellowship Scheme that empowered leaders across a regional distance education university. In parallel, a design-based research project analysed the perceptions of the Teaching Fellows in relation to blended learning, time/space, peer learning, innovation and equity issues in relation to distance education. (Contains 1 figure.) [This article was originally published in "Alt-J: Research in Learning Technology," v18, n3, p165-178, Nov 2010.]

This essay examines the collateral benefits to faculty from a guided learning literature review project for students. We describe a 3-year continuum of project creation and refinement designed to foster critical thinking and writing for second year dental students at the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. We discuss how this exercise suggested that a potential for faculty partnerships and increased interest in development could be derived through such a collaborative pedagogy. Finally we consider the value of such a mentored teaching and learning exercise as an intentional strategy for increasing the potential for new teaching, learning, and scholarly productivity beyond original acquaintances and disciplines as well as stimulating individual faculty desire for growth. (Contains 4 tables.)

This proof of concept study investigated a secondary science teacher preparation intervention in six university programs across Arizona, California, and Texas. Researchers and science method instructors (SMIs) collaboratively restructured respective science method courses to hold fidelity to an interrelated set of instructional practices that attend to science learning as envisioned in a Framework for K-12 Science Education, while also creating contextualized spaces for language and literacy development targeted to English learners (ELs), but also supportive of "mainstream" students. We observed the teaching of SMIs and preservice teachers (PSTs) with observation rubrics to gauge the fidelity to which they implemented practices. Across programs, SMIs provided opportunities for PSTs to experience the instructional practices as intended, although there was less opportunity for pedagogical development around them. The strongest evidence of PST fidelity to the intervention was found for two practices: "Increasing student interaction" and "Facilitating student talk." Considerable variation was found across the programs for other practices including some evidence of negative effects. We discuss results in terms of promises for preparing novice secondary science teachers, as well as future directions to overcome challenges that researchers, SMIs, and novice teachers are likely to face when preparing novice science teachers.

Drawing is taught in higher education across art and design but also, increasingly, in medical education, with a variety of aims and approaches. It is argued that there is a need, in both these disciplinary domains, to make more explicit the underpinning pedagogical approach to drawing and the impact that different approaches have on learning. The research described in this article focuses on an optional drawing course for undergraduate craft students and medical students. The course is run by the College of Arts and Humanities at a UK university and has a thematic focus on the human body. This qualitative case study sets out, in the context of selected theory about the teaching and learning of drawing, to explore what the learning impact of a particular collaborative model of teaching drawing was on a cross-disciplinary student group. Findings included, with reference to Riley's framework of drawing pedagogies, that a range of philosophical and pedagogical ideas about drawing were blended from the teaching perspective in a way that enabled students from distinct disciplinary backgrounds to engage and learn. A shift was observed in students' perceptions of drawing, with both sets of students questioning previously held assumptions about the use and value of drawing within their learning. Life drawing and anatomy laboratory drawing, in particular, provoked deep and challenging reflections about different cultural conceptions of the human body and the practice of collaborative drawing, with dialogic reflection, enabling insights to be developed into different disciplinary epistemologies.

Undocumented Latino college students face numerous legal, social, and financial barriers as they attempt to pursue a postsecondary degree and define their identity as college students. Researchers have noted the psychosocial development that occurs as students transition to an adult identity, yet little research has been done on the ways undocumented Latino college students navigate barriers to their identity development, specifically developing purpose, as students and members of U.S. society. This study utilizes hermeneutic phenomenological methods to explore the ways undocumented Latino college students develop purpose as a subset of the psychosocial identity development that occurs during their postsecondary experiences.

A fire alarm interrupted Gregory Powell's class discussion of possible service-learning projects. The experience during the fire drill sparked a service-learning project to improve the safety of pedestrians--students and other members of the community--along streets bordering their public school. It was the beginning of a study not only about crosswalks, but also about how citizens can impact change in their community. The subsequent project provides the foundation for these public school students to learn academic content, to gain experience in civic engagement, and to feel empowered by working with their fellow community members on things of value. With the transmitting of civic values as a major goal of public education, it seems a logical step to teach in ways that allow students to acquire and practice the skills of civic engagement. Shelley Billig, who has directed several national, state, and local studies of service-learning, describes six components of a solid, curriculum-based service-learning project: investigation, planning, action, reflection, demonstration, and celebration. In this report, the authors use those six steps to describe this curriculum-based service-learning project.

A voluntary survey regarding beliefs on evolution, and creation and ethics was developed and administered on-line from June through July 2006 to over 100 students, faculty, and staff at a mid-sized public university in the Midwestern United States. The survey consisted of 33 questions to measure participant agreement with core principles of evolutionary theory, 5 questions designed to place participant views along a creationism-evolution continuum, 21 questions to measure respondent beliefs on ethics, and a concluding question asking for comments. A KR-20 value of 0.896 for the first 33 questions indicated high reliability of the evolution portion of the survey, but the KR-20 of 0.510 for the last 21 questions indicated lower reliability for the ethics portion. The hypothesis tested in this study was that teleological ethical views would correlate positively with evolutionist views. An evolution score and a teleological ethics score were calculated from each participant's responses to the first 33 questions and the last 21 questions, respectively. To generate evolution scores, a response to each of the 33 evolution questions was assigned a "1" if the response indicated agreement with evolution and a "0" if the response indicated agreement with creationism. The evolution score for each participant was the sum of the scores across all 33 questions. Likewise, to generate the teleological ethics scores, a response to each of the 21 ethics questions was assigned a "1" if the response indicated agreement with teleological ethics and a "0" if the response indicated agreement with deontological ethics. The teleological ethics score for each participant was the sum of the scores across the 21 ethics questions. The mean evolution score (n = 123 participants) of 26.10, responses to the 5 creationism-evolution continuum questions, and comments solicited at the end of the survey indicated that participant views were more evolutionist than creationist, but participants held a diversity of views, and seemed unsure of some evidence supporting evolutionary theory, and of the nature of scientific theory itself. The mean teleological score (n = 123 participants) of 10.08 indicated that participants were almost equally split between deontological and teleological ethics views. A weak positive correlation between evolutionary views and teleological ethics views (r = 0.258, p < 0.05) supported the hypothesis of this study. At the same time, however, answers to some ethics questions seemed contradictory, reflecting unclear questions, respondent uncertainty with the topic, the inherent difficulty of ethics itself, or a combination of these factors. A question arising from these results is whether ethical values might shift as participants learn more about evolution and the nature of science.

Using multicultural literature in the classroom has become a focus in recent years as classrooms have become more diverse. While offering teachers and students many opportunities to gain broader understandings about the world, the use of multicultural literature also presents challenges. The challenge is not only obtaining high quality multicultural texts, but the greater challenge may be creating an awareness among teachers of the important role multicultural literature plays in the lives of children. In this article, the authors explore prospective teachers' understandings of the use of multicultural literature in the classroom. Specifically, the authors examined changes in their beliefs and proposed practices based on new understandings regarding the importance of using literature in the classroom that portrays a variety of cultures, themes and views. They collected student response papers from approximately 100 preservice teachers enrolled in elementary language arts methods courses. Data were analyzed on emerging themes using the following four-phase process: (1) coding the data; (2) developing themes from the data; (3) defining themes based on the findings; and (4) connecting and interrelating themes. During the development and defining of themes, five categories were identified: (1) "it opened my eyes"; (2) "finding yourself"; (3) "opening their minds"; (4) "not just African-American"; and (5) "it's my responsibility." Implications for educators are presented.

Nurture groups (NGs) are an intervention intended to meet the needs of pupils identified as having social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). They are temporary, mostly part-time, and designed to provide pupils with the skills to successfully reintegrate into mainstream school (Boxall, 2002). Previous research has been focused on the effectiveness of NGs within primary schools; only more recently has research examined their effectiveness within the secondary sector. In primary settings NGs have been seen to be effective in improving pupils' social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. This action research project aimed to explore the potential benefits of a NG within a specialist setting for pupils with SEBD. This qualitative study combined the use of semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and observations of pupils, alongside examination of quantitative data gathered prior to the implementation of the NG, and throughout the year. The results go some way to corroborate findings from previous research projects, in that clear improvements in terms of behaviour and social skills were perceived to have taken place across the year. Parents and staff agreed that the pupils' social skills, and subsequently their readiness to learn, had improved. The limitations of the study, most noticeably the sample size and lack of control group, require that further investigation be undertaken, with a larger sample and adjustments to mitigate the limitations, enabling more robust evidence to be gathered.

This cross-sectional survey focused on faculty use and knowledge of author identifiers and researcher networking systems, and professional use of social media, at a large state university. Results from 296 completed faculty surveys representing all disciplines (9.3% response rate) show low levels of awareness and variable resource preferences. The most utilized author identifier was ORCID while ResearchGate, LinkedIn, and Google Scholar were the top profiling systems. Faculty also reported some professional use of social media platforms. The survey data will be utilized to improve library services and develop intra-institutional collaborations in scholarly communication, research networking, and research impact.