Milestone 3

HEA 520 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview The final project for this course is the creation of a research paper. The landscape of higher education is constantly changing to respond to internal and external factors such as shifting demographics, federal and state government regulations, state funding, educational system changes, and costs. These factors produce both planned and unplanned changes in the higher education organization, which, in turn, impact students, employees, and organizational health. To be effective leaders, higher education administrators must be astute in recognizing, naming, planning for, and responding to these changes that impact the sociotechnical, structural, and cultural systems of university organizations. For the final project, you will create a research paper on a contemporary national issue addressing the current shifts and changing role of higher education in the twenty-first century. You will analyze the historical and current impact of the issue and associated trend on higher education institutions, using empirical data to illustrate how and why the trend impacts higher education institutions now and in the future. You will conclude your research paper by reflecting on the impact of the issue on your personal educational and professional experiences and pursuits. The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Four, and Six. The final submission will be due in Module Nine. In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

 Analyze the evolution of current trends and issues in the field of higher education through the use of empirical data

 Assess the use of technological approaches for how they can improve achievement amongst underrepresented students in higher education institutions

 Analyze the relationship between contemporary issues influencing higher education and educational institutions’ missions, visions, and goals

 Determine the impact of contemporary issues influencing the field of higher education on decision-making trends in higher education institutions

 Analyze the current and projected impacts of contemporary issues on twenty-first-century students and professionals in the field of higher education

Prompt Your research paper should answer the following prompt: You will begin your project by selecting a contemporary issue that is addressing current shifts and the changing role of higher education in the twenty-first century. Specifically, you must select an issue that is influencing technological trends in the field. Your instructor can assist you in your selection of an issue. Once you select an issue, you will analyze the evolution of the issue and its modern impact on higher education institutions. To analyze the modern impact of the issue on higher education institutions, you will use a sample of institutions. You will create this sample by randomly selecting higher education institutions across the nation to study. You will then base your analysis on this sample, drawing conclusions about the trends in the institutions and the impact on the institutions as a whole. To conclude your research paper, you will narrow your focus of the issue to reflect on the personal impact, thinking about your student and/or professional experiences in higher education.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Historical Analysis: To begin, you will analyze the evolution of your selected issue and associated trend. a) Describe your selected national issue influencing the field of higher education and the trend associated with the issue. b) Analyze how the selected national issue has evolved throughout history, identifying key influential factors and events and supporting your

analysis with evidence. c) Analyze how the associated trend has evolved throughout history, identifying key influential factors and events and supporting your analysis

with evidence.

II. Institutional Impact: In this section, you will analyze the institutional impact of your selected issue using a sample of higher education institutions. You will create a sample by selecting higher education institutions across the nation, identify themes throughout the sample, and analyze the impact of the issue on this sample to inform your conclusions.

a) Describe common themes in the missions, visions, and goals of the institutions and explain how the identified issue impacts each institution’s ability to deliver on its mission, vision, and goals.

b) Describe the relevant state and federal policies that impact the missions, visions, and goals of the institutions with respect to the issue and describe the impact of these policies.

c) Describe the role of technology in the institutions in relation to the issue. Support your description with evidence. For example, is technology used to assist in curriculum delivery or student access?

d) Define the student demographics in your selected sample of higher education institutions. Specifically, what groups are underrepresented, and how does this compare to national trends?

e) How can technology be used to improve student achievement for the previously identified underrepresented students? You might consider technology as a tool to deliver curriculum.

f) Determine the impact of the issue on program offerings. What assumptions are you making about the institutions’ decision-making processes? Support your conclusions with evidence. For example, has the issue influenced institutions to offer specific programs?

g) Determine the impact of the issue on funding. What assumptions are you making about the institutions’ decision-making processes? Support your conclusions with evidence. For example, has the issue influenced institutions to enact new policies around funding, or have sources of funding changed?

h) Determine the impact of the issue on student outreach. What assumptions are you making about the institutions’ decision-making processes? Support your conclusions with evidence. For example, has the issue influenced institutions to organize specific student activities or outreach strategies?

III. Conclusion: Now that you have analyzed the impact of the issue on the field of higher education, you will reflect on the impact of the issue on your

student and/or professional experience. a) Explain how your selected issue has personally impacted you as a student and/or professional in the field of higher education. For example, as a

student, the issue may have impacted your access to education or the delivery of curriculum, or as a professional, the issue may have impacted your ability to fund your specific programs.

b) Describe how you might attempt to address the issue if you were a high-ranking professional in a higher education institution, explaining your rationale. Consider state and federal regulations that may impact your decision making.

c) Analyze the mission, vision, and goals of an institution where you have experience, either as a student or employee, for how the institution addresses your selected contemporary issue. For example, are there gaps among the mission, vision, and goals and the selected issue?

d) Based on your analysis, predict the future direction of the issue and its impact on you, either as an aspiring professional in the field of higher education or a professional currently in the field. For example, how might the issue continue to evolve, and how will this impact your professional pursuits?

Milestones Milestone One: Timeline In Module Two, you will submit a visual timeline illustrating the evolution of your selected issue and associated trend. This timeline should show the progression of a contemporary issue from its origin to its current state, illustrating all the watershed events that led to the issue’s current state. Be sure to provide enough explanation within the timeline so the audience can follow the information from beginning to end. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric. Milestone Two: Presentation In Module Four, you will submit a presentation about the relevant state and federal policies that impact the missions, visions, and goals of the sample institutions you have chosen, with respect to the issue. Also, describe the impact of these policies on the sample institutions. You may use any type of software application to create your presentation, such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Prezi. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric. Milestone Three: Article Analysis on Technology in Curriculum and Teaching In Module Six, you will submit an article analysis. Critically analyze a research article that focuses on your chosen contemporary higher education issue related to technology in curriculum and teaching. Determine the impact of the issue on student outreach. Additionally, discuss how technology can be used to improve student achievement for underrepresented students. The research article must be taken from one of the following top-tier, peer-reviewed journals: Research in Higher Education, Review of Higher Education, Journal of Higher Education, or Peabody Journal of Education and Teaching. An article analysis is the basic format of a literature review for a single article. Select an article from top-tier, peer-reviewed journals and discuss the type of research, the research question, and the strengths and weaknesses of the article’s impact on the subject. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Three Rubric. Final Submission: Research Paper In Module Nine, you will submit your research paper. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Product Rubric.

Deliverables

Milestone Deliverable Module Due Grading

One Timeline Two Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric

Two Presentation Four Graded separately; Milestone Two Rubric

Three Article Analysis on Technology in Curriculum and Teaching

Six Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric

Final Submission: Research Paper Nine Graded separately; Final Project Rubric

Final Project Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your research paper must be 6–8 pages in length and must adhere to standard formatting (Times New Roman, 12-point font, one- inch margins), using the most recent version of the APA style manual for citations.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Historical Analysis: Issue

Meets “Proficient” criteria and description demonstrates keen insight into the issue and associated trend

Describes the selected national issue influencing the field of higher education and the trend associated with the issue

Describes the selected national issue influencing the field of higher education and the trend associated with the issue but with gaps in detail or accuracy

Does not describe the selected national issue influencing the field of higher education and the trend associated with the issue

6.3

Historical Analysis: National Issue

Evolved

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into analyzing the evolution of the issue through the use of evidence

Analyzes how the selected national issue has evolved throughout history, identifying key influential factors and events, supporting analysis with evidence

Analyzes how the selected national issue has evolved throughout history, identifying key influential factors and events, supporting analysis with evidence, but with gaps in detail, accuracy, or support

Does not analyze how the selected national issue has evolved throughout history

6.3

Historical Analysis: Trend Evolved

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into analyzing the evolution of the trend influencing higher education through the use of evidence

Analyzes how the associated trend has evolved throughout history, identifying key influential factors and events, supporting analysis with evidence

Analyzes how the associated trend has evolved throughout history, identifying key influential factors and events, supporting analysis with evidence, but with gaps in detail, accuracy, or support

Does not analyze how the associated trend has evolved throughout history

6.4

Institutional Impact: Missions, Visions, and Goals

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into how issue impacts an institution’s ability to deliver on its mission, vision, and goals

Describes the common themes in the missions, visions, and goals of the institutions and explains how the identified issue impacts an institution’s ability to deliver on its mission, vision, and goals

Describes the common themes in the missions, visions, and goals of the institutions and explains how the identified issue impacts an institution’s ability to deliver on its mission, vision, and goals but with gaps in detail or accuracy

Does not describe the common themes in the missions, visions, and goals of the institutions and does not explain how the identified issue impacts an institution’s ability to deliver on its mission, vision, and goals

6.3

Institutional Impact: State and

Federal Policies

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into how the relevant institutional, state, and federal policies guide the institutions in managing the identified issue

Describes the relevant state and federal policies that impact the missions, visions, and goals of the institutions with respect to the issue and describes the impact of these policies

Describes the relevant state and federal policies that impact the missions, visions, and goals of the institutions with respect to the issue and describes the impact of these policies but with gaps in detail or accuracy

Does not describe the relevant state and federal policies that impact the missions, visions, and goals of the institutions with respect to the issue and does not describe the impact of these policies

6.3

Institutional Impact: Role of

Technology

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into the role of technology in higher education in relation to the issue

Describes the role of technology in the institutions in relation to the current issue, supporting with evidence

Describes the role of technology in the institutions in relation to the current issue, supporting with evidence, but with gaps in detail, accuracy, or support

Does not describe the role of technology in the institutions in relation to the current issue

6.3

Institutional Impact: Student Demographics

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into how the underrepresented groups at an institution compare with national trends

Defines the student demographics in the sample of institutions, identifying the underrepresented groups, and explains how these groups compare to national trends

Defines the student demographics in the sample of institutions, identifying the underrepresented groups, and explains how these groups compare to national trends but with gaps in detail, accuracy, or logic

Does not define the student demographics in the sample of institutions, identifying the underrepresented groups, and does not explain how these groups compare to national trends

6.3

Institutional Impact: Technology

to Improve

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into how technology can be used to improve student achievement for underrepresented students

Describes how technology can be used to improve student achievement for the identified underrepresented students

Describes how technology can be used to improve student achievement for the identified underrepresented students but with gaps in detail or logic

Does not describe how technology can be used to improve student achievement for the identified underrepresented students

6.4

Institutional Impact: Program

Offerings

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into the impact of contemporary issues on higher education program offerings

Determines the impact of the issue on program offerings, outlining assumptions made about the decision-making process and supporting conclusions with evidence

Determines the impact of the issue on program offerings, outlining assumptions made about the decision-making process and supporting conclusions with evidence but with gaps in detail, accuracy, or support

Does not determine the impact of the issue on program offerings

6.3

Institutional Impact: Funding

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into the impact of contemporary issues on higher education funding

Determines the impact of the issue on funding, outlining assumptions made about the decision-making process and supporting conclusions with evidence

Determines the impact of the issue on funding, outlining assumptions made about the decision-making process and supporting conclusions with evidence, but with gaps in detail, accuracy, or support

Does not determine the impact of the issue on funding

6.3

Institutional Impact: Student

Outreach

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into the impact of contemporary issues on higher education student outreach

Determines the impact of the issue on student outreach, outlining assumptions made about the decision-making process and supporting conclusions with evidence

Determines the impact of the issue on student outreach, outlining assumptions made about the decision-making process and supporting conclusions with evidence, but with gaps in detail, accuracy, or support

Does not determine the impact of the issue on student outreach

6.4

Conclusion: Impacted You

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into how the issue personally impacts students and/or professionals in the field of higher education

Explains how the selected issue has had personal impact as a student and/or professional in the field of higher education

Explains how the selected issue has had personal impact as a student and/or professional in the field of higher education but with gaps in detail or logic

Does not explain how the selected issue has had personal impact as a student and/or professional in the field of higher education

6.3

Conclusion: Address the Issue

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into how the issue might be addressed in a higher education institution

Describes how one might attempt to address the issue if one were a high-ranking individual in a higher education institution, explaining the rationale

Describes how one might attempt to address the issue if one were a high-ranking individual in a higher education institution, explaining the rationale, but with gaps in detail, logic, or support

Does not describe how one might attempt to address the issue if one were a high-ranking individual in a higher education institution

6.3

Conclusion: Mission, Vision,

and Goals

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into the relationship between an institution’s mission, vision, and goals and contemporary issues in higher education

Analyzes the mission, vision, and goals of an institution where one has experience either as a student or employee for how the institution addresses the selected contemporary issue

Analyzes the mission, vision, and goals of an institution where one has experience either as a student or employee for how the institution addresses the selected contemporary issue but with gaps in detail or logic

Does not analyze the mission, vision, and goals of an institution where one has experience either as a student or employee for how the institution addresses the selected contemporary issue

6.4

Conclusion: Future Direction

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into the potential future direction of the issue and its impact on professionals in the field of higher education

Predicts the future direction of the issue and its impact on the aspiring professional in the field of higher education or a professional currently in the field, based on the previous analysis

Predicts the future direction of the issue and its impact on the aspiring professional in the field of higher education or a professional currently in the field but with gaps in detail or logic or prediction is not based on the previous analysis

Does not predict the future direction of the issue and its impact on the aspiring professional in the field of higher education or a professional currently in the field

6.4

Articulation of Response

Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to-read format

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

5

Total 100%