The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) requires a master's degree for nurse educators as well as for direct patient care providers such as nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists and clinical nurse specialists. Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) are expected to play a major role in providing patient care since the…

The master of arts in teaching (MAT) program is a 39-credit graduate program leading to initial teacher certification at the elementary or secondary level in specific content areas. The goal of the program is to provide candidates with the foundational pedagogy and knowledge base necessary to become successful teachers. The digital portfolio…

Blended learning is a newly emerging trend in higher education and is defined as the purposeful integration of synchronous and asynchronous learning to provide educational activities that maximize the benefits of each. This paper describes the development of a graduate social work foundation-year practice class in a blended online environment in…

There exists a strong endorsement in the literature of the effectiveness of an individual counseling experience as an influence in the personal and professional development of counseling students, yet few counselor education programs seem to require that students complete such an experience. Thus, the question arises as to why the required…

Knowledge of evidence-based practice (EBP) is essential to social workers entering the workforce. The literature review revealed no studies that have measured the knowledge students have of the steps of EBP in the final semester of their master's of social work (M.S.W.) degree programs. The purpose of this study was to administer a newly…

The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot test a methodology to determine the relative importance and presence of constructivist elements in online learning classes. A case study method was used to assess the effectiveness of four key constructivist elements: knowledge construction, collaborative learning, authentic learning and…

Despite greater responsibility for creating equitable and inclusive classroom models, some research suggests that educators "may not have the necessary attitudes, dispositions, or perhaps more important, the professional skills to successfully instruct students in diverse, inclusive classrooms" (Van Laarhoven, Munk, Lynch, Bosman & Rouse, 2007, p.…

The recently identified Illinois state standards associated with the newly designated technology specialist (TS) endorsement required graduate faculty to explore the issues associated with addressing those standards and ensuring curriculum alignment. Endorsement standards require a balance between knowledge and skills that can be used as a…

Scandals throughout corporate America have encouraged companies to seek leaders who can sustain profitability and embody positive values within the organization. This group exercise highlights some of the key challenges involved in choosing a values-based leader. Participants assess three hypothetical companies' values during a period of change…

The aim of this article is to report on the strategies which were used to teach research design to Masters students, as part of my professional development as higher education practitioner. The focus is on exploring the use of cooperative learning as a vehicle to facilitate the acquiring of knowledge and skills in terms of research methodology.…

Online learning continues to be among the fastest-growing sectors of higher education. K-12 teachers and education professionals outside of the K-12 classroom are among the consumers taking interest in online learning. With many opportunities for technology-enriched learning, educators are becoming more interested in educational technology…

This study integrates the purposes of communication, i.e. in-class and on-line discussions, with problem solving skills in the process of learning professional knowledge of pre-service teachers. It attempts to foster both comprehension of professional knowledge and the attitude of contextualizing knowledge with situational factors. More…

This paper provides an overview of opportunities for graduate education in Gerontology in the Asia-Oceania Region. It locates emerging demand in a demographic context, highlighting high rates of growth in the aged population within the Region and growing awareness of governments of the need for appropriate planning. An important component of…

South Africa has unique challenges. Thirteen years since becoming democratic, it is still going through its own unprecedented change in joining the global economic network and moving from Apartheid to democracy and from a closed to an open community. These political and sociological changes have also infiltrated business and therefore management…