Academic-Capital

Constructivism is a concept that entails all learning as a building process that creates knowledge through mental processes derived from the social and communicative process. When students are reflective they are able to learn from their experience and apply new information to these concepts. A paper by Abdulla Al Mahmud moves into the concept of learning through a constructivist perspective by fostering knowledge building through experience to create better student learning (2013).  In a constructionists perspective all learning comes from experiencing the world and reflecting on those experiences.  The concept was mention by John Dewey in his 1910 book How We Think, “ Only by wrestling with the conditions of the problem at hand, seeking and finding his own solution [not in isolation but in correspondence with the teacher and other pupils] does one learn .” People live within a social environment and use their experiences and the knowledge of others to learn. To understan

Tuesday, April 8, 3:00-4:30 (EST) online webinar Overview Engaging students in active learning programs outside of the classroom is a proven strategy for increasing learning. Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic assistance program that utilizes peer-led team learning in study sessions. This method provides students with the opportunity to review course concepts and develop effective learning strategies. Data from institutions around the country, and in several other countries, show that SI is effective in improving student grades in historically difficult courses. Data also shows its success in increasing the number of students who complete the course with a grade of C or higher. This webinar will present the salient features of Supplemental Instruction (SI), the cognitive science principles upon which the program is built, the steps necessary for setting up an SI program, and the materials available from the International SI Office. Key Concepts - Describe Supplemen

Faculty have many responsibilities that include teaching, volunteer work, and research. A paper by Dan Worrell (2009), talks about the differences between teaching and research in universities. He indicates that research universities have an advantage in the market but may not be focused on the more important aspects of teaching. The focus is based primarily in the way schools are ranked by outside organizations but this may not be the best use of professor's time.  According to the authors, U.S. News and World Report, BusinessWeek, and the Wall Street Journal often rank schools based upon their research capabilities. This creates emphasis to engage professors in research to move their rankings upward. These rankings naturally have influence on student choice and other financial benefits.  As professors engage more in research they have reduced teaching loads and higher levels of autonomy. Their research activities are often rewarded within universities with higher sala

by Dr. Michael S. Miller Bandura (1997) presented self-efficacy as a mechanism of behavioral change and self-regulation in his social cognitive theory. Defined as “beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments” (p. 3), Bandura (1997) proposed that efficacy beliefs were powerful predictors of behavior because they were ultimately self-referent in nature and directed toward specific tasks. The predictive power of efficacy has generally been borne out in research, especially when efficacy beliefs are measured concerning specific tasks.   It is necessary, therefore, to find the optimal level of specificity of the measure, which is in correspondence with the task and the area under evaluation.   In the same vein, Burgoyne (2010) summarizes some properties implied in measuring self-efficacy, which refers to certain tasks or activities.   They are linked to certain areas of operation and are dependent on the context