Learning Resources

Abstract: The United States relies on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) graduates to enhance national innovation and economic development. Recently, however, great concern has arisen about the quantity and quality of STEM graduates and the need to recruit and graduate more minority students from these disciplines. This exploratory qualitative study used interviews and document analysis to gain additional insight into the ways that habitus, academic preparation, academic and social integration, and interventions and inducements interact and influence the persistence to graduation of minority students in the STEM disciplines.

Abstract: In 2010, a public research institution in the southeastern United States, the focus institution for this investigation, launched an academic realignment initiative through the creation of a new academic unit. Administrators identified three primary goals for the academic realignment initiative but failed to articulate a time line or measureable outcomes for the process. In the absence of institutional measures, the primary author created proxy outcomes, but found minimal evidence to suggest that institutional outcomes had been achieved. In an era of high-stakes accountability and limited financial resources, it is imperative that academic leaders intentionally connect institutional goals to measureable outcomes.

Abstract: During the 2009–10 academic year, Idaho State University embarked on a university-wide structural reorganization. This article describes the change process leading to the creation and development of the Division of Health Sciences, using John P. Kotter’s “8-Step Process for Leading Change” as the framework for analysis. The authors conclude that while the reorganization process generated controversy, it continues to be a work in progress and has resulted in noticeable benefits for the division.

Abstract: Sustainability guidelines for campuses typically focus on the environmental, structural, and organizational aspects of colleges and universities. The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) expands the definition of campus sustainability by including “Socially Equitable” design guidelines that consider how people interact with and within campus landscapes. Landscapes that afford (1) mental restoration and (2) social interaction become sustainable under the SITES definition. This study conducted at Agnes Scott College and The University of Georgia tests the criteria associated with these guidelines to determine their relevance and impact. Through mapping exercises, direct observation, and a questionnaire survey, data were collected from 120 students to determine which “sustainable” criteria are relevant to campus landscapes. The findings confirm the criteria listed in the SITES guidelines and introduce additional criteria to consider for enhancing Socially Equitable design standards on campus.

Abstract: Learning happens best when students are engaged with the topic and productive participation is at its highest. The challenge in education is how to reach students at each level of development to increase motivation and intention. Instruction must be culturally responsive to support the achievement of a diverse population using a framework that meets the appropriate level of learning for each student in the affective, cognitive, and psychomotor domains in order to inspire creativity and innovation. In teaching in the medical field, the faculty is faced with the same challenges, since the theories taught in medical education are difficult for students to grasp. There are fewer designated methods for medical education than for general education, leading many educators to fall back on standard lectures. However, traditional lecture materials and class-time methods fail to meet the learning needs of all students. A proven way for teachers to engage students and improve learning outcomes is through the relevant use of e-learning and Web 2.0 tools in teaching. The literature supports the case for integrating e-learning and Web 2.0 technologies into medical education to improve learning outcomes.

Abstract: Branding is a strategy that many universities have adopted to enhance their competitive position in the marketplace. In this article the author explores the important role that the visual image of the campus can play in any branding strategy. He suggests a variety of measures that can be taken to enhance the visual quality of the institution and indicates which can be most effectively used on various types of campuses as part of an effort to strengthen the university’s brand. He also identifies elements of analytical data needed to inform the decision-making process.

Abstract: The University System of Georgia has radically altered its approach to measuring space utilization. We here present the data set generated by the inaugural run of the new methodology, which shows tremendous variation in campus space profiles across the system. The data provide compelling evidence that thinking differently about space will profoundly affect college and university planning.

Abstract: As with all educational institutions, the visual identity of a Christian college results from both a professional’s design principles and users’ own experiences and associations. While the two may be related, they are by no means the same. A logical symbolic center for many Christian campuses, a chapel facilitates religious activity and carries emotional attachments bound up with the community’s sense of place. However, it is not clear how the community members of a Christian college perceive the importance of their chapel relative to the importance placed on it by an architect’s strong campus design principles.
Calvin College, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serves as a case study, offering an example of how a college community might regard the importance of a chapel building over and against its architect’s strong design principles. The chapel building was not conceived as a primary expression of the college’s visual identity and thus was only incidentally associated with the architect’s overarching vision for the campus. This case study asks if the community of Calvin College perceives the chapel as a powerful campus placemarker contributing to the current visual identity of the institution. The results of this study illustrate that a chapel building can work as an institutional symbol for a Christian college, representing the institution’s identity even when it stands apart from strong campus design principles.