Browsing by Author "Cobb, R. Brian, advisor"
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Item Open Access A qualitative study of college students' conceptions of rivers(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Sexton, Julie Marie, author; Cobb, R. Brian, advisor; Kennedy, Paul, advisorThis study explored two research questions: (1) What are college students' conceptions of river topics and (2) What are the emergent patterns between students' conceptions and their gender and ethnicity? A basic interpretive qualitative research design was used. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 24 college students from an introductory geology class. In-depth interviews were conducted and a demographic questionnaire administered. Interview responses were analyzed using a modified version of constant comparative analysis. Between-gender patterns and between-ethnic group patterns of the type of conceptions held were investigated by calculating relative likelihood statistics. Four findings emerged. Finding 1: students held mostly scientific and incomplete scientific conceptions of the nine river topics covered in the study. Finding 2: students' conceptions were complex. In addition to scientific and alternative conceptions, students also held incomplete scientific, incomplete scientific-alternative, and scientific-alternative conceptions. Individual students held a range of conceptions across the river topics. For each topic, there was a range of conceptions held by students. Finding 3: students had more alternative conceptions for processes, causes, and difficult-to-observe features. Finding 4: patterns were observed between students' conceptions and their gender and ethnicity. Men held scientific, incomplete scientific, and scientific-alternative conceptions more frequently than did women. Women held incomplete scientific-alternative and alternative conceptions more frequently than did men. White students held scientific, incomplete scientific, and scientific-alternative conceptions more frequently than did Hispanic students. Hispanic students held incomplete scientific-alternative and alternative conceptions more frequently than did White students.Item Open Access A systematic review of interventions in secondary mathematics with at-risk students: mapping the literature(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2007) Dugan, James Joseph, author; Gloeckner, Gene, advisor; Cobb, R. Brian, advisorA systematic review of 3,814 published and unpublished citations identified in a literature search on interventions in secondary and early postsecondary mathematics with at-risk students between 1990 and 2004 was conducted. The goal of the systematic review was to identify those interventions which are most successful at improving the mathematics achievement of at-risk students while reducing the mathematics achievement gap. The utilization of a multi-phased coding process resulted in 100 empirical studies meeting the inclusionary criteria while yielding effect size estimates for a number of interventions and for multiple at-risk factors. This report summarizes these studies through a two-level mapping of the literature base. It identifies the interventions, at-risk factors, sample characteristics, study settings, and methodological research designs utilized in this body of empirical studies. The results of this approach suggest that those interventions identified as effective in increasing mathematics achievement with secondary and early postsecondary, at-risk students can be grouped into two primary intervention categories (a)Â pedagogical or instructional interventions, including cognitive and metacognitive approaches, cooperative learning, and peer tutoring, and (b)Â technology-based interventions. Two other types of intervention provided inconclusive results. No conclusions could be reached regarding curriculum interventions due to the small number of studies meeting the inclusionary criteria and the wide variety of curricular approaches included in those studies. The final results of the systematic review will be a series of research articles describing effective interventions for student populations with specific at risk factors. In addition, the results of this systematic review can be used to direct future research efforts by defining investigations into specific interventions with specific populations while informing the knowledge base.Item Open Access Computational thinking: an investigation of the existing scholarship and research(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Weinberg, Andrea Elizabeth, author; Cobb, R. Brian, advisor; Albright, Leonard, committee member; Kehle, Paul, committee member; Vaske, Jerry, committee memberDespite the prevalence of computing and technology in our everyday lives and in almost every discipline and profession, student interest and enrollment in computer science courses is declining. In response, computer science education in K-12 schools and universities is undergoing a transformation. Computational thinking has been proposed as a universal way of thinking with benefits for everyone, not just computer scientists. The focus on computational thinking moves beyond computer literacy, or the familiarity with software, to a way of thinking that benefits everyone. Many see computational thinking as a way to introduce students to computer science concepts and ways of thinking and to motivate student interest in computer science. The first part of this dissertation describes a study in which the researcher systematically examined the literature and scholarship on computational thinking since 2006. The aim was to explore nature and extent of the entire body of literature and to examine the theory and research evidence on computational thinking. Findings reveal that there has been a steady increase in the popularity of the concept of computational thinking, but it is not yet developed to the point where it can be studied in a meaningful way. An examination of the research evidence on computational thinking found inadequacies in the conceptual characteristics and the reporting of studies. Weaknesses were identified in the theoretical conceptualization of interventions, definitions of key concepts, intervention descriptions, research designs, and the presentation of findings. Recommendations for bolstering the research evidence around this burgeoning concept are presented, including collaboration between computer scientists and educational researchers to apply social science research methods to conduct robust studies of computational thinking interventions. The second part of this dissertation describes how computational thinking is currently incorporated into K-12 educational settings. The bulk of the literature on computational thinking describes ways in which programs promote this way of thinking in students. The K-12 programs that encourage computational thinking are classified, described, and discussed in a way that is intended to be meaningful for K-12 educators and educational researchers. Potential barriers and factors that might enable educators to use each category of interventions are discussed.Item Open Access Cooperative learning instruction and science achievement for secondary and early post-secondary students: a systematic review(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Romero, Christopher C., author; Cobb, R. Brian, advisor; Kennedy, Paul, advisorA systematic review of 2,506 published and unpublished citations identified in a literature search on science outcomes associated with cooperative learning in secondary and early post-secondary science classrooms between 1995 and 2007 was conducted. The goal of this review was to determine what impact cooperative learning had on science achievement of students compared to traditional instruction. A tri-level screening and coding process was implemented and identified 30 original, empirical studies that met the inclusionary criteria while yielding an overall effect size estimate. The minimum methodological criteria for inclusion were as follows: (a) the study utilized a treatment/control design, (b) cooperative learning was the intervention, and the control group experienced traditional instruction, (c) the subjects in included studies were secondary or early-post-secondary students, (d) the study was performed in a science classroom, and (e) student achievement was the outcome measure. This meta-analysis describes the main effect of cooperative learning; additionally, a variety of moderator analyses were conducted in order to determine if particular study and participant characteristics influenced the effect of the intervention. The results of this review indicate that cooperative learning improves student achievement in science. The overall mean effect size was .308, a medium effect (Cohen, 1988). Moderator analyses on study participant characteristics gender and ability level were inconclusive based on the small number of studies in which data on these characteristics were disaggregated. If the intervention was structured in a particular fashion, the effect on student achievement was greater than that for an unstructured intervention. The intervention showed a greater effect on student achievement in biology classes than in other science disciplines. Studies performed using cluster randomized or quasi-experimental without subject matching methodologies showed a greater effect on student achievement in science than studies that used the quasi-experimental with subject matching methodology. Implications for teacher education policy and recommendations for improvements in methodological practices and reporting are given.Item Open Access Effects of an elementary two way bilingual Spanish-English immersion school program on junior high and high school student achievement(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Vega, Luis Diego, author; Cobb, R. Brian, advisor; Morgan, George A., committee member; Robinson, Dan, committee member; Zimmerman, Tony S., committee memberThis study explores the effects of a Two-Way Bilingual Immersion (TWBI) program on language majority and minority students. The fundamental hypothesis was that the process of receiving instruction in two languages (English and Spanish) throughout elementary school (i.e., attendance at a TWBI school) would help the native Spanish-speaking students and not have a negative effect on the native English-speaking students in the performance of core academic areas (reading, mathematics, writing), and that this beneficial effect would carry through Junior High and High School in which instruction was delivered through a "business as usual" English-only model. This is a longitudinal quasi-experimental study with an ex post facto, non-randomized, matched-pairs design. A multi-level matching procedure was used to match students from the TWBI elementary school (treatment group) with comparable students from throughout the school district (control group) beginning in third grade. Eleven annual cohorts of students from the treatment school were matched on a student-by-student basis on seven variables - cohort year, student's primary language, years of enrollment in the program, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and 3rd grade performance - with comparable students from within the school district. These eleven cohorts of 3rd graders were then tracked to the end of elementary school, middle and high school and measured on their reading, writing, and math achievement scores at each year. ACT scores were also collected in 11th grade. We found that students who graduated from the TWBI program had significantly higher CSAP reading, writing and math scores at the end of their elementary school when compared with their matched pairs. We also observed a consistent main effect on program type over time across all three outcome domains, indicating the strength and breadth of the intervention across Junior High and High School. Native Spanish-speaking students who graduated from the TWBI program achieved significantly better in reading and math, and somewhat better in writing across Junior High through 10th grade than the matched control group. Native English-speaking students who graduated from the treatment program achieved as well as their matched counter parts in writing and math across Junior High through 10th. Furthermore, in the reading area, native English-speaking students who graduated from the treatment program achieved significantly better than their matched controls. We found that the overall program main effect was small in all three CSAP areas (reading, writing, and math), with at least three interesting trends. First, effect sizes (ESs) tended to be higher for native Spanish-speaking than for native English-speaking students in all three domains, and especially in grades 8, 9 and 10. Second, ESs tended to get bigger for native Spanish-speaking students and smaller for native English-speaking students across Junior High and High School (time) in all three domains. Third, ESs for native Spanish-speaking students in math were the biggest ones at each grade level, with only the exception of 9th grade. Also, math ESs for Spanish-speaking students were bigger than reading and writing ESs for this language group. ESs for native Spanish-speaking students in math were bigger than all ESs for English-speaking students. The treatment program had its biggest effect in the math area for native Spanish-speaking students. Results also indicate that all students who attended the TWBI program performed better in ACT English, reading, and math scores when compared with their matched pairs. ACT Reading scores were significantly higher for native Spanish-speaking students than for their matched pairs (d = .72), but this was not the case for English, math and science. Native English-speaking students from the treatment group performed equal to or better than their matched counterparts. Furthermore, students from the treatment program obtained mean ACT scores significantly higher than the control group in English (d = .28), reading (d = .36), and math (d = .35) but not science (d = .22). Effect sizes were medium and large for native Spanish-speaking students in English and Reading while they were small to medium for native English-speaking students in these areas, a pattern that is similar to the one that was observed in grades 6 to 10. Findings suggest consistent support for the two-way immersion program over matched control students across all three achievement areas in Junior High and in three of the four areas evaluated in High School. It appears the greatest effect for native English speakers may be in reading, while native Spanish speakers may benefit more in writing and mathematics. Limitations to generalizability and causal inferences due to the small sample sizes and inherent weaknesses of the research design are noted. The analysis of attrition revealed that native Spanish speakers from the TWBI program were more likely to stay in the school district than native Spanish speakers from other programs. This was an unexpected but important finding. It could be possible that native Spanish speakers who attended the TWBI program received the benefits of a coherent and theory-based program that successfully helped them improve their academic achievement and allowed them to pursue and navigate their secondary level of instruction.Item Open Access The development and initial validation of the Daily Experiences of Pleasure, Productivity and Restoration Profile(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Atler, Karen E., author; Cobb, R. Brian, advisor; Wood, Wendy, advisor; Makela, Carole, committee member; Vaske, Jerry, committee memberOccupational scientists and occupational therapists believe that people experience time and occupation differently, and that understanding these unique subjective experiences is essential to enhance the understanding of occupational participation, health and well-being. Yet the efforts toward the identification and development of ways of understanding people's unique subjective experiences are limited. In this dissertation, the researcher provides the theoretical underpinning of a newly developing instrument designed to capture the objective and subjective experiences of occupational engagement titled the Daily Experiences of Pleasure, Productivity and Restoration Profile (PPR Profile) (Atler, 2008) and reports the validity evidence of the PPR Profile as examined in two studies. Cognitive interviewing was used in the first study to examine validity evidence based on test content, response processes, and the consequences of completing the instrument. The study provides beginning validity evidence of the PPR Profile's use as an instrument designed to capture the subjective experiences of daily activities. In addition, the study illustrates the benefits of using cognitive interviewing as a means of engaging clients who may potentially use the instrument in the development process. In the second study, validity evidence related to consequential and convergent validity was examined using a mixed method design. Adults living with the consequences of stroke completed three health surveys and the PPR Profile for three days. Use of the PPR Profile increased awareness of daily activities and related experiences. Although there was limited convergent validity evidence gathered in the study, consequential validity evidence indicated that participants' completion of the PPR Profile led to reflection and examination. However awareness was not always seen by participants as beneficial. Potential reasons for the limited convergent validity found are discussed.Item Open Access Using a variation of the cohort control design to evaluate large-scale, long-term, complex professional development programs(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Sample McMeeking, Laura, author; Cobb, R. Brian, advisor; Kennedy, Paul, advisorThe purpose of this study was to introduce a variation on the posttest-only cohort control design and answer questions concerning both methodological credibility and practical utility of employing the variation design in evaluations of large-scale, complex professional development programs. The original design and variation design, which adds a pretest measure for prior student performance, were compared theoretically and practically using data from the RM-MSMSP program to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the two evaluation designs. Two separate 2 x 2 ANOVA analyses were used to compare the designs. Findings indicated that, as expected, there were differences in the outcomes using the two designs. While the outcomes were not consistently different, they could plausibly be explained. Because the findings of the variation design were supported by similar findings in the literature, credence was given to the variation design. Given the added control of the variation design, evaluations using the variation design could control for selection bias where those using the original design could not. Realistically, however, the choice of evaluation design is one of trade-offs, because the addition of controls through gain scores, as is the case for the variation design, also comes with some disadvantages. If certain conditions for the data are met and the outcome measure is calibrated, the variation design would be a good choice for a professional development evaluation. If not, the original design would also be perfectly reasonable. From a practical standpoint, the variation design is no less practical to employ than the original cohort control design if certain program conditions about data collection and availability are met. In addition, the outcome measure in the form of a gain score is similar to value-added evaluation designs that are politically popular due to a focus on student growth. This coupled with the methodological advantages of the variation design make it a useful evaluation design for large-scale, long-term, complex professional development programs wishing to investigate the effects of professional development on student achievement.Item Open Access Using concept mapping as a tool for program theory development(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Orsi, Rebecca, author; Cobb, R. Brian, advisor; Hoeting, Jennifer A., committee member; Lynham, Susan A., committee member; Speer, Paul W., committee memberconcept mappingThe purpose of this methodological study is to explore how well a process called (Trochim, 1989) can articulate the theory which underlies a social program. Articulation of a program's theory is a key step in completing a sound theory based evaluation (Weiss, 1997a). In this study, concept mapping is used to articulate the outcomes domain of a program theory, using Chen's (1990) six domains for program theory as an organizing framework. A grassroots community organization in Denver, Colorado, provides context for the study. With reference to Dubin's (1978) distinctions for theoretical units as a guide, the results of concept mapping are analyzed to determine whether they are useful in building a program theory. Results are also are evaluated to determine whether they present a comprehensive, parsimonious (Whetten, 1989) and valid representation of outcomes from the community organizing intervention. Methodological and statistical considerations for using concept mapping are mentioned. The study concludes that concept mapping is a promising tool for theory articulation. Study limitations and opportunities for future research are also discussed.