Browsing by Author "Amelink, Catherine T."
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- Adaptive Life-Long Learning for an Inclusive Knowledge EconomyArnold, Amy; Lindsey, Andrew; McCoy, Andrew P.; Khademian, Anne M.; Lockee, Barbara B.; Adams, Carol; Amelink, Catherine T.; Blankenship, Chip; Glover, Christopher; Harris, Chrystal; Hoyle, Clayton; Potts, Colin; Pike, Dale; Whittaker, Dale; Kjellsson, Daniel; Hare, David; Tegarden, David P.; Tinapple, David; Ucko, David; Nahapetian, Eta; Hou, Feng; Holmes, Glen A.; Keyel, Jared; Garrett, Jeff; Joo, Jenna; McPhee, Joel; Boyer, John D.; Flato, John; Lister, Jonothan; Haldane, Joseph; Greenwood, Julie; Sanders, Karen Eley; Bruce, Karla; Lindsey, Kate; Carlson, Kimberly; Wingfeld, Kristin; Hamilton, Laura; McNair, Lisa D.; Kamlet, Mark; Semmel, Marsha; Holt, Matthew; Richey, Michael; Kumar, Mukul; Spivy, Nene; Cardwell, Owen; Holloway, Rachel L.; Swearer, Randy; Hall, Ralph P.; Clark-Stallkamp, Rebecca; Mazer, Robert; Smith, Robert; Reynolds, Roger; Bess, Diego Scott; Weimer, Scott; Sagheb, Shahabedin; Garmise, Sheri; Ashburn, Sherrell; Johnson, Sylvester; Cardone, Taran; Nicewonger, Todd; Martin, Tom; Quick, Tom; Rikakis, Thanassis; Skuzinski, Thomas; Contomanolis, Manny (Calhoun Center for Higher Education Innovation, 2020-08-24)This report addresses the globalized knowledge economy in the 21st century; not only as it exists today, but the knowledge economy needed to meet the demands of tomorrow. This report proposes that in order for our knowledge economy to grow and be sustainable, it must be inclusive in ways that enable it to adapt to—and incorporate within it—the personal and professional growth of a large and diverse body of lifelong learners. In this introduction, we first define what we mean by inclusive knowledge and explain how our proposed definition expands some of the traditional understandings. We then show that an expansive and dynamic conceptualization of knowledge increases inclusion and promotes lifelong adaptive learning as a mindset and a practice.
- Incidents in the Undergraduate Research Experience that Contribute to an Interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)Austin, Janice E. (Virginia Tech, 2017-10-06)There is national attention and concern from industry leaders, educators and politicians that the United States will not be able to maintain its competitive edge due to the lack of students prepared for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) (Hurtado et al., 2008; Kuenzi et al., 2006; Kuenzi, 2008; Laursen et al., 2010). Student-faculty research, such as is done during an undergraduate research experience (URE), has been shown to be a high impact activity leading to greater student interest in STEM careers. A closer look is needed to get an idea of what types of experiences during UREs impact a student’s interest in persisting into a STEM field career and to understand what are the key mechanisms of the experience that make it meaningful. The findings in this study add to the literature by exploring participants views of the undergraduate research experience at non-doctoral-granting universities and by supporting the idea that UREs can be effective in these settings as well. Further, this study puts forward a theoretical explanation about how and why UREs promote a student’s interest in persisting to a STEM field career. The purpose of this qualitative study using critical incidents was to identify experiences during a URE that students perceived to encourage or deter their interest in pursuing a STEM field career following graduation and to identify causal mechanisms for why these experiences made a difference in their interest. This study was designed to use a qualitative approach consisting of individual interviews and a focus group with a total of 31 participants from three institutions to identify and come to a more complex, multi-layered understanding of the undergraduate research experience. A card sorting technique where participants assigned each card to the encouraged an interest, deterred an interest, neither encouraged nor deterred an interest, or did not experience category was used initially to generate a conversation about what individual experiences that students perceive encourage or deter them from pursuing a STEM field career following graduation. Follow-up interview questions guided the participant in explaining the incident and how and why it impacted their interest in a STEM field career following graduation. Findings of the study indicate that all participants began their URE with an interest in science. No one set of critical incidents was identified to encourage or deter an interest as the same incident could have positive and negative outcomes. Because of the initial strong interest in science, incidents identified in the literature as deterring an interest in STEM often served to help participants refine the field or topic in STEM they wanted to pursue rather than causing them to leave STEM altogether. The individual critical incidents during the URE in totality, not individually, had an impact on participants’ interest in pursuing a STEM field career. It is a combination of multiple experiences or events that help students gain a greater sense of self and to refine career and research opportunities. The main contribution of this study is a theoretical model of the mechanisms by which a variety of incidents during a URE can impact an interest in STEM. This model identifies underlying causal mechanisms on how UREs can promote an interest in STEM. The model is similar to a grounded theory model in that it highlights student characteristics, contextual factors, mechanisms, and outcomes that help to refine STEM field career interest. The URE incidents in totality provide mechanisms resulting in outcomes that refine a career interest in STEM. As all participants were still involved in their URE, this study is limited in that we do not know with any certainty if the participants will enter a STEM field career. Future research designed with a longitudinal time frame could follow participants throughout the URE then into their career thus allowing greater understanding as to why some students may choose to leave the STEM pipeline. In-depth case studies would allow for testing of the conceptual model to identify turning points in an interest in a STEM field career and how interests in a STEM field career are refined. Further, case studies would allow researchers to compare the conceptual model in different settings. The goals of UREs can be advanced in settings where there is a central organizing office on campus that makes visible that the institution values research and STEM and creates opportunities where students can to connect to a wider community of researchers. Faculty mentors guiding UREs can advance a commitment to pursue science by continually articulating the importance and wider social significance of the research. Further, faculty mentors play an invaluable role by providing information about the range of opportunities to pursue research, connect students with other research, and encourage URE student attendance at professional conferences in order to begin identification with a wider community of like-minded individuals.
- The nature of student affairs work at historically black colleges and universitiesHirt, Joan B.; Strayhorn, Terrell L.; Amelink, Catherine T.; Bennett, Belinda R. (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006)This qualitative study examined the nature of work for 70 administrators (67% female, 33 male) who provide services to students at historically Black colleges and universities. Data were collected by administering the National Professional Life Survey (NPLS) that asked respondents about their work, relationships with others on campus, and the rewards they valued in their work. Survey data were supplemented through in-depth one-on-one and group interviews. The nature of work was defined by three dimensions: pace of work, how work gets done, and work environment. Key findings reveal that work for these professionals is challenging, highly stressful, and that enacting change on campus takes time. Perhaps most interesting, there is a fairly entrenched sense of racial uplift among HBCU administrators. The opportunity to encourage success among Black students was considered both a privilege and a reward.
- Out-of-Classroom Student Engagement at Virginia Tech: The Effects of Race, Gender, and Class Year on Engagement Levels and Their Use as Predictors of Students’ GradesWilliams, Jaime L. (Virginia Tech, 2008-12-17)Engagement is one of the better predictors of learning and personal development among college students. College and university studies have identified differences in student engagement based upon demographic variables associated with students (Harper, Carini, Bridges, & Hayek, 2004; Kezar, 2006; Laird, et al., 2007). The Division of Student Affairs at Virginia Tech was interested in out-of-classroom engagement levels of students based on race, gender, and class standing, and wanted to determine if student engagement could serve as a significant predictor of students’ grades. The findings revealed that: - Virginia Tech students are highly engaged in exercise activities, practicum or internship experiences, and community service and volunteer work - Majority students participated in physical fitness activities significantly more frequently than underrepresented students; however, underrepresented students participated in artistic activities more frequently than majority students - Women were significantly more likely than men to report planned or actual participation in artistic activities, internships, community service work, and study abroad programs, whereas men were more likely to participate in physical fitness activities - First-year students were significantly more likely to report planned or actual participation in artistic events, internships, community service work, learning communities, and study abroad programs - Physical fitness activities as well as planned or actual participation in internships and study abroad programs had a positive influence on students’ grades. Based on these findings, an increased awareness of study abroad programs at Virginia Tech is recommended. In addition, it is advised that Residential Life develop a strategic plan for making learning communities a requirement of first-year students, and that Recreational Sports develop assessment to determine the reasons for higher majority student participation in physical fitness activities.
- Predicting Academic Success among First-Year, First Generation StudentsAmelink, Catherine T. (Virginia Tech, 2005-04-20)Due to immigration the non-Hispanic White population continues to decrease and the population continues to change in regard to the ethnic and racial make-up. As these demographic changes take place higher education institutions will face increasing pressure from stakeholders to create environments that facilitate degree completion among mounting numbers of populations who are at risk in terms of academic success. First generation status denotes one group of students who are at risk in terms of persistence towards a bachelor's degree. The purpose of this study was to examine what factors predict the academic success of first year, full-time first generation students. Furthermore, this study examined whether there is a relationship between race, gender, financial need, and language ability and factors used to predict the academic success of first generation students. Factors were defined as variables measured by the 2002 Your First College Year Survey (YFCY) data (HERI, 2004a). Factors fell into five main areas: Student Background Characteristics, Agents of Socialization, Structural Characteristics, Institutional Environment, and Student Effort (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991). The study was based on secondary analysis of the 2002 YFCY data provided by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. A combination of descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and logistic regression was used for this study. Findings revealed there are significant differences between academically more successful FGs and FGs who are academically less successful in relation to three factors: Institutional Environment, Student Effort, and Agents of Socialization. FGs are more likely to experience academic success in regard to variables associated with the factor Institutional Environment. There is a greater likelihood FGs will be academically less successful in relation to variables associated with the factors Student Effort and Agents of Socialization. When considering demographic variables in relation to the three significant institutional factors, FGs who are Asian American are more likely to experience academic success. Alternatively, FGs have greater odds of being academically less successful if they are male, African American, Mexican American, and non-native speakers of English.
- Preparing Students for Professional Work Environments Through University- Industry Partnerships: A Single Case Study of the Co-op Development ProgramYoung, Glenda (Virginia Tech, 2017-04-26)Collaborations to produce innovative models that link postsecondary education to workforce development initiatives have increased as multiple stakeholders respond to the call to develop a diverse, well-prepared STEM workforce. University and industry stakeholders in engineering agree that collaborating to share expertise and implement programs that aim to support the school-to-workforce transition for engineering graduates is critical. However, in light of existing efforts, a more nuanced view of university-industry partnerships from the student participant perspective is needed to provide data to engineering educators and professionals to support effective partnership design and use of resources. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to understand how experiences in the Co-op Development Program (CDP) influence student participants’ subsequent career decision-making with respect to pursuing engineering industry positions. Guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), this study examined the role that cooperative education experiences have on how students view and act on the potential employment opportunities that university and industry partners anticipate. Semi-structured interviews with eight former CDP participants, employed in industry at the time of the study, served as the primary data source. Additionally, program related documents, a profile questionnaire, and a conference proceeding were utilized to provide in-depth context of the CDP. Results indicate that all participants voiced a desire to work in the aerospace industry to explore short-term interests or to accomplish longer-term career entry goals. Furthermore, participants most frequently discussed experiences that required them to employ a sense of selfagency to complete work tasks (e.g., guiding themselves through uncertainty, observations of the environments, and interactions with engineering professionals) as learning experiences. Finally, participants primarily connected their learning experiences to their beliefs about what work looks like as a full-time engineer, their abilities to perform in an engineering role, and perceptions of fit across different engineering roles and workplaces. Major contributions of this study include extending the analytic generalizability of Social Cognitive Career Theory, creating operationalized definitions of learning experiences, and linking those experiences to students’ beliefs of the engineering industry pathway
- A Qualitative Investigation of Undergraduate Students' Experiences of Helicopter ParentingHatfield, Lauren Michelle (Virginia Tech, 2020-04-28)The study involves a qualitative investigation of undergraduate students' experiences of helicopter parenting. Quantitative research has provided a variety of important insights into this phenomenon as far as the characteristics of helicopter parents, the nature of the helicopter parent-child relationship, and multiple outcomes of helicopter parenting for children. Little qualitative research, however, has been conducted on the general phenomenon helicopter parenting of college-aged children. Much of the phenomenon therefore remains to be investigated qualitatively for other demographic groups of undergraduate students. Purposeful sampling was used to select undergraduate students from a mid-sized, public, four-year M1 university in the mid-Atlantic region of the country. Participants were recruited via email, using a listserv that includes all undergraduate students who attend the institution. Data collection involved the use of in-depth, open-ended qualitative interviews to explore the participants' experiences of the phenomenon. A standardized, open-ended interview format was used, which involved developing all interview questions in advance and asking them in the same way and in the same order for all of the participants. A form of whole text analysis was then used to code the data and develop categories and subcategories from the resulting codes. To establish the credibility of the findings from the current study, the traditional trustworthiness criteria was used but without their commitment to a foundationalist epistemology. Several prominent alternative criteria in contemporary qualitative inquiry were used. The current study has a number of limitations, as well as a variety of potential implications for further research on the helicopter parenting of college-aged children, higher education, and qualitative methodology. The analysis yielded seven major findings: (a) helicopter parenting prior to college can take a variety of forms, (b) helicopter parenting during college can take a variety of forms, (c) other parental characteristics associated with helicopter parenting, (d) personal consequences of helicopter parenting, (e) consequences of helicopter parenting for others and relationships with others, (f) efforts to deal with helicopter parenting, and (g) goals associated with education, career, and helicopter parenting. The implications of the findings for higher education and further research and implications of the study for qualitative methodology are discussed.
- A Quantitative Analysis of First Year Engineering Students' Courses Perceptions and Motivational Beliefs in Two Introductory Engineering CoursesVirguez Barroso, Lilianny Josefina (Virginia Tech, 2018-02-27)As a national initiative to support retention of engineering students, engineering programs have undergone a surge of revisions to their coursework in recent years, most notably in relation to first-year programs. These program modifications are generally intended to enhance student success in engineering, including both students' achievement and students' motivation to persist in an engineering degree. This study examines motivational constructs as it compares two versions (standard and revised) of an introductory engineering course taught in a general first year engineering program. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine students' course perceptions, students' Expectancy-Value beliefs, and the relationship between perceptions and beliefs in the two versions of an introductory engineering course. Students' perceptions of the class were measured at the course level using the MUSIC model of Academic Motivation, and students' Expectancy-Value beliefs were measured within the engineering domain level using Expectancy-value theory. The dissertation is divided into three stages: In the first stage I provide a quantitative comparison of students' perceptions of the course, from students enrolled in each of the two versions of the course. In the second stage, I describe comparisons of Expectancy-Value engineering-related beliefs between students in each of the two versions of the introductory course, as well as within students in one of the courses. In the third stage, I develop structural models to test the relationship between students' perceptions of the introductory engineering courses and their Expectancy-Value engineering-related beliefs. This study suggests three main outcomes: First, students' perceptions of success and caring are statistically and significantly different between the two versions of the course. Second, students' Expectancy-Value beliefs are discovered to have declined significantly in the standard version of the course, whereas in the revised version of the course, there are no statistically significant differences. Third, the fit indices of the models suggest a good model data-fit providing strong support for the hypothesis that students' perceptions of introductory engineering courses have effect on students' broader motivational beliefs. These outcomes have practical implications for students, instructors, and researchers in first year engineering education.
- Virginia Tech Assessment Showcase 2015: Day 1Amelink, Catherine T.; Kutnak, Michael J.; Wenzel, Sophie; Evans, Jack (2015-02-09)University Libraries partnered with the Office of Assessment to hold the Virginia Tech 2015 Assessment Showcase for the entire university.