An Academic Program Profile: Wayne State University

Since 1948, the Learning Design and Technology (LDT) program at Wayne State University has been offering degrees. Presently, the LDT program offers PhD, EdD, master's, and undergraduate degrees and two certificates. The degrees are delivered using various methods including face‐to‐face, blended, and online. The program focuses on the application of learning sciences and relevant disciplines to improve performance in organizations. The program has two concentration tracks: design and performance systems and learning technologies. Four full‐time and seven adjunct faculty are engaged in various research initiatives and projects with funding in excess of $5 million total. The faculty members serve in leadership roles in several academic and professional associations. In terms of programmatic initiatives, the LDT faculty members have renovated their programs to help make sure students can complete all required courses in 2 years, and the PhD in 4 years. They also are initiating a full‐time research intensive program. With capable faculty members and an excellent curriculum, the LDT program at Wayne State University nurtures competent scholars and professionals. —Sung “Pil” Kang, Ph.D. and Yeol Huh, Ph.D. column editors     

Key Competencies Required of Performance Improvement Professionals

Despite the growing literature about the criticality of a performance focus in our field, the literature on empirically formulated competencies for performance improvement professionals reflecting this shift has been scarce (Dean, 1999). While this study was being conducted (2000–2001), there were no formally recognized standards to guide performance improvement professionals. What the literature did offer was standards for instructional designers, specifically, the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction (IBSTPI) released the third edition of Instructional Design Competencies: The Standards (Ritchey et al., 2000). Around this same time, The International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) was simultaneously, and independently, working on developing such standards. This study pursued similar efforts through two overarching purposes. The first purpose was to identify competencies required of competent performance improvement professionals. While previous studies had generally addressed what constitutes ideal practice, no data had been collected on current practice. Thus, the second purpose was to determine how often performance improvement practitioners believed they (1) should be, and (2) are currently applying each of the identified competencies. The relationships and gaps between these two indicators were also examined.     

Planning a responsive evaluation: Establishing solid partnerships by clarifying expectations and purpose,part 2

For evaluation to be worth the resources it consumes, it must enable decision makers to make sound decisions based on relevant, reliable, and valid data that lead to improved performance. It is from here that all evaluation efforts stem. All components of the evaluation must be aligned with the objectives and expectations that the organization and its stakeholders value and the decisions that will have to be made as a result of the evaluation findings. These decisions should be concerned with how to measurably improve performance at all levels of the organization. This article, the second of a two‐part series on evaluation (see Guerra‐López, 2007b, for part 1), describes how to create a responsive evaluation through the identification of stakeholders and expectations as a first and fundamental step.     

Effects of multiple context and cumulative stress on urban children's adjustment in elementary school

Using longitudinal data collected over 2 years on a sample of 2,745 urban elementary school children (1st-6th graders, ages 6-11 years) from economically disadvantaged communities, effects of stressful experiences within 3 contexts (school, family, neighborhood), cumulative stress, and multiple context stress on 3 indices of children's adjustment (achievement, depression, and aggression) were examined. All 3 stressor contexts were related contemporaneously and longitudinally to negative outcomes across adjustment measures, with differential paths in each predictive model. Cumulative stress was linearly related to increases in adjustment problems but multiple context stress was not related to problematic adjustment beyond effects of cumulative stress alone. The important influence of life events stress on children's adjustment in disadvantaged communities is discussed.     

Towards teaching analytics: a contextual model for analysis of students’ evaluation of teaching through text mining and machine learning classification

Education and Information Technologies - Recent trends in educational technology have led to emergence of methods such as teaching analytics (TA) in understanding and management of the...     

History, Philosophy, and Science in a Social Perspective: A Pedagogical Project

Various studies have promoted instruction in the history and philosophy of science (HPS) in science classes, but the best way of putting this perspective into practice remains undetermined. To contribute to this issue, we developed a pedagogical project in some high schools in Brazil that aimed to present science content using an historical–philosophical approach focusing on the HPS from a social perspective. The content was developed broadly, highlighting the dialogues between science and the cultures in which scientific knowledge was accumulated. The results of the first stage of project implementation show that some strategies efficiently encouraged student discussion about science using an historical–philosophical approach. One successful strategy was the use of artistic material, such as movies and plays. The creative language and images in these elements allowed teachers to broaden historical–philosophical discussions without compromising science content. This project shows that a social approach to the HPS stimulates interdisciplinary discussions in science classes, enabling students to reflect on the nature of science.     

POGIL in the Calculus Classroom

In this paper, we will describe the experience of the authors in using process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) in calculus at four institutions across the USA. We will briefly examine how POGIL compares to and fits in with other kinds of inquiry-based learning approaches. In particular, we will first discuss the unique structure of a POGIL activity, which includes a model and a learning cycle of specific types of questions. We then turn to a discussion of the particular characteristics of a classroom implementation of a POGIL activity, including facilitation strategies an instructor might use, the importance of specified student roles in groups, and different ways of reporting out. Finally, we provide some preliminary data on student pass rates in non-POGIL and POGIL calculus classrooms in the participating institutions. Throughout the paper, we use examples from student dialogues as groups were working through POGIL activities developed for Calculus I by the authors.