Residential Education Research Articles

From the periphery to prominence: An examination of the changing profile of online students in American higher education

This study used nationally representative data and employed multinomial logistic regression to examine the changing profile of online students in American higher education. Although online education continues to become an increasingly mainstream mode of instruction, certain student groups may engage disproportionately with computer-mediated instruction. Weighted descriptive statistics revealed that the proportion of postsecondary students who enrolled in online courses increased from 5.9% in 2000 to 32.1% in 2012, with 23.6% of students enrolled in some online courses and 8.5% of students enrolled in fully online programs. Empirical evidence suggested that student characteristics associated with the highest opportunity costs of engaging with residential education—such as being a full-time employee, parent, or married—were more likely to enroll in some online courses and online-only programs. In addition, economically and socially disadvantaged students were typically less likely to engage with online education.

The return home: Transitioning from a 28-day remote outdoor education programme

Transitioning This article shares the findings of a research project on the transition process experienced by year 10 girls (aged 14) moving from a residential 28-day outdoor education programme at a remote campus called Te Kahu (a pseudonym) back to their school and family life in the city. The school is a high achieving private school for girls, located in a major city in New Zealand. As an outdoor education teacher with experience working in girls' schools, I wanted to explore not only the impact of significant time immersion in the outdoors, but also how adolescent girls adjusted back into a city environment and how the wider social implications of the transition are addressed. As defined in the Oxford English Dictionary, a transition is a "a passing or passage from one condition, action, or (rarely) place, to another" ("Transition," 2015). This process of adaptation effects physical, mental, and emotional changes in a person's life. Bridges and Bridges (2009, p. 3) describe a life transition as a "process that people go through as they internalise and come to terms with the details of the new situation that change brings about." Such transitions involve adaptive developmental processes. Bronfenbrenner (1994) proposed a framework of ecological factors that impact on development, suggesting that a person's capacity is impacted by the wider systems of culture, customs, and economy (macrosystems) and the relationships and interactions between the person, family, school, peers, and social roles (microsystems). He proposed that optimal combinations of such diversities possibly suggest "a potential for human natures yet unseen" (p. 41). Literature on transitioning to school describes how this process of adaptation impacts on children's stress, anxiety, and learning which "could influence their life trajectory" (Landsberg, 2013, p. 31). Research on youth transitions to adulthood recognises the importance of relationship factors, which can influence or constrain adolescents' development towards their life goals. Bynner (2005, p. 379) points out that "social relations identified with family, school, leisure and workplace contexts can reinforce stagnation or motivate growth." This suggests that an ability to adapt and transition to new situations and develop relationships in wider social networks can positively impact on growth and maturation. Educational opportunities provided through direct experiences in a contrasting environment can challenge students' existing levels of understanding and encourage a change of thinking and behaviour. In the transition from this contrasting environment, students must decide how to adopt and integrate changes to their regular life (Cushing, 1997; Leupp, 2007; Whittington, 2006). Research findings on the transition to school for new entrants suggests that strong relationships between students, teachers, and families have the potential to assist students positively with the transition process (Landsberg, 2013). I start with the background to the programme and explore its origins, philosophy, and structure. I then introduce the research questions and explain the methodology and methods used to conduct the research. The results and discussion section is divided into six main subsections that explore: the process of leaving Te Kahu; the social uncertainties of transitioning from Te Kahu; methods of coping with transition; returning to school in the city; adapting to life in the city; and the girls' perceptions of Te Kahu as a healthy passage to adulthood. I examine the readjustment process involved in the transition between leaving Te Kahu where the girls are introduced to new experiences, values, and perspectives, and their return to very different lives in the city. Background to the Te Kahu remote outdoor programme Development of the Te Kahu remote outdoor programme (which opened in 2008) began when the school's principal identified a need to promote further the personal development of her students, especially in relation to levels of resilience. …

The development of trust in residential environmental education programs

Trust, a relational phenomenon that is an important building block of interpersonal relationships and within society, can also be an intermediary outcome of field-based environmental education programs. Trust creates a foundation for collaboration and decision-making, which are core to many ultimate outcomes of environmental education. Yet, understanding how trust develops among environmental education program participants is still nascent, partly because few methods exist for measuring trust in informal contexts, such as those that are common for many environmental education programs. Our study used social network analysis and qualitative data from focus groups, questionnaires, and participant observation to investigate the development of trust among residential environmental education program participants in two school groups, some of whom had initial familiarity with each other. Network data indicated differential increases in peer-to-peer trust among group members when measured at the individual level. Qualitative data from the focus groups highlighted salient dimensions of trust that were particularly relevant in this setting, including friendship, emotional and physical safety, and self-disclosure; reciprocal trust among peers and educators; and aspects of this immersive setting that fostered trust among the participants.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy in Hellman’s The Children’s Hour and Shaw’s Pygmalion

Mary Tilford in Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour (1934) and Eliza Doolittle in George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion (1912) share certain similarities. The two female characters from the two of the most famous modern dramas of the twentieth century are both teenagers who receive a certain period of residential education from two competent instructors, respectively. Their initial appearances in the plays are far from elegant. Yet, in a surprising twist during the course of the plays, low-class flower girl Eliza brings a miraculous success to her teachers, while Mary causes ruin and suicide in hers. The starkly different courses of change the two characters take are worth examining from a pedagogical perspective as their transformations occur while they are in a residential education environment under the heavy influence of their instructors. This essay thus focuses on the relationships the two girls have with their tutors and provides an analysis of how their behaviors are affected by such relationships. It also discusses the workings of self-fulfilling prophecies in both dramas by exploring the traces of teacher bias as well as differential treatment and stigmatization of students with an aim to highlight the works’ implications for today’s Korean educational field in today’s Korea.

Increasing Middle School Students' Energy Literacy

The aim of this research was to examine the effectiveness of outdoor education on middle school students' energy literacy. An energy literacy curriculum was developed and taught in both outdoor and traditional, indoor classroom settings. Energy literacy constructs of knowledge, attitude, and behavior were evaluated and measured using a survey distributed pre, post, and 1-month after the curriculum was taught. The population ( n =130) of this study was 6th grade students attending a five-day residential education program at an outdoor science school. Results showed greater increases in middle school students' energy literacy knowledge, attitude, and behavior when taught in outdoor learning environments. These findings indicate the benefit outdoor and non-traditional learning environments have in improving energy education in order to produce a more energy literate citizenry willing to tackle future energy decisions and challenges.

Využití modelu RWL pro evaluaci pobytového programu

On the basis of a specific example, the article discusses the application of the Real World Learning (RWL) model for an evaluation of a residential environmental education program. It describes the application of the model for an entry program analysis, the formulation of key concepts and a follow-up observation of the program. In conclusion it discusses the strong and weak points of the model's application in evaluation practice. The model is rated as a useful but demanding tool requiring experienced evaluators.

Engage/Trojan Neighbors: A community service partnership between an academic division and residential community.

This paper describes the case of an after-school program, focused on providing enrichment opportunities for neighborhood youth, jointly administered through an academic division and residential community within a large urban research university. The program, originally conceived as an activity-based after-school program for middle school youth, expanded in scope in response to both community and student needs. The resident faculty fellow in this community served as a liaison between the academic division and office of residential education, helping maintain continuity and facilitating effective student leadership of the program. In this case, we detail the origins and evolution of the program, including strategies used to resolve challenges that arose over several years of program implementation.

The influences of faculty-in-residence programs on the role of the professoriate: A case study.

In a time when faculty face criticism for possible disengagement from undergraduate student learning, faculty-in-residence programs bring students and faculty together in a living-learning community. The benefits of such student-faculty interaction are known, but lesser known is how to develop those interactions. This case study provides an account of how Baylor University - a private, research university in the Southwest - underwent a paradigm shift from a Sleep-and-Eat Model of residential education to a Learning Model. The change in culture not only benefited students, but also led to the reconceptualization of professorial work for faculty in higher education.

Experimental evaluation of a vocationally integrated therapeutic community

Purpose – Retrospective studies of therapeutic community (TC) treatment for drug abuse found reductions in drug use, criminality, and increased work participation after treatment completion. These studies have also shown treatment benefits, even without completion, are correlated with days of stay in residential treatment. However, others have found that high rates of early leaving from TC treatment reduce the proportion of clients with positive outcomes, raise the total cost per treated client, and lower the treatment benefit-to-costs ratio. The purpose of this paper is to describe an experimental approach to raising the days in residential treatment using earlier vocational access for clients. Design/methodology/approach – The current study used a random assignment design to compare earlier integration of on-site vocational training in a vocationally integrated therapeutic community to off-site vocational training initiated after one year of residence in a traditional therapeutic community. Findings – The resulting data support the hypotheses that client expectations and early training in job skills increase rate of treatment affiliation, the proportion of clients having effective lengths of stay, and the rate of treatment completion. Research limitations/implications – Research limitations/implications include the difficulty of assuring unbiased selection and controlling treatment assignment and conditions. Practical implications – Practical implications of this research project are to support practitioners striving for longer, more effective lengths of stay, while at the same time attempting to reduce treatment time and increase effectiveness. Social implications – Social Implications of this project are to encourage social support for addiction treatment and emphasize the value of paired residential treatment and vocational education. Originality/value – The originality and value of this research project lies in the adoption of a working model at Phoenix House TC (in-house vocational preparation), which utilizes early in-house vocational education as a means to increase residential program participation, increase employment skills and prospects, and decrease overall length of treatment.

When Diversity Training Goes Wrong: A Case Study Analysis of the University of Delaware Residential Education Program

In an increasingly global and interconnected world, it is necessary for corporations and educational systems to develop mechanisms for community members to enhance multicultural competencies related to diversity including race, ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, and the like. Some people internalize anger, fear, contempt, and guilt about these issues. As a result, people express their feelings in unhealthy and unproductive ways in school and in the workplace. The solution often is to provide diversity training or sensitivity training. This case study analysis utilizes Kaufman's systemic thinking model to examine what went wrong when one university attempted to implement a yearlong intensive diversity training program that brought national media attention and a potential lawsuit against the university, ultimately resulting in a dramatic shift in the university's out-of-classroom experiential learning policies.

Concept Development and level of Social Maturity of Visually Handicapped Children in Integrated and Residential Settings

The present study aimed to investigate the level of social maturity and concept development of visually impaired children in residential and integrated educational settings. For this purpose 40 visually impaired children, 20 from residential educational setting and 20 from integrated educational setting were selected through purposive sampling technique from Uttarakhand, Uttara Prdesh, Hariyana, Gujrat and Delhi. For measuring level of social maturity and concept development, Vineland Social Maturity Scale (Indian adaption by A.J. Malin) and M.N.G. Mani’s concept development test were administered. 2 test, mean and percentage techniques were used to analyze the obtained data. The result reveals that in residential school setting children are more socially mature in comparison to integrated educational setting. The cumulative average performance score from all the 200 concepts reveal that residential education is more effective in comparison to integrated education for visually impaired children.

Using online narratives to explore participant experiences in a residential environmental education program

Field-based, residential environmental education programs are immersive, science-rich learning experiences that aim to achieve educational, personal growth, and behavioral outcomes. Evaluations of such programs typically use pre- and post-surveys or interviews and, in some cases, participant observation. Understanding how participants respond to, and make meaning of, their experiences in the moment is an understudied facet that could improve program outcomes; thus, this study explored participant narratives of their experience through online journaling, or ‘blogging'. We piloted the blogging activity with students during their participation in a four-to-five-day program and conducted follow-up retrospective evaluation upon students' return to the classroom. Our findings demonstrate that connection to place, personal growth, and identity were critical aspects of the participant experience; these aspects may be conditioned by participants' previous nature experiences, as well as access to nature. We reflect on the utility of blogging in assessing intermediary and ultimate programmatic outcomes.

HarvardX and MITx: Two Years of Open Online Courses Fall 2012-Summer 2014

What happens when well-known universities offer online courses, assessments, and certificates of completion for free? Early descriptions of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have emphasized large enrollments, low certification rates, and highly educated registrants. We use data from two years and 68 open online courses offered by Harvard University (via HarvardX) and MIT (via MITx) to broaden the scope of answers to this question. We describe trends over this two-year span, depict participant intent using comprehensive survey instruments, and chart course participation pathways using network analysis. We find that overall participation in our MOOCs remains substantial and that the average growth has been steady. We explore how diverse audiences — including explorers, teachers-as-learners, and residential students — provide opportunities to advance the principles on which HarvardX and MITx were founded: access, research, and residential education.

“Intelligent Internationalization”: A 21st Century Imperative

sionally donors that attempt to bypass priorities, developed internally and on academic grounds, etc. I have never seen an outstanding research university that does not enjoy academic freedom or a form of shared governance. One has to be clear. I am in no way implying that all people who share in governance should be university insiders; but internal academic voices need to be heard and considered. It should also be stressed that academic freedom— the freedom of teachers and students to teach, study, and pursue knowledge without unreasonable interference—is not the same thing as political freedom, although they are practically twins. The ever-present challenges are obvious. Twenty years is not a very long time, and one can assume that the intellectual climate will not be subject to abrupt change. And that introduces another predictable challenge: professionalism and/or an increasing anti-intellectualism. In the United States, and elsewhere also, I am referring to the view that learning for its own sake is somehow a frivolous activity—perhaps a luxury and not deserving of support. From the point of view of the student, the purpose of education is job and career. That is how curriculum is frequently structured—accounting: Yes; computer science: a shouted Yes; Shakespeare: if there is a little spare time. From the point of view of the state what matters are “human resources to meet workforce needs.” Basic science needs support because the study of biology may lead to a cure of some disease, especially the diseases that afflict funders. There is some truth in all of these propositions, but why does it also imply that sociology is quite useless and that the humanities are not deserving of support? I am, of course, familiar with the more standard challenges to higher education: disruption caused by technology, high cost, massive open online courses making residential education a useless indulgence, and others. I do not dispute their great importance, but I add disinterested learning—for undergraduates we would call it liberal education—because it is only rarely mentioned. Yet, fundamental intellectual progress has most often started with disinterested investigators attempting to solve a problem, because it is fascinating and has not been done before. In the social sciences and humanities where problems are very rarely solved in definitive form, each generation of students and teachers needs its own reinterpretation of the big questions asked by these fields of study and investigation. These endeavors are the intellectual essence of research universities. “Intelligent Internationalization”: A 21st Century Imperative

The relationship between mentoring on healthy behaviors and well-being among Israeli youth in boarding schools: a mixed-methods study.

BackgroundAlthough 10% of Israeli youth live in boarding schools, few studies, except for those focusing on mental health, have examined the well-being of this population subgroup. Thus, the aims of this study were to explore: (1) the prevalence rates of five aspects of well-being (i.e., healthy habits, avoidance of risky behaviors, peer relationships, adult relationships, and school environment) in youth residing at Israeli boarding schools; (2) the relationships between youth well-being and youth perception of their mentor; and (3) the different subgroups of youth with higher rates of risky and healthy behaviors.MethodsThis study used a mixed-methods approach including a quantitative survey of youth (n = 158) to examine the association between youth behaviors and perception of their mentor; and a qualitative study consisting of interviews (n = 15) with boarding school staff to better understand the context of these findings.ResultsGreater proportions of boarding school youth, who had positive perceptions of their mentor (the significant adult or parent surrogate), believed both that their teachers thought they were good students (p < 0.01), and that they themselves were good students (p < 0.01). This finding is supported by the qualitative interviews with mentors. Youth living in a boarding school had very similar healthy habits compared to other youth living in Israel; however, youth in the general population, compared to those in the boarding schools, were eating more sweets (OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.02-1.90) and engaging in higher levels of television use (OR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.97-3.54).ConclusionsMentors, the significant adult for youth living in residential education environments, have a major influence on school performance, the major focus of their work; mentors had no impact on healthy behaviors. Overall, there were many similarities in healthy behaviors between youth at boarding schools and youth in the general population; however, the differences in healthy habits seemed related to policies governing the boarding schools as well as its structural elements.

Recent Fracturing in the US Economy and Society

This essay reviews the evidence from the mid-1970s up to 2010 of the increasing differentiation of the richest people from the rest of the population, a phenomenon designated as “fracturing.” Indicators under review include not just income and wealth, but also residential location, education, and health. Most of the indicators indicate that fracturing is increasing, that this process is cumulative, and that it will continue in the future. Public opinion data show that the attitudes and opinions of the richest are also deviating from the rest of the population on many (but not all) social and economic issues, and it seems likely that economic fracturing has had an important influence on this split, but the social implications of fracturing are, however, difficult to isolate.

Consumer perceived values of Hawaiian attire: the effects of socio-demographic factors

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to propose and examine a consumer-perceived value (CPV) formation model in the context of Hawaiian attire (aloha attire). The effects of key socio-demographic factors on perceived values of aloha attire were empirically determined.Design/methodology/approach– CPV is conceptualized as a multi-dimensional construct including emotional value, social value, quality value, and price value. The investigated socio-demographic factors included residential status, age, gender, ethnicity, education level, income level, and type of retailers from which consumers usually purchase aloha attire. The primary data were gathered by a questionnaire survey of US consumers. Using 330 survey returns, factor analysis and multiple regression analysis were utilized for data analysis and hypothesis testing.Findings– The proposed model was proven valid and the four value constructs cumulatively accounted for 68.6 percent of the variance in CPV of aloha attire. Majority of variances of perceived values (social value at 74 percent, emotional value at 70 percent, price value at 67 percent, and quality value at 65 percent, respectively) can be accounted for by investigated socio-demographic factors. Gender and ethnicity significantly affected perceived social and emotional values. Income level and education level significantly affected all perceived values. Residential status only affected perceived price and emotional values, while retailer type significantly affected perceived social, emotional, and quality values.Practical implications– Incorporation of gender, ethnicity, income level, education level, residential status, and retailer type information in developing marketing strategies and promotional programs can help companies more effectively convey desired values of aloha attire to target consumers.Originality/value– This empirical study responded to the need for better understanding of consumer desired values for aloha attire to support more effective product development and marketing. The knowledge gained from this study provides valuable insights for both academicians and industrial practitioners.

Looking Beyond The Residential Education And Distance Education Debate, What Matters In Education Is... Kwame Bediako Asare, University

The value of education is widely acknowledged. Evidence from literature indicates that some perceptions or rather misconceptions are expressed about distance education vis-a-vis traditional, residential education particularly in higher education institutions (HEIs). In this article, the author offers some reflections on traditional education and undertakes a review of distance education. Based on analysis of scholarly literature, the author highlights an important element that must steer any debate on education. This article underscores not only the benefits distance education offers but also the critical measures that must be pursued to reap the benefits. Arguments about distance-residential schooling have narrowly focused on mode of delivery. I argue that what must concern people in general and authorities of HEIs in particular is how to achieve quality education by equipping learners with relevant knowledge and skills to become functional citizens who contribute to the social and economic development of society. Suggestions offered included the need for certificates awarded by HEIs to have the same value and appearance despite the mode of education adopted. Designating some certificates as online or sandwich, for example, is misplaced. That graduates of online or distance education programs must assert themselves by demonstrating beyond doubt that they are not second-class students is also emphasized.

A case study of spatial differentiation of residential area and education: Perception and experience of mothers in Soojeong-Gu, Seong-Nam

A case study of spatial differentiation of residential area and education: Perception and experience of mothers in Soojeong-Gu, Seong-Nam

Memories as Useful Outcomes of Residential Outdoor Environmental Education

Residential outdoor environmental education (ROEE) programs for youth have been shown to yield lasting autobiographical episodic memories. This article explores how past program participants have used such memories, and draws on the memory psychology literature to offer a new perspective on the long-term impacts of environmental education. Qualitative interviews with 54 teens at two research sites 5 years after a ROEE experience revealed a variety of directive and social uses for their memories, including participating in outdoor recreation activities, being more knowledgeable about and appreciative of the local ecology, engaging in environmentally responsible behaviors, and reminiscing with friends about the experience.