Academic literature on the topic 'Out-Of-School time learning'

Quality out-of-school time (OST) programs for youth are limited by a lack of professional learning opportunities for staff and volunteers that are based upon solid learning theory, affordable, and scalable for a diverse field. The Click2Science project is an innovative model for professional learning experiences that support staff and volunteers in providing high-quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities for youth. This model of professional learning emphasizes the importance of visual, social, and experiential learning experiences with reflection and application to practice. The model leverages technology and in-person support in a cycle of professional development experiences. The experiences included in the professional development model allow staff and volunteers in OST programs to develop their instructional skills in ways that are embedded in the actual practices of their program. In this article, each part of the professional development cycle is analyzed using constructivist learning theories to encourage adult educators to replicate this model in other fields. A brief review of promising research about the effectiveness of the model concludes the description of this approach to professional development.

Although shadowed by the institutionalization of contemporary schooling, out-of-school time and space encompass a variety of learning possibilities and are socially organized to enable and maintain educational privileges for some students but not for others. Out-of-school time (OST) curricular instructions have been expanding globally and more visible in East Asia. Relying on multilevel ordered logistic regression and generalized propensity score analysis; this study investigated the participation patterns and effectiveness of OST mathematics education in Shanghai, China. Family socioeconomic background and opportunity-to-learn indices of mainstream schooling were found to strongly link to participation in OST mathematics education. Higher socioeconomic status and more household resources were associated with higher likelihood of participating in OST mathematics education. Negative school-level opportunity-to-learn indices, such as problematic classroom disciplinary climate and insufficient mathematics instructional time, correlated with greater odds of OST mathematics participation. In addition, this study found a significant relationship between OST mathematics learning and mathematics study behaviors, with higher intensity of OST mathematics instruction triggering more positive study ethics and habits. Yet, no significant association between OST mathematics education and PISA mathematics achievement was identified. These findings profoundly illuminated the multi-layered interconnections between formal schooling and OST education and contributed to the discussions about structures of educational equality during out-of-school time.

Although shadowed by the institutionalization of contemporary schooling, out-of-school time and space encompass a variety of learning possibilities and are socially organized to enable and maintain educational privileges for some students but not for others. Out-of-school time (OST) curricular instructions have been expanding globally and more visible in East Asia. Relying on multilevel ordered logistic regression and generalized propensity score analysis; this study investigated the participation patterns and effectiveness of OST mathematics education in Shanghai, China. Family socioeconomic background and opportunity-to-learn indices of mainstream schooling were found to strongly link to participation in OST mathematics education. Higher socioeconomic status and more household resources were associated with higher likelihood of participating in OST mathematics education. Negative school-level opportunity-to-learn indices, such as problematic classroom disciplinary climate and insufficient mathematics instructional time, correlated with greater odds of OST mathematics participation. In addition, this study found a significant relationship between OST mathematics learning and mathematics study behaviors, with higher intensity of OST mathematics instruction triggering more positive study ethics and habits. Yet, no significant association between OST mathematics education and PISA mathematics achievement was identified. These findings profoundly illuminated the multi-layered interconnections between formal schooling and OST education and contributed to the discussions about structures of educational equality during out-of-school time.

Extensive research demonstrates that a qualified workforce is essential to out-of-school time program quality, which, in turn, is essential for positive youth development. Recently, the in- and out-of-school fields have witnessed an increase in attention to social and emotional learning practices and programs, yet less is known about how to support the adults who are engaged in the social and emotional learning process. A first step in supporting this workforce is to build the collective knowledge around what social and emotional learning is and what the practices are that support social and emotional development. We also believe there is a need to identify and describe the connection between what has been and what could be—that is, connecting youth development as a foundation for intentional social and emotional learning. We reviewed a selection of widely disseminated, research-based, practitioner-focused resources to identify the specific practices that promote social and emotional learning. This process elevated a set of 8 practices, which we delineated into 2 categories: foundational organizational practices and programmatic practices that support social and emotional development. In addition, we completed a comprehensive crosswalk of those practices with seminal youth development and out-of-school time resources to demonstrate the alignment and progression from youth development to social and emotional learning. This article describes the 8 social and emotional learning practices and highlights connections to foundational youth development practices. We conclude with a set of recommendations for the field leaders who must continue to support the workforce.

Social and Emotional Learning in Out-of-School Time: Foundations and Futures (Delaney & Moroney, 2018) offers a rich volume of experiences and voices of leadership in social and emotional learning (SEL) in out-of-school time (OST) settings. From various vantage points and with unique voices, the chapters address all stages of intentional SEL programming, including progress made in the field in clarifying and measuring the strength of SEL outcomes and identifying needed professional development. This is an important resource for students and practitioners of positive youth development, SEL, and OST learning environments.

Using the participants-oriented approach, this study evaluated public schools’ out-of-school time academic support programs, corresponding to the corrective/enrichment stage of Bloom’s Mastery Learning Model and offered outside formal education’s weekday hours and on weekends. Study participants included 50 principals, 110 teachers, 170 students attending programs, 110 students not attending programs, and 61 parents, all selected through random sampling in a survey-model study in Istanbul, Turkey. Partial findings were the following. According to principals and teachers, programs were sufficiently introduced to target groups. Satisfaction of attending students with the teaching—learning process was sufficient, and students believed program participation increased their success in regular classes. However, program functioning presented some problems. Administrators and teachers think the no-cost programs resulted in lack of interest among students. In addition, problems of materials and transportation have not been completely solved. Similarly, offered classes and lessons’ content organization fall short of expectations. In conclusion, out-of-school time academic support programs play important roles in reducing differences among learning levels based on individual characteristics in collective or formal learning. Still, student needs should be fulfilled, and programs should be maintained. Further studies should be conducted on these programs’ integration into formal education.

Thesis advisor: Anderson J. Franklin
The differential effects of the achievement gap on lower-income youth persist in this country (National Association of State Boards of Education, 2013). Recognition of the role of Out-of-School Time (OST) factors contributing to achievement differences has been growing (Gordon, Bridglall, & Meroe, 2005). As a result, OST programs have been gaining popularity; however, program efficacy varies. Socio-emotional climate represents one area of quality that likely influences student outcomes. Socio-emotional climate was assessed through a custom observation tool from a larger study. Social competence and resilience was the outcome variable as measured by the DESSA-RRE. Factor analysis empirically profiled the socio-emotional climates of 37 summer learning programs from five school districts across the country, resulting in four “GROW” dimensions of socio-emotional climate: (1) Growth-promoting Instruction, (2) Resolve and Focus, (3) Organization, and (4) Warmth. Given the randomized control design of the larger study, variability among the 37 climates was limited. Thus, hierarchical linear regression examined the influence of climate on students’ outcomes. HLR found that the socio-emotional climate explained a statistically significant (R2=0.12, p<0.001, f2=0.14) amount of variance in students’ social competence and resilience, above and beyond demographics alone (􏰀 R2=0.005, p=0.007, f2=0.01). Moderation results were non- significant. Limitations to the study centered on data collection and quantitative methodology. Implications for both counseling psychologists and OST providers were discussed at length, notably supporting programs towards Growth-promoting Instruction
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018
Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education
Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology

Today’s elementary school students face myriad traumatic issues including poverty, violence, physical and emotional abuse, homelessness, and parental substance abuse. These adverse childhood experiences are responsible for an increased risk of academic failure and behavioral problems in childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood. Social-emotional learning (SEL) programs, provided through school and community partnerships, attempt to address these needs in both school-based and out-of-school-time (OST) learning settings. The purpose of this action research study was to examine one northern California-based nonprofit organization’s OST SEL program for third through fifth grade students and determine actions and interventions for greater program effectiveness. Students, parent/guardians, site administrators, school-staff, and community members engaged in focus groups, completed surveys, participated in validation groups, and acted as research associates throughout the iterative plan, act, observe, reflect action research cycle conducted during the winter of 2020. Qualitative data from focus group meetings included identified themes from authenticated and coded transcripts while quantitative data included descriptive statistical analysis of pre-program and end-of-program surveys. As the lead researcher for the study, I worked with action research participants to make program modifications and identify new actions for program improvement. Based on themes and data trends, as well as the application of self-determination theory’s basic psychological needs theory, findings demonstrate that student self-management skills improved during the 4-week action research cycle, as did their sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. At the same time, findings suggest additional growth opportunities in the areas of responsible decision-making and program improvement through development and implementation of integrated and universal SEL supports in classrooms, schools, families, and the larger community. Linking the literature to these findings, recommendations for future action research cycles include age and developmental considerations regarding instruction and application of responsible decision-making skills, and integration of all five SEL competencies for greater harmonization of emotion and thought. To that end, the nonprofit organization’s educational design team and I have begun redesigning the curriculum. Program modifications address child development of perceptual and higher-level memory and cognitive skills, and intentional integration of instruction and practice in all five SEL competencies throughout each program module. Teaching, combined with real-time application of planning and decision-making skills, will include opportunities for active role-playing, adult guidance, and experiences in which students learn and grow from mistakes. In addition to student program modifications to build responsible decision-making skills, literature supports the call for universal SEL in the form of partnerships between schools, families, and community organizations for resource coordination resulting in more positive youth outcomes. Again working with the educational design team, the nonprofit organization and I have taken initial steps to establish a city wellness task force, bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders to partner in wellness for children and families in the community. We also continue to iterate as we develop a community of practice for educators, focused on building SEL knowledge and practice. By focusing on continuous improvement through an ongoing action research process, this study not only serves as an opportunity to celebrate successes, but highlight growth opportunities to advance the work of the northern California-based nonprofit organization and its programs. Utilizing study findings in combination with supporting literature, we are taking immediate action towards more positive outcomes for those we serve. This study also provides tools and guidance for other community partners in their design and implementation of effective SEL programs for the social and emotional well-being of elementary school students and families, and the communities in which they live.

abstract: There has been growing interest among learning scientists in the design and study of out-of-school time (OST) learning environments to support equitable development of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) interests among youth from groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields. Most of these design studies assumed the youth came to the learning environments without well-developed STEM interests. I challenged this assumption by enacting a social design participatory study to engage youth (aged 11 to 14), from groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields, as partners in designing an OST networked club to support the youth in growing their own STEM interests. Based on longitudinal ethnographic data, I report a three-year iterative design of this networked club. I characterize the heterogeneity of STEM interests that emerged and grew across the networked club. Building on ecological theories of interest development, and leveraging the cultural assets of the nondominant community, I argue that heterogeneity of interests, resources, and practices served as a design tool and a catalyst for the development of STEM interest in the OST networked club.
Dissertation/Thesis
Doctoral Dissertation Learning, Literacies and Technologies 2019

Missionary Calculus tells the story for the first time of the making of the Sunday school in Victorian India (1858–1901), focusing on American missionaries, its most active promoters. Unlike other mission histories, this book studies the means missionaries adopted in building this institution rather than on their evangelical ends. Based on extensive archival research, it addresses the question: How did the process of building institutions affect the Christian values to establish which they were built? The book provides a richly detailed account of Indian colonial educational history, discussing the Christian pedagogical encounter with a non-Christian learning environment. It tells of lavish missionary lifestyles in a land frequently stricken by famine, and of missionary solidarity with British colonial authorities, accompanied though by Christian caritative commitment for the plight of the colonized. Missionaries resolved these contradictions by telling their audiences that becoming Christian would lead them to prosperity, while telling themselves that they needed to work out a plan for civilizational correction. Sunday schools began to be seen as at once the instrument of evangelization as of reschooling India. American missionaries brought with them Sunday school curricula and organizational methods from back home, and tried to customize them to Indian conditions. But this meant having to compromise with hiring heathen teachers, allowing heathen students to wear their caste-marks, commissioning a heathen-style hymnody, and paying money to key people to fill the classrooms with heathens. Could such a hybrid institution be Christian? And whom could it serve? Here is an East Indian tale.

AbstractThis forward provides an overview of earlier LEaRN work carried out leading up to this book. It also explores some of the pedagogy and spatial tropes which have emerged over past decades. Whilst there have been many explorative innovations over that time, very few have been scalable and sufficiently resilient to dislodge the primordial hold that the Industrial Age classroom has taken in school design for over a century. Many attempts have been made to align pedagogy and space, but the classical classroom learning container remains in large part due to teacher mindsets. The Transitions suggested in these chapters may well be a seminal moment in the history of school design as the ILETC project nears its final stages of discovery.

AbstractPositive psychology as a discipline has focused primarily on understanding and building individual wellbeing. But the application of positive psychology within schools brings a number of challenges that transcend simplistic approaches. Schools are dynamic in nature and subject to numerous pressures and competing priorities. Positive psychology interventions can be helpful, some of the time, for some people, but there is a need to identify and transcend the limiting paradigms that drive our research, practices, and beliefs, moving beyond simplistic interventions and programs to broader awareness and mindful action. Systems Informed Positive Education (SIPE) explicitly incorporates aspects of the systems sciences into positive education practice and pedagogy to cultivate optimal learning environments that bring out the best in each individual and of the school community as a whole. This chapter describes SIPE, illustrates SIPE in action, and highlights key principles and their implications for embedding wellbeing at the heart of education.

AbstractIn education, the ‘Nordic model’ refers to the similarities and shared aims of the education systems developed in the five Nordic countries—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway—after World War II. Traditionally, there have always been many similarities and links between the Nordic countries through their historical connections and geographical proximity. The common experience of solidarity and political oppression during World War II also created the basis for a common political orientation in the postwar period, which was also reflected in the education systems during the development of the countries’ economies and their establishment of welfare states. At the same time, this very process has been strongly supported by social-democratic governance in these countries in the 1960s and 1970s (Blossing, Imsen, & Moos, 2014). The model is based on a concept ofEducation for All, where equity, equal opportunities and inclusion are consistently cited as the goal of schooling and orientation (Blossing et al., 2014; Telhaug, Mediås, & Aasen, 2006). This corresponds to the egalitarian idea of a classless society, which is characterised by individual democratic participation, solidarity and mutual respect and appreciation for all. This idea was manifested in, for example, major reallocations of economic resources through the tax systems and free schooling for all, which arose out of the principle that parents’ lack of economic resources should not prevent children from obtaining a good quality education. The equalisation of structural inequalities and creation of equity was—and still is—the task of the education system in the Nordic countries. Worldwide, especially within the Nordic countries, the view is being shared that the education system should be fair and provide access and opportunities for further education, regardless of where someone lives, the status of the parental home, where someone comes from, what ethnic background someone has, what age or gender someone is, what skills one has or whether someone has physical disabilities (Blossing et al., 2014; Quaiser-Pohl, 2013). Some special features of the Nordic system are therefore deeply embedded in the school culture in the countries, for example, through the fact that access to free and public local schools and adapted education is statutory, which is in contrast to many other countries, even other European ones (further developed and discussed in Chap.10.1007/978-3-030-61648-9_2). The Nordic model is widely considered a good example of educational systems that provide equal learning opportunities for all students. Achieving equity, here meaning the creation of fairness, is expressed concretely in political measures to distribute resources equally and strengthen the equality of marginalised groups by removing the barriers to seize educational opportunities, for example, when mixed-ability comprehensive schools are created or the educational system is made inclusive regarding students with special needs (UNESCO, 1994; Wiborg, 2009). Equality is roughly connoted with ‘sameness in treatment’ (Espinoza, 2007), while equity takes further in consideration also the question of how well the requirements of individual needs are met. Thus, the goal of equity is always linked to the concept of justice, provided that an equality of opportunities is created. If, however, one looks at individual educational policy decisions on the creation of educational justice in isolation, one must weigh which concept of equity or equality is present in each case. For example, it is not enough to formally grant equal rights in the education system to disadvantaged groups, but something must also be done actively to ensure that marginalised groups can use and realise this equality. The complexity of the terms becomes even greater when one considers that to achieve equality, measures can be taken that presuppose an unequal distribution of resources or unequal treatment and, therefore, are not fair e.g., when resources are bundled especially for disadvantaged groups and these are given preferential treatment (will be further developed and discussed in Chap.10.1007/978-3-030-61648-9_2). Thus, equality and equity rely on each other and are in a field of tension comprising multiple ideas (Espinoza, 2007).

This chapter provides an overview of severe school attendance problems or those that have been recurring for more than several months and likely over a period of years. The chapter offers suggestions for pursuing alternative paths toward graduation that could include virtual or online learning, home-based instruction, alternative schools and academic programs, and accruing formal credits in nontraditional ways. Other suggestions include pursuing community support for mental health problems and family conflict that may need to be addressed prior to a new academic plan. The chapter also addresses circumstances under which a child may be out of school for an extended period of time due to crises beyond the family’s control, such as the current pandemic. Additional resources and final comments are provided as well.

Despite numerous attempts over the past few decades to prepare the U.S. workforce for the increasing challenges of a global economy, educators hear the same complaints from industry about how difficult it is to find highly skilled workers. The growing need to have a higher level of education and different knowledge, skills, and attitudes than in the past brought on by globalization makes the task of preparing workers for tomorrow's workplace even more daunting. Whatever the reason for dropping out, many young people have clearly not responded to the attempt to educate them through full-time schooling, no matter how innovative the program. This chapter argues that more adolescents can be educated in a school system that no longer emphasizes full-time schooling but instead combines part-time school with part-time real-world work experience. To carry out such an approach, it may be time to expand our horizons in the search for solutions, and we can find some guidance in a rather unexpected place, the work of Soviet educator Anton Semyonovich Makarenko. Makarenko's success in training young people to become productive workers includes several concepts and methods that may be useful in improving today's workforce education system.

Narrative, in the form of stories and narrations, is a natural mode of communication and expression, familiar to children from a very early age and frequently used also by adults. For this reason, it has often been informally employed, both in and outside school, to facilitate understanding and raise learners’ interest, therefore supporting learning in both its cognitive and motivational aspects. For a long time, however, narrative was not an object of interest for the educational research. Its first systematic analyses were worked out within humanities studies, characterizing it in several different ways. Some of such definitions already highlight characteristics that appear crucial for its use in education. Ricoeur (1981), for instance, describes it as a sequence of events connected with each other by cause-effect relations supporting the construction of a meaningful totality out of a set of scattered events.

Despite numerous attempts over the past few decades to prepare the U.S. workforce for the increasing challenges of a global economy, educators hear the same complaints from industry about how difficult it is to find highly skilled workers. The growing need to have a higher level of education and different knowledge, skills, and attitudes than in the past brought on by globalization makes the task of preparing workers for tomorrow's workplace even more daunting. Whatever the reason for dropping out, many young people have clearly not responded to the attempt to educate them through full-time schooling, no matter how innovative the program. This chapter argues that more adolescents can be educated in a school system that no longer emphasizes full-time schooling but instead combines part-time school with part-time real-world work experience. To carry out such an approach, it may be time to expand our horizons in the search for solutions, and we can find some guidance in a rather unexpected place, the work of Soviet educator Anton Semyonovich Makarenko. Makarenko's success in training young people to become productive workers includes several concepts and methods that may be useful in improving today's workforce education system.

In 1977, when the OC program was brand-new, and for a number of years thereafter, we shared the excitement and the work, both as parents and as teachers. We are now living in different states, working in very different kinds of schools. Judy is a high school principal in a large public high school in Washington State. Mimi is a fourth-grade teacher in an independent school in South Carolina that is associated with a major school-restructuring initiative (the Coalition of Essential Schools). In our efforts to contribute to reform in our classrooms and schools, we find that we are returning, about 20 years later, to the basic philosophy that directed our OC experience. In many ways, what we learned in the OC, both in terms of instructional practices and in terms of change processes, is giving us the confidence we need to proceed in our new settings. Personal experiences and the general principles of the OC—along with increasingly compelling research about how children learn that questions the way schools are traditionally organized and how we think about curriculum and instruction—have helped us organize and promote new programs on both sides of the country. The changes we are working on are not simple ones. We are looking at ways to integrate across disciplines, combining English, physics, and history into an integrated block. Instead of chopping school days into isolated blocks of time, we are exploring ways of lengthening these blocks of time and trying more flexible schedules. We are looking at designing work for children that covers fewer things in greater depth, through more focused inquiry. Believing that children will learn better if they can make connections, we seek ways to challenge students not just to memorize material but to apply it as well. We are working to make it possible for individual students to carry out research and to present their work before a critical audience. These changes have the potential to challenge the sacrosanct purpose of most schools: to prepare students for the next level and to get them into colleges.

This research has the purpose of finding out the ReadinessReadiness of junior high school teachers in the online learning, and efforts which are carried out as well as obstacles that are dealt with in the online learning implementation at the time of Covid-19 pandemic. The kind of research which is used is qualitative-descriptive, with the interview technique. The result of the research shows that the junior high school educators enthusiastically respond the online learning by preparing the online learning devices and promoting the change of learning system to the students, and the online learning system is executed by utilizing applications, such as short message service, Whatsapp group, Zoom, phone, or live chat. The result of this research shows that junior high school teachers are ready to implement online learning in spite of not being optimal and dealing with various obstacles.

Through theoretical analysis of school failure factors and empirical examination, in a comprehensive and interdisciplinary way, we tried to explore this complex problem that is constantly present in the teaching process, and at the same time point out the importance of systematic work on its prevention. The context of the research problem is empirical and refers to the examination of the main factors of school failure. Students’ self-reflections on: 1. family relations, 2. curricula, 3. motivation for learning and 4. teaching methods and contents as possible factors of school failure were examined. Specific hypotheses set in the research refer to the existence of statistically significant correlation of students’ self-reflections on school failure factors with set independent research variables: grade students (p < 0.05) and school success (p < 0.05). Survey research method with scaling technique was used in the research. The research included 235 primary school students in the territory of southern Serbia, in the 2019 school year. The results show that the factor analysis from the Likert-type assessment scale constructed for the needs of the research, highlights 4 factors important for the research of school failure: family, curriculum, motivation, teaching methods and contents. The process of factor analysis extracted the main factors of school failure, which were brought into a correlative relationship at the level of statistical significance with students’ self-reflections. The results of the research indicate the theoretical and practical significance of the problem of school failure, thus representing a good starting point and incentive for further research work.

A comparison of the effectiveness of two educational activities are carried out; a standard on-curricular postgraduate unit and an off-curricular school activity. The taught area for both is the theme of enterprise and entrepreneurship. They share similar intended learning outcomes, equipping participants with the same skills, knowledge and tools to set up their own business start-up. Another similarity is the number of contact hours with the students, however the main difference is the span these two activities take place; over a full semester or over a week. A survey was designed to be used in post teaching sessions to evaluate the effectiveness and impact the activities had on the students in the area of enterprise and entrepreneurship. The results indicated that both activities had an impact on start-up intention and activity however, the cost of the enterprise school per head and the fact that the on-curricular activities provide a recognized qualification in case the business fails means that short intensive off-curricular activities are better suited for researchers with limited time and who are still open minded about career choices. Both activities serve their own purpose and value as they provide the desired interventions for supporting positive attitudes towards enterprise and entrepreneurship.

Aim/Purpose: This paper provides the results of the preliminary analysis of the findings of an ongoing study that seeks to examine the social media use, cultural and political awareness, civic engagement, issue prioritization, and social activism of Gen Z students enrolled at four different institutional types located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The aim of this study is to look at the group as a whole as well as compare findings across populations. The institutional types under consideration include a mid-sized majority serving or otherwise referred to as a traditionally white institution (TWI) located in a small coastal city on the Atlantic Ocean, a small Historically Black University (HBCU) located in a rural area, a large community college located in a county that is a mixture of rural and suburban and which sits on the border of Maryland and Pennsylvania, and graduating high school students enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) programs in a large urban area. This exploration is purposed to examine the behaviors and expectations of Gen Z students within a representative American region during a time of tremendous turmoil and civil unrest in the United States. Background: Over 74 million strong, Gen Z makes up almost one-quarter of the U.S. population. They already outnumber any current living generation and are the first true digital natives. Born after 1996 and through 2012, they are known for their short attention spans and heightened ability to multi-task. Raised in the age of the smart phone, they have been tethered to digital devices from a young age with most having the preponderance of their childhood milestones commemorated online. Often called Zoomers, they are more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation and are on track to be the most well-educated generation in history. Gen Zers in the United States have been found in the research to be progressive and pro-government and viewing increasing racial and ethnic diversity as positive change. Finally, they are less likely to hold xenophobic beliefs such as the notion of American exceptionalism and superiority that have been popular with by prior generations. The United States has been in a period of social and civil unrest in recent years with concerns over systematic racism, rampant inequalities, political polarization, xenophobia, police violence, sexual assault and harassment, and the growing epidemic of gun violence. Anxieties stirred by the COVID-19 pandemic further compounded these issues resulting in a powder keg explosion occurring throughout the summer of 2020 and leading well into 2021. As a result, the United States has deteriorated significantly in the Civil Unrest Index falling from 91st to 34th. The vitriol, polarization, protests, murders, and shootings have all occurred during Gen Z’s formative years, and the limited research available indicates that it has shaped their values and political views. Methodology: The Mid-Atlantic region is a portion of the United States that exists as the overlap between the northeastern and southeastern portions of the country. It includes the nation’s capital, as well as large urban centers, small cities, suburbs, and rural enclaves. It is one of the most socially, economically, racially, and culturally diverse parts of the United States and is often referred to as the “typically American region.” An electronic survey was administered to students from 2019 through 2021 attending a high school dual enrollment program, a minority serving institution, a majority serving institution, and a community college all located within the larger mid-Atlantic region. The survey included a combination of multiple response, Likert scaled, dichotomous, open ended, and ordinal questions. It was developed in the Survey Monkey system and reviewed by several content and methodological experts in order to examine bias, vagueness, or potential semantic problems. Finally, the survey was pilot tested prior to implementation in order to explore the efficacy of the research methodology. It was then modified accordingly prior to widespread distribution to potential participants. The surveys were administered to students enrolled in classes taught by the authors all of whom are educators. Participation was voluntary, optional, and anonymous. Over 800 individuals completed the survey with just over 700 usable results, after partial completes and the responses of individuals outside of the 18-24 age range were removed. Findings: Participants in this study overwhelmingly were users of social media. In descending order, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, WhatsApp, LinkedIn and Tik Tok were the most popular social media services reported as being used. When volume of use was considered, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and Twitter were the most cited with most participants reporting using Instagram and Snapchat multiple times a day. When asked to select which social media service they would use if forced to choose just one, the number one choice was YouTube followed by Instagram and Snapchat. Additionally, more than half of participants responded that they have uploaded a video to a video sharing site such as YouTube or Tik Tok. When asked about their familiarity with different technologies, participants overwhelmingly responded that they are “very familiar” with smart phones, searching the Web, social media, and email. About half the respondents said that they were “very familiar” with common computer applications such as the Microsoft Office Suite or Google Suite with another third saying that they were “somewhat familiar.” When asked about Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Blackboard, Course Compass, Canvas, Edmodo, Moodle, Course Sites, Google Classroom, Mindtap, Schoology, Absorb, D2L, itslearning, Otus, PowerSchool, or WizIQ, only 43% said they were “very familiar” with 31% responding that they were “somewhat familiar.” Finally, about half the students were either “very” or “somewhat” familiar with operating systems such as Windows. A few preferences with respect to technology in the teaching and learning process were explored in the survey. Most students (85%) responded that they want course announcements and reminders sent to their phones, 76% expect their courses to incorporate the use of technology, 71% want their courses to have course websites, and 71% said that they would rather watch a video than read a book chapter. When asked to consider the future, over 81% or respondents reported that technology will play a major role in their future career. Most participants considered themselves “informed” or “well informed” about current events although few considered themselves “very informed” or “well informed” about politics. When asked how they get their news, the most common forum reported for getting news and information about current events and politics was social media with 81% of respondents reporting. Gen Z is known to be an engaged generation and the participants in this study were not an exception. As such, it came as no surprise to discover that, in the past year more than 78% of respondents had educated friends or family about an important social or political issue, about half (48%) had donated to a cause of importance to them, more than a quarter (26%) had participated in a march or rally, and a quarter (26%) had actively boycotted a product or company. Further, about 37% consider themselves to be a social activist with another 41% responding that aren’t sure if they would consider themselves an activist and only 22% saying that they would not consider themselves an activist. When asked what issues were important to them, the most frequently cited were Black Lives Matter (75%), human trafficking (68%), sexual assault/harassment/Me Too (66.49%), gun violence (65.82%), women’s rights (65.15%), climate change (55.4%), immigration reform/deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) (48.8%), and LGBTQ+ rights (47.39%). When the schools were compared, there were only minor differences in social media use with the high school students indicating slightly more use of Tik Tok than the other participants. All groups were virtually equal when it came to how informed they perceived themselves about current events and politics. Consensus among groups existed with respect to how they get their news, and the community college and high school students were slightly more likely to have participated in a march, protest, or rally in the last 12 months than the university students. The community college and high school students were also slightly more likely to consider themselves social activists than the participants from either of the universities. When the importance of the issues was considered, significant differences based on institutional type were noted. Black Lives Matter (BLM) was identified as important by the largest portion of students attending the HBCU followed by the community college students and high school students. Less than half of the students attending the TWI considered BLM an important issue. Human trafficking was cited as important by a higher percentage of students attending the HBCU and urban high school than at the suburban and rural community college or the TWI. Sexual assault was considered important by the majority of students at all the schools with the percentage a bit smaller from the majority serving institution. About two thirds of the students at the high school, community college, and HBCU considered gun violence important versus about half the students at the majority serving institution. Women’s rights were reported as being important by more of the high school and HBCU participants than the community college or TWI. Climate change was considered important by about half the students at all schools with a slightly smaller portion reporting out the HBCU. Immigration reform/DACA was reported as important by half the high school, community college, and HBCU participants with only a third of the students from the majority serving institution citing it as an important issue. With respect to LGBTQ rights approximately half of the high school and community college participants cited it as important, 44.53% of the HBCU students, and only about a quarter of the students attending the majority serving institution. Contribution and Conclusion: This paper provides a timely investigation into the mindset of generation Z students living in the United States during a period of heightened civic unrest. This insight is useful to educators who should be informed about the generation of students that is currently populating higher education. The findings of this study are consistent with public opinion polls by Pew Research Center. According to the findings, the Gen Z students participating in this study are heavy users of multiple social media, expect technology to be integrated into teaching and learning, anticipate a future career where technology will play an important role, informed about current and political events, use social media as their main source for getting news and information, and fairly engaged in social activism. When institutional type was compared the students from the university with the more affluent and less diverse population were less likely to find social justice issues important than the other groups. Recommendations for Practitioners: During disruptive and contentious times, it is negligent to think that the abounding issues plaguing society are not important to our students. Gauging the issues of importance and levels of civic engagement provides us crucial information towards understanding the attitudes of students. Further, knowing how our students gain information, their social media usage, as well as how informed they are about current events and political issues can be used to more effectively communicate and educate. Recommendations for Researchers: As social media continues to proliferate daily life and become a vital means of news and information gathering, additional studies such as the one presented here are needed. Additionally, in other countries facing similarly turbulent times, measuring student interest, awareness, and engagement is highly informative. Impact on Society: During a highly contentious period replete with a large volume of civil unrest and compounded by a global pandemic, understanding the behaviors and attitudes of students can help us as higher education faculty be more attuned when it comes to the design and delivery of curriculum. Future Research This presentation presents preliminary findings. Data is still being collected and much more extensive statistical analyses will be performed.

Abstract Defined by SPE as the application of basic and engineering sciences to the finding, development, and recovery of oil, gas and other resources from wells, petroleum engineering (PE) has been throughout the years falsely thought of as an amalgamation of other disciplines applied to the exploration and recovery of hydrocarbons. Integrating all PE subdisciplines in a manner efficient for teaching and learning is essential for securing the abundance of well-rounded market-attractive professionals. This paper discusses advantages individuals with PE background experience should exhibit in their employment in the oil and gas industry and academia. There is no point for students in going to school for a degree that will not hand them a competitive edge within their discipline. For graduate PEs, the job market is dependent on the quality of their respective academic programs and by extension to the quality of the teaching faculty. A steady oil and gas job market may not necessarily warrant robust employment opportunities, particularly straight after graduation. In a discipline like PE, where almost everything that matters takes place thousands of feet underground, apportioning credit for successes or responsibility for failures is itself a challenge. Decreases in student enrollments in PE programs reported by various universities during times of low oil and gas prices poses questions about the future of the PEs discipline, despite the steady demand for oil and gas in the world's energy mix. Academic programs interested in facilitating a smooth transition of their graduates into the industry should work in conjunction with practitioners to provide the correct balance between theory and practice in their coursework ensuring that once employment opportunities are created, they get filled with candidates of relevant education and training. PE degree-holding candidates should be the natural first choice for PE positions. This means that their educational and professional backgrounds should be providing them with an undisputed advantage which places them a leg above candidates from other disciplines. For instance, for a well completions job opening, there should not be a better alternative than a good PE specialized in well completions. If every PE graduate comes out of his or her program with a skillset which is superior to that of his or her competition, he or she will be the preferred choice for an oil and gas job.

Maths inside is a photo competition open to everyone living in Scotland, hosted by the University of Glasgow. The maths inside project seeks to nourish a love for mathematics by embarking on a journey of discovery through a creative lens. This suite of resources have been created to inspire entrants, and support families, teachers and those out-of-school to make deeper connections with their surroundings. The maths inside is waiting to be discovered! Also contained in the suite is an example to inspire and support you to design your own interdisciplinary learning (IDL) activity matched to Education Scotland experiences and outcomes (Es+Os), to lead pupils towards the creation of their own entry. These resources are not prescriptive, and are designed with a strong creativity ethos for them to be adapted and delivered in a manner that meets the specific needs of those participating. The competition and the activities can be tailored to meet all and each learners' needs. We recommend that those engaging with maths inside for the first time complete their own mapping exercise linking the designed activity to the Es+Os. To create a collaborative resource bank open to everyone, we invite you to treat these resources as a working document for entrants, parents, carers, teachers and schools to make their own. Please share your tips, ideas and activities at info@mathsinside.com and through our social media channels. Past winning entries of the competition are also available for inspiration and for using as a teaching resource. Already inspired? Enter the competition!

Using unique longitudinal quantitative and qualitative data, we examine the role that low learning plays in driving dropout in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. Regression analysis using IRT-linked test scores and data on schooling attainment and dropout shows a strong, significant association with one standard deviation higher test scores associated with 50 percent lower odds of dropping out between the ages of 8 and 12, and a similar association between the ages of 12 and 15. Qualitative analysis indicates a direct relationship between low learning and dropout, with children and parents choosing to discontinue school when they realize how little is being learned. Qualitative findings also show that low learning interacts with and exacerbates more proximate causes of dropout, with low learning often contributing to choices of early marriage (for girls) and of leaving school to work (for both genders), with families making practical decisions about which options will best provide for children in the long run. Finally, learning, work, and poverty often interact, as the need to work to help provide for the household reduces the opportunities to learn, and low learning tilts the opportunity cost of time in favor of working. These findings suggest that low learning may play a larger role in dropout decisions, by underlying and interacting with other causes, than has been typically recognized.

Virtual communication holds the promise of enabling low-cost professional development at scale, but the benefits of in-person interaction might be difficult to replicate. We report on an experiment in South Africa comparing on-site with virtual coaching of public primary school teachers. After three years, on-site coaching improved students' English oral language and reading proficiency (0.31 and 0.13 SD, respectively). Virtual coaching had a smaller impact on English oral language proficiency (0.12 SD), no impact on English reading proficiency, and an unintended negative effect on home language literacy. Classroom observations show that on-site coaching improved teaching practices, and virtual coaching led to larger crowding-out of home language teaching time. Implementation and survey data suggest technology itself was not a barrier to implementation, but rather that in-person contact enabled more accountability and support.

The video lectures course is intended for full-time and part-time students enrolled in "Pedagogical education" direction, profile "Primary education" or "Primary education - Additional education". The course consists of four lectures on the section "Elements of Mathematical Logic" of the discipline "Theoretical Foundations of the Elementary Course in Mathematics" on the profile "Primary Education". The main lecture materials source is a textbook on mathematics for students of higher pedagogical educational institutions Stoilova L.P. (M.: Academy, 2014.464 p.). The content of the considered mathematics section is adapted to the professional needs of future primary school teachers. It is accompanied by examples of practice exercises from elementary school mathematics textbooks. The course assumes students productive learning activities, which they should carry out during the viewing. The logic’s studying contributes to the formation of the specified profile students of such professional skills as "the ability to carry out pedagogical activities for the implementation of primary general education programs", "the ability to develop methodological support for programs of primary general education." In addition, this section contributes to the formation of such universal and general professional skills as "the ability to perform searching, critical analysis and synthesis of information, to apply a systematic approach to solving the assigned tasks", "the ability to participate in the development of basic and additional educational programs, to design their individual components". The video lectures course was recorded at Irkutsk State University.

This report reflects on progress from over eight years of research projects in the cyberlearning community. The community involved computer scientists and learning scientists who received NSF awards to investigate the design of more equitable learning experiences with emerging technology—focusing on developing the learning theories and technologies that are likely to become important within 5-10 years. In early 2020, the Center for Innovative Research in Cyberlearning's team analyzed the portfolio of past and current project in this community and convened a panel of experts to reflect on important trends and issues, including artificial intelligence and learning; learning theories; research methods; out-of-school-time learning; and trends at NSF and beyond.