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Rethinking Workplace Learning In The Digital World: A Case Study Of Open Badges, Bertrando Sharen Linn Eaglen
Rethinking Workplace Learning In The Digital World: A Case Study Of Open Badges, Bertrando Sharen Linn Eaglen
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this collective case study was to explore digital badging in educational institutions as support for K-12 practitioners struggling to integrate technology into pedagogical practices. The researcher conducted a mixed-method study that captured perceptions about digital badges and follow-up interviews with selected badge users to explore their viewpoints further. The goal was to generate a detailed case description, identify participants’ self-assessment of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), and define those attributes that are deemed important or not useful to Open Badge Course earners that participated in the study. Ten individuals from a Northern California region completed the survey …
Seeking Social Capital And Expertise In A Newly-Formed Research Community: A Co-Author Analysis, Christine E. Forte
Seeking Social Capital And Expertise In A Newly-Formed Research Community: A Co-Author Analysis, Christine E. Forte
Theses and Dissertations
This exploratory study applies social network analysis techniques to existing, publicly available data to understand collaboration patterns within the co-author network of a federally-funded, interdisciplinary research program. The central questions asked: What underlying social capital structures can be determined about a group of researchers from bibliometric data and other publicly available existing data? What are ways social network tools characterize the interdisciplinarity or cross-disciplinarity of co-author teams? The names of 411 grantees were searched in the Web of Science indexing database; author information from the WoS search results resulted in a 191-member co-author network. Research domains were included as attribute …
A Study On The Impact Of Teacher Attitude/Efficacy On The Use Of Classroom Technology, Jeran Louis Ott
A Study On The Impact Of Teacher Attitude/Efficacy On The Use Of Classroom Technology, Jeran Louis Ott
Theses and Dissertations
Increased access to technology has changed the current educational landscape and, will dramatically affect the future of education. These shifts are redefining the roles of educators and require that teachers have the attributes necessary to legitimately incorporate technology into the classroom. The purpose of this study is to examine existing characteristics of teachers employed at Minarets High, which uses a 1-to-1 and project-based curriculum, to determine if there are any relationships between the selected measures. The research questions are: 1) What teacher and district/school factors allow for effective technology integration? Specifically, a. What relationship, if any, exists between teachers' sense …
Cognitive Knowledge, Attitude Toward Science, And Skill Development In Virtual Science Labratories, Mahya Babaie
Cognitive Knowledge, Attitude Toward Science, And Skill Development In Virtual Science Labratories, Mahya Babaie
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive, single group, pretest posttest design study was to explore the influence of a Virtual Science Laboratory (VSL) on middle school students’ cognitive knowledge, skill development, and attitudes toward science. This study involved 2 eighth grade Physical Science classrooms at a large urban charter middle school located in Southern California. The Buoyancy and Density Test (BDT), a computer generated test, assessed students’ scientific knowledge in areas of Buoyancy and Density. The Attitude Toward Science Inventory (ATSI), a multidimensional survey assessment, measured students’ attitudes toward science in the areas of value of science in society, motivation …
Computational Thinking In Curriculum For Higher Education, Michael Kolodziej
Computational Thinking In Curriculum For Higher Education, Michael Kolodziej
Theses and Dissertations
Computational Thinking continues to gain popularity and traction within conversations about curriculum development for the 21st century, but little exists in the literature to guide the inclusion of Computational Thinking into curriculum outside of K12. This Delphi study seeks to fill part of the gap in the literature and instantiate conversation in the Higher Education community about the importance of CT as a topic, and how it may be approached formally in curriculum development. Over 3 rounds of Delphi panel deliberation, several interesting and informative themes emerged related to issues of domain expertise, interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensurance of quality and …
Examining Institutional Career Preparation: Student Perceptions Of Their Workplace Readiness And The Role Of The University In Student Career Development, Molly Gonzales
Theses and Dissertations
Existing research suggests a misalignment between the preparation offered by higher education and the workplace readiness skills employers are expecting recent graduates to have mastered. Multiple studies completed on the topic of workplace readiness explored the views of employers, while few gathered the perspectives of students or recent graduates. This embedded mixed methods study invited both undergraduate seniors’ and recent graduates’ to participate in an on-line survey capturing perceptions of their own workplace readiness and their thoughts regarding the role the university should have in student career development. Current undergraduate seniors and first-year alumni of a private, 4-year non-profit university …
Tinkering In K-12: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study Of Makerspaces In Schools As An Application Of Constructivist Learning, Ashley Cross
Tinkering In K-12: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study Of Makerspaces In Schools As An Application Of Constructivist Learning, Ashley Cross
Theses and Dissertations
Makerspaces have experienced a surge in popularity in recent years, resulting in an influx of Maker education in K-12 settings. While Makerspaces have been studied abundantly in museums, libraries, and in after-school programs, little research has been conducted inside the K- 12 school day. The goal of this study is to discover insights of established Makerspaces inside the K-12 school environment. In this exploratory mixed methods study, educators were survived, examining school and participant demographics, Makerspace setup, as well as intersections of technology, content, and pedagogy. Next, the researcher conducted a follow-up interview with selected participants based on diversity in …
An Exploratory Study Of The Role Of The Human Resource Information System Professional, Sapora L. Bradley
An Exploratory Study Of The Role Of The Human Resource Information System Professional, Sapora L. Bradley
Theses and Dissertations
The increasing implementation of technology applications into the workplace has substantiated the need for adept professionals who can manage HR technology for employees and provide data about the organization. For some companies, these professionals are found within the human resources department. These information systems professionals combine HR knowledge and technology skills to procure applications that improve work processes and HR outcomes. The qualitative study focused on exploring the role delineation of human resource information systems (HRIS) professionals to better understand the advantageous aspects of the role's focus in HR technology and analytics. Specifically, the study aimed to describe how the …
A Mixed Methods Study Of Online Course Facilitators' Perceptions Of Mobile Technology, Design, And Tpack Affordances, Helen Louise Teague
A Mixed Methods Study Of Online Course Facilitators' Perceptions Of Mobile Technology, Design, And Tpack Affordances, Helen Louise Teague
Theses and Dissertations
The increase in mobile technology options for students in post-secondary, continuing education influences how instructors design and implement courses, specifically online courses (Sözcü, İpek, & Kınay, 2016). Much of the current research addresses technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPaCK), course design, and/or mobile technology as separate topics. There is limited research addressing the combination of TPaCK, design, and mobile technology from the course instructors’ perspective. The mixed methods study addressed design for online, mobile learning with a new layer of the TPaCK instructional framework in three phases. Phase 1 involved a pilot study of a survey that measured TPaCK, lesson …
Virtual Civic Engagement: Exploring Technology, Secondary Social Studies, And Problem Based Learning With Tpack, Brett Schneider
Virtual Civic Engagement: Exploring Technology, Secondary Social Studies, And Problem Based Learning With Tpack, Brett Schneider
Theses and Dissertations
Sociological and cultural analysts have noted the reticence of public secondary schooling to recognize and build academic activities around the participatory culture in which adolescents are so readily involved (Jenkins, Purushotma, Weigel, Clinton & Robison, 2009). Despite the Common Core State Standards having required students to demonstrate they can maximize technology to perform a range of skills involving targeted specialized research, organized writing, and visually intentional presentation (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices [NGA], Council of Chief State School Officers [CCSSO], 2010), very few classrooms have followed through. The avoidance and or failure of these educational technology integrations in …
Active Games: An Examination Of User Engagement To Define Design Recommendations, Pamela N. Martinez
Active Games: An Examination Of User Engagement To Define Design Recommendations, Pamela N. Martinez
Theses and Dissertations
Active gaming is a form of video gaming that requires full body motion or varying degrees of physical activity to play a game. While active gaming has gained momentum, there is a lack of studies that provide insight on how they should be designed, specifically components of active games make them engaging. This study identifies, analyzes and categorizes specific design mechanics and features used in active games. It answers the question: Which, if any, game mechanics and features can a panel of experts in academia, health and the game industry agree on as valuable and impactful to the construction of …
Expert Perspectives On Using Mainstream Mobile Technology For School-Age Children Who Require Augmentative And Alternative Communcation (Aac): A Policy Delphi Study, Vinh-An Nguyen
Theses and Dissertations
Despite legislation in the U.S.A requiring the use of assistive technology in special education, there remains an underutilization of technology-based speech intervention for young students who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The purpose of this Policy Delphi study was to address three guiding research questions that relate to the feasibility of using mainstream mobile technology, facilitative actions, and stakeholder roles for implementation and utilization of AAC in elementary school settings. Data were collected in two rounds of questionnaires given to experts in special education, assistive technology and speech and language pathology, with experience in AAC. Round 1 included 19 …
Female Computer Science And Engineering Undergraduates: Reflections On Participation In The Academic Landscape, Patricia Adriana Ruiz
Female Computer Science And Engineering Undergraduates: Reflections On Participation In The Academic Landscape, Patricia Adriana Ruiz
Theses and Dissertations
Women continue to be underrepresented in computer science and technology related fields despite their significant contributions. The lack of diversity in technology related fields is problematic as it can result in the perpetuation of negative stereotypes and closed-minded, unchecked biases. As technology tools become integral to our daily lives it is essential that a diverse group of people contribute to the sociocultural environments where we participate and live. This dissertation is a phenomenological, interview-based, study designed to investigate the lived experience of women in undergraduate computer science and engineering programs. The purpose of this study was to better understand the …
Beyond Super Heroes And Talking Animals: Social Justice In Graphic Novels In Education, David Greenfield
Beyond Super Heroes And Talking Animals: Social Justice In Graphic Novels In Education, David Greenfield
Theses and Dissertations
The primary goal of this study was to investigate, document, and understand the reasons that educators who use graphic novels in their classrooms choose to use them, rather than traditional text. Secondary goals were to identify the classes they teach, and to identify commonalities and shared best practices. Interviews were scheduled, to provide the with data about learning objectives, students’ reactions, the books they use, types of assignments, the criteria that they use to define the critical elements for success in their classes, as well as the instructors’ own relationships with graphic novels. The phenomenological methodology was determined to be …
School District Technology Awareness: A Descriptive Study Identifying Implications For The 21st-Century Teaching And Learning, Alex N. Sedique
School District Technology Awareness: A Descriptive Study Identifying Implications For The 21st-Century Teaching And Learning, Alex N. Sedique
Theses and Dissertations
Preparing students for 21st-century learning is a great responsibility and a challenge for many school districts across the country. A large body of research suggests that a school district’s level of awareness with regards to education technology and particularly those technologies that are on a positive trend correlates with a successful technology implementation program. District Administrators that lead the charge of developing technology policies and oversee the various aspect of the technology implementation must possess a solid awareness of modern education technologies and their interplays with curriculum and pedagogy. In addition, district Administrators must have the technological skill to overcome …