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Many models of online student engagement posit a "more is better" relationship between students' course-related actions and their engagement. However, recent research indicates that the timing of engagement is also an important consideration. In addition to the frequency (how often) of engagement, two other constructs of timing were explored in this study: immediacy (how early) and regularity (in what ordered pattern). These indicators of engagement were applied to three learning assessment types used in an online, undergraduate, competency-based, technology skills course. The study employed advanced data collection and learning analytics techniques to collect continuous behavioral data over seven semesters (n = 438). Results revealed that several indicators of engagement predicted academic success, but significance differed by assessment type. "More" is not always better, as some highly engaged students earn lower grades. Successful students tended to engage earlier with lessons regardless of assessment type.

This study examines Vietnamese, non-English major college students' perceived self-efficacy and their comfort in using information and communication technologies (ICTs) in learning English as a foreign language. A survey was completed by 975 students. Findings revealed that half of the students ranked themselves as basic EFL users, and fewer rated themselves as independent users or proficient users. Inferential statistics analysis found students' perceived self-efficacy differed by their comfort levels in using ICTs. Specifically, those with a high to very high comfort level were more self-efficacious in their learning of English compared to those with an average or low level. These findings may help explain the issue of limited proficiency in EFL learning among non-English major college students in Vietnam, in relation to how comfortable they are using ICTs. Further investigation is needed however to clarify the relationship between technology comfort levels and self-efficacy among EFL learners.

Teachers' perceptions play a critical role in defining and giving meaning to new initiatives and policies in schools. However, very little is known about the perceptions of self-contained special educators responsible for students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) pertaining to the inclusion of students with SCD in general education classes and how those perceptions impact educational programming. In this qualitative study, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 special educators responsible for students with SCD who taught in self-contained classes within traditional public schools. The interview was designed to explore special educators' perceptions pertaining to including students with SCD in general education classes and possible personal and environmental factors that may influence their perceptions. The findings suggest that self-contained special educators responsible for students with SCD are tentatively supportive of including their students in general education classes. However, several factors (e.g., lack of support, student abilities and skills, general educator attitudes) and reservations appeared to impact special educators' decision-making pertaining to including their students with SCD in general education classes.

Through a collaborative effort between an instructional design team and the Biology Department at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, the OpenStax Biology 2e open, online textbook was modified with new features to improve student engagement and learning outcomes. This study investigated students' perceptions of the customized textbook. A survey of 22 questions was completed by 446 students using the textbook as a part of an introductory Biology course. Changes made to the textbook were well received by the majority of students and suggestions were made for improvements. Current and future revisions to the textbook are discussed.

Breakthroughs in information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly providing language learners with opportunities for real-time interactions with those fluent in their target language. However, adoption of available ICTs may depend on students' perceptions of the ICTs as affordances. This study examined the attitudes of 928 Vietnamese, non-English major college students toward the use of selected information and communication technologies (ICT attitudes) in English learning, and if the attitudes were affected by gender or comfort levels using technology. The study found that 61.2% of the students reported positive ICT attitudes and ICTs were more beneficial in augmenting receptive English over expressive English skills. The study also found significant differences in ICT attitudes across gender with female students more positive regardless of how comfortable they were in using computers and the Internet, and across technology comfort levels with those more comfortable, regardless of gender, being more positive toward ICT use in English language learning.

Financial aid is designed to increase access to postsecondary education at all socioeconomic levels; however, college students are not always knowledgeable about personal finances or capable of making sound decisions regarding complex college and program choices, debt options, and long-term spending. This article reviews previous research on the need for financial literacy training among underrepresented students and the barriers caused by inadequate access to financial services and information. Studies reviewed explore (a) the abilities of underrepresented students to make informed financial decisions; (b) the disadvantages faced by minority and first-generation students compared to their more advantaged peers; and (c) the need for cross-campus collaboration when developing a multipronged informational access system to overcome existing cultural biases. We used survey data, focus-group information, and personal interviews to determine current barriers impacting access to financial information and define the best practices leading to financial capability, as identified by faculty and staff working directly with underrepresented students. Barriers denying access to financial information include students' lack of financial literacy, lack of trust in resources and services, and lack of reliable online resources. Best practices include workshops, online informational resource pages, and one-on-one advising. We describe the unique barriers faced by students who self-identified with one of nine specific student resource cultural centers on campus serving underrepresented minorities, women, LBGTQ+, students with disabilities, veterans, and others. Our results suggest that with an increasingly diverse student body, it is critical to student success that all university faculty and staff nationwide increase awareness and support of financial issues impacting underrepresented populations.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the positive effects of the Good Behavior Game (GBG); however, limited information exists on the impact of the GBG on students with severe disabilities. This study investigated the impact of the GBG on students with severe disabilities and their off-task behaviors. Three students in three self-contained elementary classrooms and three special education teachers participated in this study. Special Education teachers implemented the GBG during whole group instruction, and researchers used a momentary time sample to measure the percentage of student off-task behavior. A multiple-probe baseline design organized the data to analyze the overall effects of the intervention. All participants showed a decrease in off-task behavior during the GBG. Implementing teachers found the intervention to be socially valid.

Symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity and oppositional defiant disorder are associated with a multitude of psychosocial developmental risks, e.g. academic underachievement. Various cognitive behavioral interventions have proven to be effective in reducing problem behavior in school settings. Drawing on this previous work and on our parent-focused preventive and therapeutic programs, we developed the school-based coaching for elementary school teachers of children with attention deficits or disruptive behavior problems (SCEP). Based on functional behavior assessment, SCEP addresses teachers of children with severe externalizing behavior problems in an individualized modular manner. It consists of a one-day training course and fortnightly one-to-one or team-coaching sessions. We analyzed the effects of SCEP in a within-subject control group design (N=60), with student attention problems and rule-breaking behavior during class as the primary outcome measure. SCEP was found to reduce problem behavior during lessons, with small to medium effect sizes (d=0.42-0.6). After the intervention, teachers reported changes in their use of praise and felt more confident managing the class (d=0.58). The results of SCEP are discussed in light of multi-tiered preventive approaches that suggest extensive individualized interventions based on functional behavior analysis for children with severe problem behavior.

Current research on teaching mathematics to students with intellectual disability (ID) has demonstrated that, given evidence-based instruction, these students can acquire a wide range of skills. However, very little research has been conducted in inclusive general education (GE) classrooms and no studies have utilized the GE teacher as the intervention agent (Spooner, Root, Saunders, & Browder, 2018). This study utilized a multiple baseline design to evaluate the effects of GE teacher-delivered embedded instruction on two main variables: (1) students' ability to solve word problems, and (2) generalization across people and materials and to untaught word problems. The data indicate that the embedded mathematics instructional package was effective in teaching students to (1) solve additive word problems with sums less than five, and (2) to generalize to untaught word problems and across people and materials. Limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

One concern raised about teaching content from the general education curriculum to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities is whether they generalize the skills learned to typical performance settings. We conducted a literature review of research studies that taught content from the general education curriculum and assessed generalization of the target skill to determine (a) whether the studies demonstrated a causal relationship between the intervention and the generalization-dependent variable(s), (b) what forms of generalization were assessed, and (c) what strategies were incorporated into the interventions to promote generalized responding by study participants. We identified 31 studies that met the initial selection criteria. However, only 22 demonstrated a causal relationship between the intervention and the acquisition-dependent variable(s), and only four of these studies demonstrated a causal relationship between the intervention and the generalization-dependent variable(s). The implications of the findings for future research are discussed.

In today's rapidly changing world, higher education is faced with challenges stemming from globalization versus localization, corporatization versus liberal arts values, and public versus private good. These challenges require creative approaches and innovations to develop new solutions. Additionally, tensions also exist within institutional sub-units such as academic departments. In response to similar pressures and declining enrollment, one university academic department held a day-long retreat to reexamine its programs and discuss curriculum and program modifications to better meet student needs. This paper used a systems thinking approach to unpack the creative tensions that arose at the individual faculty, department, and institutional levels during the implementation of the retreat and described their implications. Based on the findings, we recommend four strategies for administrators and faculty members to facilitate change efforts within their system: to motivate faculty, to mobilize diverse stakeholders, to creatively push boundaries, and to implement transparency to promote collaboration.

For an academic unit to remain relevant, it must continually evolve. This paper provides a rare view into the process taken by one academic department embracing change to improve its communications and envision its future. Tasked with planning a departmental retreat, two faculty members designed a series of activities inspired by design thinking to prototype new ways to problem solve. This paper describes the activities used before and during the retreat, why these activities were designed, and shares reflections from the facilitators. Three rounds of online Delphi-style information gathering preceded the day-long retreat to build consensus and prioritize issues. Retreat activities followed the empathize, define, and ideate design thinking stages. Based on online anonymous surveys, facilitator reflections, and artifacts gathered, this paper offers a case study from one department discovering that change requires intentional effort and practice but can spark new possibilities. Limitations and future work are also discussed.

This study analyzes the relationship of completion of a college level personal finance course to undergraduate retention and graduation rates. Through the utilization of comparative data, results demonstrated that students who completed the personal finance course had a significantly higher probability of year to year retention and successful degree completion. Research on the effectiveness of financial literacy coursework at the college level has been limited. Without the ability to control a variety of educational and demographic variables we are unable to demonstrate causation but do find significant correlation showing that those who complete a college level personal finance course are more likely to stay in college and complete their degree.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of video-based mathematics instruction for seven middle school students with specific learning disability (SLD), using an augmented reality-based training package. The dependent variable was the percentage of steps students performed correctly to solve each type of mathematics problem. The independent variable was the augmented reality video-based intervention, which used video to model the individual steps for solving four types of multistep mathematics problems: (a) addition and subtraction of integers, (b) multiplication and division of integers, (c) using ratio reasoning to convert measurement units, and (d) using multiplication and division to calculate rate of change. Results indicated a functional relation between the video-based mathematics intervention and the percentage of steps completed correctly for each type of problem. All seven participants showed significant gains immediately after receiving the intervention and maintained improved problem-solving skills in at least three out of the four problem categories.

A high-quality education in the social studies is recommended by the National Council for the Social Studies to promote civic competence and democratic participation for school system graduates. Currently, limited empirical information exists to inform social studies instruction for students with significant intellectual disability (SID), especially within inclusive academic settings. Effective content instruction in social studies areas, aligned to the general academic curriculum and presented in the general setting, may help to improve post-school outcomes for students with SID. A multiple probe across participants single case design was used to determine the effectiveness of paraprofessional-implemented inquiry-based social studies instruction, presented within an embedded trial distribution schedule in general education classrooms. Study results suggest that this method of instruction had a positive effect on recall of information presented during history lessons for three junior high school students with intellectual disability. After repeated practice, students showed improvements in recall of information when using the structured inquiry-based instructional framework without direct instruction. Paraprofessionals and general education teachers generally found the intervention to be effective and acceptable. Implications for classroom practice and for future research are discussed.

We present a statistical study of dipolarization fronts (DFs), using magnetic field data from MMS and Cluster, at radial distances below 12 RE and 20 RE , respectively. Assuming that the DFs have a semicircular cross section and are propelled by the magnetic tension force, we used multispacecraft observations to determine the DF velocities. About three quarters of the DFs propagate earthward and about one quarter tailward. Generally, MMS is in a more dipolar magnetic field region and observes larger-amplitude DFs than Cluster. The major findings obtained in this study are as follows: (1) At MMS ∼57 % of the DFs move faster than 150 km/s, while at Cluster only ∼35 %, indicating a variable flux transport rate inside the flow-braking region. (2) Larger DF velocities correspond to higher Bz  values directly ahead of the DFs. We interpret this as a snow plow-like phenomenon, resulting from a higher magnetic flux pileup ahead of DFs with higher velocities.