Education Commons^™

An Analysis Of The Transactional Distance In Asynchronous Telecourses At A Community College Using The Group Embedded Figures Test, Roger J. Brenner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Asynchronous distance education telecourses are the technological version of traditional correspondence courses. Students in asynchronous telecourses receive videos and printed material but they may not have any contact with the instructor or other students. This study analyzed the academic performance of 154 Southwest Virginia Community College students enrolled in 27 different telecourses during one semester. The purpose of this study was to determine if students' cognitive styles impacted their achievement in distance education courses. Students were given the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) which categorized the students as field dependent or field independent. A field dependent's cognitive style is one …

Measuring Computer Usage By Air Force Contracting Personnel As It Relates To Computer Training, John H. Van Hufel

Theses and Dissertations

We know little about how Air Force personnel use the computer resources with which they have been provided, though current plans call for spending over $75M on computer resources throughout the Air Force in FY 97. Research suggests that computer use relates to computer training, computer anxiety, and computer self-efficacy. Managers can take action to ensure that computers are better utilized with knowledge of how computer resources are being used, and an understanding of the effect that training, computer anxiety, and computer self-efficacy have on that usage. This study examines the use of computers by contracting personnel in the Air …

Exploring Knowledge Processes For Technology Assimilation, Rochelle K. Young

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In the emerging knowledge society, the ability to make the experience and expertise of those involved in and affected by new technology unconditionally available to all members of an organization is becoming increasingly important. One of the problems in developing such knowledge processes for technology assimilation is that current social structures do not easily accommodate unconditional participation. Since the implementation of modern information technology is changing the workplace and the nature of work itself, alternative social structures are needed. This research takes as given that deep questions concerning knowledge processes and social transformation are in principle undecidable; and, only questions …

Computer Anxiety And Attitudes Of Urban Teacher Education Students, Alfred P. Rovai

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This three-part study used quasi-experimental methodologies to: (a) determine how a computer literacy course affects the computer anxiety and computer attitudes of urban teacher education students over time, (b) explain and predict urban teacher education students who are resistant to reduction of computer anxiety, and (c) determine whether a humanistically-focused treatment is more effective than a traditional cognitively-focused treatment in reducing computer anxiety and improving computer attitudes.

For the first part of this study 75 subjects were measured over three observations using a 13-week interval. The treatment, a mandatory computer literacy course for teacher education students, was conducted between the …

A Generic Intelligent Architecture For Computer-Aided Training Of Procedural Knowledge, Freeman A. Kilpatrick Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) development is a knowledge-intensive task, suffering from the same knowledge acquisition bottleneck that plagues most Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. This research presents an architecture that requires knowledge only in the form of a shallow knowledge base and a simulation to produce a training system. The knowledge base provides the basic procedural knowledge while the simulation provides context. The remainder of the knowledge required for training is learned through the interaction of these components in a state-space scenario exploration process and inductive machine learning. These knowledge components are used only at the interface level, allowing the internal …

Integrating Multimedia Education Into Learning Activities For Students Ages Five Through Seven, Sandra Jean Riley

All Graduate Projects

The intent of this project was to adapt curriculum activities that integrate Internet technology with activities for children ages five through seven. Review of selected literature, relevant to the integration of technology was conducted. Findings presented support the integration of multimedia technology into the instruction of young childre.n. Portions of the Washington State Essential Learnings for reading, writing, and communication were incorporated in the development of the activities for use in the early childhood classroom.

Multimedia Prereading Strategies, Mary J. Wise

All Graduate Projects

Prereading activities are important in enabling students to comprehend and enjoy the books they read. Teachers are always in need of good prereading activities, and the increasing popularity of computers offers opportunities to fill this need, however, technology is not keeping up with educators' needs in this area. While there is an overwhelming quantity of commercially produced computer software programs, they are invariably generic in nature. No software relating to prereading strategies appears to be available. A CD containing multimedia prereading activities was produced to accompany a selected list of elementary level trade books. The CD is intended to be …

Active Learning On The Internet : Flexible Development Framework For Museum Web Site Activities, H. Courtney White

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Provides museum professionals with a flexible framework for developing museum web site activities and allows them to question, evaluate, and change their web site in response to the museum's and visitors' needs.

Technology In The Mathematics Classroom: "Glorified Toys" Or Educational Tools?, Jason W. Perry

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Teachers today are faced with an ever-changing and growing group of challenges when teaching their students. A continued trend toward the mainstreaming and inclusion of students with special needs into general education classroom, along with the increasing number of students being labeled "At-Risk" have created a demand and necessity for innovative and creative teaching strategies. A somewhat recent phenomenon has been an increased emphasis on the implementation and utilization of "technology" in classroom instruction. Teachers at all levels and all subjects are facing this "push" toward technology, but this project focuses on the teaching of mathematics, particularly at the secondary …

Computer Mediated Communication: Elements Impacting Sustained Usage By Iowa Elementary And Middle School Teachers, Philip M. Hibbard

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was to examine, using a case study methodology, interactions among a group of Iowa teachers involved in a computer mediated communication project, to better understand those elements which may impact sustained usage of computer mediated communication. The study involved examination of one year's worth of on-line journal postings and interactive conferences, and interviews with the 22 teachers involved in the project.

The multiple sources of data collected were analyzed using a methodology known as constant comparative, and the analysis presented according to the following themes:

1. What topics did the participants discuss while using computer mediated …