Higher education supports Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students

 The model minority myth paints a picture of Asian Americans as a monolithic group with unparalleled success in academics. A new NYU study unpacks this myth, exploring the needs of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students and how higher education institutions support these populations.

In 2007, Congress established a federal designation for higher education institutions that enroll at least 10 percent of undergraduate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA&NHPI) students, and who enroll a significant proportion of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. This designation as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) was among one of the newest categories of minority-serving institutions that receive federal funding to advance educational equity and support for ethnic and racial minorities.

In a two-site case study, Mike Hoa Nguyen, assistant professor of education at NYU Steinhardt, collected data from interviews, internal and public university documents, and observations of activities, courses, and meetings to determine the process in which AANAPISI programs expand students’ capacities through culturally relevant coursework, mentorship, research, and civic engagement. His findings are published in The Review of Higher Education.

“AANAPISIs demonstrate a federal commitment to supporting the unique educational needs of AA&NHPI students, which are too often obscured by the model minority myth,” said Nguyen. “This myth dangerously asserts that Asian American students, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students by association, are universally successful and unparalleled in their academic achievements. AANAPISIs play a major role in addressing this problem, and in doing so, provide critical resources to uplift the students they serve. This study documents the process in which these colleges and universities engage in this important work.”

Nguyen's study centered on a large, public community college on the West Coast and a large, urban, regional public university on the East Coast. Nguyen’s findings related to the experiences of students in these programs.

He uncovered a five-tiered process that the two institutions use to build opportunities for learning, practice, and engagement:

AA&NHPI Focused Coursework
At both institutions, courses focused on these populations are offered through the institutions’ Asian American Studies programs, where students are exposed to concepts connected to their racial and ethnic identities. One student shared her experience with a course, Asian Women in the United States, “Through my experience with I learned…for the first time, issues that affected my community. Specifically, me as an Asian American woman, specifically Vietnamese American…”

Teaching and Mentoring
Students who had previously taken AA&NHPI coursework provided tutoring and mentoring to support new students with classwork, programs, books, and scholarship applications.  According to one mentor, “Cambodian Americans fall through the cracks, we’re just not in higher ed…It’s not a supportive space for us…[the AANAPISI faculty] understand…from their own community work, from being on campus, and [from] teaching for so long that…when they find students who fit these demographics it makes sense for them to mentor them.”

Advanced AA&NHPI Focused Coursework
After serving as mentors, students often take more advanced courses focused on theoretical, historical, and contemporary issues regarding the AA&NHPI experience to continue their academics while gaining tools to make larger contributions toward their communities. 

Academic and Research Development
Students who complete advanced coursework are provided opportunities to engage in academic projects and research with faculty and staff, presenting research at conferences or publishing in peer-reviewed journals. 

Professional and Community Experience
The final step in the process offers opportunities for students to engage in community-based projects, internships, and employment with partner organizations, government offices, or other schools. A student shared that his research experience led to the creation of a Vietnamese American organizing and training program. “[Researchers] found out that Vietnamese Americans in [the neighborhood] don't participate in civics or politics…they basically feel disenfranchised, like their vote doesn’t matter…So, the research showed that there needs to be an organization to help push and provide opportunities to talk about politics in a Vietnamese American progressive context…”

“AANAPISIs are the backbone for AA&NHPI students in higher education. These institutions account for six percent of all colleges and universities, yet enroll over 40 percent of all AA&NHPI undergraduates,” said Nguyen. “This study offers new understandings of the critical role that AANAPISIs play to expand educational opportunity and enrich learning experiences—which can be adopted beyond AANAPISIs and for other students—as well as inform the work of policymakers as they seek new solutions to refine and regulate the administration of minority-serving institutions.”

Funding for this study was provided by the UCLA Institute of American Cultures and the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. 

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JOURNAL

The Review of Higher Education

High School Experiences of 2022–23 Ninth-Graders

 

Today, NCES released seven Digest of Education Statistics tables with data from the High School and Beyond Longitudinal Study of 2022 (HS&B:22). HS&B:22 is a nationally representative study of over 18,000 ninth-grade students. Data were collected from ninth-grade students and their families, teachers, school administrators, and school counselors from fall 2022 through spring 2023. This initial set of tabulated data is being released today, 12 months after the collection concluded, in an effort by NCES to provide timely data on the status of America’s students. Selected findings include: Fifty-five percent of ninth-graders in fall 2022 expected to complete a postsecondary education credential after completing high school (table 104.94). Among fall 2022 ninth-graders who were in the highest fifth in mathematics achievement on a study-designed assessment, 24 percent were enrolled in Algebra 1; 38 percent were enrolled in Geometry; and 18 percent were enrolled in Algebra 2. Among those in the lowest fifth in mathematics achievement, 57 percent were enrolled in Algebra 1; 9 percent were enrolled in Geometry; and 6 percent were enrolled in Algebra 2 (table 225.35). Lower percentages of ninth-graders who were in the highest fifth of mathematics or reading achievement reported that they felt like an outsider at school (11 and 14 percent, respectively) compared with those who were in the lowest fifth of mathematics or reading achievement (29 percent each) (table 230.82). Eighty-seven percent of 2022 ninth-graders reported that they had received all or some of their instruction online in the 2020–21 school year, during the COVID-19 pandemic (table 218.95). This is the sixth time NCES has conducted this type of comprehensive longitudinal study since its longitudinal studies program was launched in 1972. The study will report on students through high school and after high school, including their postsecondary education experiences, early careers, and young adulthood. The next survey round is planned for the spring of 2026, when most students will be in grade 12. You can find all of today’s released data in the following Digest tables: Percentage distribution of fall 2022 ninth-graders’ education attainment expectations, by selected student, family, and school characteristics: Fall 2022 (table 104.94) Among fall 2022 ninth-graders who reported receiving all or some instruction online and receiving all instruction in person in 2020-21, percentage reporting various learning experiences, by selected student, family, and school characteristics: Fall 2022 (table 218.95) Percentage distribution of fall 2022 ninth-graders’ reading achievement in quintiles, by selected student, family, and school characteristics: Fall 2022 (table 221.82) Percentage distribution of fall 2022 ninth-graders’ mathematics achievement in quintiles, by selected student, family, and school characteristics: Fall 2022 (table 222.82) Percentage distribution of fall 2022 ninth-graders in various mathematics courses, by selected student, family, and school characteristics: Fall 2022 (table 225.35) Percentage distribution of fall 2022 ninth-graders attending schools with varying degrees of absenteeism and class cutting as reported by school administrators, by selected student, family, and school characteristics: Fall 2022 (table 227.58) Percentage of fall 2022 ninth-graders agreeing with statements about school safety and belonging, by selected student, family, and school characteristics: Fall 2022 (table 230.82)

Online educational platforms: offer courses following a schedule or release them on demand?

 

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pennsylvania published a new Journal of Marketing study that examines online educational platforms and the question of whether they should release content through a scheduled format that resembles a traditional university course or use an on-demand release strategy.

The study, forthcoming in Journal of Marketing, is titled “More Likely to Pay but Less Engaged: The Effects of Switching Online Courses from Scheduled to On-Demand Release on User Behavior” and is authored by Joy Lu, Eric T. Bradlow, and J. Wesley Hutchinson. 

In 2011, the online education industry catered to around 300,000 consumers. In 2021, it served 220 million, thanks in part to increased enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditional universities and institutions are increasingly adopting hybrid course formats. For example, the number of full-time online MBA students surpassed in-person MBA students for the first time in the 2020-21 academic year.

Today, online educational platforms like Coursera and edX offer a range of flexible course content, but these firms are faced with a tricky question: Should they release content through a scheduled format that resembles a traditional university course with a subset of lectures and quizzes available at the start of each week, or should they follow in the footsteps of Netflix and Hulu with an on-demand release strategy where all the material is immediately available upon registration?

This new Journal of Marketing article finds that the choice of format for content release not only impacts overall user engagement and firm revenue but also user performance and learning outcomes.

The researchers studied over 67,000 users taking an introductory marketing course on Coursera consisting of 32 short lecture videos and 4 quizzes. The study took advantage of a natural experiment policy change where the platform switched the course from a scheduled format to an on-demand release format while keeping the actual content the same.

The scheduled format closely resembled a traditional university course, with some of the study material available at the beginning of each week for four weeks. In the on-demand format, all four weeks of content was made available upon registration. All users could take the course for free or opt into paying for a completion certificate, either as a one-time fee in the scheduled format or a monthly subscription in the on-demand format.

More Users, Less Engagement

The study’s findings show that the switch to on-demand content doubled the percentage of paying users from 14% to 28%. Lu explains that “the on-demand format was successful in increasing short-term firm revenue by bringing in more paying users. On the downside, the switch resulted in significantly lower lecture completion rates and lower quiz performance.”

The on-demand format also negatively impacted downstream platform engagement. The marketing course was promoted in a “Business Foundations” set with three other courses on operations, accounting, and finance. “Compared to users in the scheduled format, those in the on-demand format ended up taking one or two fewer additional courses six months after the focal marketing course,” says Bradlow.

Analysis of user activity reveals two new learning patterns:

1. A subset (13%) of users in the on-demand format continued to return and take quizzes well beyond the recommended four-week course period. The greater flexibility in the on-demand content release and payment structure likely enabled these users to “stretch out” their consumption.
2. The on-demand format increased the practice of binging – with user activity being clumped together (i.e., more binging) as compared to being evenly spaced out (i.e., less binging). In the scheduled format, binging was negatively related to course performance, which is consistent with the intuition that binging reflects procrastination or cramming. However, in the on-demand format, binging was positively related to performance, suggesting that on-demand users may binge as a form of strategic time management by setting aside time to consume in spurts.

Real-World Implications

This study offers vital lessons for chief marketing officers in the online education space:

• The switch to the on-demand format attracted a set of users who were more likely to pay, but were less engaged in the course. On-demand content is potentially helpful at bringing in a new user segment or expanding the current user base, similar to universities offering concurrent hybrid MBAs that cater to busy students with full-time jobs. Managers must consider the trade-off between offering structure versus flexibility and may even consider offering different content release options simultaneously but at different price points by emphasizing their unique features.
• Platforms may need to adapt their content to account for users who binge on content and others who space it out over time. For example, firms can include more recaps or reviews to reduce frustration resulting from users forgetting content. It may even be a viable strategy to embrace the prevalence of binging among users by highlighting or designing sets of lectures that are “bingeable” versus more modular.
• Many online platforms offer episodic content that may be released in installments and thus need to make decisions regarding the content release format. “Our study provides insights that help managers anticipate the potential consequences of such decisions,” says Hutchinson. “On-demand content offers clear short-term benefits in terms of increased revenue but potentially long-term costs in terms of decreased engagement and new challenges in maintaining user engagement.”

Full article and author contact information available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429241227145

Popular teenagers sleep less than their peers

 

Popular girls experience more insomnia symptoms than popular boys

Due to a later melatonin onset and increased alertness in the evening, teenagers often find it hard to fall asleep at a time that would allow them to clock up the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep each night.

It is also during teenage years when increasing school demands, activities, more independence from parents, and relationships with peers begin to compete with sleep. The role of social context, however, is often overlooked when studying adolescents’ sleep. Now, researchers in Sweden and Australia wanted to find out how popularity among peers affected sleeping habits of teenagers aged 14 to 18.

“Here we show that popular teenagers reported shorter sleep duration. In particular, popular girls – but not boys – reported more insomnia symptoms,” said Dr Serena Bauducco, a sleep researcher at Örebro University and first author of the Frontiers in Sleep article. “Most interestingly, popularity also seems to negatively impact sleep both before and after the advent of smartphones.”

Popular and sleepless

In a sample of more than 1,300 Swedish teenagers, almost half of them female, the researchers examined if popularity coincided with shorter sleep duration. They asked teenagers to nominate up to three friends, and those receiving the most nominations, were defined as more popular. These teenagers slept less than their peers, the most popular ones up to 27 minutes.

When the researchers looked at boys and girls separately, they also found a correlation between popularity and insomnia symptoms: More popular girls experienced more insomnia symptoms, such as difficulties to fall or stay asleep or waking up too early. Popular boys did not experience these symptoms to the same extent.   

These sex differences are not yet fully understood, but the fact that boys and girls engage in differing friendship behaviors might offer insights. “Girls express more care and concern with their friends and engage in helping behaviors more than boys. This might mean they carry these concerns when it’s time to fall asleep,” Bauducco explained.

Phones may not explain the popularity-sleep link

“We also see that popularity has been associated with worse sleep both before and after the development of handheld communication technology,” said Bauducco. This suggests that it may not be smartphones that cause popular teenagers to sleep less; instead, other mechanisms could be at play.

The researchers speculate that more friends may mean more time dedicated to them which could result in less time left for sleeping. More emotional investment, too, could lead to sleeping difficulties. Both explanations would apply to times before and after smartphones became common. This, however, needs to be investigated in detail, the researchers said.

Racking up sleep debt

“Teenagers are arguably the most sleep deprived population throughout the lifespan,” said Bauducco. “Previous studies show that 30 minutes of extra sleep can lead to improved mental health and better school performance.”

With schools starting early, many teenagers try to catch up on sleep on weekends – a strategy that can backfire. “Suppose a teen sleeps in on Sunday until 1pm. Falling asleep that night to be ready for school the next day will be a struggle, because they won’t feel tired,” Bauducco pointed out. “Delaying wake-times too much can contribute to maintaining the problem of sleep debt racked up during the week.”

The researchers believe that discussing social norms about sleep and expectations of peers around bedtime are a missing component of existing sleep interventions for adolescents. Additionally, further research is needed to examine the mutual relationship between social connectedness and sleep and to shine light on the discovered sex differences.

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JOURNAL

Frontiers in Sleep

Intervention based on science of reading, math boosts comprehension, word problem-solving skills English learners with math difficulty

New research from the University of Kansas has found an intervention based on the science of reading and math effectively helped English learners boost their comprehension, visualize and synthesize information, and make connections that significantly improved their math performance.

The intervention, performed for 30 minutes twice a week for 10 weeks with 66 third-grade English language learners who displayed math learning difficulties, improved students’ performance when compared to students who received general instruction. That indicates emphasizing cognitive concepts involved in the science of reading and math are key to helping students improve, according to researchers.

“Word problem-solving is influenced by both the science of reading and the science of math. Key components include number sense, decoding, language comprehension and working memory. Utilizing direct and explicit teaching methods enhances understanding and enables students to effectively connect these skills to solve math problems. This integrated approach ensures that students are equipped with necessary tools to navigate both the linguistic and numerical demands of word problems,” said Michael Orosco, professor of educational psychology at KU and lead author of the study. 

The intervention incorporates comprehension strategy instruction in both reading and math, focusing and decoding, phonological awareness, vocabulary development, inferential thinking, contextualized learning and numeracy.

“It is proving to be one of the most effective evidence-based practices available for this growing population,” Orosco said.

The study, co-written with Deborah Reed of the University of Tennessee, was published in the journal Learning Disabilities Research and Practice.

For the research, trained tutors developed the intervention, developed by Orosco and colleagues based on cognitive and culturally responsive research conducted over a span of 20 years. One example of an intervention session tested in the study included a script in which a tutor examined a word problem that explained a person made a quesadilla for his friend Mario, giving him one-fourth of it, then needed to students to determine how much remained.

The tutor first asked students if they remembered a class session in which they made quesadillas, what shape they were and demonstrated concepts by drawing a circle on the board, dividing it into four equal pieces, having students repeat terms like numerator and denominator, and explaining that when a question asks how much is left, subtraction is required. The students also collaborated with peers to practice using important vocabulary in sentences. The approach both helps students learn and understand mathematical concepts while being culturally responsive.

"Word problems are complex because they require translating words into mathematical equations, and this involves integrating the science of reading and math through language concepts and differentiated instruction," Orosco said. "We have not extensively tested these approaches with this group of children. However, we are establishing an evidence-based framework that aids them in developing background knowledge and connecting it to their cultural contexts."

Orosco, director of KU’s Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Neuroscience, emphasized the critical role of language in word problems, highlighting the importance of using culturally familiar terms. For instance, substituting "pastry" for "quesadilla" could significantly affect comprehension for students from diverse backgrounds. Failure to grasp the initial scenario can impede subsequent problem-solving efforts.

The study proved effective in improving students’ problem-solving abilities, despite covariates including an individual’s basic calculation skills, fluid intelligence and reading comprehension scores. That finding is key as, while ideally all students would begin on equal footing and there were little variations in a classroom, in reality, covariates exist and are commonplace.

The study had trained tutors deliver the intervention, and its effectiveness should be further tested with working teachers, the authors wrote. Orosco said professional development to help teachers gain the skills is necessary, and it is vital for teacher preparation programs to train future teachers with such skills as well. And helping students at the elementary level is necessary to help ensure success in future higher-level math classes such as algebra.

The research builds on Orosco and colleagues’ work in understanding and improving math instruction for English learners. Future work will continue to examine the role of cognitive functions such as working memory and brain science, as well as potential integration of artificial intelligence in teaching math.

“Comprehension strategy instruction helps students make connections, ask questions, visualize, synthesize and monitor their thinking about word problems,” Orosco and Reed wrote. “Finally, applying comprehension strategy instruction supports ELs in integrating their reading, language and math cognition… Focusing on relevant language in word problems and providing collaborative support significantly improved students’ solution accuracy.”

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JOURNAL

Learning Disabilities Research and Practice

DOI

10.1177/09388982241229407

Teaching Teachers To Use Computer Assisted Learning Effectively

 Mastery learning - the process by which students must demonstrate proficiency with a single topic before moving on - is well recognized as one of the most effective ways to learn, yet many teachers struggle or remain unsure about how to implement it into a classroom setting. 

This study evaluates a program to encourage greater mastery learning through technology and proactive continuous teacher support. Focusing on elementary and middle school mathematics, teachers receive weekly coaching in how to use Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) for helping students follow a customized roadmap of incremental progress. 

Results from two field experiments indicate significant Intent To Treat effects on math performance of 0.12 - 0.22 standard deviations. Further analysis indicates that these gains are from students in classrooms with at least an average of 35 minutes of practice per week. Teachers able to achieve high-dosage practice have a high degree of initial buy-in, a clear implementation strategy for when practice occurs, and a willingness to closely monitor progress and follow-up with struggling students.

The current state of the teaching profession is at or near its lowest levels in 50 years

 This study examines the state of the U.S. K-12 teaching profession over the last half century by compiling nationally representative time-series data on four interrelated constructs: occupational prestige, interest among students, the number of individuals preparing for entry, and on-the-job satisfaction. 

The authors find a consistent and dynamic pattern across every measure: a rapid decline in the 1970s, a swift rise in the 1980s extending into the mid 1990s, relative stability, and then a sustained decline beginning around 2010. The current state of the teaching profession is at or near its lowest levels in 50 years.

The authors  identify and explore a range of hypotheses that might explain these historical patterns including economic and sociopolitical factors, education policies, and school environments.