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- Creators: School of Life Sciences
This thesis project focused on comparing different aspects of traditional in person<br/>learning and remote online learning and how these two types of learning environments impact<br/>students in the elementary grade levels, specifically Kindergarten through sixth grade. For this<br/>thesis project, I conducted podcast interviews in which I interviewed many different teachers at<br/>different elementary grade levels. These teachers all had experience at some point with both<br/>traditional in person learning and remote online learning. All of these teachers have many<br/>different levels of experience and teach in various districts across the state of Arizona. The<br/>purpose of this thesis project was to learn and understand how these two different types of<br/>learning environments impact both students and teachers. Throughout this thesis project, I have<br/>become increasingly passionate in my future teaching career. I have learned so much about<br/>myself through this process and was able to improve my communication skills through<br/>conducting these interviews as well as significantly increase my knowledge on both in person<br/>learning and remote online learning.
Methods: The Eye to Eye mentorship program assessed involved mentors and mentees who completed 12 in-person art sessions out of the normal 20 in-person sessions. The first main assessment was the BLD (Breger Learning Difference) Feedback Survey addressing one’s experience in the Eye to Eye program and which were completed at the end of the mentorship program and filled out by mentors, mentees, and mentees parents (one parent for each mentee). A total of 12 mentors, 6 mentees, and 6 mentee parents were included in the feedback survey final analysis. The second main assessments were the pre and post Behavior Assessment System for Child, Third Edition (BASC-3) provided to mentors, mentees, and mentees parents (one parent for each mentee). A total of 10 mentors, 5 mentees, and 5 mentee parents were included in pre and post BASC-3 final analysis. Fall 2019 (pre) and Spring 2020 (post) optional interviews involved 5 mentors and 3 mentees who showed interest and were comfortable participating with additional release forms.
Results: The program was generally positively rated in the feedback survey by mentors, mentees, and mentee parents. The highest responses for mentors, mentees, and mentee parents all incorporated average ratings of 4.0 or higher (out of 5.0) for perceived understanding of socio-emotional skills after Eye to Eye, experience in Eye to Eye, how having a mentor or mentee made them feel, and perceived change in self-awareness. All three groups reported fairly high ratings of improved self-awareness of 4.0/5.0 or above. No negative ratings were provided by any participants and the lowest response was no change. The BASC-3 evaluation found statistically significant improvement in mentors’ anxiety and atypicality and mentees’ sense of inadequacy.
Discussion: The Eye to Eye program was popular and well-rated despite only involving 12 in- person one-hour art sessions. The mentors, mentees, and mentee parents felt positive about the Eye to Eye program when answering the feedback survey. Some suggestions are made on how to improve this program to better enhance someone with learning differences future ability to succeed. Future research is needed to assess the true impact due to the COVID-19 epidemic and other limitations.