Innovative Higher Education

Everybody Needs a Mrs. Strickland! But why?

Do Classroom Interactions Relate to Considerations of Institutional Departure Among Student Veterans and Service Members? Abstract The number of student veterans in higher education has significantly increased over the last decade; however, many student veterans and service members consider dropping out of higher education and ultimately choose to do so. In this study we conducted a secondary data analysis of a campus climate study that included responses from more than 400 student veterans. We draw on prior literature on student veterans and conceptually ground our study in the literature on campus climates. We found that student veterans who have positive perceptions of their relationships with professors in the classroom environment are less likely to consider leaving their universities.

Exploring the Effectiveness of Academic Coaching for Academically At-Risk College Students Abstract The purpose of this study, which was conducted over the course of five semesters at one institution, was to determine the effectiveness of the Academic Coaching for Excellence (ACE) program for academically at-risk students. The study utilized archival data, which had been collected by the Center for Academic Retention and Enrichment Services (CARES), for 1434 undergraduate students in a cohort-based, nonequivalent groups post-tests design. Results indicated that full- and part-time students who participated in academic coaching had significant GPA increases, were more likely to earn at least a 2.00 GPA in the intervention semester, and were more likely to be retained at the university the following semester than were those students who did not participate in the program. Implications for higher education professionals are discussed.

The Impact of Multi-Institutional STEM Reform Networks on Member Institutions: A Case Study of CIRTL Abstract Multi-institutional networks have become an increasingly common change mechanism in higher education, especially in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education reform. However, little is known about the impact of such networks on participating institutions. This study examined one network, the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL), to understand the multi-level impact of network membership on participating campuses. Framed by CIRTL’s mission to prepare future STEM faculty, results showed that the Network provided four major benefits for member institutions, which were translated and used to expand and modify local teaching professional development programs, subsequently impacting program participants and campus perceptions of graduate student professional development.

Cheating is in the Eye of the Beholder: an Evolving Understanding of Academic Misconduct Abstract Research consistently indicates that academic dishonesty is pervasive on college campuses, including in online courses. For our study we administered a survey to two groups of undergraduate criminal justice students, one group of face-to-face students of traditional college-age and the other a group of distance learners employed full-time in criminal justice professions. The survey was designed to assess prevalence, techniques, and definitions regarding online cheating. Findings indicate that a large percentage of both groups engaged in practices normatively defined as “cheating,” yet they did not consider their behaviors to be violations of academic integrity. In closing, we offer suggestions for best practice techniques for communicating expectations to students and reducing online exam cheating.

Are They Worth it?: Master’s Degrees and Labor Market Outcomes in the STEM Workforce Abstract Utilizing the 2013 National Survey of College Graduates (Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System, National Science Foundation, 2015), this study examined three measures of labor market outcomes: annual earning potentials; primary work activity; and education-job match for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) bachelor’s degree holders by their master’s degree attainment. Whereas the study found earning differentials across master’s degrees, the results suggest that one’s earnings are explained by other factors, specifically gender. Results reflect a discernible and concerning pay gap between men and women with the same level of degree attainment in the STEM workforce. Also, implications for policy and practice are addressed.

Extreme Apprenticeship: Instructional Change as a Gateway to Systemic Improvement Abstract In this article we describe a long-term departmental change effort in one mathematics department. The change began with one instructor adopting the Extreme Apprenticeship instructional model. This modest shift served as the catalyst for a series of subsequent, systemic improvements. We believe that this innovation and the resultant change demonstrate how instructional change can serve as a catalyst for broader change, rather than a change that focuses solely on instruction. We use four frames from the literature on organizational development to characterize the changes that have occurred in this department. This in-depth case study describes the department’s current culture and how it developed, and we suggest that this explanation could serve as a guide for other departments seeking change.

Helping Students Keep the Promise: Exploring how Kalamazoo Promise Scholars’ Basic Needs, Motivation, and Engagement Correlate to Performance and Persistence in a 4-Year Institution Abstract Few studies consider how non-cognitive factors shape outcomes for students served by Promise programs, which are programs that guarantee tuition-free college attendance within a specified geographic area. This single-institution study examined differences between enrolled and stopped-out Kalamazoo Promise scholars’ (N = 142) basic needs, motivation, and engagement. Compared to enrolled Promise scholars, a higher percentage of stopped-out students reported experiencing homelessness. Stopped-out students reported higher amotivation, lower extrinsic motivation, and lower engagement than did enrolled students. The findings revealed that amotivation, faculty engagement, and being male negatively influenced GPA, while staff interaction positively influenced GPA. Stop-out was affected by GPA, amotivation, and staff interactions. Pell eligibility did not directly influence GPA or stopping out.

To Team or Not to Team: an Exploration of Undergraduate Students’ Perspectives of Two Teachers Simultaneously in Class Abstract In this article we report on a study that explored undergraduate accounting students’ experience of team teaching. In particular, we assessed and analysed the students’ perspectives of the relative advantages and disadvantages of teaming, as a form of team teaching, in contrast to the more widely adopted equal status model of team teaching. The results suggest that the students assessed the teaming and equal status models of team teaching positively. They were, however, statistically significantly more positive about the advantages of the teaming model with a larger majority of the students indicating a stronger preference for the teaming model, as compared to the equal status model. Our results show that the teaming model provided students with classes that, from their perspective, were more interesting, aided their understanding, and provided them with faster and more individualized support than did the equal status model. In adopting the teaming model, teachers should, however, consider sources of possible confusion and intimidation.

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