Assessing the impact of curricular collections use at a liberal arts college

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kylie E. Quave ◽  
Nicolette B. Meister
Keyword(s):  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
The Impact

Transitioning to Blended Learning: Understanding Student and Faculty Perceptions

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nanette P. Napier ◽  
Sonal Dekhane ◽  
Stella Smith
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Faculty Perceptions ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Faculty Teaching ◽  
Face To Face Instruction ◽  
The Impact

This paper describes the conversion of an introductory computing course to the blended learning model at a small, public liberal arts college. Blended learning significantly reduces face-to-face instruction by incorporating rich, online learning experiences. To assess the impact of blended learning on students, survey data was collected at the midpoint and end of semester, and student performance on the final exam was compared in traditional and blended learning sections. To capture faculty perspectives on teaching blended learning courses, written reflections and discussions from faculty teaching blended learning sections were analyzed. Results indicate that student performance in the traditional and blended learning sections of the course were comparable and that students reported high levels of interaction with their instructor. Faculty teaching the course share insights on transitioning to the blended learning format.

Peer reference assistants in a small liberal arts college: case study

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 292-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasia Gonnerman ◽  
Ken Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mentorship Program ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Student Assistants

Purpose The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how to create and sustain a successful mentoring program for reference student assistants in the liberal arts environment. The study delineates student training, program assessment and the impact on reference practice in a way that can be used at other institutions considering implementing a similar initiative. Design/methodology/approach This case study is written by professionals who have been deeply engaged in initiating, running and assessing the program. It presents the value of the program in an unbiased and objective manner by including the voices of the student mentees themselves reflecting on the experience. Findings The mentorship program has proven to be worthwhile and rewarding in equal measures to both the mentees and reference librarians working with our future successors. It serves an important role in inspiring and encouraging library student workers to become interested in academic librarianship as a career choice and it prepares them to be successful students in library and information science graduate programs. Originality/value Although the discussion of training reference student assistants per se is not rare in the library literature, this particular program is unique in several ways: its main intent is to mentor students who are interested in pursuing librarianship as a career goal; it occurs in the context of a liberal arts college rather than in a larger university setting, especially those offering degrees in information and library science; and it empowers students to provide in-depth independent reference services for their peers and faculty.

scholarly journals The Impact of a Technology Ban on Students’ Perceptions and Performance in Introduction to Psychology

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Hutcheon ◽  
Aileen Lian ◽  
Anna Richard
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
The Other ◽  
Final Grade ◽  
Personal Technology ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Grade Performance ◽  
The Impact

To test the impact of the implementation of technology bans on students’ experience within a course, we collected data from four sections of Introduction to Psychology at a small liberal arts college in the northeast. In two sections, students were banned from using personal technology devices during lecture. In the other two sections, students were permitted to use personal technology devices freely during lecture. We found a significant reduction in student engagement but not in reported interest in psychology or perceived professor–student rapport for students in the technology-ban condition relative to students in the technology-permitted condition. In contrast to previous studies, we found no difference in final grade performance across condition. Although further research is needed, these results suggest that instructors should consider the composition of students in their course prior to implementing a technology ban in the classroom.

Test-Optional Admission at a Liberal Arts College: A Founding Mission Affirmed

2007 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 429-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
BRIAN SHANLEY
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Standardized Test ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
Academic Preparation ◽  
Standardized Test Scores ◽  
Student Body ◽  
History Of ◽  
Test Optional ◽  
The Impact

In this essay, Father Brian J. Shanley discusses Providence College's pilot program to eliminate standardized test scores from the required components of an admission application. Building on the college's ninety-year history of opening the doors of higher education to underrepresented populations, Providence College's test-optional policy is designed to ensure that students with strong academic preparation are not excluded from matriculating because of poor test performance. Shanley provides insight into the college's process of holistic application review and the institution's plan to study the impact of its new policy on the makeup and success of its student body.

scholarly journals Academic integrity and community ties at a small, religious-affiliated liberal arts college

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bath ◽  
Peter Hovde ◽  
Erik George ◽  
Kacie Schulz ◽  
Elise Larson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Integrity ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
Contextual Influences ◽  
Small Church ◽  
Institutional Practices ◽  
Community Ties ◽  
Small Liberal Arts Colleges ◽  
Church Affiliation ◽  
The Impact

While the increased incidence of academic integrity violations in university classrooms has been well documented over the past several decades, inconsistent attention has been given to small liberal arts colleges in terms of both cheating practices and attitudes towards cheating. This study aims to address this disparity by focusing on academic integrity at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota; a small undergraduate institution with a strong church affiliation. We hypothesise that institutional practices and the small-college culture that are unique to smaller colleges like Concordia act to limit the incidence of academic integrity violations. Our case study makes use of data collected from two student surveys - one conducted in 2008, and a follow-up survey conducted in 2010. Variables representing a range of internal and external factors that contribute to cheating were incorporated into a regression model designed to measure the impact of contextual influences that are potentially unique to students at a small, church-affiliated liberal arts college. Given our findings, we conclude that the college would be wise to consider adopting a traditional honour code system.

Energy challenges: isolating results due to behavior change

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Boulton ◽  
Eric Pallant ◽  
Casey Bradshaw-Wilson ◽  
Beth Choate ◽  
Ian Carbone
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Change ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Electricity Use ◽  
Energy Challenge ◽  
Climate Neutrality ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Approximately 700 colleges and universities have committed to climate neutrality, which will require significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper aims to explore the effectiveness of an Annual Energy Challenge in curtailing electricity use by changing consumption behaviors at one liberal arts college. Design/methodology/approach From 2010 to 2014, Allegheny College (Meadville, PA, USA) ran four-week energy challenges. Electricity consumption was measured and compared to a baseline year of 2008. An alternate baseline, more granular data for 20 sub-metered buildings and historic utility bill consumption trends were further analyzed to identify any persisting change and understand the impact of behavior change separate from efficiency retrofits, changes in population and normal seasonal shifts. Findings Electricity consumption during the challenge period dropped an average of 9 per cent compared to the 2008 baseline and 6 per cent compared to the baseline of the 4 weeks preceding each challenge. Consumption trends changed in the years during challenge implementation compared to the years before engaging the campus community. All analyses reinforce that the challenge reduces electricity consumption. However, results must be analyzed in multiple ways to isolate for behavior change. Practical implications The analyses used to isolate energy challenge results due to behavior change are replicable at other institutions and would allow campuses to compare results and share proven strategies. Originality/value While many campuses organize energy challenges, few have published details about the results both during the challenge and continuing afterwards. Nor has a research explored the need to put results into contexts such as natural seasonal trends to isolate the impacts of behavior change.

scholarly journals Information and Inflation: An Analysis of Grading Behavior

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 755-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Lehr
Keyword(s):  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Hispanic Students ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
Information Provision ◽  
Transcript Level ◽  
Relative Increase ◽  
Asian Students ◽  
Grade Distribution ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Impact

Abstract I study the impact on grades assigned at Occidental College, a selective private liberal arts college, following the introduction of a policy that provides information about average grades across campus to instructors each semester. Using transcript level data from 2009 to 2014, I find that after the information provision, previously below average grading courses increased grades by 0.08 grade points more than the previously above average grading courses. This finding of grade compression holds across all course levels and divisions, expect for in the sciences. With respect to students, the relative increase in grades in the previously low grading courses disproportionately benefited Black and Hispanic students relative to White and Asian students. In addition, the grade distribution shifted with previously below average grading courses increasing the share of A’s and decreasing the share of B’s and C’s following the grade information provision.

scholarly journals Family Business/Entrepreneurial Studies: A Small Private Liberal Arts College Approach

2004 ◽  
Vol 1 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Tony Bledsoe
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
Business Research ◽  
Female Undergraduate ◽  
Privately Held Firms ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Privately Held

The Center for Women’s Business Research reports that, “As of 2002, there are an estimated 10.1 million privately-held majority or 50% women-owned businesses in the U.S., accounting for 46% of all privately-held firms. These firms generate $2.3 trillion in sales and employ 18.2 million workers.” Further it states, “In North Carolina, women-owned firms approach 171,000, employment tops 307,000, and sales exceed $37.3 billion.” Given the impact of these statistics, the questions arises what, if anything, should a small, all-female, undergraduate, private liberal arts college do about developing and implementing a Family Business/Entrepreneurial (FB/E) studies program? This paper reviews issues: national, state and college to determine the direction for establishing a program at this school.

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