Concepts of Mathematics (21-127 at CMU) is a course designed to introduce students to the world of abstract mathematics, guiding them from more calculation-based math (that one learns in high school) to higher mathematics, which focuses more on abstract thinking, problem solving, and writing "proofs." This transition tends to be a shock:…

We present an evaluation of the Writing Pal (W-Pal) intelligent tutoring system (ITS) and the W-Pal automated writing evaluation (AWE) system through the use of computational indices related to text cohesion. Sixty-four students participated in this study. Each student was assigned to either the W-Pal ITS condition or the W-Pal AWE condition. The…

Some students with disabilities who receive special education services need accommodations or modifications to their educational program in order to participate in the general curriculum and to be successful in school. While the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its regulations do not define accommodations or modifications,…

Thirty-three students of fourth semester German at the University of Kansas participated in the study which sought to investigate whether focused written corrective feedback (WCF) promoted the acquisition of the German case morphology over the course of a semester. Participants received teacher WCF on five two-draft essay assignments under three…

In the past decade, systematic studies have indicated a significant regression in scientific literacy in nonscience students and students across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines in higher education. Of particular concern, evaluations of introductory lecture-based undergraduate courses have indicated deficiencies in…

Online coursework is common across the United States, and many institutes of higher education include it in their strategic plans (Allen & Seaman, 2011). Special education has embraced distance education technology--especially personnel preparation programs that are in rural areas and/or prepare teachers who will work in rural areas.…

Learning theory from the "behaviorist" camp suggests that quick feedback on a stimulus (problem) followed by repetition (resubmission) will increase student learning. To test this assumption an experiment was conducted. In an introductory management information system class students were given the opportunity to submit several…

We analyzed over 100,000 student evaluations of instruction over 4 years in the college of business at a major public university. We found that the original instrument that was validated about 20 years ago is still valid, with factor analysis showing that the six underlying dimensions used in the instrument remained relatively intact. Also, we…

Many educators use the preparation of a Business Plan as a culminating assignment in entrepreneurship courses. Additionally, a number of institutions and organizations conduct business plan competitions to further entrepreneurship education. The objective for both of these exercises is to prepare student entrepreneurs for the challenging task of…

This article describes the assignments the author created to engage preservice teachers in designing instructional materials that befit today's students to help them overcome hurdles sometimes present when learning classic literature. Secondary and middle school English teachers may find these assignments useful as well so their students, too,…

Some students with Asperger syndrome comprehend text effortlessly, but many others struggle to make meaning of what they read. The unique characteristics of students with Asperger mean teachers must think strategically about how to ensure that they become proficient readers. The author offers seven strategies that teachers can employ to improve…

Student affairs professionals have been called to apply pedagogical methods to promote student learning in the out-of-class setting and show evidence of their contributions to student learning. To fulfill their professional responsibilities, practitioners should enter the student affairs profession with a basic understanding of ways to gather,…

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which instructor immediacy correlated with online community college students' perceived learning. The research questions that were investigated in the study focused on online instructor immediacy as it relates to praise (words of approval), encouragement (words of support) and examples…

The present study examined various aspects of the development of learners' fluency in Japanese using a large set of speech samples collected over a long period, using an online speaking practice/assessment system called "Speak Everywhere." The purpose of the present study was to examine: (1) how the fluency related measures changed over…

Assurance of learning continues to be a hot topic in higher education. Both accreditation agencies and employers are asking a key question: Are we graduating students who actually have the knowledge and skills that we promise? This case study focuses on business writing in an MBA program and presents a prescriptive, five-step program to improve…