Latino Undergraduate Perspectives on Traditional and Collaborative Culminating Presentations

• In Event: Millennium Hotel Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: Advances in Cooperative Learning

Abstract

Using cognitive and social-constructivist frameworks, authors provide trends expressed by 372 undergraduate pre-service teachers about traditional tests and cooperative culminating experiences. Archival data is used from collaborative pedagogies from over a 10-year period. Ninety-six percent of our undergraduates are first-generation Latino/a college students. Authors analyzed students’ responses to end-of-course surveys. The two major qualitative themes emerging from grounded theory analysis were social interaction and the cognitive domain. Quantitatively, most preferred group presentations over traditional exams. Statistically significant correlations were found between Variables 1 (“perceived retention of material”) and 2 (“preferred culminating experience as future teachers”), Variables 1 and 3 (“culminating experience to earn an “A”), and Variables 2 and 3.

Authors

• Bobbette M. Morgan, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

• Kathy M. Bussert-Webb, UTRGV

• Hannah M. Masso, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley