Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching - National University

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training-based method for integrating relevant examples drawn from politics and society in a way intended to reduce the likelihood of negative effects on the students and increase the number of learning opportunities for them. An instance in which the author used a political issue as an example for classroom discussion is provided, along with recommendations for future use. Suzanne Evans from National University argues that children can adapt more easily to the changes of our increasingly multicultural society if they learn to understand and respect all cultures in her article The Role of Multicultural Literature Interactive Read-Alouds on Student Perspectives Toward Diversity. The purpose of this paper is to share the results of a qualitative research study that examined whether reading multicultural books aloud to elementary-age students could serve as a tool for altering student perspectives of others and for increasing tolerance. The results of this study demonstrated that through using an innovative critical literacy practice with multicultural literature, students' awareness and understanding of others could be positively impacted. A collaborative effort between Thomas DeVere Wolsey from the National University faculty, Diane Lapp, a San Diego State University scholar, and Bruce Dow from Walden University, produced the article entitled Reading Practices in Elementary Schools: Format of Tasks Teachers Assign. The authors suggest that teachers often use groups and various reading modalities (for example, independent reading, guided reading) to meet the needs of students with divergent reading abilities. Their study explores the perceptions of teachers as to their grouping practices and reading formats when literacy tasks are assigned. The survey results indicate that teachers in the sample tend to value small-group oral reading configurations and partner work over whole-class or homework activities. Some whole-class oral reading is still used by some teachers. The section Bilingual Education and Second Language Learning contains four articles. In the article Innovative Strategies that Work with Nondiverse Teachers for Diverse Classrooms, C. Kalani Beyer from National University talks about today’s classrooms as microcosms of the plurality of cultures, races, religions, and ethnicities in the world. Although classroom diversity is increasing, teachers still tend to be mainly nondiverse. The author believes teachers must be skilled in teaching and helping all students. This article focuses on five innovative strategies, confirmed by research, that education professors can use to improve the instructional practices of nondiverse teachers in teaching diverse students. These proven innovative strategies include the following: (1) reducing prejudice and enhancing tolerance; (2) identifying the white identity model; (3) determining white privilege; (4) multicultural infusion; and (5) searching for personal roots. National University’s Peter Serdyukov proposes some realistic steps for establishing balanced bilingualism, raising efficiency of SL teaching and learning, and improving teacher preparation on the basis of practical needs analysis of multicultural, multilingual societies and existing theories and practices of bilingual education in his paper Can Balanced Bilingualism Be Achieved in a Multicultural Society Second and First Language Implications. He advocates the integration of innovative approaches, such as accelerated and intensive instructional methods, in second and foreign language teaching and learning. The article Language as Tool for a Global Education: Bridging the Gap Between the Traditional and a Global Curriculum by Gladys N. Focho from Lycee Classique de Dschang, Cameroon, describes the situation in developing countries such as Cameroon where students are being taught the hard facts of academics, oblivious of the importance of a global education for iii
global citizenship. The features of a global curriculum such as cross-cultural awareness, global issues, universal values, critical thinking, and experiential learning are minimized in the official curriculum. The author identifies what constitutes a global education curriculum and how it could be integrated in English language teaching without jeopardizing the official curriculum. This may become possible because English is not subject specific, permitting the use of material from any subject area to teach language skills.  The study Motivational and Attitudinal Characteristics of Highly-Proficient L2 Speakers: Implications for Foreign Language Teaching and Learning by Lisa M. Basista from Alliant International University, San Diego, and Robyn A. Hill from National University, examines various motivational factors and, to a lesser extent, attitudinal factors that four near-native L2 speakers identified as leading to their high levels of fluency. Through reflective Second Language Learner Autobiographies, participants explore the role key constructs such as attitudes, motivation and sociocultural beliefs played in their L2 acquisition A follow-up Likert-scale questionnaire ranks the common themes that were identified as leading to high proficiency. This study discusses each of the commonly identified factors and provides implications for secondlanguage pedagogy. The Assessment and Evaluation section contains two articles, Learner-Centered Assessment: A New Tool by Melinda Campbell, and Student Evaluations of Courses and Teachers by Nataliya Serdyukova, B. Charles Tatum, and Peter Serdyukov, all from National University. Melinda Campbell argues that educators and course developers have long regarded the goals of increased student interactivity and highly developed critical thinking as key factors in superior student performance and satisfaction. With these goals in mind, she proposes a new pedagogical tool that promises increased student engagement and peer interaction, accelerated development of critical thinking skills, and opportunities for self-assessment in relation to course learning outcomes. The author suggests a new method for producing student-centered learning and generating peer criticism and commentary to accompany interactive discussion assignments. The authors of the second article state that student course evaluations are an important factor in determining the quality of teaching and learning. They are an essential measure of student satisfaction and allow instructors and administrators to obtain the feedback necessary for reflecting on teaching and for updating the course and its delivery. The investigation of student evaluations, particularly the evaluation of instructors, offers insight into faculty teaching effectiveness, initiates professional development using self-assessment and reflection, and contributes to course renovation and academic rigor. The study investigates course evaluation form used at National University and explores the reliability and validity of the student course ratings. It shows a high degree of reliability and validly, which suggests that these course ratings can be applied to improving teaching and making decisions about faculty promotion, reappointment and merit. Finally, in the Best Practices section the reader can find an article Teaching Introductory Statistics and Probability Online in a Pace Format: Some Best Practices by National University faculty member Michael V. Steinberg. His paper presents a summary of a multiyear experience of teaching the online course Introduction to Probability and Statistics (MTH 210). The author focuses on various aspects of teaching the online pace course, including its structure, textbook, class management, assessment, and ways of improvement, and discusses the parts of the course that are most difficult for the students and require the instructor’s special attention. iv
Page 2 and 3: Journal of Research in Innovative T
Page 4 and 5: Table of Contents Editor’s Column
Page 6 and 7: Editor’s Column National Universi
Page 10 and 11: The Editorial Board invites the rea
Page 12 and 13: The Influence of Social Worlds on E
Page 14 and 15: experience in a strong group settin
Page 16 and 17: Table 1 Example Scenario of a Burea
Page 18 and 19: hierarchy ensures a social position
Page 20 and 21: (see Figure 5). Each member is affo
Page 22 and 23: through four types of instructional
Page 24 and 25: Hierarchic (high grid, strong Group
Page 26 and 27: Figure 10. Didactic Task Structure
Page 28 and 29: Stansberry, S., & Harris, E. (2005)
Page 30 and 31: Utilizing current research-based co
Page 32 and 33: teachers. The instructor kept a mas
Page 34 and 35: References Coburn, C. E. (2001). Co
Page 36 and 37: Organizing for Instruction Carefull
Page 38 and 39: Accelerated Learning 33
Page 40 and 41: the learning process but rather to
Page 42 and 43: Csikszentmihalyi (1982) has written
Page 44 and 45: term (intersession) gets its name b
Page 46 and 47: Some Important Issues Scott and Con
Page 48 and 49: esponsibilities). A higher percenta
Page 50 and 51: them in such a way that the likelih
Page 52 and 53: makes a valuable contribution to ou
Page 54 and 55: North American Association of Summe
Page 56 and 57: E-learning 51
Page 58 and 59:
Academic Learning Today Academic in
Page 60 and 61:
In the original publication by the
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• Individual (1) — Group (2) co
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Challenges and Opportunities From t
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About the Authors Cynthia (Cindy) L
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AGILE TEACHING: A CASE STUDY OF USI
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the scope-by-name feature of Ruby e
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need to deal with. Students learned
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experiment with different options f
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the students evaluate the optimum s
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Using Bibliotherapy as a Tool for C
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different clients and their present
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supervisees with a brief synopsis o
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Stick Figure, by Lori Gottlieb As t
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psychological awareness to encourag
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on the Internet. To keep the classr
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The third portion of the discussion
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Henry, S. (2005). A different appro
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elementary-age students. Linked wit
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considered in multicultural literat
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In Finding One, the conclusion was
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Stephanie: “I learned that some p
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importance in society and in school
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published in the United States. Ret
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Reading Practices in Elementary Sch
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groups of students reading by apply
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Table 2 Participant-Reported Teachi
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Table 5A Teachers’ Reading Task P
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Because electronic texts are increa
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Conclusion As teachers work to impr
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Bilingual Education and Second Lang
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successful in hiring enough qualifi
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Five Innovative Strategies That Wor
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The third strategy is “Determinin
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the categories, synthesized and def
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Fereshteh, M. H. (1995). Multicultu
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Can Balanced Bilingualism Be Achiev
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As may be seen from this discussion
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Alternatives to Current Methodologi
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education when students are isolate
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Conclusion SL learning must be a tw
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Language as Tool for a Global Educa
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encouraging passive learning. Such
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Similarly, their actions or what go
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should therefore not be glued to th
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Supplementary Reading Since there i
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Bruce, M. G., Podemski, R. S., & An
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• Sentence combination (using con
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The Motivational and Attitudinal Ch
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Other researchers have challenged t
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education classes were taught in Ru
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Participants also described how the
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Implications and Suggestions for Fu
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National University Carlsbad, CA Em
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Assessment and Evaluation 161
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affordance of opportunities for sel
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An examination of the peer-comment
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language used in the description an
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promotes self-discovery (Saulnier e
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Appendix A Sample Language from an
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Student Evaluations of Courses and
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that there is a consistent positive
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(teaching) for all classes (11 item
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Figure 1. The Nonlinear Relationshi
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About the Authors Nataliya Serdyuko
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Best Practices 183
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The Textbook Elementary Statistics
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If the mean number of visits was as
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discussion in such courses is slow;
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Table 1. A grade list for a class o
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Sloboda, B. W. (2005). Improving th
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The Journal of Research in Innovati
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About the Author In the end of your
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