The Daily Bulletin Archive

From the Provost

Hsiang A. Liao, Assistant Professor, Communication
Active and Collaborative Learning
This study compares collaborative learning to traditional instruction in an oral communication class. Data collection on speech efficacy, general academic efficacy, career efficacy, listening skills, communication apprehension, speech anxiety, and grades will be used to measure outcomes. The study is also interested in the impact of collaborative learning on students who are members of specific subgroups on campus, such as first-generation college students, underrepresented minority students, or students who experience a high level of speech anxiety.

Reva Fish, Assistant Professor, Educational Foundations
Academic Challenge
This study explores the scope and nature of plagiarism by students at Buffalo State College in order to provide administrators and faculty with information about how past efforts to curb plagiarism are faring (e.g., Academic Misconduct Policy, Turnitin software) and the current extent of the problem. This information will be used to develop a comprehensive program of additional strategies to be considered for addressing plagiarism in the future.

Data collection will take place in four phases, with each phase informing the subsequent phases. That is, data will be collected from faculty before it is collected from students so that the information obtained from faculty can be used to inform the content of the student survey and interview protocol. For both faculty and students, survey data will be collected before interviews are conducted so that interviews can address unexpected or inconsistent survey results as well as provide additional insights into this complex issue.

Victoria Furby, Assistant Professor, Music
Student-Faculty Interactions
This study compares group to individual feedback on performance tasks. Performance will be measured through scores on evaluations administered at the onset and conclusion of the study. In addition, the effect upon behaviors observed during a preparation period will also be measured. Students in the treatment group (those receiving individualized feedback) will be further divided into two comparison groups. Treatment group A will receive individualized written feedback in the form of electronic mail after each sight-singing test. Treatment group B will receive individualized verbal feedback immediately following the completion of their sight-singing test. Feedback will be consistent and follow a standardized comment form utilized for each member of both treatment groups.

Questions that drive this study include:

• Does individualized feedback and instruction result in higher achievement on sight-singing assessments?
• Does individualized feedback and instruction impact individual behavior in a pre-performance practice setting?
• Does immediate individualized verbal feedback differ in effectiveness from individualized written feedback?
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