Education Commons^™

Examining U.S. Middle School Students' Achievement In A Blended Learning Environment, Bernadette Ortiz-Brewster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

U.S. middle schools are increasing offering blended learning curricula that integrates virtual and face-to-face instruction, but the effectiveness of this mode of instruction at the middle school level has not been adequately explored. This investigation provides additional data to the current body of knowledge related to blended learning as a viable option for middle school students. The theoretical framework for this investigation derives from Lev Vygotsky's social development theory and Jean Piaget's constructivist theory of knowledge. The central research question focused on the difference in achievement scores between 6th grade students participating in a virtual course as compared to …

Impact Of An Innovative Classroom On Bsn Students' Self-Efficacy And Academic Performance, Laurie Jo Singel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The critical shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States has led to increased enrollment in nursing schools, but the number of graduates is still decreasing, as nursing students struggle and fail in upper division courses. There is a significant gap in knowledge concerning students' self-efficacy (SE) as a factor directly influencing students' academic performance. The problem examined in this correlational study was the impact of collaborative learning in an innovative classroom setting on Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students' SE and academic performance. Framed by Bandura's theory of SE, the research questions examined the relationship between students' …

A Study Of The Application Of A Bring Your Own Device Strategy In An Elementary School, Carol Louise Scholz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous studies have been published on the efficacy of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) at the U.S. secondary and postsecondary school levels to increase student access to technology. However, there is a lack of data on the efficacy of a BYOD AUP to increase elementary student technology access. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to determine if a BYOD AUP at the U.S. K-5 level would increase students' access to technology as necessitated by the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). This study was grounded in social transmission and transformative theories. …

K-12 Educational Technology Implementations: A Delphi Study, Jennie L. Vandykgibson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of educational technologies is a key component of education reform. In its current national technology plan, Future Ready Learning: Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education, the U.S. Department of Education asserts that educational technologies can transform student learning. Successful integration of educational technology could increase student achievement and transform the setting to bring about positive social change. The purpose of this study was to provide a group of expert panelists an opportunity to identify strategies and guidelines to create an effective educational technology plan. Data were gathered using a modified Delphi technique from 7 teachers, 8 administrators, …

Case Study Of Access To Higher Education Through Technology In The Resource-Poor Country Of Haiti, Jean Jacques Medastin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (2012-2013), access to higher education is limited in most of the developing countries due to inadequate budgets and lack of schools and teaching staff. The use of educational technology could help bridge the gap, but research has only explored the use of available technologies to enhance learning where higher education is already accessible. The purpose of this case study was to investigate the use of one-to-many videoconferencing as an education access tool for high school seniors seeking higher education in the most devastated areas of Haiti. The theoretical framework for …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Digital Citizenship Development In Middle School Students Using Social Media And Global Collaborative Projects, Shane Snyder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Middle school students misuse social media without understanding the negative influence on their global digital footprint and lives. Research does not provide insight into how students develop digital citizenship skills for positive digital footprints and appropriate social media use. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore students' growth as digital citizens while participating in one digital citizenship project using global collaboration and social media. The conceptual framework included Ribble's theory of digital citizenship and Siemens's theory of connectivism. Research questions asked how students' digital citizenship developed when they were engaged in social media and global collaborative projects. …

Positive And Negative Experiences Of Career Technical Secondary Students In Online Courses, David Harms

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research indicates that secondary students who are successful in online classes share common traits. However, many secondary career technical education (CTE) students taking online courses do not demonstrate the traits identified for success. CTE students may not benefit from online classes unless they are designed with their needs in mind. The purpose of this study was to investigate current CTE student experiences with online classes at a single career center. The research questions investigated CTE experiences with online classes, positive and negative online design features, and the hybrid classroom. The theoretical framework was constructivism. The purposive sample included 12 student …

Internet Technology As A Means Of Delivering Reading Instruction In The Content Areas, Kimberly Rose Pintok

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to students not meeting minimum proficiency levels in reading, a central Florida middle school that was rated an A school for 4 years consecutively dropped to a B rating during the 2012-2013 school year and was 10 points away from dropping to a C rating in the 2013-2014 school year. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe classroom implementation of Internet technology in a middle school classroom in an attempt to address the steady decline in reading scores. Guided by Piaget, Dewey, and Vygotsky's social constructivist view of education, this study explored if and how teachers used …

Primary Teachers' Perspectives On Ipad Integration: Barriers, Challenges, And Successes, Richard Cory Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the rapid expansion of mobile technologies in K-12 schools, recent research has shown that many teachers are ill prepared to take advantage of these new tools. This study was designed to address the problem of lack of effective iPad integration in primary classrooms at an international school in South Korea. The purpose of this case study was to examine primary teachers' perceptions of the implementation of an iPad initiative begun in 2012. Framed by Koehler and Mishra's technological pedagogical content knowledge model (TPACK), the study was guided by research questions that involved teachers' perceptions of the barriers, challenges, and …

Understanding Attrition Among English As A Foreign Language Teachers In Online Training, Joseline Castaños

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attrition among students in online courses worldwide is well-documented at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels. However, little is yet known about the reason for attrition among in-service teachers in online training. Online education aims to provide access to education for the masses, but with higher attrition rates, it may be viewed as less effective than traditional education. This study explored factors that influenced attrition and persistence among teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in an online teacher training environment. Tinto's Community of Inquiry framework and Short, Williams, and Christie's Social Presence Model provided the conceptual framework for …

A Study Of Satisfaction With Online Learning In Workplace Training, M. Anita Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The American workplace and American culture have rapidly transitioned to online learning and are now more dependent on technology. Yet, in spite of a multitude of studies that explored online learning, it has not been established whether managers are satisfied with application of technology to training. The purpose of this study was to examine receptiveness as expressed by satisfaction with effectiveness of online training among managers to determine if a relationship exists for age, position, and length of service. The research was based on theoretical foundations of Herzberg's theory of motivation and Herzberg's theory of job satisfaction. The goal of …

Maximizing Feedback For Self-Regulated Learning, Jodie Maria Hemerda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Application of clearly defined feedback types, which have been correlated with improved student performance, has great potential for maximizing instructor use of feedback and its effect on a learner's self-regulatory learning (SRL) for optimized learning. Within SRL, where learner performance is influenced by a recursive internal process, instructional feedback plays a critical role. Yet, the characteristics of external feedback that influence SRL to improve performance are unclear in the literature. Within a theoretical framework where feedback catalyzes self-regulation, this quantitative study sought to integrate feedback type research to expand the SRL model. Data were graded assignments from 23 undergraduate level …

Case Study Of Learning And Instruction For Members Of An Online Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Support Group, Heather Rae Gilmore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that individual members of traditional support groups gain a sense of identity and community and feelings of respect and support. Online support groups provide individuals avenues to find medical information and thus learn more about a given condition or illness. Little has been studied about the learning and instruction that occurs in online social support groups, especially in groups about chronic pain. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of members who participated in one open social support group. Siemen's constructivism theory served as the basis for comprehending the learning …

The Experiences Of Middle School Teachers With Integration Of Digital Media Into The Curriculum, Martha Sue Brothers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Middle school teachers at a school district integrated digital media into the math and literacy curriculum by using programs such as Success Maker and Reading 180 in the classroom. Teachers received training on best practices for integrating digital media in their teaching. No research had been conducted to examine the experiences of these middle school teachers with the integration of digital media into the curriculum. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to address that gap. The research questions focused on teachers' outlooks on digital media as a teaching tool and the instructional strategies they used. The conceptual framework …

Faculty Knowledge And Use Of Best Practices In Online Professional Continuing Education, Gladys Montane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A recent mandate by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists requires that U.S. radiologic technologists complete continuous qualification requirements (CQR). This study examined faculty skills and practices at an American university that developed online CQR courses in response to this mandate. It was specifically designed to assess the knowledge and skills of this university's faculty with regard to best practices in an online learning environment, so as to provide the basis for meeting faculty needs in distance education. Dewey's work on constructivism served as the framework guiding this study. A qualitative, intrinsic case study was employed to collect data using …

Examining Teachers' Lesson Plans Following Universal Design For Learning Training, Georgeann A. Winter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With a growing population of culturally and academically diverse student populations in K -12 education, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has the potential to improve the quality of teaching and learning for all students. However, there is a lack of research on UDL teacher in-service training to determine whether teachers are more effective at implementing UDL once they receive adequate training. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine changes in teachers' lesson plans following UDL professional training. Seventeen teachers from 5 school districts in the state of Mississippi participated in the study. Teachers' lesson plans were evaluated at …

Successful Enterprise Resource Planning System Implementation: A Higher Education Managerial Perspective, Elizabeth A. Arthur

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The overall success rate of implementing enterprise resource planning systems is about 30%. Guided by systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the strategies used to ensure a successful implementation by information technology managers working in higher education settings. The data were derived from semistructured interviews of 6 managers and documentation from a higher education institution in the northeastern United States that successfully implemented an ERP system. Data analysis consisted of reviewing interview transcripts, from which themes and patterns were identified and coded. Three recurring factors arose throughout the analysis involved commitment, communication, and …

The Case Of Three Karen Refugee Women And Their Children: Literacy Practices In A Family Literacy Context, Sabrina Dm Quadros, Loukia K. Sarroub

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The lack of research about the Karen—one of 135 ethnic groups from Myanmar—limits literacy educators charged with educating this refugee population in public schools. In this case study the authors explore the literacy practices of Karen families when at school and in their homes and within an ESL family literacy program. The case of these refugee families and their experiences are analyzed within a sociocultural theoretical framework along with a focus on literacy adaptation through the lenses of crosscultural studies, adult and language teachers involved in literacy practices, and literacy studies. Four core themes emerged from participant observation, including adult/ …

Development Of Learning Objectives For An Undergraduate Computer-Aided Drafting And Design Animation Using The Delphi Technique, Gavin M. Wilk

Masters Theses

This study reflects on learning objectives created for an advanced computer aided drafting (CAD) learning module(s) or course with the emphasis on simulation and engineering animations. These objectives were derived by using the Delphi technique by access the support of a panel of subject matter experts (SME) from academia and industry that are interested in CAD. The results of this study are intended for the use of creating instructional modules for undergraduate studies.

A panel of experts were chosen through an electronic listserv of engineering and technology supporters. Two rounds of two different Delphi survey instruments were utilized to complete …

A Design-Based Research Study Examining The Impact Of Collaboration Technology Tools In Mediating Collaboration, Kecia Johnese Waddell

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

A DESIGN-BASED RESEARCH STUDY EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF COLLABORATION TECHNOLOGY TOOLS IN MEDIATING COLLABORATION

by

KECIA J. WADDELL

December 2015

Advisor: Dr. Monica W. Tracey

Major: Instructional Technology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Interactive collaboration technologies have expanded users' capabilities to collaborate and have driven pedagogical paradigm shifts toward more learner-centered and interactive teaching and learning. Online learners may be not sufficiently prepared for the level of collaboration fluency expected by a globally competitive digital distributed knowledge economy. This is largely due in part by how collaboration technologies is used towards impacting learning goals and outcomes in practice by online …

Effect Of Expert Modeling On Ill-Structured Problem Solving In An Undergraduate General Education Honors Course, Minakshi Lahiri

Wayne State University Dissertations

Abstract

Effect of Expert Modeling on Ill-Structured Problem Solving in an Undergraduate General Education

Honors Course

by

Minakshi Lahiri

May 2016

Advisor: Dr. Ke Zhang

Major: Instructional Technology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

This dissertation research was based on David H. Jonassen’s recommendation that not all problems are the same and different types of problems require different approaches of instruction and scaffolding (Jonassen & Hung, 2008). Jonassen (2011) provided a set of recommended components (problem types, case components, cognitive supports) for designing effective Problem Based Learning Environments (PBLEs).

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of using expert …

Redesigning The Inacol Standards For K-12 Online Course Design, David Adelstein

Wayne State University Dissertations

The research presented created a revised K-12 online course design rubric based off the iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses. The redesign was completed in three distinct phases, beginning with a literature review of the iNACOL standards that compared current K-12, higher education, and other related literature to each element found in the standards to test for content validity. Results of phase one showed that the iNACOL standards did match up to current literature. Phase two consisted of an expert panel review of the standards, along with phase one suggestions, over three rounds. Viewing the standards through the specific …

Learning Through Personal Connections: Cogenerative Dialogues In Synchronous Virtual Spaces, Stephanie Bondi, Tareq Daher, Amy Holland, Adam R. Smith, Stacy Dam

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This study describes the role of cogenerative dialogues in a synchronous virtual classroom. Cogenerative dialogues are a way for students and instructors to reflect upon in-class events and work collaboratively during the course to optimize teaching and learning. In the present study, cogen has been found to be a tool for enhancing connections among graduate students in the class leading to a reported increase of motivation and engagement. Cogenerative dialogues were essential in shifting responsibilities so that students took a more active role in their own learning while supporting each other.

The Flipped Approach: The Use Of Embedded Questions In Math Videos, Ashley Wilson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates the use of embedded questions in math videos and their effect on students self-paced learning in a hybrid math course. A treatment group watched math videos with embedded questions and a comparison group watched the same videos but without the embedded questions. The two groups are compared in terms of (a) amount of video watched, (b) quality of written work, (c) performance in assessments, (d) course component scores, and (e) opinions about self-paced learning and the flipped classroom method. The pre-to-posttest improvement for the treatment group was higher than the comparison group. The embedded questions might have …

A Knowledge Analytic Comparison Of Cued Primitives When Students Are Explaining Predicted And Enacted Motions, Victor R. Lee

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

The Knowledge in Pieces theoretical perspective posits p-prims as an important knowledge element in intuitive reasoning. Because p-prims are a class of knowledge elements developed and abstracted from everyday physical experiences, it seems plausible that immediate physical experiences, both in terms of sensations and actual observations of motion, would cue knowledge in different ways than when those experiences are just discussed as hypotheticals. This paper presents two cases to show that immediate embodied experiences with everyday objects does change which p-prims are cued and how they are deployed by students to explain situations involving motion. These cases come from a …

Journeys Towards Expertise In Technology-Supported Teaching, Lorraine H. Kershaw

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Expertise in technology-supported teaching needs to be understood from multi-dimensional perspectives and influences, if raising teacher quality is a desired goal of education services. This study aimed to uncover the interactive influences of teachers' pedagogical practices, learning experiences and personal characteristics and how their decisions impacted upon their growth in expert technology-supported teaching. A mixed methods approach incorporated case study techniques, use of quantitative and qualitative data and was informed by grounded theory. Five female primary teachers participated in this research which was conducted during one year over two data collection stages in a technology-supportive independent Australian girls' school.

Variations …

Veal: The Rise Of Generation Interactive, Patrick Aievoli

Zea E-Books Collection

The purpose of this book is to investigate and discuss the premise that the current generation was constructed to be consumers for a transitional marketplace. As the economy shifted from analog to digital, consumers had to be trained to accept, use and progress within a new economic model through changes in societal and economic patterns. During the course of this book those patterns will be discussed and displayed as a confluence of: Marketplace manipulation, Abusive use of technologies, and Lack of governance.

In this book I discuss how those events are reflected in the habits and lifestyles of the current …

Enabling Microblogging-Based Peer Feedback In Face-To-Face Classrooms, Tian Luo

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to understand student interaction and learning in microblogging-based peer feedback sessions. The researcher examined through a case study how students interacted and provided peer feedback for each other when Twitter was enabled as a backchannel; students were also asked to report how they perceived their experience. The findings suggested that students participated actively in the microblogging-based peer feedback sessions. Although Twitter supported cognitive and corrective feedback, affective feedback was dominant. Student interaction on Twitter tended to be brief and involve low-level cognitive thinking in unguided, naturalistic learning contexts. Overall, students had a positive attitude …

Supporting Documentation Of Informal Learning And Making From A Distance With Voicethread, Kevin Oliver, Robert L. Moore

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This best practices session and paper describes the incorporation of Voicethread as a tool for supporting design documentation of makerspace projects among graduate distance education students in a course on informal learning. All students successfully utilized the tool to present photographic and video evidence of design processes with oral annotations, and received clarifications and feedback from peers. Students reported positive affordances of the tool in terms of marking up slides to communicate particular design decisions, sharing video as "proof" of successfully completing a particular make project and as exemplars of makers’ problem solving and thinking, documenting a linear process with …