This study assessed the relationships of student attributes, course characteristics and course outcomes to college students' ratings of course quality in three types of settings. The analysis utilised data from online surveys of samples of college students conducted in 2011 and 2012 at the Pennsylvania State University. Included in the analysis…

Failure to identify gifted students is an important, yet under acknowledged problem facing our nation's schools (Miller, 2009; Webb, 2000). It is important for teachers to be aware of typical and atypical or, unexpected characteristics of gifted students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify factors that influenced elementary…

Christian educators must regularly articulate the ways in which they add value to the learning experiences of students, recognizing that pedagogy and purpose are inextricably linked. This study investigates the relationship between constructivist teaching practices and the religious beliefs of Christian educators. Drawing on mixed-methods analysis…

Writing in 1990 for the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education, Ernest Boyer described the importance of strengthening the colleges and universities as vital communities of learning by emphasizing six critical dimensions or characteristics of campus life: educationally purposeful, open, just, disciplined, caring, and…

Geospatial services in academic libraries are now common at many institutions, especially in the United States. The challenge now faced by geospatial services providers is to evolve and adapt their skills and service offerings in response to changes in research, teaching, and learning communities. Online survey instruments are a common tool used…

Objective: The authors sought to assess military veterans' functioning in college by comparing their experience with that of civilian students. Participants: The study, conducted from April 2012 to February 2013, included 445 civilian and 61 student service member/veteran (SSM/V) undergraduates, drawn from a community college and two 4-year…

Professional development is supposed to increase instructional capacity in teachers. It is well funded by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which also provides clear expectations for activities and programs that research suggests make it effective in improving student learning (Ball & Cohen, 1999; Banilower et al., 2006; Gersten et…

Community participation is essential to overall health and well-being. However, research on the community participation experiences and preferences of autistic adults is lacking. Results from a large, mid-Atlantic statewide needs assessment survey found that a number of activities that include social interactions or are focused on meeting daily…

This qualitative phenomenology investigated the job-related experiences of early career Catholic elementary school principals (N = 13) in the Mideastern region of the United States. Data were collected from an introductory survey, semi-structured interviews, two focus groups, and a participant designed plan for professional development. The…

This article presents an innovative textbook reserve program at a mid-sized academic library. Research conducted subsequent to the program's launch showed a positive correlation between students' use of the program and their perceived academic success. In addition, the program has proved effective at helping students with college affordability.…

Engagement in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is based on students who self-organize their participation according to their own goals and interests. Visual materials such as videos and discussion forums are basic ways of engaging students in MOOCs. Student achievement in MOOCs is typically measured using assessments distributed throughout the…

Online learning in higher education continues to grow due to the flexibility it offers learners. Adult learners choose online learning at a rate much higher than residential learning. Adult learners in the online environment tend to be retained at a lower rate. To counteract lower retention rates, understanding student needs through targeted…

Students with disabilities have significantly lower graduation rates in four-year postsecondary institutions than students without disabilities. Although there are many barriers associated with persistence and graduation, for students with vision loss, additional accessibility challenges exist. This paper describes a pilot study that examined the…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the effects of grade-span configuration on student achievement and sense of belonging. The quantitative data for this study was collected from Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), specifically the Future Ready PA Index site and Eidex. Additional quantitative data was collected through…

This study asked two primary questions: (1) to what extent do distance learners find value in student support services; and (2) is there a relationship between the value placed on student support services and students' sense of belonging in the university's learning community? Value was defined as the frequency of use, importance, and satisfaction…