IU Indianapolis ScholarWorks :: Browsing by Author "Helfenbein, Robert J."

Browsing by Author "Helfenbein, Robert J."

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Advocating the Well-Being of Children and Families Through a Culturally Responsive Community-University Partnership
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Elfreich, Alycia M.; Helfenbein, Robert J.
This poster presents a mixed-methods research study that focuses on school- community collaborative organizations in the promotion of child-rights and well-being of students, and utilizes an asset-based holistic approach to child development in education. The Westfield community-university partnership aims to properly identify needs and assets of the children in order to explore ways to empower children to excel in life after school, as well as provide an evaluation tool to support community partners to more effectively communicate across programs and schools. In order for schools to develop their programs in response to the needs of the children and those that work with them, the voice of children becomes a necessary component of this partnership. Few programs or evaluation tools foster the involvement of young people in the early stages of mental health, even though children have the capability of expressing distinct views and personal barriers to well-being. This projects uses a case study design as this inquiry concentrates on a contemporary phenomenon within a real-world context. Case study methodology also incorporates many variables of interest, as opposed to specified data points, and relies on the application and combination of multiple sources of evidence to reinforce the study’s findings (Yin, 2008). Qualitative data sources include school staff, students, parents, and community members involved in the Westfield Youth Initiative. Methods of data collection include interviews, focus groups, and school climate surveys, which will be coded and themed, reinforced through team member consensus, and entered into Nvivo © transcript analysis. Quantitative data analysis includes descriptive statistics on demographic variables and a comparison of results from school achievement data. We expect our research to indicate that children who experience a greater sense of well-being assimilate information in more effective ways, engage in healthy and fulfilling social behaviors, and invest in others’ well-being as they advance into adulthood. Thus, the anticipated final results will include a culturally responsive evaluation tool that illustrates the methods in which we incorporate the shared life experience and understanding of children and the community out of respect to the cultural context in which they live. This partnership strives to recognize and appreciate differences between gender, race, language, and class, while maintaining a firm commitment to the well-being of each and every student. Finally, we point to challenges of cross-cultural work, barriers to implementation, and lessons learned unique to this research study.
Faculty and Student Perceptions of Project-Enhanced Learning in Early Engineering Education: Barriers, Benefits, and Breakthroughs
(2012) Nalim, M. Razi; Rajagopal, Manikanda K.; Helfenbein, Robert J.
The application of problem-based learning (PBL) to undergraduate engineering education has emerged as an area of research interest over the past few decades. A related form of active learning is project-enhanced learning (PEL), intended to support integrative thinking and student motivation. PEL is specifically designed as a supplement to, but not a replacement for, traditional teaching methods in early engineering science courses. Data regarding perceived benefits and barriers to PEL as an intervention for improved student learning were collected from instructors engaged in PEL, and were examined using extended-term mixed-method research design (ETMM). ETMM enables researchers to remain attentive to contextual factors shaping program implementation and to changes in implementation over time. The case study included interviews with faculty, and survey instruments as part of the multiple data-point strategy. Among the findings, instructors adding PEL to their instructional strategies expressed satisfaction with improved student motivation, interaction, and socialization, which may help with student success and retention in engineering. Some instructors expressed concern about losing focus on the challenging analytical course topics, but those who attempted PEL were able to achieve appropriate balance by designing project tasks to align well with the topics and by limiting non-aligned project activity. In some cases, instructors who initially resisted adopting PEL changed to a favorable disposition after interacting with students and faculty who were favorable. However, a small number of instructors responded to the survey with a strong negative view of PEL.
“Failure Looks Like this Child is Still in Limbo”: Foster Parent Experiences of Failed Pre-adoptive Placements
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2013-04-05) Bloomquist, Kori R.; Helfenbein, Robert J.
Pre-adoptive or “waiting” children are those who have a case plan of adoption and/or whose parental rights have been terminated. There are currently over 107,000 pre-adoptive children in the United States, and on average, they have been living in foster care for over three years. A lack of permanency is associated with a milieu of negative consequences while achieving permanent, stable relationships is significant in developing a sense of self and overall, long-term well-being. Failed pre-adoptive placements represent a significant barrier to achieving permanency; however, the phenomenon of failed pre-adoptive placements has been underexplored. This study uses phenomenology, a philosophical method and study of experience, to explore how pre-adoptive foster parents make meaning of their experiences of failed pre-adoptive placements. Participants fostered at least one pre-adoptive child with the intent, willingness, and/or openness to adopt the child, but the placement did not result in an adoption and the child moved to an alternative placement. The primary research question for this study is “What is the experience of a foster parent who has had a failed pre-adoptive placement?” Findings from in-depth interviews reveal that pre-adoptive foster parents enter into pre-adoptive placements with multiple motivations and personal expectations. Experiences which do not confirm these expectations often contribute to decisions to end a pre-adoptive placement. Participants are at times motivated by fear and feel compelled to make decisions to end placements on behalf of alternative roles (i.e. biological mother, spouse, neighbor, etc.). Pre-adoptive parents appear to have a future orientation that serves as a guiding force in decisions to continue or end a pre-adoptive placement. Participants describe feelings of grief, loss, and inadequacy. Findings contribute to the body of knowledge and have implications for foster and pre-adoptive training and support and encourage greater understandings within child welfare for improved permanency planning and practice.
Grit and beliefs about intelligence: the relationship and role these factors play in the self-regulatory processes involved in medical students learning gross anatomy
(2015-05) Fillmore, Erin Paige; Helfenbein, Robert J.; Palmer, Megan M.; Seifert, Mark F.; Shew, Ronald L.; Brokaw, James J.
Background: Gross anatomy is a foundational medical school course upon which other courses and patient care is grounded; however, variability in student performance suggests potential in studying underlying non-academic factors to explain some of these inconsistencies. Thus, this study examined medical students’ implicit theories of intelligence (ITI) and grit in order to better understand student learning outcomes in gross anatomy. Methods: A mixed methods study was conducted using 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year medical students who successfully completed gross anatomy. Students (n=382) completed the ITI Scale and Short Grit Scale in order to identify individual’s ITI and grit scores. Subsequent interviews (n=25) were conducted to explore how medical students set goals, operated while reaching those goals, and monitored their progress in achieving those goals. Results: Entity and incremental theorists with high grit performed significantly better in gross anatomy when compared to those with low grit. Further, highly gritty incremental and entity theorists were hard workers and showed resilience in the face of challenges. Specifically, those with an entity ITI had the central goal of getting an honors grade, while those with an incremental ITI desired to understand and apply their anatomical knowledge. Conversely, low grit individuals became overwhelmed by challenges, were more likely to show an inconsistent work ethic, and questioned their ability to master the material. An individual’s ITI, more so than grit, drove the presence of negative emotions in a medical student, with entity theorists feeling anxious and vulnerable, and incremental theorists feeling fewer negative emotions. Finally, grit level moderated how a medical student would respond to negative emotions, with highly gritty individuals exhibiting more constructive coping mechanisms. Conclusions: These findings suggest that medical students who possess high grit and an incremental theory of intelligence have the most effective learning strategies, set achievable goals, and enlist effective coping mechanisms while learning gross anatomy. The findings and tools used in this study could be incorporated into the medical school admissions process. Finally, findings reinforce the value of examining the ITI and grit of medical students, as they can provide educators with insight regarding important non-academic factors driving learning in gross anatomy.
Project Lead the Way: Analysis of Statewide Student Outcomes
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Robbins, Kirsten; Sorge, Brandon; Helfenbein, Robert J.; Feldhaus, Charlie
Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is a STEM education programming provider implementing hands-on, project-based engineering or biomedical science curricula in U.S. secondary schools. The goal of PLTW is to increase student interest and knowledge in these and other STEM majors/careers. A large, longitudinal dataset of students who graduated from an Indiana high school in 2010 was created. Preliminary analysis of the dataset found that students who took PLTW engineering courses were significantly more likely to select a STEM major, select an engineering major in college, and persist from the first to the second year of college. Additionally, taking three or more PLTW classes increased the likelihood of selecting a STEM major, selecting an engineering major in college, and persisting from the first to the second year of college. We also examined factors of PLTW students that made them more likely to major in a STEM field, enroll in a 4-year institution, and persist from their first to their second year of college. We found that being male, having a higher math ISTEP+ score, and receiving an honors diploma increased a PLTW students’ likelihood of majoring in STEM. PLTW students who were not eligible for free and reduced lunch, who were part of an underrepresented minority, who received an honors diploma, and who had higher ELA ISTEP+ scores were more likely to attend a 4-year institution. PLTW students who received an honors diploma and were not eligible for free and reduced lunch are more likely to persist from freshman to sophomore year. These findings elucidate interesting and important patterns in the data, highlighting a need for “scale-up research” to further determine the potential factors influencing student access and success. As such, the broad objective of our future research is to produce a multi-scalar representation of PLTW outcomes in Indiana, which can then be used as a modality for understanding the outcomes, impacts, and factors influencing PLTW success nationwide. More specifically, the project will identify PLTW outcomes in rural, suburban, and urban schools and their effects on the everyday experience of students in STEM programs at IUPUI. This multi-scalar approach will explore the broader sociocultural configuration of Indiana high schools, the extent to which those schools evidence PLTW implementation fidelity, and the longitudinal impact of PLTW curriculum on current STEM majors at IUPUI.
Understanding interprofessional education : a multiple-case study of students, faculty, and administrators
(2013-07) Henkin, Katherine; Helfenbein, Robert J.; Ebright, Patricia R.; Shew, Ronald L.; Torbeck, Laura J.; Wilbur, Lee G.
Although interprofessional education (IPE) opportunities can help prepare students for future practice and patient-centered care, many health professions students in the country are not educated in an environment with opportunities to learn with, from, or about students from other health professions. With upcoming curricular changes at the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) and the Indiana University School of Nursing (IUSN), IPE remains at the forefront of these changes in both schools. To date, few studies have explored student, faculty, and administrators’ conceptualizations of IPE prior to formal implementation. Additionally, previous studies have not compared IPE conceptualizations across these groups. This multiple-case study explores and compares how groups of stakeholders from the IUSM (Indianapolis) and the IUSN (Indianapolis) conceptualize IPE. Data collection included the examination of discipline-specific public documents and one-on-one interviews (N=25) with pre-licensure students, clinical faculty, and administrators from each school. Coding and extraction of themes transpired through within-case and cross-case analysis and data supported the following findings: the ‘business of medicine’ may prevent IPE from becoming a priority in education; stakeholders’ conceptualizations of IPE are shaped through powerful experiences in education and practice; students desire more IPE opportunities at the institution; stakeholders at the IUSN have a long-standing investment in IPE; and the institution requires a ‘culture shift’ in order to sustain IPE efforts. The findings suggest that IPE belongs in all education sectors and IPE efforts deserve reward and reimbursement. The findings also insinuate that leadership, roles, and team training education belong in IPE and IPE culture requires all individuals’ (e.g., student, faculty, administrators, patients) commitment. Importantly, the institution must continue IPE development, research, and dissemination. These findings can help shape curricula as time progresses, increase the likelihood of developing a successful new curriculum, and prompt ongoing reflection about IPE. This information can influence how institutions approach IPE and may lead to a more successful and informed IPE curriculum in the first years of implementation. And, hopefully what is learned through IPE will be translated into healthcare practice environments.
Work in progress: Faculty perceptions of project-enhanced learning in early engineering education: Barriers and benefits
(2012) Helfenbein, Robert J.; Nalim, M. Razi; Rajagopal, Manikanda K.
The application of problem-based learning (PBL) to undergraduate engineering education has emerged as an area of research interest over the past few decades, although it does not appear to be the dominant pedagogy for most engineering programs. A related form of active learning is project-enhanced learning (PEL), specifically designed to enhance but not replace traditional teaching methods in engineering science courses. The perceptions of instructors who attempt PEL were examined using extended-term mixed-method approaches, seeking to examine perceived benefits and barriers to PEL as an intervention for improved student learning. Instructors expressed satisfaction with improved student motivation, interaction, and socialization, which may help with student success and retention in engineering. Instructors also expressed concern about losing focus on the challenging analytical course topics, but were able to achieve appropriate balance by designing project tasks to align well with the topics and limiting non-aligned project activity.

Browsing by Author "Helfenbein, Robert J."

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