Date of Award
8-1-1991
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Center for the Advancement of Education
Abstract
The purpose of this study was t develop a model of an instructional resource complex in the College of Education at Alabama State University (ASU) for the enhancement of learning outcomes of students. Alabama State University, a historically black institution, has a total student population of approximately utilizes an “open admission” policy. Because of this policy, a large number of students are admitted to the College of Education. Admission standards for entering teacher education programs are much higher than those required by other colleges within the university. The following are among the requirements to be admitted to a teacher program: (1) a student must obtain a score of seventeen or above on the ACT or 7 45 on the SAT; (2) pass both the ASU English Language Proficiency Test and the State Department of Education Language Test; (3) obtain an overall grade point average of 2.5 or better end meet several other requirement that are not listed here. A large number of students desiring to teach fail snort of meeting these requirements. This results in a low student enrollment in teacher education programs. However, students are allowed to take several basic professional education courses in the College of Education (COE) prior to doing formally admitted. Numerous academic strategies have been developed by educational lenders and faculty members for the purpose of enhancing learning outcomes of students. Developing a model for a classroom instructional resource complex for the purpose of enhancing learning outcomes complemented other strategies that were developed or already existed in the COE. An example of this is course that teaches students skills in how to obtain a higher score on the ACT and SAT examination. There are other program designed to assist students with other academic deficiencies as well. However, there is a lack of the employment of a variety of visual resources in the process. It was assumed that research of this nature would serve as a major motivation for the enhancement of an instructor's ability to rerate concepts more clearly to students during the instructional process. It was also assumed that this research would have a positive effect on students’ learning outcome and the employment of a variety of visual resources in the classroom by instructors. It was also assumed that the use of visual aids has a major positive effect upon program improvement. There were serval major implications for the study: 1. University officials are obligated to ask out various means of enhancing learning outcomes in students; 2. There is great potential for cooperation between faculty, students and educational leaders as they work together to improve learning styles and positive learning outputs. 3. Faculty ten to be eager to incorporate multi-media and multi-strategies to this personal teaching styles for the purpose of increasing positive learning in students. 4. the COE can provide model learning outcomes for other universities that admit students via on "open admission~ policy and have similar academic skills. 5. the research can improve programs, increase retention, decrease the dropout rate and increase various test scores of students; and 6. this study also has implications for state and local governments that have to provide tax monies to educate large numbers of students who are deficient in their academic skills and are placed in a four-year plus program. It was also recommended that university officials and educational leaders within the COE should make an effort to implement this research model by the fall semester, 1992, because one hundred percent or all faculty responding to the survey, indicated that there is, a need for this type of IRC proposed in this study. Faculty also indicated that the attainment of instructional resources should be a major priority for administrators and educational leaders. It was suggested that this research would serve as a model for other colleges within the university as well as for other institutions of higher learning. The results of this study was communicated to universities officials for the purpose of putting it into operation. The model is also available to educational leaders. The model is also available to educational leaders of other institutions of higher learning. Although it is expected to take approximately two years before sufficient data is available so that a meaningful comparison can be made, it is anticipated that the results of the comparison will be positive one. The comparison can be made by comparing the classroom performance of students prior to the employment of the IRC model with the classroom performance of students after experimenting with the model. Only then can a clear perspective be provided as related to the complete success of the instructional resource complex. Results of this study are also expected to provide for more relevant instructional resources and to make them easily accessible to all faculty members. In return, it is ejected to enhance student learning outcomes, increase enrollment and retention, and to enhance the development of programs and goal achievement..