Hezel Associates Digest
Hezel
Associate’s President Chairs International Seminar for 2004 Education
Industry Summit
Dr. Richard Hezel will chair the international portion of NorthStar Conference’s next education industry summit titled “Riding the Wave or Weathering the Storm? Mapping a Course in the Postsecondary Market.” For the event, Dr. Hezel will lead a day-long discussion on exploring international opportunities for United States higher education.
In the three-day Washington, D.C., summit, Hezel and others will offer insights into international trends, challenges and opportunities for American education; the state of the market and trends in organizing institutions; online growth for non-profit and for-profit institutions and more.
The international portion of the summit will highlight how to implement global development strategies; opportunities for partnership and development in Latin America; and China’s role as the next frontier in higher education. Featured speakers include representatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the World Bank Group and the Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration (CONAHEC). For more information, visit our conferences page.
Syracuse
University Maxwell Grad Joins Hezel Associates
Hezel Associates is pleased to announce that Josh Mitchell has joined the firm as Project Coordinator.
In his new position, Mitchell will coordinate project flow and organization for the firms business and strategic research clients. He will be responsible for collecting and analyzing data and preparing written research reports as well as ensure the completion of work within required deadlines.
Before joining Hezel Associates, Mitchell served as Data Analysis Group Director for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Syracuse, and interned with the Onondaga County Division of Management and Budget.
A native of Rochester, NY, Mitchell earned a master’s degree in public administration from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
“Analyzing
Student Interactions and Meaning Construction in Computer Bulletin Board
Discussions”
The April 2004 issue of Computers & Education published “Analyzing Student Interactions and Meaning Constructions in Computer Bulletin Board Discussions”, authored by Dr. Craig Nicholls, Hezel Associates’ Research and Evaluation Manager, and Dr. Judith Pena-Shaff, Department of Psychology, Ithaca College.
The analysis used quantitative methods to examine student participation and interaction rates and qualitative procedures to analyze knowledge construction processes. The results of the study showed that students engaged in a knowledge construction process that was characterized chiefly by clarification, elaboration, and interpretation and that produced more reflective monologues than dialogical interactions.
Findings were related to constructivist theories and previous analyses of computer conferencing systems, and were used to develop a list of recommendations for practitioners interested in incorporating such systems in their courses. For further information about this report, please contact Craig Nicholls.
Continuing Education on the Front Burner at Governors State University
Hezel Associates recently completed comprehensive market analysis to identify opportunities for GSU to extend its reach into the regional geographic market through non-credit and professional development offerings. Hezel Associates conducted extensive interviews with key leaders as well as secondary research on market demographics, employment projections, training needs, competitive offerings and best practices in continuing education. The result of this effort provided GSU leadership with a series of strategies and marketing tactics to capitalize on the most promising of those opportunities. Program development and roll-out is set to begin this fall.
Evaluation of McDougal Littell’s Algebra I eBook Looks at Key Dimensions Critical to Teachers’ Resource Selection
Algebra—the branch of mathematics in which the operations and procedures of addition and multiplication are applied to variables rather than specific numbers—requires that students adopt a different perspective on mathematical reasoning, as well as a new language to communicate more abstract relationships. The most important kind of student support is a teacher who is well-grounded in the subject matter, motivated, and—of primary importance to McDougal Littell—who incorporates instructional methods that actively engages students in meaningful tasks.
As McDougal Littell seeks to improve its Algebra I eBook against the larger backdrop of expectations from the No Child Left Behind act, Hezel Associates is in the final phase of a study to document Algebra I eBook’s use in selected classrooms in Virginia and Connecticut and the textbook’s influences student outcomes.
Focusing on teachers’ use of the Algebra I eBook, Hezel’s research examines three key dimensions critical to teachers’ resource selection: written content standards, the assessment of student performance, and classroom instruction, including use of eBook, and integration of ancillary materials. A written report describing how teachers integrate the Algebra I eBook into their instruction, as well as the impact of their instructional practices on student learning and attitudes is to be finalized this fall. The final report will also provide a set of recommendations for improving the Algebra I eBook reflecting teacher needs at each decision-making point.
A Simple Step to Build your Brand
More and more websites are taking advantage of a very simple method of getting their logo out there – it’s called a favicon. The favicon adds a small image (usually a logo) next to the site name in favorites lists, and also places it in the address bar for anyone who bookmarks your website. To see an example of this, go to www.hezel.com and bookmark (add to favorites) the site. Adding this feature to your own website is simple.
First, create an image 16x16 pixels in size and save it as an ICO file, named favicon.ico. Most image programs cannot save as this file type, but there are plenty of free icon editors on the web, such as the sites listed here: Free Resource Editors, Compilers and Icon Editors.
Second, upload the favicon.ico file into your root directory. That’s all there is to it. Now anyone who has your site bookmarked will be able to easily find your page in their favorites list.
Second Edition of The Distance Learner's Guide Available Now.
For sometime now, WCET members and staff have been taking a hard look at how to protect people from poor quality on-line learning experiences. Prentice Hall has recently published the second edition of The Distance Learner's Guide that was authored by WCET members and staff. The book is an informative and engaging look at what every potential on-line student should know and what every institution should be able to deliver.
For your copy of the second edition of The Distance Learner's Guide, please email: Merrill.marketing@pearsoned.com. Be sure to include your UPS/FedEx address (physical-NOT PO Boxes).