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The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) aligns with many institutionally espoused values regarding the value of teaching and learning excellence. SoTL has increased in prestige and value in the past decade, but less information about the proliferation of SoTL within one institution is known. Through an examination of 10 years of curriculum vitae submitted for successful promotion and tenure, our study investigated faculty members' engagement in SoTL over time and differences in engagement by rank, race, gender, discipline, and type of SoTL artifact. Over the 10-year period, the percentage of faculty engaged in SoTL did not differ significantly. We did uncover differences by disciplinary type and race. Faculty were most likely to engage in grants and presentations related to SoTL and least likely to have a peer-reviewed journal artifact. Our findings suggest that although SoTL efforts continue to gain acceptance within the higher education milieu, institutional and disciplinary realities may be powerful determiners of SoTL participation.

This article describes equity-focused online facilitation. Online approaches for fostering equity and strategies for inclusive practices are explained.

The development and adoption of promotion and tenure (P&T) policies supporting scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) activities began in earnest at our large, Midwestern, land-grant university, over fifteen years ago. The purpose of this research was to present the results of a five year project collecting and analyzing the evidence of SoTL on P&T vitas. Every occurrence of SoTL in peer-reviewed publications, presentations, and funded external and internal grants was counted. Of the 343 successful cases, there were 201 to associate professor and 142 to professor. Of these cases, 48% (n = 163) had at least one SoTL artifact included on their vitas. These results suggest SoTL is a meaningful form of scholarship performed by faculty, however, there is additional cultural change necessary for greater integration of SoTL in faculty work.

The use of biotechnology in food and agricultural applications has increased greatly during the past decade and is considered by many to be a controversial topic. Drawing upon a previous national study, a new survey was conducted of U.S. and international college students at a large, land-grant, Research University to determine factors that may affect opinions about genetically modified (GM) food products. Factors examined included nationality, discipline area of study, perceptions of safety, and awareness and levels of acceptance regarding GM food. Results indicated students born outside the United States had more negative opinions about genetically modified foods than did American-born students. Students who were studying a physical science-based curriculum had a more positive opinion of GM food than did students studying a curriculum that was not based in the physical science. In addition, students who reported a higher level of acceptance of genetically modified foods felt more positively about the safety of the technology. (Contains 1 figure and 6 tables.)

Prior research demonstrated that writing synopsis laboratory reports (succinct syntheses of the experiment, lecture, and readings) instead of traditional laboratory reports, did not influence student learning as measured by comprehensive exam scores. This study extended this research by investigating the impact of these lab report formats on student learning as measured by laboratory report scores. Fifty-six Iowa State University industrial technology students were randomized into one of two groups that were required to write five synopsis reports followed by four traditional reports or vice-versa. The analysis of mean laboratory report scores using the paired-samples t-test revealed no significant difference between treatments. The analysis of the mean scores of the nine individual laboratory reports using two-sample t-tests revealed no treatment effect for seven of the nine reports. The results of an exit survey revealed that students believed the synopsis format helped them to achieve higher grades on their laboratory reports.

Industrial technology programs around the country must be sensitive to the demands of manufacturing and industry as they continue to replace "vocational" curriculum with high-tech alternatives. This article examines whether or not teaching oxyacetylene welding in the industrial technology classroom is required to learn arc welding processes. The results of this study suggests that there appears to be little impact, in terms of gas metal arc welding skills, associated with removing oxyacetylene welding from the curriculum. Because the gas metal arc welding industry is growing globally and industrial technology curricula are under time constraints that often limit the amount of time devoted to welding, faculty should consider suspending oxy-fuel welding to allow more time in gas metal arc welding instruction. (Contains 6 tables and 2 figures.)

A learning community is a relatively old phenomenon that has resurfaced; it is making educators at institutions of higher education stand up and take notice. Grounded in collaborative and cooperative learning theories, learning communities have created environments in which student learning is the center of attention. The social construction of knowledge and skills can be best supported in a learning community environment in which students have been given the opportunity to engage in activities that encompass a diverse set of perspectives from multiple sources. The Technology Learning Community (TLC), currently located in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE) at Iowa State University (ISU), is an example of a program that fosters this type of learning environment connection. Through weekly seminars and team-based activities, the TLC enables student participants to actively construct their own knowledge base through the development of professional networks and relationships with faculty, staff, students, and industry professionals. This article examines the impact that the TLC has had on the educational experience of new and transfer students to the Department.

The nature and assessment of education is changing significantly, and the assessment trajectory is away from sole reliance on the traditional perspective of student grades. Technology faculty must respond to the changing requirements of student assessment and ensure that graduates of the program meet both the expectations and standards of the institution as well as those of other stakeholders, particularly the private sector that typically employs those graduates. A well-structured program should include assessment by a variety of methods and from a more holistic perspective than is often currently employed. Efforts to design and implement a more holistic assessment of students in industrial technology programs are certainly timely and in keeping with the spirit of the recommendations by the National Research Council and others. This article discusses how the authors formed an action research collaborative with the central goal being to develop, implement, and evaluate innovative forms of assessment that document student growth in a holistic manner. The authors' work represents an initial step towards capitalizing on some of the innovation that reflects singular enhancements. Their goal was also to integrate several of these innovations into a more systematic approach. To this end, the authors have conceptualized a framework for moving forward, they have established the feasibility of using the Work Keys[R] employability skills instrumentation, and they have described some necessary implementation steps.

The Internet is changing the way in which education is delivered, and in fact, some predict that the Internet will become the dominant distribution system for distance education and training. Many faculty members are expanding their traditional delivery methods (lecture, laboratory, face-to-face discussion) to include educational options ranging from Web-based course supplements to the complete delivery of courses online. While the primary focus of Web-based delivery has been in the development of stand-alone Web-based distance education courses, more faculty members are beginning to use the Web to supplement and enhance on-campus instruction. Data collected by The Campus Computing Project (1999) revealed that 28% of higher education courses have an associated Web page compared to 9% in 1996. The authors have chosen to augment a traditional face-to-face on-campus safety course with an online supplement. This article describes the assessment process used to gauge student perceptions of this new online supplement.

The article focuses on the evolution of hate crime laws in the U.S., with a particular emphasis on the role of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in shaping this legal landscape. It discusses the historical context of hate crimes, ADL's pioneering efforts in advocating for hate crime legislation, and the expansion of these laws to include various identity characteristics beyond race and religion.

At Iowa State University, industrial technology students participate in learning communities that include an introductory course; out-of-class activities; peer, faculty, and industrial mentors; and holistic assessment. Although worthwhile, learning communities require significant time and resources, and better technology-related holistic measures are needed. (Contains 16 references.) (SK)

This study investigated the role of a new paradigm in teaching large introductory, fundamental engineering mechanics (IFEM) courses that combined student-centered learning pedagogies and supplemental learning resources. Demographic characteristics in this study included a total of 405 students, of whom 347 (85.7%) are males and 58 are (14.3%) females. The students' majors included aerospace engineering, agricultural engineering, civil engineering, construction engineering, industrial engineering, materials engineering, and mechanical engineering. Results of this study, as tested using an independent samples t-test, validated using a nonparametric independent samples test, and a general linear multivariate model analysis, indicated overwhelmingly that there is a difference between a class taught passively using the teacher-centered pedagogy and a class taught actively using student-centered pedagogy. The principal focus of this work was to determine if the new paradigm was successful in improving student understanding of the course concepts in statics of engineering using student-centered pedagogies in large classes. After evaluating the effects of several variables on students' academic success, the results may provide important information for both faculty members and researchers and present a convincing argument to faculty members interested in academic reform but hesitant to abandon conventional teaching practices. By promoting a new paradigm, the potential for improving understanding of engineering fundamentals on a larger scale may be realized.

In the past ten years, engineering classrooms have seen an exponential growth in the use of technology, more than during any other previous decade. Unprecedented advancements, such as the advent of innovative gadgets and fundamental instructional alterations in engineering classrooms, have introduced changes in both teaching and learning. Student learning in introductory, fundamental engineering mechanics (IFEM) courses, such as statics of engineering, mechanics of materials, dynamics, and mechanics of fluids, as in any other class, is influenced by the experiences students go through in the classroom. Thus, bold new methodologies that connect science to life using student-centered approaches and scaffolding pedagogies need to be emphasized more in the learning process. This study is aimed to gain insight into the role of student-centered teaching, particularly the implementation of scaffolding pedagogies into IFEM courses. This study also attempts to contribute to the current national conversation in engineering education of the need to change its landscape--from passive learning to active learning. Demographic characteristics in this study included a total of 3,592 students, of whom 3,160 (88.0%) are males and 432 (12.0%) are females, over a period of six years, from 2007 to 2013. The students' majors included aerospace engineering, agricultural engineering, civil engineering, construction engineering, industrial engineering, materials engineering, and mechanical engineering. Results of the study, as tested using a general linear univariate model analysis, indicated that overwhelmingly the type of class in statics of engineering is a significant predictor of student "downstream" performance in tests measuring their knowledge of mechanics of materials. There is a statistically significant difference in students' performance in mechanics of materials depending on whether they were taught passively using the teacher-centered pedagogy or taught actively using the student-centered pedagogy in statics of engineering. Mechanics of materials is commonly the next immediate course, or a downstream course, following statics of engineering. [Cover title varies: "Scaffolding in Introductory Engineering Courses."]

The study explored the influence of work experience on adult part-time students' academic success as defined by their cumulative grade point average. The sample consisted of 614 part-time students from four polytechnic institutions in Malaysia. The study identified six factors to measure the perceived influence of work experiences--positive belief, negative belief, intrinsic motivation, learning orientation, deep learning approach, and surface learning approach. The results indicated that lower academic success was associated with higher negative belief, lower intrinsic motivation and adopting surface learning approach. Students with a deeper learning approach, greater intrinsic motivation, and greater learning orientation tended to perceive higher positive belief. In contrast, students who favored surface learning approaches were more likely to perceive negatively the impact of work experiences on their academic learning. The best-fitted path model demonstrated students' academic success was affected negatively by negative belief and weakly by intrinsic motivation. Other factors did not have significant direct effects on students' academic success. These findings suggest that the success of adult part-time students does not rely on their positive attitude alone, but also could depend on the effectiveness of the classroom environment, teaching and learning strategies, and assessment methods.

An important component of the safe operation of agricultural equipment is the ability to read and understand universal symbols. The Internet educational module is designed to help participants recognize these symbols. The impact of using it was evaluated using a field trial study. Assessment consisted of pre- and post-tests. Youth who had access to it averaged an improvement 29 points higher on the post-test than that of the control group. Overall, the Internet learning environment increased participants' ability to recognize universal symbols faster and more accurately. The study serves as a model for supplementing Extension programming with Web-based educational material. (Contains 4 figures and 1 table.)

A central challenge for higher education today is to understand the diversity and complexity of nontraditional students' life experiences and how these factors influence their academic success. To better understand these issues, this study explored the role of demographic characteristics and employment variables in predicting the academic success of part-time students at four polytechnic institutes in Malaysia. Demographic characteristics studied included respondent's age, gender, marital status, number of children, parent's educational level, and financial resources. Employment variables assessed were number of years working, job relatedness to the program, job satisfaction, and monthly salary. A total of 614 part-time students completed the survey. Results indicated that being an older student, being female, paying for their own education, and having high job satisfaction were statistically significant predictors of part-time students' academic success. Understanding the effects of demographic characteristics and employment variables on students' academic success might help administrators and educators to develop teaching and learning processes, support services, and policies to enhance part-time students' academic success.

Advocates alternatives to lectures for developing hands-on, interdisciplinary industrial technology practitioners. Discusses the efficacy of contextual methods such as cooperative, cross-functional, and experiential learning. (Contains 24 references.) (SK)

People bereaved by suicide receive less sympathy and support from society than do those bereaved by other causes. By using Yalom's curative factors, Parke's stages of grief, and Worden's tasks of grief resolution, a structured group model can be constructed to facilitate movement through the grieving process of participants bereaved by suicide.