This article examines the value of using an alternative approach to college course instruction in an off-campus location, an agency for individuals with developmental disabilities. The situated learning model is an alternative to the traditional college course instructional approach for preservice teachers. This model immerses students in the actual setting where they can practice the skills and apply the concepts emphasized in the curriculum. Through a partnership between the college, the community agency, and a public school, graduate students in the special education program developed and implemented a life-skills curriculum for individuals with developmental disabilities, at the same time learning essential principles of delivering instruction. The school-aged students who participated in the study were from a racially mixed urban school district, while the adult clients from the community agency attended the program at the end of their community-based workday. Based on the results of surveys and focus group discussions, participants in the study indicated that the situated learning model of instruction in a community setting better prepared them in the acquisition and application of their teaching skills, and built their competence in developing educational programs for individuals with disabilities.

This study investigated the effect of taking a disability studies course on college students' attitudes toward people with disabilities, with the expectation that, after exposure to content and activities that focus on people with disabilities, the students' attitudes would become more positive. Two groups of students completed a survey, the Multidimensional Attitudes Scale toward Persons with Disabilities at the beginning and again at the end of the semester. One group received instruction in a comprehensive disability studies course, while the other group did not. The scale has three subscales measuring affect (emotions such as nervousness and fear), cognitions (such as "We may get along well"), and behaviors (such as "Move away") with respect to individuals with disabilities. There were no differences in changes in these scores between the two groups of students. Researchers discussed reasons for the failure to find differences.

This study examines the interaction behaviors and metacognitive behaviors of graduate students in the online portion of a flipped classroom. For their time outside the face to face classroom, students were given the choice of two online methods for their interactions -- synchronous verbal discussions and asynchronous written discussions. Students were provided a detailed outline for their discussions. Discussions were analyzed and interactive and metacognitive behaviors were categorized and counted. Interaction behaviors and metacognitive behaviors were present in both environments. Synchronous verbal discussions were found to include significantly more interaction behaviors in five of six categories. There was no significant difference in the number of metacognitive behaviors. Students demonstrated the same level of learning behaviors in both environments.

This study reports on the value of teaching preservice teachers in an authentic setting. Outcomes suggest that the situated learning setting was more effective to the acquisition of content and pedagogy and increasing essential skill competence than when courses are offered in a more traditional format of lecture and discussion.

Stockton University is a mid‐size liberal arts institution in Southern New Jersey. Degree seekers must complete required course work in both liberal studies and core, specialized areas, such as business, health sciences, hospitality, education, social and behavioral sciences, or organizational leadership. Stockton emphasizes Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs) in undergraduate programs, aligning them to course goals and program outcomes. Faculty implement ELOs in many courses, across disciplines, providing students with opportunities to generalize ELOs in different contexts, in meaningful and relevant ways. Electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) are used to give students opportunities to develop their own personal profiles and expand their goal setting practices, by choosing artifacts that most represent who they are as learners and who they will be as future employees. Students enrolled in the courses included in this case study were encouraged to maintain an electronic portfolio that facilitates skill acquisition of reflective thought, self‐assessment, authentic learning, self‐determination, critical thinking and problem solving in preparation to successfully participate in a 21st century global world. Together with ELOs, ePortfolios give students a means of promoting their value to a future employer. This paper explores multiple case studies through courses that have integrated ELOs and ePortfolios for the purpose of assessing student growth, course objectives, program outcomes, or accreditation assessment. The case studies highlight the use of ELOs merged with ePortfolios for: first‐year students and their involvement in campus and course activities to assess personal and academic growth; first‐year students and the development of their research and information literacy skills to assess academic growth and course objectives; upper level undergraduate students and reflective assessment of student growth and course outcomes; and graduate students and reflective assessment of student growth and evidence for documenting accreditation standards. Examples of how ELOs and ePortfolios can be merged for different disciplines, and different student levels, are explored in detail. Suggestions for additional opportunities to embed ELOs into ePortfolios are discussed and provided for faculty who are interested in the utilization of these merged concepts for the assessment of student growth, course objectives, program outcomes and accreditation standards.