Instructional Media Design Commons^™

Developing And Validating Stealth Assessments For An Educational Game To Assess Young Dual Language Immersion Learners' Reading Comprehension, Frederick J. Poole

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this multiple-paper dissertation is to design a digital game and stealth assessments within the game to assess young second language learners' Chinese reading proficiency. In Chapter 2 (Paper 1), I describe the game designed for this dissertation and how it was implemented in a dual language immersion classroom. This study found that the digital game and in-class implementation led to significant vocabulary and reading comprehension gains. Further, seven types of support that students needed while playing the game were identified. In Chapter 3 (Paper 2), I describe how educational data mining approaches, and more specifically, how data-driven …

Tactviz: A Vmd Plugin For Tactile Visualization Of Protein Structures, Olivia R. Shaw, Jodi A. Hadden-Perilla

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Scientific disciplines spanning biology, biochemistry, and biophysics involve the study of proteins and their functions. Visualization of protein structures represents a barrier to education and research in these disciplines for students who are blind or visually impaired. Here, we present a software plugin for readily producing variable-height tactile graphics of proteins using the free biomolecular visualization software Visual Molecular Dynamics (VMD) and protein structure data that is publicly available through the Protein Data Bank. Our method also supports interactive tactile visualization of proteins with VMD on electronic refreshable tactile display devices. Employing our method in an academic laboratory has enabled …

Astrodance: Engaging Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing Students In Astrophysics Via Multimedia Performances, Jason Nordhaus, Manuela Campanelli, Joe Bochner, Thomas Warfield, Hans-Peter Bischof, Jake Noel-Storr

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

The dynamics of gravitating astrophysical systems such as black holes and neutron stars are fascinatingly complex, offer some of nature's most spectacular phenomena, and capture the public's imagination in ways that few subjects can. Here, we describe AstroDance, a multi-media project to engage deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students in astronomy and gravitational physics. AstroDance incorporates multiple means of representation of scientific concepts and was performed primarily for secondary and post-secondary audiences at ~20 venues in the northeastern US prior to the historic first detection of gravitational waves. As part of the AstroDance project, we surveyed ~1000 audience members roughly split …

Visualization Without Vision – How Blind And Visually Impaired Students And Researchers Engage With Molecular Structures, Croix J. Laconsay, Henry B. Wedler, Dean J. Tantillo

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This article examines the tools and techniques currently available that enable blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals to visualize three-dimensional objects used in learning chemistry concepts. How BVI individuals engage with and visualize molecular structure is discussed and recent tactile (or haptic) and auditory methods for visualization of various chemistry concepts are summarized. Remaining challenges for chemistry education researchers are described with the aim of highlighting the potential value of educational research in further enabling BVI students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

July 2020, Lisa Friesen

The CETL Correspondent

With fall fast approaching, we at CETL are requesting information about the format in which courses will be taught in the upcoming fall 2020 semester.

Finding A Fit: Biological Science Doctoral Students’ Selection Of A Principal Investigator And Research Laboratory, Michelle A. Maher, Annie M. Wofford, Josipa Roksa, David F. Feldon

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

In the laboratory-based disciplines, selection of a principal investigator (PI) and research laboratory (lab) indelibly shapes doctoral students’ experiences and educational outcomes. Framed by the theoretical concept of person–environment fit from within a socialization model, we use an inductive, qualitative approach to explore how a sample of 42 early-stage doctoral students enrolled in biological sciences programs made decisions about fitting with a PI and within a lab. Results illuminated a complex array of factors that students considered in selecting a PI, including PI relationship, mentoring style, and professional stability. Further, with regard to students’ lab selection, peers and research projects …

The Administration Of Online Programs In Statewide Systems: A Case Study Of The University System Of New Hampshire, Chris L. Labelle, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Kerry Rice

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

As enrollments in postsecondary online programs have grown, many institutions have pursued a more centralized business model that consolidates their online programming under a single executive leader, a statewide system office, or a coalition of institutions that have merged operations and assets. In this study, the researchers used an exploratory case study design--using both surveys and interviews--to investigate how online programs are administered at four institutions in the University System of New Hampshire (USNH). Several findings emerged from the data. First, participants struggled finding a common vocabulary when talking about online programs and the potential benefits of system-level collaboration; second, …

“How Well Does Your Structural Equation Model Fit Your Data?”: Is Marcoulides And Yuan’S Equivalence Test The Answer?, James Peugh, David F. Feldon

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Structural equation modeling is an ideal data analytical tool for testing complex relationships among many analytical variables. It can simultaneously test multiple mediating and moderating relationships, estimate latent variables on the basis of related measures, and address practical issues such as nonnormality and missing data. To test the extent to which a hypothesized model provides an appropriate characterization of the collective relationships among its variables, researchers must assess the “fit” between the model and the sample’s data. However, interpreting estimates of model fit is a problematic process. The traditional inferential test of model fit, the chi-square test, is biased due …

'Education As A Geisteswissenschaft': An Introduction To Human Science Pedagogy, Norm Friesen

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Human Science Pedagogy is ‘a strange case,’ as Jürgen Oelkers has recently noted: In the Anglophone world, where Gert Biesta has compellingly encouraged scholars to ‘reconsider education as a Geisteswissenschaft’ (a human science) its main themes and the contributions of its central figures remain unknown. For Germans, particularly in more ‘general’ or philosophical areas of educational scholarship (i.e. Allgemeine Pädagogik), this same pedagogy is recognized only insofar as it is critiqued and rejected. Taking this strange situation as its frame, this paper introduces Human Science Pedagogy to English-language readers, providing a cursory overview of its history and principal contributors, …

Non-Repository Uses Of Learning Management System Through Mobile Access, Jeremy Ng, Leon Lei, Nathalie Iseli-Chan, Jinbao Li, Felix Siu, Sam Chu, Xiao Hu

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Learning Management Systems (LMSs) have been widely adopted in higher education worldwide, but predominately used as repositories of learning materials. Mobile access to LMSs enables greater mobility and flexible learning, and thus may help boosting non-repository uses of LMSs, maximizing their educational affordance. This study examined the extent to which mobile access to an LMS, Moodle, was used for various learning activities, with a focus on those beyond storing and retrieving learning materials, as well as the factors influencing students’ non-repository uses of LMS via mobile access. A mixed-method approach was applied, with survey responses collected from 316 students and …

Informing The Creation Of A Financial Literacy Tool For Cal Poly Students, Kelly Michelle Carroll

Communication Studies

This research project examines the wants, needs, and desires of Cal Poly students to inform the creation of a financial literacy tool (tentatively named “MoneySmart”) to be created by another student. The methodologies used to gauge these metrics were a literature review and questionnaire. The literature review aids in understanding research regarding the current state of student financial literacy in the United States, including student attitudes toward the topic. Subsequent findings were used to create the questionnaire, which inquired about students’ financial stress, confidence in their abilities to manage their personal finances, specific interests for the design and contents of …

How The Anonymous Feature Of Audience Response System Influences The Interactions Of Students By Different Types Of Questions, Lili Zhang, Jiaming Cheng, Jing Lei, Qiu Wang

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

The Audience Response System (ARS) has been found effective among educators as a good way of using technology to increase participation, involvement, and engagement. Many researchers suggest that the benefits of ARS on students' participation and interactions are associated with its anonymity. ARS questions and using questing strategies during an ARS-based learning activity are also regarded as crucial factors influencing the effectiveness of the implementation of ARS in a class. To examine the influences of the anonymous feature of ARS on students' interactions in light of different types of questions, a post-test only quasi-experiment was conducted with 17 college students. …

Educational Administrators’ Facing Covid-19 Measures In Paraguay, Valentina Canese, Jessica Amarilla

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Around the world COVID-19 has forced governments to take measures that have so far affected education systems, in various ways. Face-to-face interactions have been disrupted in around 70% of educational institutions as per reported by UNESCO (2020). Due to the pandemic, authorities in Paraguay adopted early measures to prevent the spread of the virus which in turn have affected educational institutions greatly. This article reports an analysis of educational administrators’ institutional perspectives in light of the challenges presented by quarantine measures and considering elements such as infrastructure and access to technology, teacher training, student and parent limitations. A mixed quan-qual …

Steam Maker Education: Conceal/Reveal Of Personal, Artistic And Computational Dimensions In High School Student Projects, Lindsay Lindberg, Deborah A. Fields, Yasmin B. Kafai

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Much of maker education’s expansion has focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) learning, leaving out equally promising opportunities for integrating arts learning. In this paper we share findings from a project in which high school students created electronic-textiles-based art representing features of a community important to them as a part of an elective high school computer science class. We addressed the following research questions: (1) What kinds of personal and community meanings did students convey through their maker projects? (2) How did students engage with artistic dimensions in their projects? (3) How did coding interactive features support students’ artwork? …

Exploring Stem Kit Diagrams For Braille Readers In Inclusive Classrooms, Sariat A. Adelakun Dr

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Diagrams appears in many school subjects but more prominent in science and mathematics taught in schools. Accessing these diagrams in an inclusive classroom has been identified to be problematic for blind students partly due to the teaching resources available and personnel type, support and sufficiency. Diagrams are mostly omitted by teachers leaving the blind person out in such classroom to access portion of education received by their peers. In many instances, questions with diagrams are treated as bonus for blind students in some countries which is not fair to them. This study explored the efficacy of STEM Kit diagrams on …

Finding Pathways: Best Practices For Ongoing Learning In Toastmasters, Veronica Brown

Instructional Design Capstones Collection

Toastmasters International, an educational organization consisting of an international network of public speaking clubs, has developed a sophisticated elearning educational program called Pathways as an update to a simpler program, published in booklets, that was nearly a century old. Reactions from club members have been mixed and the transition has required a great deal of training and support efforts at all levels of the organization. This research seeks to identify best practices Toastmasters clubs and members can use to successful transition to Pathways. The hypothesis of the research is that Toastmasters, as a community of practice (CoP), is a connectivist …

An Action Research Study On The Use Of Flipped Learning In A Spanish As A Foreign Language Class, Juan Carlos Acevedo Fontecha

Theses and Dissertations

The present action research evaluated the teacher’s perception and the students’ attitudes and practices over the impact of applying a flipped learning model for a basic Spanish course. Unlike previous studies that have evaluated the model considering students’ perceptions and language performance, this study also considered the teacher in a cyclical process of using the flip model. The intervention consisted of four classes that dealt with grammar topics transferred into tutorial videos and in-class activities to practice the content from the videos. To gain a broader spectrum of the teacher’s perception, this study used questionnaires, and field journals designed to …

Ilt To Mobile Elearning Design For At-Risk Populations, Jacqueline R. Tomrdle

Instructional Design Capstones Collection

This capstone assisted a non-profit company to produce mobile learning for the vulnerable, at-risk population they serve. A fellow University of Massachusetts Boston Instructional Design Program graduate created an eLearning visual brand guide laying the foundation for a consistent accessible brand for the company. As a result, this author used the tools of analysis, instructional design, development, implementation and evaluation to create deliverables of six workshop modules. The non-profit company is one-step closer to their goal of online support for their graduates and promotion of their program to a larger audience reach in Massachusetts.

Ceteal News, May/June 2020, Ceteal

CeTEAL Newsletter

• CCU Faculty and Staff Shift to Academic Continuity Plan, Bringing Creativity and Concern for Students to the Task
  CeTEAL Staff
• Reality Check
  Steven Hamelman, professor; English; Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts
• Moving Theatre Online: The Challenge of Teaching Performance Classes
  Kris McIntyre, lecturer; theatre; Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts
  
• Excuse Me While I Brag about the M.A.T. Students
  Suzanne Horn, associate professor; graduate and specialty studies; Spadoni College of Education
  
• Moving Online: Making a Plan and Collaborating with Colleagues
  Alison Hamilton, teaching associate; finance and economics; Wall College of Business
  
• Challenges of Advising in an Online …

May 2020, Lisa Friesen

The CETL Correspondent

We’ve Almost Made It! I want to thank all administrators, faculty, and staff for their hard work during this stressful time. Your willingness to try new methods/processes has been amazing to watch. Your students definitely appreciate it, and we at CETL do too!