Postsecondary Programs Research Articles

Using 21st century video prompting technology to facilitate the independence of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

AbstractBarriers in acquiring, maintaining, and generalizing daily living skills are factors that contribute to discrepancies in independent living outcomes among transition age youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Acquisition and generalization of daily living skills empowers transition age youth and young adults with disabilities to meet their own needs with minimal reliance on others. Infusing the use of technology as a self‐prompting device facilitates the acquisition of tasks that may not be otherwise attainable. In this study, self‐directed video prompting on an iPad with the My Pictures Talk application was used to help young adults with IDD in a postsecondary program acquire daily living skills in a single subject, multiple probe across subjects design. The effects of the intervention on generalization to tasks that were one, two, and three components different were also assessed. Results demonstrated a functional relationship between the introduction of the intervention and improvement in skill performance.

Readiness, Access, Preparation, and Support for Foster Care Alumni in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature

ABSTRACTResearch has shown that foster care alumni have poor educational outcomes and many do not enroll and/or graduate from a postsecondary institution. Many factors have been shown to promote and hinder a youth’s success in higher education and several programs and policies have been developed to address these issues. A literature review was conducted to identify and evaluate publications related to foster care alumni and higher education. A total of 51 scholarly reports and publications related to foster care alumni and higher education were reviewed, and the following three overarching themes emerged following the review: (1) college readiness, access, preparation, and support; (2) postsecondary programs and support for foster care alumni; and (3) outcomes and experiences of foster care alumni in higher education. This article reports on the first two themes, which included 22 articles/reports. Implications for social work and child welfare practice, future research, and policy are discussed.

Preservice early childhood educators’ pedagogical beliefs

ABSTRACTPreservice early childhood educators begin postsecondary programs with established beliefs about children, children’s learning, and their roles as future educators. The present study examined 26 first-year students’ beliefs about children, classroom practice, and guiding children’s behavior. Participants completed the Teacher Beliefs Q-Sort (Rimm-Kaufman, Storm, Sawyer, Pianta, & La Paro, 2006) at three time points over the course of their first year of studies. We compared responses across the three time points to explore whether the students’ beliefs changed over time. Findings are presented under three main themes: 1) beliefs about children; 2) beliefs about classroom practice; and 3) beliefs about behavior management. Overall, findings reveal that for all three themes, at each time point, practices that are most characteristic of the participants’ beliefs are child-centered, whereas beliefs that are least characteristic of their beliefs are teacher-directed. To support students’ application of theory to practice, they should be given opportunities during their studies to voice, explore, and critically examine their beliefs in relation to philosophies and teaching approaches.

Responding to Their Voice: The Needs of Postsecondary Students With Intellectual or Developmental Disability

Abstract Date Presented 3/30/2017 Students with intellectual or developmental disabilities are entering postsecondary programs. Persisting adaptive behavior needs affect performance and participation. This research served to better understand student needs and potential roles of occupational therapy in postsecondary settings. Primary Author and Speaker: Lucretia Berg Contributing Authors: Tracy Jirikowic, Ginger MacDonald, Katie Haerling

Will the invisible hand fix private higher education in Latin America?

Abstract The essay discusses the strengths and shortcomings of private higher education in Latin America. It argues that private institutions play an important role and shows – with numbers – that profits and quality education are unrelated. In discussing regulations, it argues that both neglect and heavy-handed policies are not producing the expected results. What less prosperous and smaller private institutions need is public support, in order to offer decent quality education and innovate in non-traditional areas, such as post-secondary programs. Indeed, they need help to structure courses, prepare teaching materials and train their teachers.

A Letter and Encouragement: Does Information Increase Postsecondary Enrollment of UI Recipients?

For individuals who experience job loss, enrollment in postsecondary programs may provide an opportunity to improve future employment outcomes. However, decisions to enroll may be hampered by insufficient information about the benefits and costs and the necessary steps and assistance available to facilitate such investments. Using variation in the dissemination and timing of letters sent to Unemployment Insurance (UI) recipients containing this information, we find that individuals sent the information are 40 percent more likely to enroll. These findings suggest that well coordinated information interventions delivered with institutional support may be more effective than raising the generosity of existing government programs in increasing participation. (JEL E24, E32, I23, I26, J24, J31, J65)

Development of Oral Communication Skills by Undergraduates that Convey Evolutionary Concepts to the Public.

Leaders in undergraduate biology education have recommended that post-secondary programs recognize the importance of communication. Scientists are generally recognized as the conduit for communicating scientific information with the public. Traditionally, scientific training has focused on building students’ content knowledge, knowledge of terminology, and ability to communicate with other scientists. The majority of undergraduate biology programs do not include a focus on building their students’ ability to communicate scientific information to non-scientists. Due to both its controversy (outside the scientific community) and conflicting scientific and lay terminology, speaking to non-scientists about evolution can be especially challenging. In this Tips and Tool article, we present an interactive approach to help build students’ conceptual knowledge of evolution and to develop their ability to orally communicate with non-scientists.

The Nature of Competition in Dietetics Education: A Narrative Review.

The impact on student development associated with being part of a competitive program is an emerging finding in dietetics research. As such, a narrative review of relevant literature was conducted pertaining to competition in post-secondary programs and the educational experience of students with respect to developing a career in dietetics. The review was guided by 2 questions: How is competition experienced by students? What strategies can reduce competition among dietetics students within the educational experience? A refined literature screening process justified including 32 articles in the review. The overall review findings suggested that, across dietetics programs, the outcomes of competition negatively impacted students' personal identity, motivation in the learning process, and involvement behaviours, including collaboration among students, participation in academic opportunities, and student relationships with faculty. The implementation of strategies conducive to addressing the effects of excessive competition and building a supportive academic environment, for example increasing collegiality and engaging students in intrinsic learning, are important for continued growth of the dietetics profession. Educators can reflect on the complex nature of competition and how the effects of excessive competition may be in opposition with the competencies that students are expected to develop as professionals.

Community predictors of school engagement: The role of families and youth-adult partnership in Malaysia

School engagement is central to students' academic achievement and their successful transition into post-secondary programs. Existing research on contributors to school engagement has been mostly limited to individual and school-based predictors in Western countries. Additionally, few studies have investigated the ‘cross-over’ relationship between student experiences within community settings and school engagement. This study addresses these limitations. It explores youth-adult partnership (youth voice, supportive adult relationships) in two types of out-of-school time youth programs and family processes (parental monitoring, family cohesion) as predictors of cognitive and emotional school engagement in Malaysia. Surveys were administered to 507 diverse students (56% male, 64% Malay) age 15 to 17, attending after-school co-curricular and community-based youth programs. The findings indicate that experiences in community and family settings may have a positive influence on student experiences in school. Specifically, OLS hierarchical regression analysis showed that youth voice in decision-making within both types of programs as well as parental monitoring contributed to both types of school engagement. Supportive relationships with adult staff were significantly associated with students' emotional engagement. Implications for practice in out-of-school time programs and schools, as well as future research, are discussed.

The relationship between Institution Branding, Teaching Quality and Student Satisfaction in Higher Education in Hong Kong

The rapid expansion of Hong Kong’s higher education sector both in the government-funded and self-funded higher education in Hong Kong generated a high competition in this industry. In order to study how institutions increase their competitiveness, this study investigated the relationship between the institution branding, teaching quality and student satisfaction. A quantitative research was conducted to empirically test three hypotheses by employing a questionnaire survey. As the primary customers of higher education, full-time students enrolled in post-secondary programs offered by government-funded and self-funded higher education institutions in Hong Kong were randomly selected as the targeted participants. Two thousand students were sent questionnaires and 1,170 valid responses were received, representing a response rate of 58.5%. Results of the analysis show that the teaching quality has a positive and significant influence on institution branding, institution branding has a positive and significant influence on student satisfaction whilst the mediating effect of institution branding is only considered as a partial mediation between teaching quality and student satisfaction. The study contributes to the higher education debate and provides unique student-perceived insights into institution branding, student satisfaction and the quality of teaching in Hong Kong’s higher education sector.

Clarifications on executive coaching: Comment on Gebhardt (2016).

Multiple issues and concerns are raised around the disparate practices of clinical psychology and coaching. It is important to make a distinction between psychologists who also coach, and coaches who are not trained psychologists who rightfully should not wander into therapeutic roles. Second, one would expect that a code of ethics for a diverse psychological organization would cover a broader spectrum of issues than an organization focused solely on coaching. Finally, credential programs are quite different from academic, postsecondary degree programs, and accreditation of each type should therefore be considered independently. (PsycINFO Database Record

Perceptions of Students with Autism and Their Parents: The College Experience

Abstract Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are attending postsecondary programs at unprecedented rates. Transitions are especially challenging for students with ASD, yet little is known about critical transitions during the college experience. Using the College Adjustment Program Evaluation Scales (CAPES), we examined student and parent perspectives across five dimensions: Student Life, Emotional Adjustment, Independent Living Skills, Interpersonal Relationships, and Self-Advocacy. Sixteen participants--eight students and eight parents, completed the CAPES at the end of fall semester of year one and the end of spring semester year two. Student and parent CAPES ratings were uniformly positive with some differences. We found large effect sizes across dimensions and significant differences in Student Life, Independent Living, and Interpersonal Relationships with parent ratings higher than student ratings. An item analysis revealed specific challenges and skills salient to the results. Implications for supports for students with ASD, higher education practices, and transition research are discussed. Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, transition, college, postsecondary education ********** The purpose of postsecondary education (PSE) and the pathways to it are multifaceted. Postsecondary/higher education in the U.S. has evolved across time (Renn & Reason, 2013), and institutions of higher education have developed empirically-based strategies to serve an increasingly diverse student population and improve the first year experience of students (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). Whether or not a student has a disability, the value of PSE to the student and to society are pivotal issues in the current debate over the goal of PSE. Mayhew and colleagues (2016) synthesized over 1,800 studies related to student development during college and report positive long-term effects on cognitive development, critical thinking, academic self-concept, locus of control, independence, self-efficacy, and psychological well-being to name a few. The effects of college on students with disabilities, however, is seldom addressed in the higher education and student affairs literature (Hendrickson, Therrien, Weeden, Pascarella, & Hosp, 2015). Although research is scant, the studies that are available indicate that PSE opportunities appear to significantly improve the transition to adulthood and long-term life outcomes (e.g., academic skills, employment, quality of life) of youth with disabilities (Hart, Grigal, & Weir, 2010; Neubert & Redd, 2008). Preliminary psychological wellbeing data indicate that students with ASD and cognitive disabilities and their typical college counterparts are similarly affected by college (Hendrickson, Vander Busard, Rodgers, & Scheidecker, 2013). Hendrickson et al. (2015) compared a national sample of first year college students with and without cognitive disabilities on student engagement and their perceptions of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, the campus environment, and educationally enriching experiences. They found that students with intellectual disabilities who attended a structured, inclusive, campus-based program did not differ significantly from typical college students in their responses to the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE; Pascarella, Seifert, & Blaich, 2010). McGregor and colleagues (2016) report that college students with learning disabilities (LD) were less satisfied with their college experience than other students, had more obstacles caused by nonacademic responsibilities, and felt that there was a bias against individuals with disabilities. McGregor and colleagues' data showed that students with LD who sought and received accommodations were in more frequent contact with faculty and experienced less difficulty with assignments than peers with LD who did not. …

Adapting Experiential Learning to Develop Problem-Solving Skills in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Engineering Students.

Individuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions, and this may be due in part to their level of preparation in the development and retention of mathematical and problem-solving skills. An approach was developed that incorporates experiential learning and best practices of STEM instruction to give first-year DHH students enrolled in a postsecondary STEM program the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills in real-world scenarios. Using an industrial engineering laboratory that provides manufacturing and warehousing environments, students were immersed in real-world scenarios in which they worked on teams to address prescribed problems encountered during the activities. The highly structured, Plan-Do-Check-Act approach commonly used in industry was adapted for the DHH student participants to document and communicate the problem-solving steps. Students who experienced the intervention realized a 14.6% improvement in problem-solving proficiency compared with a control group, and this gain was retained at 6 and 12 months, post-intervention.

Autistic Identity Development and Postsecondary Education

As the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) becomes more prevalent in society and an autistic culture develops and moves forward, colleges and universities are in the position of supporting students with similar differences but opposing views about how to address those differences. The autism acceptance movement emphasizes the need for change by educational institutions and society at large, while the medical model perspective seeks to understand cause and believes autistic people need treatment and even need to be cured of autism. This article uses a disability identity development model to explore the potential impact of autism acceptance and medical model perspectives at different stages of development. Postsecondary program elements that emphasize neurodiversity, understanding strengths, and the building of academic strategies for success that support students who are in the process of identity development are recommended.

Considering the Pedagogy of Advocacy

ABSTRACTIn this article, I describe my development of a pedagogical approach to teaching advocacy in postsecondary teacher preparation programs in dance. After eight years of teaching advocacy in a variety of formats within higher education, I have established specific strategies to prepare emerging dance educators to respond to the challenges in the field after graduation. Recognizing that program requirements vary across institutions, my proposed framework for teaching advocacy provides readers with a comprehensive educational experience that they can customize to meet students' needs and align with curricula and available resources. As it is organized by levels of cognitive processing and advocacy content, educators can consult the proposed structure yet simultaneously determine the appropriate length and depth of advocacy experiences within their classrooms. Despite specific reference to postsecondary teacher preparation programs in dance, this investigation into advocacy could contribute to the development of meaningful and productive educational experiences in a variety of dance education environments.

Merging movements: Diverse dance practices in postsecondary education

ABSTRACTThis article examines students' choices in a postsecondary dance major curriculum where students selected to study one or more of five dance practices (African and Diaspora Movement Practices, Contemporary Ballet, Movement Language Sources, Postmodern Contemporary Dance, and Urban Movement Practices) each semester along with required coursework centered on inquiry, the ability to pose and pursue informed questions, and creativity, the process of making something new. Using a qualitative research approach, the study investigated three main questions: What factors drive students' course selections?; How do students fuse information from diverse dance practices?; and What do students learn through taking courses with peers who study diverse dance practices? The study's findings suggest that the selection and study of diverse dance practices in combination with a curricular emphasis on creativity and inquiry led students to feel empowered in their dance education, develop and articulate individualized movement approaches, and increased awareness of dance and creative problem-solving ability. Postsecondary dance programs prepare future citizens, artists, educators, and administrators who may find themselves in leadership or other positions that require a re-thinking and implementation of arts policies in public schools and other settings. As such, the study's findings also speak to the potential for arts policies and their implementation to evolve in a way that situates dance as a critical component of a comprehensive education.

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 Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs

The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs

A Review and Survey of Metrology Outreach Efforts in Post-Secondary Education

Abstract:This article presents a brief history and background of metrology outreach efforts to post-secondary educational programs. It also summarizes a 2015 educational survey carried out by the NCSL International (formerly National Conference of Standards Laboratories, NCSLI) Education Liaison and Outreach Committee working with staff of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and used in part to gather input from post-secondary educational programs that: (1) have measurement science courses; (2) metrology degree programs (at the associate, baccalaureate, and advanced levels); and (3) have integrated or are considering integrating metrology concepts into engineering or engineering technology programs. Prior recommendations for continued education outreach and integration of metrology into the scientific curricula are reinforced; evidence from the education survey supports the need and value of ongoing, sustained involvement by metrology champions (metrology ambassadors) in educati...

Investigating Student Stressors within a Canadian Post-secondary Professional Program

Investigating Student Stressors within a Canadian Post-secondary Professional Program