Postsecondary Education Programs Research Articles

All Hands on Deck: Research Needed to Examine the Educator Shortage in Family and Consumer Sciences

The purpose of this article was to present the current status of the Family and Consumer Science (FCS) educator shortage and the “Say Yes to FCS” national initiative to recruit FCS educators. Explaining the educator shortage contextually by exploring issues and trends over time, highlights the backdrop against which the current educator recruitment initiative coalesced. Emergent findings from the Say Yes initiative demonstrate a few important points: (i) comprehensive data collection at the state and federal level is needed, beginning with counting students and teachers, (ii) there is a need to work across all practice settings and with all professionals, including secondary teachers, to address the shortage, (iii) the shortage of postsecondary FCS teacher education programs and faculty likely contribute to a shortage of researchers dedicated to this issue, and (iv) there is a need to garner support from content area researchers to document the impact FCS education has on individual, family, and community outcomes. Developing a strategic research collaborative across content and practice settings—an “all hands on deck” approach—has the potential to affirm the relevance of FCS education to the wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities, and it could also serve to strengthen the pipeline for future FCS educators and researchers, alike.

Teaching Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Community-Based Navigation Skills to Take Public Transportation.

Facilitating the use of public transportation enhances opportunities for independent living and competitive, community-based employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Four young adults with IDD were taught through total-task chaining to use the Google Maps application, a self-prompting, visual navigation system, to take the bus to locations around a college campus and the community. Three of four participants learned to use Google Maps to independently navigate public transportation. Google Maps may be helpful in supporting independent travel, highlighting the importance of future research in teaching navigation skills. Learning to independently use public transportation increases access to autonomous activities, such as opportunities to work and to attend postsecondary education programs on large college campuses.Individuals with IDD can be taught through chaining procedures to use the Google Maps application to navigate public transportation.Mobile map applications are an effective and functional modern tool that can be used to teach community navigation.

Universal Design for Learning: Supporting College Inclusion for Students With Intellectual Disabilities

As college becomes an increasingly important prerequisite for employment, it is important that all students have access to postsecondary education (PSE). The passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act has provided students with intellectual disability (ID) a pathway to college, though some barriers in this transition still exist. This article is meant to highlight strategies instructors at the postsecondary level can utilize to support the transition and inclusion of students with ID in college-level courses. The role PSE programs play establishing what college readiness for individuals with ID is also discussed. A specific focus will be paid to how the universal design for learning (UDL) framework can be applied to instructional materials to support the inclusion of students with ID in college, and how these strategies can be modeled for secondary educators to support the transition planning process for students with ID.

Challenge of Korean national competency standards for chemical engineers

Challenge of Korean national competency standards for chemical engineers

Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Research and Education in Canada: A Review and Suggested Framework

Transcending disciplinary boundaries is becoming increasingly important for devising solutions to the world’s most pressing issues, such as climate change and food insecurity. Institutions of higher education often present challenges to teaching students how to work and innovate on transdisciplinary teams. We first define transdisciplinarity and like concepts, using these to review databases of three major funding agencies (CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC) for awards given to inter- and transdisciplinary programs across ten fiscal years beginning 2005-2006 and ending 2014-2015 to identify trends in funding as an indicator of skill need. We then search for programs offering transdisciplinary learning opportunities at Canadian universities accounting for 71% of all students. Though the proportion of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary funded research grants has risen considerably, we found only a few examples of interdisciplinary learning opportunities for students in post-secondary education programs. Generally, while students were able to take a range of courses, instruction remained discipline-specific. Specifically, Canadian undergraduates lack an in-program, experiential, transdisciplinary learning opportunity. We propose a framework (ICON) as a solution to fill this gap. Using senior independent study courses, which often have built-in curricular flexibility, students can participate with ICON while still obtaining credit towards their degrees. We conclude that transdisciplinary education opportunities are an essential part of the undergraduate experience and should be recognized across degree programs.

Updating higher education expectations and choices with learning

ABSTRACTThis paper explores how expectations and post-secondary education (PSE) path disruption decisions are affected by a learning process that students experience once enrolled in a PSE program. An unexpected change in grades, between high school and first year PSE program, serves as an informative signal on how well their academic performance and preferences align with the academic requirements and difficulty of the program that they enrolled. I find that learning about the fit affects students' immediate PSE decisions about dropping out, switching program of study and their expectations about the current educational level. The effects are heterogeneous by parental education.

“A team working together to make a big, nice, sound”: An action research pilot study in an inclusive college setting

A community music therapy approach was evaluated for students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in a university setting with a postsecondary education program specifically designed for students with IDD. Action research was used to create space for social critique and reflexivity throughout the research process. The aim of the group approach was to establish community and relationships within the shared residence hall. Ten weekly sessions were held, and two performances were attended. Analysis of session notes, the researcher’s journal, and interview transcripts revealed a series of themes. The participants identified ways that community was enhanced through the program and also highlighted some of the challenges they experienced. The results indicated that community music therapy can provide an authentic relationship building experience for college students in an inclusive setting. Limitations and recommendations for future research and clinical work are included.

A New Model of College Choice for Distance Learners

The expansion and diversification of postsecondary education in the United States has led to greater options for students and prospective students for pursuing a college degree. With the roll out and scale up of sophisticated education technology systems, an important trend in higher education today is distance education. Despite the growing prevalence of distance learning opportunities and the expanding body of research on distance education, research on the college-going decisions of distance learners is sparse. As more students enroll in distance-based postsecondary education programs, it is increasingly important to understand how and why students make the decision to enroll in collegiate degree-granting programs. This study bridges the college choice and distance education literatures to posit a new model of college choice to shed light on students’ decisions to enroll in a distance-based, nontraditional degree program.

Examining Augmented Reality to Improve Navigation Skills in Postsecondary Students With Intellectual Disability

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of using mobile technology to improve navigation skills in three students with intellectual disability (ID) in a postsecondary education program. Navigation skills included using an augmented reality iPhone app to make correct “waypoint” decisions when traveling by foot on a university campus to target destinations. The results indicate that all students improved their navigation skills. Findings are discussed in the context of teaching the use of mobile technology to improve wayfinding skills in students with ID.

Using Images to Capture Faculty’s Beliefs About Play and Learning in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings

Findings are presented from a qualitative research study that used photo-elicitation methods to explore faculty members’ beliefs about play and learning for children in Early Childhood Education and Care environments when teaching preservice early childhood educators in recognized post-secondary Early Childhood Education programs in Canada. Participants believe that play is a vehicle for learning, advocate for children’s free play in Early Childhood Education and Care settings as well as express concerns about the decline of play in children’s lives. Implications of findings and the benefits of using images to elicit teacher beliefs in research will be discussed. Research on faculty members’ beliefs is limited and findings come at an opportune time as advocacy for play in the early years is needed.

DEVELOPING PARENT‐PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIPS IN A POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Opportunities are increasing for students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to attend postsecondary education programs located at college campuses around the nation. Students who attend postsecondary education programs experience numerous positive outcomes, including independent living skills and expanded social networks. However, although parent‐professional partnerships could significantly enhance long‐term outcomes such as competitive employment and independent living, there is a paucity of information about the nature of these partnerships in postsecondary settings. The purpose of this expository article is to describe how staff from a midwestern postsecondary education program facilitate parent‐professional partnerships through parent involvement and support.

Investigating the effects of access initiatives for underrepresented groups

ABSTRACTEfforts to increase access for and participation of groups that are underrepresented in postsecondary education (PSE) have included encouraging members of underrepresented groups to apply to PSE programmes, revising admission requirements to reduce barriers to attendance, providing assistance in completing applications for admission, and providing financial assistance. Such initiatives address different assumed causes of underrepresentation, but these assumptions are often not explicit. Drawing from programme evaluation, we describe and illustrate the use of change models to make explicit each access initiative’s assumptions about barriers to participation, thus providing the basis for evaluation of the initiatives. The evaluation of an access initiative involving a change in admission requirements for an initial teacher education programme is discussed as an illustration of this approach.

Self-Determination and the Enrollment in and Completion of Postsecondary Education for Students With Disabilities

This study conducted a secondary analysis using data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 (NLTS-2) to examine the degree to which three of the four essential characteristics of self-determination (autonomy, psychological empowerment, and self-realization) predict enrollment in, and completion of, postsecondary education programs for students with disabilities. Results suggest autonomy and psychological empowerment influence students’ enrollment in postsecondary education programs; higher levels of autonomy in females increase their odds of enrolling in a 4-year university; and students attending a rural school with higher levels of psychological empowerment are less likely to enroll in a 4-year university. Self-realization was the only characteristic that affected students’ completion of a postsecondary education program. Implications of the findings for research and practice are discussed.

Special Education Teachers’ Experiences on Follow-up Activities for Students with Developmental Disabilities Employed after the Post-Secondary Education Program

Special Education Teachers’ Experiences on Follow-up Activities for Students with Developmental Disabilities Employed after the Post-Secondary Education Program

Promoting Social Interactions and Job Independence for College Students with Autism or Intellectual Disability: A Pilot Study.

The employment outcomes for young adults with autism or intellectual disability (ID) lag far behind those of their peers without disabilities. Most postsecondary education programs for students with disabilities incorporate internship experiences to foster employment skills. However, the proximity of job coaches may inadvertently hinder social opportunities and independence. We used a multiple-probe, single-case experimental design across three college students with autism or ID to examine the effects of a coaching package on task engagement and social interactions. For all participants, interactions increased and task engagement maintained when job coaches reduced proximity and delivered prompts discreetly through bug-in-ear devices. Participants considered the intervention beneficial and unobtrusive. We present implications for supporting employment preparation within postsecondary education programs.

Examining Postsecondary Education Predictors and Participation for Students With Learning Disabilities

Given the history of poor postschool outcomes for students with disabilities, researchers repeatedly sought to demonstrate the links between predictor variables and postschool outcomes for students with disabilities. This secondary data analysis used the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 to examine the relationship between postsecondary education–related transition services and postsecondary education participation for students with learning disabilities. Logistic regression analyses indicated receiving core content area instruction in the general education classroom was positively related to postsecondary education participation. Frequency distributions indicated students with learning disabilities attended 2-year college at higher rates than other postsecondary education programs. The results suggest educators should consider inclusion in general education classroom for core content area instruction for students with learning disabilities with postsecondary education goals to the extent permitted by their least restrictive environment.

Implementing University based Post Secondary Education Programs for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the case study of university based post secondary education programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. In doing so the study aims to contribute to the diversification and improvement of the curriculum of for these individual. Method: This post secondary education program was described systematically from its planning to development, execution, and evaluation. The focus was on the role of each faculty member, strategies of execution, and main classes and activities that constitute the program. Results: This study suggests a method in which the participants with developmental disabilities could evaluate the classes and activities that they experienced. As a result, various kinds of data from the participants, their families, and peer supporters were collected and reflected upon. Conclusion: We analysed the data from the evaluation of this program and discussed the appropriate direction that post secondary education for individuals with developmental disabilities should proceed.

Engineering Approach with Quality Function Deployment for an ABET Accredited Program: A Case Study

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a systematic approach used by companies and organizations to meet customer requirements. The success of a QFD analysis is largely based on the quality of the voice of the customer, namely the customer requirements and their importance ratings. On the other hand, ABET, incorporated as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., is a non-governmental organization that accredits post-secondary education programs. In this paper, QFD is applied to a major course from the mechanical engineering program where, Course Learning Outcomes are considered as the Voice of the Customers (WHAT) and Student Outcomes issued by ABET are the technical requirements (HOW). The objective of this paper is to pave a clear road to faculty members and engineering institutions to fulfil ABET requirements.

Evidence-Based Practices and Predictors: Improving Post-School Outcomes for Students with Disabilities

Post-school outcomes for individuals with disabilities have been persistently poor. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014) found only 18% of individuals with disabilities were active in the labor force, and Newman et al. (2011) found only 41% have completed a post-secondary education program. Research in secondary transition has identified 64 practices that are effective with and 16 predictors that improve the post-school outcomes for this population. Many of these are compatible with the services speech-language pathologists (SLPs) provide. This article reviews the evidence-based practices and predictors relevant to SLPs by defining, describing, and providing examples of how to use them.

The value of educational degrees in turbulent economic times: Evidence from the Youth Development Study

Rising costs of higher education have prompted debate about the value of college degrees. Using mixed effects panel models of data from the Youth Development Study (ages 31–37), we compare occupational outcomes (i.e., weekly hours worked, earnings, employment status, career attainment, and job security) between educational attainment categories within year, and within categories across years, from 2005 to 2011, capturing the period before, during, and in the aftermath of the Great Recession. Our findings demonstrate the long-term value of post-secondary degrees. Bachelor's and Associate's degree recipients, while experiencing setbacks at the height of recession, were significantly better off than those with some or no college attendance. Vocational-Technical degree holders followed a unique trajectory: pre-recession, they are mostly on par with Associate's and Bachelor's recipients, but they are hit particularly hard by the recession and then rebound somewhat afterwards. Our findings highlight the perils of starting but not finishing post-secondary educational programs.