An Examination of the Outcomes of a Brief and Innovative Partnership: SJSU and Udacity

In an examination of a brief and innovative partnership, we compared outcomes for two disciplines, Elementary Statistics and General Psychology, across three formats: online as part of the San José State University-Udacity partnership (termed SJSU Plus), face-to-face (FTF), and online in a redesigned course offering. We also examine predictors of student performance in the SJSU Plus courses. The first offerings of the SJSU Plus courses showed poorer performance compared to their FTF and redesigned online equivalents. Redesigned online courses and FTF courses had similar pass rates. SJSU Plus course performance was significantly improved in the second offering of the Elementary Statistics course. More completed assignments in the SJSU Plus courses were associated with higher exam scores and final grades. We conclude that mode of delivery did not contribute significantly to variations in pass rates.     

Justice in the Higher Education Classroom: Students’ Perceptions of Unfairness and Responses to Instructors

We investigated college students’ perceptions of instructor unfairness and their emotional and behavioral reactions to perceived injustice. Results obtained from 397 undergraduates from three universities in the United States indicate that anger and dissent were the strongest emotional and behavioral responses to injustice. Furthermore, disgust mediated the influence of injustice on student behaviors most damaging to professors—taking action, expressing verbal aggression, and dissenting to authority. Stress mediated the effect of injustice on the most constructive student behaviors—changing their approach and engaging in the class. We discuss the implications of the results of our study for the student-instructor relationship and learning in the contemporary higher education environment.     

A System's View of E‐Learning Success Model

The past several decades of e‐learning empirical research have advanced our understanding of the effective management of critical success factors (CSFs) of e‐learning. Meanwhile, the proliferation of measures of dependent and independent variables has been overelaborated. We argue that a significant reduction in dependent and independent variables and their measures is necessary for building an e‐learning success model, and such a model should incorporate the interdependent (not independent) process nature of e‐learning success. We applied structural equation modeling to empirically validate a comprehensive model of e‐learning success at the university level. Our research advances existing literature on CSFs of e‐learning and provides a basis for comparing existing research results as well as guiding future empirical research to build robust e‐learning theories. A total of 372 valid unduplicated responses from students who have completed at least one online course at a university in the Midwestern United States were used to examine the structural model. Findings indicated that the e‐learning success model satisfactorily explains and predicts the interdependency of six CSFs of e‐learning systems (course design quality, instructor, motivation, student‐student dialog, student‐instructor dialog, and self‐regulated learning) and perceived learning outcomes.     

The association between maltreatment and obesity among preschool children

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether child maltreatment is associated with obesity in preschool children. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a birth cohort study of 4898 children born between 1998 and 2000 in 20 large US cities. At 3 years of age, 2412 of these children had their height and weight measured, and mothers answered items on the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales about three types of child maltreatment--neglect, corporal punishment, and psychological aggression. The frequency of each type of maltreatment behavior in the prior year was analyzed using categories--ever/never for neglect and quintiles for the other two types of maltreatment. Child obesity was defined as measured body mass index (kg/m(2)) > or =95th percentile. RESULTS: Eighteen percent of the children were obese, and the prevalence of any episode of neglect, corporal punishment, and psychological aggression was 11%, 84%, and 93%, respectively. The odds of obesity were increased in children who had experienced neglect (odds ratio 1.56, 95% confidence interval, 1.14-2.14), after controlling for the income and number of children in the household, the mothers' race/ethnicity, education, marital status, body mass index, prenatal smoking, and age, and the children's sex and birth weight. Neither the frequency of corporal punishment nor psychological aggression was associated with an increased risk of obesity. CONCLUSIONS: In a sample of preschool children from 20 large US cities, maternal self-report of neglectful behavior was associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity, after controlling for birth weight, maternal obesity, and multiple socioeconomic factors.     

Teachers’ Willingness to Adopt Nature of Science Activities Following a Physical Science Professional Development

The major science education reform documents emphasize the need for K-12 students to have a robust understanding of nature of science (NOS), and inservice teachers consequently need to develop their NOS teaching repertoires. This study investigated the extent to which science teachers were willing to adopt new strategies and activities for teaching NOS in their classrooms. The participants were 36 elementary, middle, and high school teachers who were completing a year-long physical science professional development (PD) that included NOS instruction. Data sources consisted of surveys (teachers’ NOS views, teaching practices), collected work, and responses to post-PD follow-up questions. The professional development course was successful in that teachers incorporated many of these strategies and activities into their own practice. This study also endeavored to identify factors that facilitated the adoption of these new approaches to teaching NOS. While personal characteristics such as pre- or post-PD NOS understandings, NOS gains, and grade level taught were not related to the number of NOS activities incorporated, teachers from suburban and rural schools were significantly more likely to implement NOS activities.     

Development and evaluation of an interactive computer–assisted learning program—a novel approach to teaching gynaecological surgery

Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) is increasingly being recognised as an effective means of teaching and learning. In Gynaecology, the anatomy and surgical steps in vaginal surgery such as vaginal hysterectomy are confusing due to limited access and restricted view of the operative field. The objective of this pilot project was to develop an interactive CAL program on CD–ROM, combining video, illustrations and three–dimensional images to enhance understanding of vaginal hysterectomy in terms of the anatomy and steps of the surgical procedure.
Macromedia Director was used to develop the program. With Director, it is possible to combine text, graphics, animation, video and sound to create interactive material for the web, presentations or CD–ROMS. The CD–ROM takes you through the individual steps of a vaginal hysterectomy combining video clips with voice–over, illustrations and text. The three-dimensional image was included to enhance understanding of the complex relationships between the uterus, bladder and rectum. There is an interactive self–assessment section with multiple–choice questions and an anatomy self–test. The CD–ROM has been evaluated as an educational tool by 12 undergraduate students and 16 trainees in Gynaecology. Most were satisfied with the program. A need for development of further similar educational software has been identified.
The CD–ROM has identified an innovative and useful approach to teaching operative surgery. The results from the evaluation have been positive in terms of the need for similar programs in future.     

Stepping Off the Dance Floor for a View From the Balcony: Observations for Physical Education Teacher Education Programs in Interesting Times

Abstract

The theme of this article is adopted from the work of leadership experts Heifetz and Linsky, who described the need for organizational leaders to balance their time on the “dance floor” (managing tasks) with time viewing from the “balcony” (understanding the bigger picture). The physical education teacher education doctoral program faculty on many campuses would be well advised to periodically invest time distancing themselves from the daily rigors of research, teaching, and service to better understand the challenges and opportunities confronting their programs. Furthermore, faculty must be willing to critique their program and its strategic direction, eliminate ineffective practices that consume limited resources, and retain what is most important. The purpose of this article is to provide collective observations “from the balcony” for faculty working in physical education teacher education doctoral programs as a catalyst for discussion.