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2. Laboratories of Democracy: How States Get Excellent K-12 U.S. History Standards. White Paper No. 162
- Author
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Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research, Lewis, Anders, and Donovan, Bill
- Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to take a closer look at the states that have designed strong history standards and note what has made them exceptional so other states might do the same. They include Alabama, California, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, and South Carolina. The report draws on interviews with individuals from each state who sat on advisory boards and panels, who shared details on their review process, and identified individuals consulted to design their standards, timetables and outcomes. Members of the state design committees included chairmen of high school history or social studies departments, elementary and middle school teachers, college history professors, members of historical societies and parents. The report also includes seven core recommendations related to process; non-partisanship; the importance of detail and clarity in standards; the need to focus on academic content; the value of civics-based content; encouraging the reading of history in each grade; and finally to promote historical writing in each grade. In all, the paper shows that states can create robust K-12 standards that are clear enough for teachers to employ effectively and that enrich students' understanding of U.S. history. [Preface by Daniel Walker Howe.]
- Published
- 2017
3. State Strategies to Scale Quality Work-Based Learning. NGA Paper
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National Governors Association, Center for Best Practices, Hauge, Kimberly, and Parton, Brent
- Abstract
Industries in every state are struggling to find qualified applicants for jobs, while job seekers too often find they lack the skills needed to enter or move along a career pathway to a good job. Preparing a workforce that is poised to meet the needs of businesses and ultimately to make the state more economically competitive is a top priority for many governors. "State Strategies to Scale Quality Work-Based Learning" highlights strategies governors can implement to increase opportunities for high-quality, demand-driven work-based learning and prepare their citizens for the modern workforce.
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- 2016
4. Paper Thin? Why All High School Diplomas Are Not Created Equal
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Alliance for Excellent Education and Almond, Monica
- Abstract
Of the nearly 100 different types of high school diplomas that are awarded across all fifty states and the District of Columbia, less than half prepare students for success in college and career. And while the national high school graduation rate is at an all-time high, the rate at which students earn these college- and career-ready (CCR) diplomas is substantially lower, especially among students from low-income families, students of color, and other traditionally underserved students. "Paper Thin? Why All High School Diplomas Are Not Created Equal" provides a state-by-state analysis of the different types of diplomas that states awarded to the Class of 2014 and the impact on traditionally underserved students. [Robyn Harper, Francisco Jaimes, Liz Spurgeon, and Sean Bradley contributed to this report.]
- Published
- 2017
5. Governors' Top Education Priorities in 2018 State of the State Addresses. Education Trends
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Education Commission of the States, Whinnery, Erin, and Pompelia, Sarah
- Abstract
A governor's State of the State address is an opportunity to outline policy priorities, highlight past accomplishments and reflect on the condition of the state and country. In 2018, 17 governors are serving their last year in office, having reached the end of their term or deciding not to seek re-election. Many of them used their State of the State addresses to emphasize the importance of collegiality among policymakers. When governing bodies function well, the state and its citizens reap the benefits--a principal benefit being an education that prepares citizens for well-paying jobs. Each year, Education Commission of the States tracks, analyzes and identifies trends in education policy proposals featured in governors' State of the State addresses. To date, 44 governors have delivered their 2018 addresses. The top six education priorities across states are discussed in this report: (1) School Finance; (2) Workforce Development; (3) Postsecondary Affordability; (4) Career and Technical Education; (5) Teacher Quality; and (6) Early Learning.
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- 2018
6. Elementary Mathematics Curriculum: State Policy, COVID-19, and Teachers' Control
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Mona Baniahmadi, Bima Sapkota, and Amy M. Olson
- Abstract
In the U.S., state guidance to schools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was politicized. We used state-level political affiliation to explore whether access to curricular resources differed pre-pandemic or during pandemic remote teaching and teachers' reported control over curricular resources during pandemic teaching. We found that pre-pandemic the percentage of teachers in Republican states reported higher levels of resources overall, and use of core and teacher-created curricular resources in particular. They also reported having greater control over their curricular decision-making during the pandemic. There were no state-level differences in teachers' level of preparation for pandemic teaching, but teachers in Democrat states reported a greater proportion of their students had sufficient resources for online learning. We discuss the implications of these findings in terms of teacher control and state policies. [For the complete proceedings, see ED657822.]
- Published
- 2023
7. Innovations in College Access: Challenges and Lessons Learned from Investing in Innovation (i3) Grantees
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Office of Innovation and Improvement (ED), Investing in Innovation (i3) and Murthy, Carrie
- Abstract
In May 2017, the Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) College Access and Success community embarked on a project to compile shared challenges and lessons learned as a resource for fellow i3 College Access and Success grantees, the larger community of i3 grantees, and the broader field of college access. Through this project, the authors discovered that many of the key challenges i3 College Access and Success grantees faced were not necessarily specific to their college access work, but related to the work of creating change and innovation and strong partnerships. As such, this paper may be of interest to all i3 grantees--regardless of whether their projects relate to college access and success--as well as to individuals working in the field of college access. Chapter 1 of this report introduces the i3 program and describes the i3 College Access and Success community and the development of this paper. Chapter 2 provides highlights of the key challenges i3 College Access and Success grantees reported, and maps the challenges to the grantee profiles in Chapter 4. Similarly, Chapter 3 shares key lessons learned, mapping the lessons learned to the grantee profiles in Chapter 4. Finally, Chapter 4 contains grantee profiles providing at-a-glance information about each participating grantee, as well as more in-depth discussion of their strategies, challenges, and lessons learned. [Contributing authors include: Karen M. Morris, Lara Dreier, Joel Vargas, Sarah Hooker, Elisabeth Barnett, Sarah Newman, Laureen Avery, Judy Saylor, Meg Grigal, Tom Duenwald, Suzanne Reeve, and Nicole Norfles.]
- Published
- 2017
8. The Big Blur: An Argument for Erasing the Boundaries between High School, College, and Careers--and Creating One New System That Works for Everyone
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JFF (Jobs for the Future), Hoffman, Nancy, Vargas, Joel, Hartung, Kyle, Barrett, Lexi, Cuevas, Erica, Sullivan, Felicia, Mawhinney, Joanna, and Nahar, Avni
- Abstract
This paper argues for a radical restructuring of education for grades 11-14--by erasing the arbitrary dividing line between high school and college--to open opportunities for the learners the current systems leave behind. The authors make the case for an entirely new type of institution--neither high school nor college--designed specifically to better meet the needs of young people after 10th grade and help prepare them to succeed in the world of work. The authors take a hard look at the obstacles that impede more than half of the nation's young people from making successful transitions from high school to postsecondary education to the labor market despite the best of intentions of the many who support them. They identify the four key areas that need transformation: (1) incentives (in accountability and finance); (2) alignment; (3) governance; and (4) staffing. For each, the authors provide examples of innovation--existing policies, programs, and networks--that have made strides toward smoothing transitions. Last, the authors recommend an action agenda of next steps to start pushing closer to the ideal. [For the executive summary, see ED614770.]
- Published
- 2021
9. Examining Self-Efficacy of FCS Teachers Following the COVID-19 Modality Switch
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Fish, Brittany A. and Jumper, Rachel L.
- Abstract
This paper presents the results of a nationwide survey of educators for grades 6-12 who specialize in family and consumer sciences education (N=380). The paper examines teacher reports about their self-efficacy in online learning during the switch to off-campus instruction. Data revealed that district communication to teachers indicating that they were doing a good job and teachers having had prior online interactions with students were significantly related to the teachers' positive perceptions of self-efficacy.
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- 2021
- Full Text
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10. Redefining School Discipline: Illinois and Other States' Responses to Negative Impact
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Puckett, Tiffany, Graves, Christopher, and Sutton, Lenford C.
- Abstract
Minority students and students with disabilities are disciplined disproportionately from their peers. Discipline has led to many negative consequences in the lives of youth in the United States, including the school-to-prison pipeline. In 2014, the U.S. Department of Education issued guidance encouraging school districts to develop policies that seek alternatives to exclusionary penalties. Some states, including the State of Illinois, have been proactive in revamping the state's discipline. In this paper, we will examine how the states are responding to the school-to-prison pipeline and the other negative effects of exclusions and suspensions. Additionally, this paper will examine the implementation of Illinois Senate Bill 100, from an administrator's point of view, to make recommendations for disciplinary strategies and possible policy revisions.
- Published
- 2019
11. State of the States 2014
- Abstract
Presenters at the State of the States Roundtable session at the 2014 National Education Finance Conference in Louisville were invited to submit their papers for publication. These papers address the following topics: (1) State issues affecting P-12 and/or higher education funding; (2) Funding priorities/trends for P-12 and/or higher education; (3) Changes to funding formula for P-12 and/or higher education; and (4) Impact on school district or higher education budgets. States represented in this section include Alabama (Brenda Mendiola and Philip Westbrook), Arkansas (Steve Bounds), Colorado (Spencer C. Weiler and Gabriel R. Serna), Florida (Brittany Larkin, Jasmine Ulmer, and R. Craig Wood), Illinois (Joel R. Malin and Rene J. Noppe, Jr.), Indiana (Matthew R. Della Sala and Marilyn A. Hirth), Kentucky (Tyrone Bynoe), Nebraska (Barbara Y. LaCost), New Jersey (Luke J. Stedrak), New York (Osnat Zaken), North Carolina (Lisa G. Driscoll and Jim R. Watson), Ohio (Randall S. Vesely), South Carolina (Matthew R. Della Sala and Robert C. Knoeppel), Tennessee (Betty Cox), Texas (Ken Helvey and Dennis Womack), Virginia (William Owings, Leslie S. Kaplan, and Richard G. Salmon), and Wisconsin (Faith E. Crampton). (Individual state sections contain references.)
- Published
- 2015
12. Excelsior, New York State's 'Free' College Scholarship
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Pierce, Christian and Siraco, Justin
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This paper examines the New York State Excelsior Scholarship and the criteria that must be met for students to be eligible to receive it. The main focus of this examination is how this scholarship aims to address access issues faced by students from low income families and how the program can be improved to better address their needs. Comparisons are made between this Scholarship and others similar to it, namely the Georgia Hope Scholarship, the Indiana 21st Century Scholarship, and the Wisconsin Covenant. Recommendations for improving the Excelsior Scholarship are made based on research-based evidence on the successes and failures of the other scholarship programs, as well as potential barriers found within the Excelsior Scholarship itself.
- Published
- 2018
13. Psychometric Report for the Early Fractions Test Administered with Third- and Fourth-Grade Students in Fall 2016. Research Report No. 2017-10
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Florida State University, Learning Systems Institute (LSI), Schoen, Robert C., Liu, Sicong, Yang, Xiaotong, and Paek, Insu
- Abstract
The Early Fractions Test is a paper-pencil test designed to measure mathematics achievement of third- and fourth-grade students in the domain of fractions. The purpose, or intended use, of the Early Fractions Test is to serve as a student pretest covariate and a test of baseline equivalence in the larger study. In this report, we discuss our exploration of options for scoring and data modeling and make recommendations for optimal scoring and data modeling procedures. We also report on the results of data modeling, including analyses of dimensionality, scale reliability estimates, the intraclass correlation coefficient for the 66 schools represented in the sample, and the percentage of the variance in student achievement as measured by the end-of-year mathematics test that is explained by their scores on this beginning-of-year test.
- Published
- 2017
14. Evaluation of the 2014 Best Undergraduate Accounting Programs as Compared to the 2004 Top Undergraduate Accounting Programs
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Moore, Paula Hearn and Griffin, Richard B.
- Abstract
This paper describes and compares the profiles of the top accounting programs in the United States as identified by "U.S. News and World Report" in 2004 with the profiles of the top accounting programs in the United States as identified by the "Accounting Degree Review" in 2014. The "Accounting Degree Review"'s list is a weighted average based on the rankings in "U.S. News and World Report," "Bloomberg Business Week," and "Public Accounting Report." A thorough examination of each schools web site has been conducted to gather information concerning the requirements for an undergraduate degree in accounting from two points in time over a ten year span (2004 and 2014). Course descriptions rather than simply course titles have been evaluated for each accounting course included in the business core and requirements of the accounting major. The emphasis of the study is, not only to develop a profile of top programs but also, to determine changes within accounting programs during the period from 2004 to 2014. [Note: The citation shown on this PDF (v9 n2 Fall 2015) is incorrect. The correct citation is v13 n1 Spr 2017.]
- Published
- 2017
15. Planning and Designing Academic Library Learning Spaces: Expert Perspectives of Architects, Librarians, and Library Consultants. Project Information Literacy Research Report. The Practitioner Series
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Project Information Literacy and Head, Alison J.
- Abstract
This paper identifies approaches, challenges, and best practices related to planning and designing today's academic library learning spaces. As part of the Project Information Literacy (PIL) Practitioner Series, qualitative data is presented from 49 interviews conducted with a sample of academic librarians, architects, and library consultants. These participants were at the forefront of the same 22 recent library learning space projects on college and university campuses in the US and Canada between 2011 and 2016. Most library projects had allocated space for supporting at least one of these four types of academic learning activities: collaborative, individual study, tutoring by campus learning partners, or occasional classes taught by campus instructors. Successful collaboration between the architect and the librarian was fostered by their shared commitment to meeting users' needs, though few stakeholders systematically collected input from users beyond standard usage statistics and gate counts. Most interviewees reported facing some common challenges during their project planning and implementations. One challenge was translating design goals into tangible designs while trying to resolve issues of noise mitigation, shared space allocations, and providing enough electrical power for IT devices. Another challenge was ensuring effective communication practices with planning teams as well as campus-wide constituents throughout projects. Additional challenges included building consensus, compensating for project interruption and inadequate knowledge about both architecture and library IT issues, and having too few a priori evaluation metrics for linking learning outcomes to goals of the library space projects. Taken together, the success of library learning space projects depends upon shared knowledge and understanding of the sweeping learning, pedagogical, and research changes facing the academy. Librarians and architects need to work together to apply that knowledge and understanding to the unique environment and learning and teaching needs of their specific institution. Contains a list of further readings. [Funding from a Strategic Research Grant from the University of Washington Information School helped to make this report possible.]
- Published
- 2016
16. Analysis of 2014's Thirty Best Undergraduate Accounting Programs
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Adkins, Darlene A., Geddie, Mary F., Moore, Paula Hearn, and Griffin, Richard B.
- Abstract
This paper examines primarily the courses in the accounting major and a portion of the business core of the best thirty accounting programs in the United States as identified by the Accounting Degree Review. A thorough examination of each school's web site has been conducted to gather current (2014) information concerning the requirements for a degree in accounting. Course descriptions rather than simply course titles have been evaluated for each accounting course included in the business core and accounting major requirement. The emphasis of the study is, not only to develop a profile from the best programs but also, to compare accounting programs at public and private schools. Also, possible differences between accounting programs in schools with Accounting accreditation and schools with Business accreditation are shown.
- Published
- 2016
17. The Higher Education Funding Revolution: An Exploration of Statewide Community College 'Free Tuition' Programs
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Davidson, Christopher T., Ashby-King, Drew T., and Sciulli, Luke J.
- Abstract
This article examines the current literature and state legislation of statewide "free tuition" promise programs. The purpose of this paper was to analyze state free community college programs, legislation, scholarly literature, and state websites to understand program structures, funding sources, and student-eligibility requirements. The following classifications of state programs emerged: community and technical college programs, workforce development programs, and programs for both 2- and 4-year degrees and certificates. Additionally, this article examines the similarities and differences between programs to inform future research and accompanying outcomes.
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- 2020
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18. Recruitment Lessons Learned from a Tailored Web-Based Health Intervention Project Y.E.A.H. (Young Adults Eating and Active for Health)
- Author
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Brown, Onikia, Quick, Virginia, Colby, Sarah, Greene, Geoffrey, Horacek, Tanya M., Hoerr, Sharon, Koenings, Mallory, Kidd, Tandalayo, Morrell, Jesse, Olfert, Melissa, Phillips, Beatrice, Shelnutt, Karla, White, Adrienne, and Kattelmann, Kendra
- Abstract
Purpose: Recruiting college students for research studies can be challenging. The purpose of this paper is to describe the lessons learned in the various recruitment strategies used for enrolling college students in a theory-based, tailored, and web-delivered health intervention at 13 US universities. Design/methodology/approach: The community-based participatory research (CBPR) model was used to develop a staged-tailored, web-based, randomized control trial, focusing on eating behavior, physical activity, and stress management. Participant feedback during baseline assessments was used to evaluate recruitment strategies. Findings: Findings from this feedback suggest that traditional recruitment strategies, such as newspaper ads and flyers, may not be the best approach for recruiting college students; instead, web-based efforts proved to be a better recruitment strategy. Research limitations/implications: This project included results from 13 US universities and thus may not be generalizable: more research is needed to determine successful recruitment methods for 18-24 years old college students. Originality/value: This paper lessens the gap regarding successful recruitment strategies for 18-24 years old college students.
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
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19. Finding Space: Charter Schools in District-Owned Facilities
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National Charter School Resource Center (NCSRC) at Safal Partners, Griffin, Jim, Christy, Leona, and Ernst, Jody
- Abstract
Accessing affordable facilities has long been identified as one of the most significant challenges facing charter schools. In response to this challenge, an array of policy and market-based approaches has emerged over the years. Examples of these approaches include: public and private credit enhancement, tax-exempt bond financing, community development lending, commercial facilities development, state per pupil facilities aid, constitutional mandates for fair treatment, state facilities grant programs, federal tax credits, co-location with other public schools, and charter schools accessing vacant district facilities. In January of 2014, New York City Mayor, Bill DeBlasio, put forward a proposal to no longer allow charter schools to use district-owned facilities at no cost. Instead, he proposed to charge charter schools rent for the use of these facilities. The resulting debate has brought national attention to this topic and highlighted the need for more data and a common framework for understanding the nature of transactions between charter schools and districts for the use of district-owned facilities. Against this backdrop, the National Charter School Resource Center has developed this paper to provide policy-makers and sector stakeholders with a more data-driven and nuanced exploration of the issue. This white paper is organized as follows: (1) Section I provides information about our primary data source: the Charter School Facilities Initiative (CSFI) survey and dataset; (2) Section II describes the landscape of charter schools in district-owned facilities using data from the CSFI dataset; (3) Section III provides a framework for financial transactions between charter schools and districts for the use of district-owned facilities and shares data on these transactions; (4) Section IV highlights trends in the use of district-owned facilities by charter schools over time and explores possible reasons for the growth of this phenomenon; and (5) Section V concludes the paper by noting key considerations for policymakers and charter sector stakeholders.
- Published
- 2015
20. State of the States 2017
- Abstract
On February 24, 2017, all of the authors of the state-of-the-state manuscripts published in the "Journal of Education Finance" met in Cincinnati, Ohio, to participate in a roundtable discussion focused on recent legislative actions in 38 states. A majority of those papers were revised to reflect a final report on legislative actions impacting the funding of P-12 and higher education. Overall, adequate funding for education continues to be an issue many states are struggling with. There is reason to be hopeful, as several states have seen increases in per pupil funding and teacher salaries. When facing funding shortfalls, some states have begun considering alternate sources of funding for public education. In complicated fiscal times like these, it is anticipated that an increasing number of states will look to novel forms of raising revenue for public schools. The following contents are included: (1) The Good, the Bad, and the Alarming: Commentary on the 2017 State of the States Submissions (Brittany Larkin, Christine Kiracofe, and Spencer Weiler); (2) Alabama (Philip Westbrook and Brenda Mendiola); (3) Alaska (Amy Dagley); (4) Arizona (David G. Martinez and Oscar Jimenez-Castellanos); (5) Arkansas (Steve Bounds); (6) California (Henry Tran); (7) Colorado (Gabriel R. Serna and Spencer C. Weiler); (8) Connecticut (Lesley A. DeNardis); (9) Florida (Megan Lane, Jolande Morgan, and R. Craig Wood); (10) Georgia (David G. Buckman and Tommy Jackson); (11) Illinois (Christine Kiracofe); (12) Indiana (Scott Rodger Sweetland); (13) Kansas (Thomas A. DeLuca); (14) Kentucky (Tyrone Bynoe); (15) Louisiana (Arvin Johnson, Venice M. Adams, and David G. Buckman); (16) Massachusetts (Tyrone Bynoe); (17) Michigan (Brett A. Geier); (18) Minnesota (Nicola A. Alexander); (19) Mississippi (Spencer D. Stone and Joshua A. Money); (20) Nebraska (Barbara La Cost); (21) Nevada (Deborah A. Verstegen, Oscar Jimenez-Castellanos, and David Martinez); (22) New Hampshire (F. Frank Ayata and Jeremy M. Anderson); (23) New Jersey (Luke J. Stedrak); (24) New Mexico (David G. Martinez and Oscar Jimenez-Castellanos); (25) New York (Osnat Zaken); (26) North Carolina (Walter Hart, Jim R. Watson, and Lisa G. Driscoll); (27) Ohio (Barbara M. De Luca, Krystel H. Chenault, and Randall S. Vesely); (28) Oklahoma (Jeffrey Maiden and Channa Byerly); (29) Oregon (Michael C. Petko); (30) Pennsylvania (Jeremy Anderson and F. Frank Ayata); (31) Tennessee (Lisa G. Driscoll and Betty Cox); (32) Texas (Ken Helvey); (33) Virginia (William Owings and Leslie S. Kaplan); (34) West Virginia (Drew Milligan); (35) Wisconsin (Michael C. Petko); and (36) Wyoming (Joshua M. Cohen). [For the previous year, see EJ1170086.]
- Published
- 2018
21. The Great Lakes School of Turfgrass Science: A Nine-State Online Collaboration to Improve the Turfgrass Short Course
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Koch, Paul L., Soldat, Douglas J., Horgan, Brian P., Bauer, Samuel J., and Patton, Aaron J.
- Abstract
Increasing costs and decreasing numbers of university Extension faculty have made it difficult to provide quality turfgrass short course education. In response, faculty from nine institutions collaborated to develop the Great Lakes School of Turfgrass Science. This 12-week online course provides students with unique learning experiences through a combination of assigned readings, quizzes, lectures, and live instructor discussion. Student attendance increased and costs decreased relative to traditional in-person short courses. Additionally, student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. These results demonstrate that online courses such as this can provide an effective and flexible source of knowledge that meets the busy schedules of students and instructors.
- Published
- 2017
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