Browsing by Author "Tisdell, Elizabeth J."

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    CLAIMING A SACRED FACE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF THE ROLE OF SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE IN CLAIMING A POSITIVE CULTURAL IDENTITY
    (2005-09-27T17:44:53Z) Tisdell, Elizabeth J.
    This paper discusses the results of a qualitative study where the purpose was to examine the role of spirituality in developing a positive cultural identity among a multicultural group of 31 adult educators, and then considers what the finding suggest for the further development of culturally relevant teaching practices within adult and higher education settings. In recent years, there has been much discussion about dealing with culture, race, gender, class, sexual orientation in teaching for social change and greater equity in society (Guy, 1999; Hayes & Colin, 1994; Hayes & Flannery, 2000; Johnson-Bailey, 2001). There has also been some discussion of the role of spirituality in adult development and learning (English & Gillen, 2000; Tisdell, 2000), and some limited discussion on the connection between spirituality and teaching for social justice related to cultural issues ( Hart & Holton, 1993; Tisdell, Tolliver, and Villa, 2001; Tolliver & Tisdell, 2002). Most of these discussions have been conceptual in nature, and there has been only limited discussion of the role of spirituality in developing a positive cultural identity from a data-based research perspective. Thus, the purpose of this paper is (1) to discuss the results of a qualitative study where the purpose was to examine the role of spirituality in developing a positive cultural identity among a multicultural group of 31 adult educators; and (2) to discuss the implications the findings of the study have for the further development of culturally relevant teaching practices within adult and higher education settings.
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    Drawing On Pop Culture And Entertainment Media In Adult Education Practice In Teaching For Social Change
    (Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, 2004) Tisdell, Elizabeth J.
    This paper provides an overview of the critical media literacy literature and related adult education literature to consider how to draw on popular culture and entertainment media in adult education settings when dealing with diversity and equity issues of gender, race, class, and sexual orientation. It also provides some examples of from practice. Popular culture and fictional entertainment media have an enormous influence on society. Whether in the genre of television sitcom or drama, or fictional stories in popular film, the entertainment media teach us something about ourselves as we map new meaning onto our own experience based on what we see and relate to; for good or for ill, it also teaches us a lot about others through fictional means. In the past few years, there has been a growing discussion about the role of pop culture and the entertainment media in education (Giroux, 1997; hooks, 1994; Yosso, 2002); In these discussions, critical media education scholars note the tendency of the media to reproduce structural power relations based on race, gender, class, and sexual orientation; however, they also argue that some media challenge such power relations in their portrayals of characters. Thus, given that students are consumers of entertainment media, which serves as a significant way that people construct knowledge about their own and others’ identities and thus a significant source of “education”, they argue that it is important to teach critical media literacy skills—of how to deconstruct and analyze entertainment media through direct discussion of it in the classroom. Thus far most of these discussions and studies related to critical media literacy have focused on youth. Aside from general reference to the significance of popular culture to the media in our lives (Miller, 1999), discussion of the role of entertainment media in the education of adults has been absent. But given that adult learners and educators are also large consumers of media, it is also important that adult educators tend to issues related to media literacy, particularly in attempting to attend to diversity and equity issues. Therefore the purpose of this paper is two-fold: to provide an overview of the critical media literacy to consider how to draw on popular culture and entertainment media in adult education settings to teach critical medial literacy skills and to discuss issues of gender, race, class, and sexual orientation; and to explore how entertainment media can be used in teaching practice.
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    HIGH TECH MEETS HIGH TOUCH:COHORT LEARNING ONLINE IN GRADUATE HIGHER EDUCATION
    (2005-09-27T20:40:04Z) Tisdell, Elizabeth J.; Strohschen, Gabriele; Carver, Mary Lynn; Corrigan, Pam; Nash, Janet; Nelson, Mary; Royer, Mike; Strom Mackey, Robin; O’Connor, Marguerite
    This paper discusses the results of a qualitative participatory action research study where the purpose was to examine the nature of the cohort learning experience in an online master’s program from both faculty and student perspectives. There has been much discussion in higher and adult education circles in the last decade on distance education, web based and web enhanced learning online, and online degree programs. Nearly all institutions of higher education now offer at least some classes online, and many offer entire degree programs. While many have discussed the plusses and minuses of online education, and considered what online pedagogy offers to adult learners, there has been little discussion of what online education looks like specifically in online cohort programs, from the students’ perspectives. Thus, the purpose of this paper is: (1) to discuss the results of a participatory action research project where the purpose was to examine the nature of the cohort learning experience in an online master’s program that began with a residential component from both faculty and student perspectives; and (2) to consider the implications for the ongoing development of both “high tech” and “high touch” and academically sound degree programs in adult education and related areas.