40,232 results on '"BEST practices"'
Search Results
2. Best Practice of Ordinary National Educational Testing Use in Basic Education Level: A Multiple-Case Study
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Treekom Prommaboon, Siriluck Boongthong, Prasong Tochot, Boontawee Imboonta, Prachit Intakanok, Veena Prachagool, and Prasart Nuangchalerm
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This research employed a mixed-methods approach to explore the best practices of ordinary national educational testing (O-NET) to improve the quality of basic education. The methodology was divided into four phases, the first of which was a survey and analysis of the current situation at ONET. The sample group was made up of representatives of the school under the office of the basic education commission (OBEC), primary education, comprising the school administrators and teachers teaching in four subjects. Phase 2, "multiple case study," is qualitative research by selecting specific case studies for 10 primary schools based on criteria for selection and collecting data through in-depth interviews. A semi-structured interview form was completed by 30 key informants. Phase 3, the synthesis (draft) of best practices, and phase 4, the checking and proposing of best practices by 25 assessors. The results showed the best practices in using the test results of O-NET to improve the quality of basic education were 4 components: i) school management (16 practice guidelines); ii) learning management (10 practice guidelines); iii) student promotion (6 practice guidelines); and iv) parent communications (3 practice guidelines). The best practices were in accuracy, propriety, feasibility, and utilization; all were at the highest level.
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- 2024
3. Moving Away from 'Best Practices': Towards Relevant Pedagogical Approaches and Reforms. Working Paper #187.2. SPARKS Working Paper II
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Brookings Institution, Center for Universal Education, Ghulam Omar Qargha, and Rachel Dyl
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In many low- and medium-income countries (LMICs), student-centered pedagogies are often implicitly or explicitly at the heart of innovative pedagogical reforms. In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on student-centered pedagogies, which aim to shift power dynamics, increase interaction, and prioritize the needs of learners. Many international agencies, governments, and education experts view these pedagogies as "best practices" or a pedagogical "silver bullet" to improve classroom practice. This paper is the second in a series of three working papers meant to serve as references and conversation starters for policymakers and researchers as they navigate pedagogical reform for education system transformation in their local contexts. Together, the three working papers emphasize the need for more locally driven collaborative research on how the interaction of culture, local education ecosystems, and learning theories--collectively called Invisible Pedagogical Mindsets--influences teachers' pedagogical choices in the classroom. This paper details why the authors recommend policymakers examine Invisible Pedagogical Mindsets in their local context to inform pedagogical reforms. The authors discuss the reasons why generalized "best practices"--namely "student-centered pedagogies" as currently implemented--do not often successfully transfer to new cultures, countries, and contexts and argue that many pedagogical reforms do not adequately consider the Invisible Pedagogical Mindsets embedded in each local context.
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- 2024
4. Helping Families Navigate the Changing Education Landscape. Policy Analysis. Number 976
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Cato Institute, Colleen Hroncich, and Jamie Buckland
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Unlike vouchers and tax credit scholarships that do not allow parents to customize their children's education, Education savings accounts (ESAs) provide funding to pay for part-time classes at public and private schools, tutoring, curricula, services for special needs, and more. As navigating the opportunities that come with ESAs can be difficult, there is a growing movement to include "choice navigators" as an eligible expense in ESA programs, which can inform parents what educational opportunities are available and help tailor an education program for their children. This paper examines several key elements, including determining the types of navigation services that parents need in the changing education landscape; identifying best practices that states can adopt to simplify ESA navigation; tapping into the experiences of current ESA users and traditional homeschoolers; and deciding whether there are policies that can encourage an adequate supply of navigators without creating counterproductive rules.
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- 2024
5. Global Best Practices in Education: A Conceptual Definition and Criticisms
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Vincent Chidindu Asogwa
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The "Global Best Practices" concept is subjective and varies from many perspectives based on the indicators used. As such, there needs to be a standardized and universally accepted definition of global best practices in education, which hinders the effective identification, adoption, and benchmarking of these practices across countries and educational institutions. This ambiguity challenges teachers, students, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners seeking to understand and apply global educational best practices. Hence, this explorative study investigated the conceptual definition and criticisms surrounding the concept of global best practices in education. A narrative literature review methodology was employed to systematically search, select, and analyze 34 relevant sources. The findings reveal that the conceptual definition of global best practices in education encompasses practical and contextually relevant approaches that transcend national boundaries. These practices have significant implications for curriculum development, teaching methodologies, assessment practices, and overall education quality, fostering inclusive environments, adopting innovative approaches, internationalizing institutions, and integrating diverse perspectives. However, the concept faces criticisms about its potential to legitimize neoliberalism's logic of differential worth, methodological assumptions in producing policy-relevant knowledge, and the need for a critical redefinition of international education. Both the concept and its criticisms have implications for educational policy and practice in addressing inequalities, critically examining assumptions, considering political implications, and promoting individual goals and holistic development. This study's outcomes contribute to the ongoing discourse on global best practices in education and provide insights for policymakers, practitioners, and future research endeavors.
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- 2024
6. Stackable Credential Pathways. Report on Opportunities for Credential Attainment (SB 22-192)
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Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE)
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Senate Bill 22-192, titled Opportunities for Credential Attainment called on the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) to work collaboratively with other state agencies, institutions of higher education (IHEs), employers and other stakeholders to build 10 stackable credential pathways across five high-value, high-demand industries between 2023 and 2025. Stackable credential pathways are defined as "...a sequence of credentials earned through various means, including through assessment of prior learning, that may be accumulated over time and move an individual along a career pathway or up a career ladder." In addition to these 10 pathways, CDHE was to also develop a framework for evaluating the quality of non-degree credentials built into the pathways. The four stackable credential pathways in healthcare and software development were approved by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education in early June 2024. This report shares these pathways as well as recommendations from the industry-specific stakeholder leadership teams that built these pathways. This report also provides best practices in stackable credential pathways development as a guide to others as they work to develop thoughtful pathways from non-degree credentials through next-level education and career opportunities in additional industries and sectors.
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- 2024
7. Ensuring College Access and Success for American Indian/Alaska Native Students. Affirming Equity, Ensuring Inclusion, and Empowering Action
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Campaign for College Opportunity and Cheryl Crazy Bull
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The Campaign for College Opportunity has always been a champion of ensuring equal and equitable treatment of all students in higher education. The Campaign for College Opportunity recognizes the value and necessity of understanding the experience of diverse learners by disaggregating data to explore trends, opportunities, and challenges. More importantly, it seeks to bring attention to the expertise, assets, and strengths of Americans from all backgrounds, while ensuring that solutions are targeted to support these same students. This is the first of four briefs within the Campaign for College Opportunity's national initiative that highlight specific practices to support American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN), Latinx, Black, Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) students more equitably. This brief is tailored and informed by experts, best practices, and an authentic commitment to ensure that all American Indian and Alaska Native students can go to college and succeed without sacrificing or leaving their cultural assets behind. [Additional funding for this series of briefs was provided by Eileen and Harold Brown.]
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- 2024
8. School Heads' and Teachers' Initiatives on Education 4.0: Basis for Blueprint for a Strategic Foresight
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Maribeth R. Viador
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This study determined the significance and relationship of the school heads' and teachers' initiatives on Education 4.0 and the school and classroom climate in all schools comprising EDDIS II during the School Year 2023-2024. With explanatory sequential mixed methods as research design and 52 school heads and 384 teachers as respondents of the study, findings showed that there was no significant difference between the assessment of school heads and teachers on school and classroom climate. School heads' and teachers' initiatives on Education 4.0 have direct correlation with school and classroom climate. The study revealed that most school heads and teachers are middle-aged, predominantly female, married, hold master's and doctorate degrees, and have extensive tenure. School heads strongly asserted their role as initiators of Education 4.0 across various domains, while teachers similarly expressed their initiative in Education 4.0 aspects. Significant differences were found in school climate assessments between school heads and teachers, but not in classroom climate. Furthermore, significant relationships were identified between school heads' initiatives and age, and between teachers' initiatives and educational attainment and gender. Additionally, significant relationships were found between school heads' Education 4.0 initiatives and school climate, as well as between teachers' Education 4.0 initiatives and both school and classroom climate. Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn: There is a significant difference between the assessments of the school heads and teachers with regard to school climate. There is a significant difference between the school heads' and teachers' initiatives on Education 4.0 when they are classified according to their profile. There is a significant relationship between school heads' and teachers' initiatives on Education 4.0 and school and classroom climate.
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- 2024
9. Individual Goals and the Common Good: Teaching Economics in American Studies
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Carmen Birkle and Elisabeth Schulte
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Convinced of the major advantages and effectiveness of an interdisciplinary approach in teaching, colleagues from American Studies, Economics, and Greek Studies offered a joint seminar for master's degree students on "Individual Goals and the Common Good: Perspectives on Utility Concepts from Ancient Greek Literature, American Studies, and Economics." We intended to expose the students to a new approach to significant texts and authors that address these key economic concepts and to integrate the perspectives from the three disciplines. In this essay, we describe the development of our methodological approach, the individual and common goals that guided us, the challenges that we encountered, and the extent to which we achieved our goals.
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- 2024
10. The Statewide Longitudinal Data System Landscape. Policy Guide
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Education Commission of the States (ECS) and Claus von Zastrow
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More states are thinking about their data systems and how to give decision-makers the information they need. As states work to create successful education and career pathways, they need transparent, well-structured and well-governed data systems. To learn more, our team conducted a 50-State Comparison on state longitudinal data systems to collect relevant policies and practices in use and understand where states are in the process of creating effective data systems. Informed by the data from the 50-State Comparison, this Policy Guide pulls together recent reports, tools and surveys from the field and demonstrates an emerging consensus about the key elements of an effective state longitudinal data system that responds to diverse audiences' needs. State policymakers can use this resource to assess their own data system against emerging best practices highlighted in this Policy Guide.
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- 2024
11. Exploring the Best Practices of the Youth for Environment in Schools--Organization (YES-O)
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Arlon P. Cadiz and Leah Amor S. Cortez
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Increasing community awareness and knowledge about environmental problems is the primary goal of environmental education. This study explores the best practices of the Youth for Environment in Schools--Organization (YES-O) in selected schools in the National Capital Region, Philippines. A qualitative study involving interviews and focus group discussions directed the collection and analysis of data. The study discovered that the implementation of the YES-O program was successful due to the following best practices: (a) personal advocacy, (b) resource availability, (c) flexibility, (d) integrated school efforts, (e) participatory approach, and (f) monitoring and evaluation strategies, which were all supported by the emerging themes. Meanwhile, capacity building and strong networks emerged as important themes supporting the YES-O program implementation in secondary schools. The schools can continue their practices to sustain the implementation of the program. However, schools should take into account certain indicators that require improvement to enhance their performance. These may include strengthening their networking, linkages, and partnership strategies to better engage and synergize environmental education given the mandated programs, projects, and activities of the YES-O program implementation.
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- 2024
12. Indiana Model Credit for Prior Learning Policy Guidance
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Indiana Commission for Higher Education
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The colleges, universities, and postsecondary career-preparation institutions of Indiana, and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) value the diversity of our students, their identities, their backgrounds, and their learning experiences. They are committed to helping them succeed and recognize that their success supports educational attainment goals and the economic and workforce goals of Indiana. Credit for prior learning (CPL) is awarded for college-level learning gained through knowledge, skills, and competencies obtained outside formal classroom environments. It is affirmed of the value of these learning experiences, which are often applied, practical, and workforce-relevant, and equivalent to the learning outcomes provided directly in institutions. Using rigorous assessment methods, the use of CPL in support of diverse institutional missions, to accelerate credential completion for students, and to signal to students that they belong in college Research indicates that CPL boosts student retention and credential completion rates, with positive outcomes regardless of race, ethnicity, and income level. This guidance presents: (1) CPL Value Statement; (2) Program and Service Design; (3) Transcription, Transferability, and Data; (4) Standards for Assessing CPL and Quality Assurance (Curriculum); (5) Community, Workforce, and Employer Partnerships; and (6) Glossary of Terms.
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- 2024
13. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Higher Education: A Comprehensive Review of Challenges, Opportunities, and Implications
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Michal Bobula
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This paper explores recent advancements and implications of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, with a specific focus on Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT 3.5, within the realm of higher education. Through a comprehensive review of the academic literature, this paper highlights the unprecedented growth of these models and their widereaching impact across various sectors. The discussion sheds light on the complex issues and potential benefits presented by LLMs, providing a comprehensive overview of the field's current state. In the context of higher education, the paper explores the challenges and opportunities posed by LLMs. These include issues related to educational assessment, potential threats to academic integrity, privacy concerns, the propagation of misinformation, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) aspects, copyright concerns and inherent biases within the models. While these challenges are multifaceted and significant, the paper emphasises the availability of strategies to address them effectively and facilitate the successful adoption of LLMs in educational settings. Furthermore, the paper recognises the potential opportunities to transform higher education. It emphasises the need to update assessment policies, develop guidelines for staff and students, scaffold AI skills development, and find ways to leverage technology in the classroom. By proactively pursuing these steps, higher education institutions (HEIs) can harness the full potential of LLMs while managing their adoption responsibly. In conclusion, the paper urges HEIs to allocate appropriate resources to handle the adoption of LLMs effectively. This includes ensuring staff AI readiness and taking steps to modify their study programmes to align with the evolving educational landscape influenced by emerging technologies.
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- 2024
14. Supporting College Completion for Students Experiencing Homelessness. Best Practices in Homeless Education Brief Series
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National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE)
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Youth and young adults experiencing homelessness face many challenges while pursuing postsecondary credentials. Low education attainment is occurring in higher education institutions across the county, with more than a quarter of first-year college students not returning for their second year in community college. This National Center for Homeless Education brief: (1) provides information for State Coordinators, local liaisons, school counselors, and school social workers on supporting students experiencing homelessness transitioning from secondary to postsecondary education; (2) spotlights promising practices for supporting college completion for students experiencing homelessness; and (3) offers partnership strategies for supporting students experiencing homelessness with college completion.
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- 2024
15. Designing for Diversity and Inclusion: UDL-Based Strategies for College Courses (Practice Brief)
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Anya S. Evmenova, Aleksandra Hollingshead, K. Alisa Lowrey, Kavita Rao, and Leadon Denise Williams
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As institutes of higher education (HE) strive to meaningfully address diversity, equity, and inclusion in practice, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides a relevant and timely framework for course design to support all learners. Using UDL as an instructional design framework, educators can proactively address learner variability and reduce barriers for students in HE environments. This self-study describes how UDL experts applied a process of UDL design to their courses. The best practices were identified across three phases: (a) a literature review to identify UDL-aligned practices used by HE instructors, (b) individual and collective reflection on UDL-based practices by the UDL experts, and (c) application of UDL to three HE courses delivered in different formats. The practice brief presents a comprehensive overview of various strategies that HE instructors can use in their courses, in alignment with the three UDL principles.
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- 2024
16. A Scoping Review on STEM Education: The Best Practices Recorded through Previous Studies in Early Childhood Education Setting
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Azam Ghazali, Zakiah Mohamad Ashari, and Joanne Hardman
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STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is a 21st century learning approach that is extremely important to students and children nowadays. Many developed countries have emphasized this approach to early childhood education (ECE). Although there are some challenges in promoting children's cognitive development in preschool, there are some best practices that early childhood educators can use as a guideline in planning, implementing, and evaluating their development at school. Four databases were used to find the best practices consist of Scopus, ERIC, Web of Science, and Science Direct. These databases are consulted to analyze published articles that produce findings on the best practices and challenges of implementing STEM activities that have been recorded either in kindergarten or preschool environments. The findings revealed there were 23 themes for the best practices and 10 themes for challenges that were successfully analyzed. In order to ensure that STEM education can be implemented with better quality in the future, educators should know the best way to implement the activities by practicing the best practices. In addition, educators also need to take action wisely when there are challenges in implementing STEM activities so that children can acquire meaningful experience when participating in the activities.
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- 2024
17. Designing UDL with Equity
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Sara Westerlin and Helane Folske-Starlin
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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for designing lessons that is grounded in data and recognized as best practice under IDEA and ESSA. The use of the method allows for greater intervention with students socially, emotionally, and academically. UDL allows intentional and purposeful work with populations that are normally marginalized and at risk. UDL lesson planning creates an environment that addresses the least restrictive environment, is culturally responsive, and allows an environment that is trauma informed for all students.
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- 2024
18. Charting Colorado's Longitudinal Data Future. Report to the Education Committees of the Colorado House of Representatives and the Colorado Senate. Statute: 23-1-141
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Colorado Department of Higher Education
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In the 2023 report "Colorado's Longitudinal Data Landscape. Report to the Education Committees of the Colorado House of Representatives and the Colorado Senate. Statute: 23-1-141," the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) provided a detailed overview of Colorado's long history of efforts to support more connected, longitudinal data along with examples from other states and their efforts around longitudinal data. The report also provided national best practices related to state longitudinal data systems. This year's report provides updates on CDHE's work over the past year, elevates specific use cases that can benefit from a more robust longitudinal data infrastructure and provides concrete actions Colorado policymakers can take to strengthen work around longitudinal data.
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- 2024
19. Academic Benchmarking and the Provision of Quality Secondary Education in Tanzania
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Haruni Machumu and Apolonia Agaptus
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The academic benchmarking process is broadly employed by private secondary education providers and educational stakeholders in Tanzania to examine the benefits and drawbacks of service delivery. The study explored the use of academic benchmarking in providing quality education in Tanzanian secondary schools. Employing a cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 188 participants and subsequently analysed both descriptively and thematically. The study found that the academic benchmarking process plays a significant role in ensuring the provision of quality education through internal assessment, comparisons, and the adoption of best practices from benchmarked schools. Further, the findings reveal that six types of academic benchmarking are utilized in Tanzanian secondary schools. According to the study, proper academic benchmarking in secondary schools will improve educational results among secondary school graduates. Furthermore, academic benchmarking in secondary schools affects school rankings, which reflect a school's potential to do well at the end of national examinations. The study concludes that academic benchmarking enhances the provision of quality education by influencing future performance and commitments to work on secondary schools' goals, vision, and mission. Moreover, the study provides both theoretical and practical insight to the understanding of the necessity of academic benchmarking in secondary schools.
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- 2024
20. Innovative Approaches to Teacher Preparation Improving Use of Evidence-Based Practices in EI/ECSE
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Katherine Szocik, Clarissa B. Wade, Heather L. Walter, Christan G. Coogle, Sondra M. Stegenga, and Sarah A. Nagro
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Making connections between macro and micro-level practices help teacher candidates to better understand the interdisciplinary nature of the system in which they work. Therefore, we present a collaborative approach to support an increase in early intervention and early childhood special education teacher candidate knowledge and application of best practices. We use a case study to illustrate example approaches and resources (e.g., coaching and reflective practice) that address both macro and micro-level considerations for leaders as they support cross-disciplinary collaboration and teaching practices. Implications for leaders are included to support their preparation of early intervention and early childhood special education teacher candidates.
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- 2024
21. A Constructivist Model for Leveraging GenAI Tools for Individualized, Peer-Simulated Feedback on Student Writing
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Abby Mcguire, Warda Qureshi, and Mariam Saad
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Building on previous research that has demonstrated close connections between constructivism, technology, and artificial intelligence, this article investigates the constructivist underpinnings of strategically integrating GenAI experiences in higher educational contexts to catalyze student learning. This study presents a new model for leveraging GenAI tools, for individualized, formative, peer-simulated feedback in graduate-level courses in higher education. This exploratory study presents graduate student reflections about the process and product created using ChatGPT for formative feedback with an instructor-generated prompt for an organizational behavior course. An analysis of student reflections and examples of ChatGPT-generated peer-simulated feedback, as well as an examination of ethical considerations, offer insights into the learning potential of utilizing GenAI tools for peer-simulated feedback in graduate-level courses.
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- 2024
22. Delivering Effective Student Feedback in Higher Education: An Evaluation of the Challenges and Best Practice
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Andrew Williams
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Effective student feedback can have a significant influence on student motivation, learning and performance. However, feedback practices can be difficult to implement, thereby inhibiting the potential of feedback for student learning. Despite numerous attempts to improve the quality of feedback and student feedback literacy, difficulties persist, including disparate perceptions and expectations between teachers and students, while consistency, effectiveness and timeliness are often cited as areas requiring improvement. This review evaluates the key challenges faced by tutors in delivering student feedback and examines several approaches to delivering more effective student feedback. These include the principle of feedforward, a modified praise, question and revise (PQR) system referred to as the WWW system, directive versus facilitative feedback, dialogue as feedback, peer review, formative versus summative, constructive alignment and the use of digital and AI technologies. These approaches are evaluated in the context of effective feedback processes that influence student motivation, engagement, self-reflective learning and performance. These feedback approaches are further discussed in relation to the challenges faced by teachers and students in contemporary higher education, highlighting areas where further research may be needed.
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- 2024
23. The Impact of Mentoring and Scholarships on Teacher Candidates
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Linda Gray Smith, Victoria N. Seeger, Michael McBride, and Timothy J. Wall
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The study examines data from surveys and interviews with teacher candidates and local education mentors at a Midwestern university who were involved in a Grow Your Own program; this article focuses on results for the teacher candidates. Using data based on demographics, financial need, and academic performance, the researchers identified eight educator preparation candidates from under-represented backgrounds. Each teacher candidate was invited to receive an academic scholarship of $1,500 per semester for two terms, fall 2022 and spring 2023, with the understanding each scholarship recipient would be paired with a university mentor and an in-district mentor from one of two rural school districts with close proximity to the Midwest university. Teacher candidates were required to attend introductory meetings, professional learning, and culminating sessions in order to receive and retain the scholarship funds. Researchers sought to understand perceptions on mentoring, financial support, and professional development from the teacher candidates while investigating the impact of mentoring on retention. The qualitative case study included a pre- and post-survey for scholarship recipients. The scholarship recipients also participated in a focus group interview. Findings included the importance of the scholarship funds to the teacher candidates that went beyond financial implications, and being selected to participate made them "feel special." The relationships formed with the university faculty and the local education mentors became a "network" allowing the teacher candidates to feel confident and valued; they became the educators they will continue to rely on throughout their careers. The professional development provided opportunities for participants to see, in real-time, the concepts that were discussed in abstract during their education courses.
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- 2024
24. Education Faculty Perspectives on a Borrowed Teacher Education Initiative in Northern Pakistan: A Call for Engaging the Discourses of Policy Borrowing and Decolonization
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Sarfaroz Niyozov and Abdul Wali Khan
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This qualitative case study examines the Education Faculty Perspectives (EFPs) of the Karakoram Public International University in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, on teachers' experiences of a recently introduced education reform (an Honor's Bachelor of Education program [B. Ed Hons] mandated by Pakistan's Higher Education Commission (HEC) in 2010. The B. Ed Hons has replaced the existing pre-service programs nationwide. Our analysis identified several paradoxical themes about borrowing of the B. Ed Hons: at the "talk"/rhetoric level, the program was welcomed as a transformative shift in teacher education; at the "walk"/implementation level, its practicality and sustainability became complicated; at the decolonisation level, the discourses on the colonial nature of knowledge and North-South dependency were muted. Implications for moving from borrowing external "best practices" to producing local solutions are highlighted. The analysis suggests the contextual realities and challenges should be addressed, individual and structural capacities developed, and an incremental, critical-constructive approach to both external and local ideas be pursued, and decolonization discourse included.
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- 2024
25. A Proposal for Policy Framework and Emergency Action Plan after COVID-19 for Distance Education Practices in Higher Education
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Mehmet Yavuz, Münevver Gündüz, Sinem Çilligöl Karabey, Yusuf Zafer Can Ugurhan, Selçuk Karaman, Engin Kursun, Halil I?Brahim Bülbül, Hasan Karal, Levent Sahin, Muhammet Recep Okur, Sinan Aydin, and Vehbi Aytekin Sanalan
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This study aimed to investigate distance education practices in higher education during the pandemic, focusing on lived experiences, and proposing a policy decision framework for future distance education in similar conditions. Additionally, the study aimed to establish a design framework for an Emergency Action Plan for similar crisis periods. In the study, a case study was used to provide a detailed examination of the current situation's characteristics. The study group consisted of 63 administrators from 34 universities who actively participated in decision-making during the pandemic. Data were collected through 11 online focus group interviews, and the Miles-Huberman Model was used for analysis. The study proposed a policy decision framework for distance education in the post-pandemic period, consisting of 11 headings such as blended learning, open course materials, and Distance Education Center structuring. Additionally, the study presented an emergency action plan framework consisting of six components, including keeping the technological infrastructure working and supporting face-to-face courses with distance education. This study provides valuable insights for universities in preparing for potential crises and improving their distance education practices.
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- 2024
26. Impacts of Stakeholder Engagement on Curriculum Implementation in Ethiopian Defense University
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Tesema Mamo Haile and Enguday Ademe Mekonnen
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This study explored the impact of stakeholder engagement on curriculum implementation at Ethiopian Defense University (EDU). It focuses on examining the effects of partnerships, stakeholder motivation, and decisionmaking on curriculum implementation. As a result, a descriptive survey research design with a mixed research approach was employed. A total of 166 respondents (109 students, 51 instructors, and six college commandants) were the participants of the study. Commandants were selected by purposive sampling, and instructors and students were selected randomly. Questionnaires and interviews were tools or sources of data. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (one-way ANOVA and independent samples t-test), whereas the qualitative data were analyzed through verbal description. Findings revealed that instructors value stakeholders' support and commitment, while students appreciate the positive impact on their learning experience. The finding revealed that there is a strong positive correlation between stakeholder engagement and curriculum implementation effectiveness, emphasizing the importance of continuous interaction, feedback collection, and stakeholder knowledge for curriculum alignment. It also emphasizes the need for stakeholder engagement in decision-making processes and partnerships to improve curriculum implementation outcomes. The findings of the study may inspire further research and dialogue on stakeholder engagement in curriculum implementation, encouraging international audiences to explore innovative approaches and best practices that promote meaningful educational experiences for students in the field of pedagogy. The researcher suggested that EDU should prioritize stakeholder motivation, partnerships, and decision-making for effective curriculum implementation. This promotes ownership, engagement, and shared responsibility. Additionally, EDU should prioritize stakeholder engagement, support, understanding, commitment, and feedback to ensure the quality and effectiveness of curriculum implementation.
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- 2024
27. Empowering Change Together: Student Perspectives on Quality Online, Digital, and Blended Learning
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Online Learning Consortium (OLC), Nicole L. Weber, and Kristen Gay
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As the higher education landscape undergoes rapid transformation, educators continue to seek best practices for creating quality digital, blended, and online learning experiences. However, disparate definitions of quality and differing instructor and student preferences complicate this work. This report addresses the pressing need to bridge the gap between student and faculty expectations, highlighting the critical role of student voices in defining quality education. In seeking to better understand what quality digital learning looks like from a student perspective and how students think quality digital learning can best center diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles, data was analyzed from four student panels at recent Online Learning Consortium conferences and a framework was developed based on insights students shared. During these panels, students called for digital learning educators, practitioners, and leaders to: (1) get beyond face-to-face replication; (2) take collaborative action on DEI; (3) keep humans and connection at the center of learning; (4) incorporate intentional and deep design; (5) structure learning experiences for success; (6) support professional development opportunities for their instructors; and (7) nurture a culture of belonging. Readers of the report will access actionable strategies tailored for leaders, instructors, and support staff which can be used to leverage digital, blended, and online learning as a part of their institution's strategy.
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- 2024
28. Unlocking Learning Acceleration for Multilingual Learners: How TNTP's Six Levers of Learning Acceleration Can Drive Positive, Lasting Outcomes for Multilingual Learners Nationwide
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TNTP
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Multilingual learners (MLs) are the country's fastest-growing student population: One in five students speak a language other than English at home, and 10 percent of the student population across the country is identified for language development services in school. Despite these students' growing presence nationwide, relatively few best practices and model policies are being scaled to serve them. In fact, MLs often experience a chronic lack of access to four resources essential to meeting college and career readiness standards: high-quality instructional materials aligned with grade-level standards; teachers and systems equipped to deliver strong instruction; educators who hold high expectations; and culturally and linguistically sustaining instruction that supports deep engagement. These systemic inequities result in lower educational outcomes, including, most concerningly, disparities in high school graduation rates, which can derail access to economic and social mobility. This report uses the framework of learning acceleration, a strategy to support students by providing grade-level work and just-in-time supports, to provide school system leaders with templates for supporting MLs in targeted ways.
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- 2024
29. Exploring the Imperative for Implementing Sports Development Officer Roles
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Crisanto V. Cipriano
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This integrative literature review explores the imperative for implementing Sports Development Officer (SDO) roles within higher education institutions (HEIs). The review synthesizes existing literature to highlight the importance of sports development in promoting holistic student development, enhancing campus culture, and fostering essential life skills. It underscores the need for dedicated SDO positions to address the evolving demands of sports management, provide strategic leadership, and optimize resource allocation. Best practices and innovations in sports management, including leveraging technology and promoting diversity in sports participation, are identified, offering valuable insights for HEIs. The review also discusses policy implications, advocating for institutional commitment to sports development and the professionalization of sports management through curriculum integration. By prioritizing sports development and embracing evidence-based practices, HEIs can enrich the student experience, promote well-being, and cultivate vibrant campus communities. This review provides actionable recommendations for policymakers, university administrators, and sports management professionals to harness the transformative power of sports within HEIs.
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- 2024
30. Using Infographics to Go Public with SoTL
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Bryn Keogh, Lorelli Nowell, Eleftheria Laios, Lisa Mckendrick-Calder, Whitney Lucas Molitor, and Kerry Wilbur
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There has been a call to amplify the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and expand its reach by engaging with audiences outside the academy. In this paper, we share our journey in crossing disciplinary boundaries and creating a SoTL-informed infographic for public consumption. As the field of SoTL continues to evolve, infographics hold tremendous potential to communicate SoTL to various stakeholders, including educators, students, administrators, policymakers, and the public. We outline best practices in infographic development and the potential of infographics as a tool for taking SoTL public, emphasizing their visual appeal and effectiveness in conveying complex information. We conclude by discussing the implications of using infographics to advance SoTL communication. The efforts of our group serve as a valuable example of how infographics can be used to bring SoTL knowledge out of academia and into the public domain.
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- 2024
31. A Course Recommender System Built on Success to Support Students at Risk in Higher Education
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Kerstin Wagner, Agathe Merceron, Petra Sauer, and Niels Pinkwart
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In this paper, we present an extended evaluation of a course recommender system designed to support students who struggle in the first semesters of their studies and are at risk of dropping out. The system, which was developed in earlier work using a student-centered design, is based on the explainable k-nearest neighbor algorithm and recommends a set of courses that have been passed by the majority of successful neighbors, that is, students who graduated from the study program. In terms of the number of recommended courses, we found a discrepancy between the number of courses that struggling students are recommended to take and the actual number of courses they take. This indicates that there may be an alternative path that these students could consider. However, the recommended courses align well with the courses taken by students who successfully graduated. This suggests that even students who are performing well could still benefit from the course recommender system designed for at-risk students. In the present work, we investigate a second type of success--a specific minimum number of courses passed--and compare the results with our first approach from previous work. With the second type, the information about success might be already available after one semester instead of after graduation which allows faster growth of the database and faster response to curricular changes. The evaluation of three different study programs in terms of dropout risk reduction and recommendation quality suggests that course recommendations based on students passing at least three courses in the following semester can be an alternative to guide students on a successful path.
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- 2024
32. The Investigation of Best Practices on Symbolic Mathematical Communication: A Comparative Study in Japan, Lao PDR, and Thailand
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Sampan Thinwiangthong, Duangmanee Ya-amphan, Phailath Sythong, and Hiroki Ishizaka
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Purpose: This comparative study sought to identify best practices concerning symbolic mathematical communication between primary school teachers and students in Japanese, Laotian, and Thai classrooms. Method: The target groups were 18 teachers and 671 students in Grade 1 to Grade 6 mathematics classrooms in Japan, Lao PDR, and Thailand. A total of 18 classrooms were inspected, one from each grade; thus, the unit of analysis was a classroom. Research instruments included a video recorder, a camera, and field notes. The data was gathered by videotaping, photographing, and taking notes. A descriptive analytics method was used to examine the data, following Pirie's mathematical communication framework (Pirie, 1998). Findings: Based on cultural norms and educational approaches in each country, the country-specific practices of symbolic communication were found to differ significantly among the mathematics teachers from the three countries. Owing to the education system in Japan placing a strong emphasis on discipline and respect, their teachers were found to focus on students' symbolic explanations, particularly allowing students to elaborate on the meaning of complex mathematical ideas and concepts using symbolic communication. Laotian teachers tended to explain the answers using symbolic mathematical communication. This is because the country-specific practices in the Laotian local context concerning mathematical concepts are contextualized to relate to students' daily lives and experiences, making abstract symbols more meaningful. Finally, Thai teachers were found to focus on the students' answers rather than the learning process or operations. This suggests that Thai teachers often focus on memorising and repeating of mathematical procedures and formulas. Significance: The study findings offer a substantial understanding of the role of culture in education by investigating symbolic communication in mathematics classrooms in Japan, Laos, and Thailand. This implies the potential to improve teaching practices, enhance student learning experiences, and promote cultural sensitivity and inclusion in educational settings.
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- 2024
33. Bichronous Online Learning: Perspectives, Best Practices, Benefits, and Challenges from Award-Winning Online Instructors
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Florence Martin, Swapna Kumar, Albert Ritzhaupt, and Drew Polly
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Bichronous online learning is the intentional blending of asynchronous and synchronous online learning experiences. Twelve award-winning online instructors participated in interviews to discuss best practices they use, and benefits and challenges in bichronous online courses. When sharing best practices for bichronous online courses, online instructors explained how they combined best practices in asynchronous and synchronous online learning. Asynchronous online best practices included course design and structure, resources, and instructor presence; and synchronous online best practices focused on formats, activities, and content of synchronous sessions, and community-building. The best practices, benefits and challenges discussed in this paper have implications for instructors who currently teach in a bichronous online format or may be considering it in the future, and for instructional designers and administrators who work with faculty on offering courses in this modality. Based on the data, the intentional blending of synchronous and asynchronous components has a lot of potential to enhance students' online learning experiences.
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- 2024
34. The Influence of Emergency Remote Teaching on K-12 World Language Instruction
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Scott Kissau, Kristin Davin, Benjamin Ade-Thurow, Helga Haudeck, and Laura Price
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The abrupt shift to online instruction that occurred in spring 2020, often referred to as emergency remote teaching (ERT), caught many world language educators off guard. To prepare for future disruptions to face-to-face learning and illustrate promising online teaching practices that emerged during this extended period of time that could serve to expand and enhance world language instruction, it is important to understand how ERT influenced K-12 world language programs around the world. To help the world language teaching community better understand how ERT influenced world language instruction, a team of researchers collected interview data from world language teachers and students in the United States and Germany. Results confirmed that instruction was negatively impacted by the sudden shift to online formats, explained how and why instruction was influenced, and identified promising practices exhibited by teachers to mitigate the negative impact of ERT. World language teachers, stakeholders, and school leaders may wish to consider the results of this study to lessen the impact of future disruptions to on campus learning and to enhance the growing presence of online learning in schools.
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- 2024
35. Online Learning Ergonomics
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Shahjad and Khurram Mustafa
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Online learning and examinations have become inevitable post-pandemic and a new normal has been seen globally. Virtual learning (VL) is a relatively new model that has grown pervasively in our academic life. The paradigm shift (face-to-face to virtual learning) is inevitable as VLEs like Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, and Skype are realized, but without apprehensions about lacking appropriate experimental and experiential support. Most importantly, the "ergonomics" element influences the health of the stakeholders, particularly kids. Previous research shows the need to address online ergonomic concerns. With the realization of a set of relevant, prescriptive, evidence-based, and adaptive recommendations, a review and research survey were performed. Thus, to address the issue at hand, we developed a sizable set of ergonomic guidelines and proposed a series of recommendations as derived from the study. The set of pertinent ergonomic guidelines covers and caters to each of the identified actors (contents, surrounding environment, the learners) regarding cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains of learning. We highly anticipate that contextual adaptation of these guidelines by online learners will be useful from several perspectives and valuable implications.
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- 2024
36. Lost in Statistics
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Malika Jmila
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The present paper investigates one aspect of questionable research practices relating to Arabic L1 learners of foreign languages, namely the use of statistics. The objective of the paper is to argue that reproducible research requires adopting wise practices in linguistics and that the excessive focus on quantification does not seem to serve this purpose. Statistical significance tests in quantitative research are routinely used in linguistic inquiry as well as language teaching and learning studies with a view to supporting the relevant explanatory insights in linguistics. In this article, I will expose the misuse of statistics by doctoral students in English departments of Morocco working on Arabic L1 learners' data, by highlighting some practices that are at odds with international good practices in academic research in linguistics. I will take stock of the current questionable practices in this regard to dispel some of the misunderstanding about the use of statistics which is now gaining grounds lest this becomes an orthodoxy. I will argue that research on Arabic L1 learners' data should be focused more on exploration and discovery, as well as the validation of epistemological insights than on mere descriptive quantification geared to hypothesis verification. These areas of focus constitute the crux of academic research in linguistics, but they seem to be lost in statistics in doctoral students' theses. Recommendations and solutions are provided for enhancing transparency and improving reproducibility of doctoral research outcomes to advance theory building and the delivery of new research lines in linguistics as well as to avoid the risk of research waste, in line with the requirements of open science.
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- 2024
37. Redesigning CS 100 in the Context of a Changing University Curriculum
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Mark Frydenberg and William VanderClock
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This paper reflects on the process of designing and implementing an update to the "Introduction to Information Technology" course at Bentley University, a business university in New England. Driven by a university-wide curriculum reform initiative and following best practices from digital literacy frameworks and IS model curricula, the new CS 100 course, entitled "Solving Business Problems with Information Technology," shifted emphasis from a personal computing context to exploring small business applications of technology. Students networked with university alumni at "Topics in Tech" presentations, where they learned about career options as information technology professionals. The authors describe the pilot courses that led to proposing a new CS 100 course and reflect its challenges and successes. Challenges included meeting the university's goal of transfer friendliness, scaling from a few pilots to multiple sections, consistency of course delivery, and evaluating assessment. Successes include placing course topics in a business context, introducing current technologies, and providing opportunities for students to learn about career opportunities and experiences from university alumni. The paper also describes how CS 100 aligns with the university's student learning goals for the new curriculum. These include developing future-focused skills, encouraging curiosity and critical analysis, communicating and collaborating in different settings, and demonstrating understanding of issues related to ethical use of technology.
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- 2024
38. Integrating NIST and ISO Cybersecurity Audit and Risk Assessment Frameworks into Cameroonian Law
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Bernard Ngalim
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This paper reviews cybersecurity laws and regulations in Cameroon, focusing on cybersecurity and information security audits and risk assessments. The importance of cybersecurity risk assessment and the implementation of security controls to cure deficiencies noted during risk assessments or audits is a critical step in developing cybersecurity resilience. Cameroon's cybersecurity legal framework provides for audits but does not explicitly enumerate controls. Consequently, integrating relevant controls from the NIST frameworks and ISO Standards can improve the cybersecurity posture in Cameroon while waiting for a comprehensive revision of the legal framework. NIST and ISO are internationally recognized as best practices in information security systems and cybersecurity risk management. This paper highlights the lack of specific international law provisions addressing cybersecurity audits and risk assessments. Overall, the paper highlights the importance of continuous risk assessment and monitoring, implementation of security controls, and compliance with organizational policies, relevant laws and regulations to ensure the adequate protection of information systems. Finally, the paper underscores the importance of improving Cameroon's cybersecurity regulations by integrating provisions from NIST and ISO.
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- 2024
39. Centering the Experiences and Perspectives of Educational Partners: Five Considerations for Schools and Districts
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WestEd, Timothy Ojetunde, and Arturo Chavez
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This brief emphasizes the importance of including the voices and experiences of students, families, staff, and community partners in educational decision-making processes. It provides five key considerations for schools to effectively engage with their educational partners, such as making authentic connections through listening sessions and conducting empathy interviews to seek new perspectives. The document also highlights the significance of identifying areas to celebrate achievements, highlighting best practices, and fostering thoughtful solutions by collaborating with all educational partners involved in education. [This resource was developed by the California Center for School Climate (CCSC).]
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- 2024
40. International Trauma-Informed Practice Principles for Schools (ITIPPS): Expert Consensus of Best-Practice Principles
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Karen Martin, Madeleine Dobson, Kate Fitzgerald, Madeleine Ford, Stephan Lund, Helen Egeberg, Rebecca Walker, Helen Milroy, Keane Wheeler, Amanda Kasten-Lee, Lisa Bayly, Angela Gazey, Sarah Falconer, Monique Platell, and Emily Berger
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Recognition that schools should be responsive to children who are impacted by adversity and trauma is burgeoning internationally. However, consensus regarding the necessary components of a trauma-informed school is lacking. This research developed expert-informed and internationally relevant best-practice trauma-informed principles for schools. A four-phase methodology included (i) identification of school-relevant trauma-informed practice programs, (ii) inductive thematic analysis of the main concepts underlying programs, (iii) phrasing of draft Principles and (iv) Principle revision and finalisation via a two-round Delphi survey with international experts. Excellent agreement by experts on the importance of all Principles was achieved (round 1 [greater than or equal to] 86.4%, 2 [greater than or equal to] 92.3%). The final 'International Trauma-Informed Practice Principles for Schools' (ITIPPS) include four Overarching (A-D) and 10 Practice Principles (1-10). Summarised, these include that the school: (A) is student focussed; (B) models compassion and generosity; (C) is understanding and responsive; (D) incorporates recognition of their First Nations peoples in the school's ethos: (1) prioritises safety and wellbeing; (2) models positive relationships; (3) provides a positive culture and connects; (4) consults and collaborates; (5) supports vulnerable students; (6) teaches social and emotional learning; (7) provides trauma-informed practice training; (8) is predictable yet flexible; (9) identifies and nurtures strengths and (10) reflects, changes and grows. The ITIPPS provide clear guidance for education sectors, schools and other settings about appropriate learning environments for children and young people impacted by trauma. Research is now underway in Western Australian schools to pilot test the feasibility and impact of using the ITIPPS within a framework (thoughtfulschools.org.au) to establish trauma-informed schools.
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- 2024
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41. Expanding Methodological Approaches in DDL Research
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Alex Boulton and Nina Vyatkina
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This paper analyses the methodologies in 148 empirical data-driven learning studies for L2 English in prestige journals to examine best practice. Manual coding and corpus analysis of key words and n-grams from the past 5 years (2018-2022) explore the field as a whole and how methodologies have evolved, suggesting improvements and future avenues for research.
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- 2024
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42. Improving the Value of School Professionals as Partners in Efforts to Enhance Recognition of and Responses to Youth Sex Trafficking
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Matthew Baker, Kaitlin M. H. Winks, Corey J. Rood, Jodi A. Quas, and Shanna Williams
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Sex trafficking of minors is a significant problem across North America, with sizeable numbers of youth being directly or indirectly manipulated into being exploited or trafficked. Identification of these youth remains difficult, in part because of a lack of knowledge about common characteristics and in part because of victims' reluctance engaging with and trusting law enforcement enough to disclose their experiences. Given that many youth are trafficked during school-aged years, school settings may represent an ideal location to target prevention and identification efforts, especially by health-related school professionals, whose training, professional duties, and often positive relationships with youth may make the professionals trustworthy disclosure recipients. Whether such professionals are effective, though, depends on their knowledge of who is at risk for trafficking, characteristics that distinguish trafficking from other forms of harm, and effective questioning approaches to elicit disclosures from victimized youth. To document whether this knowledge exists, we surveyed 361 school-based professionals concerning their ability to identify trafficking and knowledge of trafficking, adolescent development, and interviewing youth. Although nearly all (97%) school professionals recognized general student risk in the vignettes, only 18% identified that risk as trafficking. Professionals who had prior experience with trafficked youth were more likely to recognize trafficking than those without such experience. Finally, professionals evidenced some general knowledge about the existence of trafficking, adolescent development, and interviewing, but demonstrated more limited knowledge in the most common characteristics of trafficked minors and nuanced aspects of best-practice questioning approaches. Results highlight important directions for training of school-based professionals to improve prevention and identification of a highly vulnerable and often overlooked population of victims, namely trafficked minors.
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- 2024
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43. Mapping Stakeholders to Maximise the Impact of Research on Health Inequalities for People with Learning Disabilities: The Development of a Framework for the Making Positive Moves Study
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Francesca Beeken, Dafni Katsampa, Moureen Duxbury, Helen-Ellis Caird, Annabel Head, Sam Prowse, David Wellst, Pashtana Zormati, Silvana E. Mengoni, and Louisa Rhodes
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Background: People with learning disabilities experience health and social inequalities, and research that could improve health services may not be implemented in real-life settings. Building stakeholder networks that can share and implement research findings may address this. This paper presents a framework for building a stakeholder network that maximises the likelihood of research recommendations being implemented in practice. This was developed as part of the 'Making Positive Moves' (MPM) study, which explores the experiences of people with learning disabilities following discharge from a residential stay within a hospital inpatient setting. Methods: We reviewed the literature on existing theoretical frameworks to support the development of a model for dissemination of the MPM findings. Stakeholder categories were identified through consultation with the MPM researchers, experts by experience and the steering group and a hub and spoke model to represent all stakeholder categories was created. These categories include person moving; family of the person moving; specialist schools; social care; care providers; regulators; third sector organisations; policy organisations; academic community; and NHS professionals. After establishing the categories, we consulted with people with learning disabilities and other stakeholders and conducted online searches to create a stakeholder database. Through information gathering and direct contact with stakeholders, we assessed levels of interest, power and engagement to determine which stakeholders to prioritise in our dissemination activities. The Stakeholder Wheel was created to present the data captured within the database and engagement profiles in an illustrative way. Findings: We use two stakeholder sub-categories, user-led organisations and care providers, to demonstrate the methodological approach. The examples illustrate how a scoring system helped us to identify high-priority stakeholders who we then contacted to collaborate within developing our dissemination strategy to maximise the impact of the MPM research findings. Conclusions: We developed a framework to map stakeholders for the MPM study and enable targeted dissemination to increase the impact of the research. This approach has the potential to reduce health inequalities among people with learning disabilities by increasing the awareness of and ability to implement evidence-based recommendations in real-life settings. The stakeholder mapping framework could be applied to research projects associated with learning disabilities to bridge the gap between research and practice and reduce health inequalities.
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- 2024
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44. Seeking Best Practice: A Systematic Review of Literature on Chinese Music Teaching and Learning in Western Classroom Contexts
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Ke Wang and Michael Webb
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A standalone literature review was conducted to ascertain the extent and status of research on the practical inclusion of Chinese music in Western educational contexts. The study identified a body of journal articles and postgraduate theses on the topic. The papers were analysed to discern what might constitute best practice classroom approaches to teaching and learning Chinese music. Based on the review's criteria for inclusion -- papers were in English, praxis-oriented, peer-reviewed and published over the past three decades -- the study found that the number of publications was limited (19) and that in terms of established pedagogical approaches they engaged, some gaps existed, certain pedagogies were minimally represented and some were perhaps too recent to have been trialled. Even so, the study concluded that while best practice is an elusive notion, Chinese music forms and styles appear to be compatible with a range of educational settings and Western-oriented music teaching and learning approaches.
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- 2024
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45. Evaluating a New Supported Employment Internship Programme for Autistic Young Adults without Intellectual Disability
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Maria Ashworth, Brett Heasman, Laura Crane, and Anna Remington
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Supported employment initiatives have been shown to increase employment rates for autistic people who want to enter the workforce. Despite the success of supported employment initiatives in increasing employment rates, little is known about the first-hand experiences and views of those involved. In the current study, we examined the experiences and views of autistic young adults without intellectual disability ('interns'), employers and parents regarding a previously unevaluated paid internship scheme that offers tailored support for interns and employers before, during and after the internship, the "Employ Autism network." In total, 51 participants (19 interns, 22 employers, 10 parents), across eight internships, engaged in semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify three themes, shared across participant groups: (1) the internship was 'an invaluable experience', (2) the internship helped break down autism-specific barriers to employment and (3) stakeholder groups had some unmet expectations. Drawing on this multi-informant qualitative evaluation of a novel supported employment scheme, we derive recommendations of best practice for supported employment initiatives for autistic young adults without intellectual disability.
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- 2024
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46. Playful Approaches to Leadership Development: Three Innovative Uses of Games in the Classroom
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Karen Schrier, Anne Zahradnik, and David Shaenfield
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How can educators use games and playful interactions to enhance the practice of skills related to leadership and management? Effective leadership involves a number of skills, such as strategic thinking, perspective-taking, critical thinking, ethical thinking, resource management, and reflection on one's biases. In this article, we will review how three different instructors use games and play in their higher education classrooms to teach critical leadership skills. We will share how we use three different types of games: (1) a commercially-available off-the-shelf digital game ("Democracy 4") to enhance resource management and ethical thinking skills; (2) a non-digital card game ("@Stake Game") to teach critical thinking and argumentation; and (3) an independent (indie) digital game ("SweetXHeart") to teach bias reduction and perspective-taking. We will share best practices and recommendations for using games in leadership and management education.
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- 2024
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47. The Next Generation of Pedagogy: Reflections from EdTech Leaders
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Barbara A. Ritter, Shalini S. Gopalkrishnan, and Caitlin E. Smith Sockbeson
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Technology has changed rapidly in recent years and higher education has struggled to keep up. This article draws upon the expertise of three leaders in the Educational Technology (EdTech) industry to better understand how technology can be infused at the course level and at the curricular level to improve student learning. Best practices in teaching and learning are considered through the filter of EdTech to better understand where faculty can start to implement change. It is also suggested that faculty reconsider their notions of personal development to include not just keeping up with content, but also keeping up with how technology can maximize the student learning experience.
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- 2024
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48. Enhancing Foreign Language Learning Approaches to Promote Healthy Aging: A Systematic Review
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Blanka Klimova and Cecília de Paula Nascimento e Silva
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The main purpose of this study is to investigate the best approaches to teaching a foreign language to older people to help them achieve the desired results and explore their benefits. This review strictly follows the PRISMA methodology for systematic reviews and meta-analyses to identify the core experimental studies that deal with the topic of foreign language learning approaches among the older generations. Altogether eight studies detected were included in the systematic review. The available sources were found in Web of Science and Scopus. The findings indicate that foreign language learning can promote seniors' welfare and successful aging despite their learning outcomes, which means that the key benefit for third-age foreign language learners while learning a foreign language is not the achieved proficiency level, but the feeling of subjective satisfaction. This can be a good incentive to achieve better learning outcomes, provided that learners have been offered a pleasant and safe learning environment, using suitable learning approaches during which they can build on their acquired knowledge and experience, as well as discuss the topics they are interested in. Thus, foreign language teachers play an important part in seniors' educational process because their teaching methods and materials when adapted to the elderly's educational needs can have a positive impact on the maintenance and possibly, enhancement of the older people's cognitive functions and on the improvement of their mental activity, which consequently maintains their healthy aging.
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- 2024
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49. Test Score Comparison Tables: How Well are They Serving Test Users?
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Ute Knoch and Jason Fan
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While several test concordance tables have been published, the research underpinning such tables has rarely been examined in detail. This study aimed to survey the publically available studies or documentation underpinning the test concordance tables of the providers of four major international language tests, all accepted by the Australian Department of Home Affairs for Australian visa purposes. To evaluate the concordance studies, we first identified the good practice principles in concordance research through a review of both the relevant literature and leading professional standards in the field of educational measurement and language assessment. Next, we reviewed the concordance studies against the identified good practice principles. Our findings revealed that the information supplied by test providers varied, with some making the full research papers available, whereas others providing little information about their underpinning research. None of the concordance studies fulfilled all the good practice principles. Based on the findings of this study, we offer recommendations for future concordance research in the field of language testing as well as suggestions for practice.
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- 2024
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50. Delicate Links: Ephemerality in Web-Based Evidence in Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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Sarah Potvin, Tina Budzise-Weaver, and Kathy Christie Anders
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This study suggests the need for best practices, specialized tools and standards, and targeted outreach related to Web-based content cited in theses. It analyzes citation practices in a corpus of master's theses in performance studies published at Texas A&M University from 2012 to 2020. Finding that only a slim majority of Web-based material cited in the theses remains fully functional within a decade of citation, this study confirms that "Web at large" content poses the greatest risk of irretrievable loss. Additionally, it considers actions by student authors that make theses vulnerable to evidentiary loss or change. A deeper understanding of the fragility of Web-based content and the potential for mitigation can inform needed interventions by librarians and other partners in graduate research.
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- 2024
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