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Full-Text Articles in Education

Views And Use Of Theory By Practicing Instructional Designers, Joseph B. South Dec 2008

Views And Use Of Theory By Practicing Instructional Designers, Joseph B. South

Theses and Dissertations

Formal instructional design (ID) theories, intended to guide instructional designers' decision-making and design practices, have grown in abundance in recent years. These ID theories are based on learning theories that form the foundation for applied work in the field. However, researchers are concerned that these theories may not be applicable to the day-to-day practice of instructional designers. While some studies investigate the application of ID process models, studies of learning theory and ID theory in practice are rare. Consequently, there is little information about the nature and extent of the gap between our field's theory and its practice. This qualitative …


An Investigation Of The Technological, Pedagogical And Content Knowledge Framework In Successful Chinese Language Classrooms, Su-Ling Hsueh Nov 2008

An Investigation Of The Technological, Pedagogical And Content Knowledge Framework In Successful Chinese Language Classrooms, Su-Ling Hsueh

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigates whether technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPCK) is balanced and integrated in Chinese language classrooms. Three expert Chinese teachers in technology-enhanced classrooms, as well as their students, were observed and studied. Four and a half months of data were collected in the form of classroom observations, interviews, reflective journals, and document analysis. Four basic findings were derived from the study. First, the TPCK framework reflected an observable instructional process for communication between teachers and students. However, teachers did not knowingly integrate technology, pedagogy and content in technology-enhanced classrooms. Second, content was the focal point during …


Comprehension And Retention: The Effect Of Concrete Details And Causal Structure In Scientific Narrative, Wendi Michelle Wilcken Nov 2008

Comprehension And Retention: The Effect Of Concrete Details And Causal Structure In Scientific Narrative, Wendi Michelle Wilcken

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine two of the salient elements of instructional narratives as a guide to instructional practice. The literature summarized in this report discusses the theoretical basis for narrative impact on comprehension and retention, enumerates and defines possible salient narrative elements from the literature, and examines the instructional impact of two of these elements: concrete details and causal structure. This is intended to help provide guidance to instructional designers and teachers who desire to use narrative in science instruction. Participants included 94 high school physics students. An experimental research design of 2 (Gender) x 2 …


The Effects Of Manageable Corrective Feedback On Esl Writing Accuracy, K James Hartshorn Jul 2008

The Effects Of Manageable Corrective Feedback On Esl Writing Accuracy, K James Hartshorn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test the effect of one approach to writing pedagogy on second-language (L2) writing accuracy. This study used two groups of L2 writers who were learning English as a second language: a control group (n = 19) who were taught with traditional process writing methods and a treatment group (n = 28) who were taught with an innovative approach to L2 writing pedagogy. The methodology for the treatment group was designed to improve L2 writing accuracy by raising the linguistic awareness of the learners through error correction. Central to the instructional methodology were four …


Deriving Operational Principles For The Design Of Engaging Learning Experiences, Richard Heywood Swan Jul 2008

Deriving Operational Principles For The Design Of Engaging Learning Experiences, Richard Heywood Swan

Theses and Dissertations

The issue of learner engagement is an important question for education and for instructional design. It is acknowledged that computer games in general are engaging. Thus, one possible solution to learner engagement is to integrate computer games into education; however, the literature indicates that pedagogical, logistical and political barriers remain. Another possible solution is to derive principles for the design of engaging experiences from a critical examination of computer game design. One possible application of the derived design principles is that instruction may be designed to be inherently more engaging. The purpose of this dissertation was to look for operational …


A Conceptual Analysis Of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Susan Marie Cox Jul 2008

A Conceptual Analysis Of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Susan Marie Cox

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation reports the results of a conceptual analysis of the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework, particularly its component constructs of technological content knowledge (TCK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), and TPACK (the central component of the framework listed earlier). First, a technical use analysis reveals how existing research has defined and exemplified the constructs. Next, interviews with leading TPACK researchers further refine the constructs. The dissertation then reports cases that illustrate each of the constructs and the boundaries between them. The conceptual analysis results in an elaborated model of the TPACK framework, focusing on the essential features of each …


The Impact Of Web-Based Tutorials In One Corporation's Transition To A Blended Learning Environment, Michelle Anne Boyd Jun 2008

The Impact Of Web-Based Tutorials In One Corporation's Transition To A Blended Learning Environment, Michelle Anne Boyd

Theses and Dissertations

ELM Resources, a not-for-profit, mutual-benefit corporation, provides web-based transmission and data translation services for student loan data between loan providers and schools/universities. This corporation has a relatively new training staff of five to seven employees and over 1,800 client organizations. Because of the heavy demands placed on the training staff, ELM training administrators sought alternatives to their current training program of onsite training and web conferencing. Blended learning was identified as one possible solution. In this project, blended learning is defined as using a combination of face-to-face training and technology-delivered training. By adding web-based, on-demand tutorials, along with other training …


Investigating The Domain Of Geometric Inductive Reasoning Problems: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis, Kairong Wang Apr 2008

Investigating The Domain Of Geometric Inductive Reasoning Problems: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis, Kairong Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Matrix inductive reasoning has been a popular research topic due to its claimed relationship with the general factor of intelligence. In this research, four subabilities were identified: working memory, rule induction, rule application, and figure detection. This quantitative study examined the relationship between these four subabilites and students' general ability to solve Matrix Reasoning problems. Using tests developed for this research to measure the identified subabilities, the data were collected from 334 Chinese students aged from 12 to 15. Structural equation modeling method was used to analyze the collected data and to evaluate the hypothesized models. Results from the analysis …


How Does Video Analysis Impact Teacher Reflection-For-Action?, Geoffrey Albert Wright Mar 2008

How Does Video Analysis Impact Teacher Reflection-For-Action?, Geoffrey Albert Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Reflective practice is an integral component of a teacher's classroom success (Zeichner, 1996; Valli, 1997). Reflective practice requires a teacher to step back and consider the implications and effects of teaching practices. Research has shown that formal reflection on teaching can lead to improved understanding and practice of pedagogy, classroom management, and professionalism (Grossman, 2003). Several methods have been used over the years to stimulate reflective practice; many of these methods required teachers to use awkward and time-consuming tools with a minimal impact on teaching performance (Rodgers, 2002). This current study analyzes an innovative video-enhanced reflection process focused on improving …


Improving Course Assessments Through A Product Assessment Template, Catharine C. Verhaaren Mar 2008

Improving Course Assessments Through A Product Assessment Template, Catharine C. Verhaaren

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to develop an instructional packet designed to help instructors create effective product assessment projects for use in assessing students' understanding of course material. The specific audience for this packet was instructors of courses offered at Brigham Young University who rely on product assessment to evaluate students' understanding and skills in any content area. The packet I prepared explains the principles of effective product assessment as they are currently understood by assessment specialists and models how to implement these principles during the creation of a product assessment project. I assembled this packet based on the …


The Scholarship Of Teaching: Contributing Factors To Improved Teaching Performance Among University Faculty Members, Whitney Ransom Mar 2008

The Scholarship Of Teaching: Contributing Factors To Improved Teaching Performance Among University Faculty Members, Whitney Ransom

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis brings a much-needed focus on the quality and scholarship of teaching as it pertains to educational and faculty development. The main purpose of this paper is to outline what more than 200 faculty members across a wide variety of disciplines have focused on over a three-year period to make significant (a 1.5 standard deviation increase or higher in online student ratings) and sustained improvements in their teaching. The top three factors of improvement include active/practical learning, teacher/student interactions, and clear expectations/learning outcomes. The researcher also discusses how institutions and faculty communities of practice, research, and faculty personality contribute …


Analysis Of The Psychometric Properties Of Two Different Concept-Map Assessment Tasks, Kenneth James Plummer Mar 2008

Analysis Of The Psychometric Properties Of Two Different Concept-Map Assessment Tasks, Kenneth James Plummer

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to make sense of a wide array of stimuli presupposes the human tendency to organize information in a meaningful way. Efforts to assess the degree to which students organize information meaningfully have been hampered by several factors including the idiosyncratic way in which individuals represent their knowledge either with words or visually. Concept maps have been used as tools by researchers and educators alike to assist students in understanding the conceptual interrelationships within a subject domain. One concept-map assessment in particular known as the construct-a-map task has shown great promise in facilitating reliable and valid inferences from student …


Using Interactive Diagrams To Teach Graduate Students About Statistical Power, Eric D. Hunter Jan 2008

Using Interactive Diagrams To Teach Graduate Students About Statistical Power, Eric D. Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

This report describes the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of a web-based tutorial designed to teach graduate students about the statistical concept of power. It contains a literature review of techniques used to teach statistics, similar computer-based programs for representing the concept of power, and instructional theories that pertain to web-based tutorials. It describes the process of designing and developing this tutorial in detail. The results section contains a description of the product implementation with three different groups and discusses the qualitative and quantitative findings from each of these implementations. Finally, there is a discussion of the tutorial's strengths and …