This report shares the findings and lessons learned from an investigation into the economics of disaggregated models for assessing and accrediting informal learners undertaking post secondary education. It presents some key economic and governance challenges for universities to consider in implementing OER assessment and accreditation policies. It…

Chemistry courses remain a challenge for many undergraduate students. In particular, first-semester organic chemistry has been labeled as a gatekeeper with high attrition rates, especially among students of color. Our study examines a key factor related to conceptual understanding in science and predictive of course outcomes-knowledge structures.…

Background/Context: Across the United States, secondary school curricula are intensifying as a growing proportion of students enroll in high-level academic math courses. In many districts, this intensification process occurs as early as eighth grade, where schools are effectively constraining their mathematics curricula by restricting course…

We have studied the correlation of student performance in a large first year university physics course with their reasons for taking the course and whether or not the student took a senior-level high school physics course. Performance was measured both by the Force Concept Inventory and by the grade on the final examination. Students who took the…

In the context of a Capstone course for prospective secondary teachers (PSTs) of mathematics, this paper examines how a journal assignment was implemented and how it can help us understand PSTs' views of mathematics and mathematics teaching. First, the course design and specifics of the assignment are described. Then, details about…

Maintaining current, relevant curriculum in undergraduate Food Microbiology courses is essential for training future experts in food quality and safety. Having an understanding of the fundamental techniques (for example, polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) that are used in the food industry and regulatory agencies is critical for students entering…

National efforts to address the degree completion goals of the country cannot succeed without focusing on strategies to improve the educational attainment of Latinos. Latinos are the nation's second largest racial or ethnic group, and growing. Compared to other racial/ethnic populations, however, Latinos have lower rates of educational attainment…

The present study incorporates a student response system (SRS) as a means to engage students in a flipped classroom and promote active learning. While the effectiveness of such systems with regard to student learning has been well documented in disciplines that are dominated by lecture-based instruction, no studies have compared the effectiveness…

This study explores the effectiveness of the sequential use of lectures and video podcasting in higher education. Drawing together several theories, this paper examines the influence of student's perceived prior knowledge gained from lectures and technology acceptance model-related variables on student's self-reported assimilation of new material…

Previous research has identified various factors that contribute to readers' comprehension of expository texts, including strategy expertise, language proficiency, prior knowledge, and more recently, readers' beliefs about knowledge. This study addresses the need to understand the relative contributions of these predictors to readers'…

While studies of predictive factors for success in honors have been increasingly creative and expansive on what these factors might include, they have rarely challenged the dominant, virtually monolithic definitions of success. The majority of studies measure success either by collegiate grade point averages (GPAs) or retention rates in honors,…

Over the past few decades, institutions of higher education have experienced an increase in the enrollment of women, people of color, and those of lower socioeconomics. The literature suggests that some students from these populationsfirst-generation college students (FGCS)have contributed to a decrease in college retention. To address persistence…

The field of Instructed Second Language Acquisition (ISLA) has expressed interest in pursuing a research agenda that expands the current heritage language (HL) strand of research to investigate how this heterogeneous population re-learns their family language, and how this experience differs from that of second language (L2) learners. This…

Issues of postsecondary education access and attainment have a direct impact on individuals' social and economic mobility, the labor market, and the nation's ability to stay globally competitive. Sample surveys--cross-sectional or longitudinal surveys of a subpopulation of individuals--on precollege experiences and preparation, postsecondary…

Public education in the United States is sequenced in such a manner that a skill learned at one level is then transferred to a more complex skill at yet a higher level. In addition, the individual concepts or grade-level-expectations based on state Standards are designed this way. Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (1999) stated, "Educators hope…