Education Commons^™

Growth And Decline Of "Second Life" As An Educational Platform, Christine Libby Mark

Dissertations

Second Life, a 3D online immersive virtual environment, emerged in 2003 and was predicted to become the predominant online course delivery platform by 2013. Educational institutions initially rushed to create a presence in the Second Life; however, after 2009 those same institutions were disappointed by their experiences and deserted the virtual world. This study sought to uncover the reasons for the rapid decline of such a highly lauded educational platform. Using a mixed methods research design, utilizing a qualitative phenomenology with in-depth personal interviews of higher education administrators followed by a detailed quantitative survey instrument, the researcher was able to …

Multimedia Instructional Tools And Student Learning In Computer Applications Courses, Debra Laier Chapman

Dissertations

Advances in technology and changes in educational strategies have resulted in the integration of technology into the classroom. Multimedia instructional tools (MMIT) have been identified as a way to provide student-centered active-learning instructional material to students. MMITs are common in introductory computer applications courses based on the theory that this type of educational tool should be effective in increasing student knowledge and result in positive changes to motivation and the learning strategies used in the course.

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of the MMIT in an introductory computer applications course to determine if there was …

It's Not Just About The Technology: Changing The Focus From Technology To Collaboration In Videoconferencing Room Design, Tamela W. Smith

Dissertations

Videoconferencing technologies are being increasingly utilized in today’s business and educational environments. However, implementation rates continue to be lower than projected, and user perceptions on the level of collaborative environment provided by videoconferencing rooms vary widely, depending on room design. This study found that, while few videoconferencing professional characteristics impact the level of collaborative environment designed for end-users, the perceived closeness levels provided to end-users significantly impacted their perceptions on the technology. The study also found that videoconferencing professionals’ views and end-users’ views on the level of collaboration within videoconferencing environments vary significantly. By shifting the design of videoconferencing rooms …

Learner Retention Of Medical Vocabulary Based On Instructional Format And Success In Medical Coding, Madelon Reed Gruich

Dissertations

This quantitative research study explores the correlation between instructional formats and the measurement of knowledge retention, as well as subsequent course mastery and whether other factors such as age, ethnicity, gender, number of study hours, number of work hours, and family responsibilities influence learning outcomes. The healthcare data technology program attracts large numbers of individuals seeking training in this administrative healthcare field and was the focal area of the research for this study.

The participants in the study were the students enrolled in the healthcare data technology program of a southeastern community college, preparing for employment in the medical billing …

Social Networking Systems As A Vehicle To Promote Sense Of Community And Performance In Online Classes, Jonathan Mark Woodward

Dissertations

Academicians are navigating through the intersection of information technology and social change. The path that educators choose will help determine the future of higher education in traditional and online settings. The journey of teachers is clouded by the abundance and rapid creation of emerging technologies, but the trends of Net Generation students offer direction. Among Web 2.0 applications, social networking systems (SNSs) offer students a new approach to communicating, learning, and collaborating.

The sociocentric view of knowledge and learning and the theories of Vygotsky and Dewey are helping to drive educators to look for a solution to a missing link …

An Analysis Of Factors Impacting K-12 Technology-Infused Design, Wesley A. Waddle

Dissertations

Public education in the 21st Century can be characterized as being in a period of unparalleled change, including the adoption of Common Core State Standards, increased public accountability, and renewed emphasis on the educational needs of every student. Simultaneously, as public education seeks to address these demands, the digital divide between traditional classroom instruction and learning needs of 21st Century students continues to grow, despite considerable fiscal investments in educational technology.

This study examined two questions: What teacher-related factors positively impact the level of technology-infused lesson design? and To what degree does the use of an instructional framework to guide …

Roadblocks To Integrating Technology Into Classroom Instruction, Courteney Lester Knight

Dissertations

Although research has concluded that technology can enhance the teaching and learning processes, teachers have not yet fully adopted technology to support their teaching methodologies. In the last decade or so, as the accessible gap narrowed, the focus switched to other factors. This study attempts to answer the question: Why teachers do not fully integrate technology into their classroom instruction?

Recently a preponderance of the literature on technology integration has inquired into teachers’ knowledge of technology, the role of the administrator, the curriculum and teachers’ perception of the benefits of technology in instruction. The problem was to determine the relationship …

Interpreting And Implementing English Language Arts State Standards/Expectations In Secondary Classrooms, Amanda Stearns-Pfeiffer

Dissertations

In my dissertation, I investigate the way in which English Language Arts (ELA) state standards are being interpreted and implemented, and how this implementation process affects the curricular decisions teachers make. This project focuses generally on the standards movement in American education, and more specifically on the ways teachers navigate the standards in their own classrooms.

The goal of this study is to problematize and better understand the end-result of current standards as they are conceived of by the final arbiters and interpreters of those standards – classroom English language arts teachers. Much work has been done in creating standards, …

Patterns Of Interaction And Mathematical Thinking Of High School Students In Classroom Environments That Include Use Of Java-Based, Curriculum-Embedded Software, Karen L. Fonkert

Dissertations

This study analyzes the nature of student interaction and discourse in an environment that includes the use of Java-based, curriculum-embedded mathematical software. The software CPMP-Tools was designed as part of the development of the second edition of the Core-Plus Mathematics curriculum. The use of the software on laptop computers in small groups of students, and in whole-class interactive lessons with a single computer at the front of the classroom was explored. Data were collected through observations, interviews, and selected items from the students’ regular assessments. During the observations, classroom discussion was audio-taped and videotaped, and field notes were taken. The …

The Computer Integration Into The Efl Instruction In Indonesia: An Analysis Of Two University Instructors In Integrating Computer Technology Into Elf Instruction To Encourage Students' Language Learning Engagement, Pius Nurwidasa Prihatin

Dissertations

Computer technology has been popular for teaching English as a foreign language in non-English speaking countries. This case study explored the way language instructors designed and implemented computer-based instruction so that students are engaged in English language learning. This study explored the beliefs, practices and perceptions of university faculty in integrating computer technology into English instruction. This research was conducted in English education program in Sanata Dharma University, Indonesia. Communicative language teaching, Engagement Theory, and learner-centered principles were used as the pillars for developing the theoretical framework. The researcher conducted interviews, observed the classroom situation, and reviewed teaching instruments. This …

Integration Of The Bscs 5e Instructional Method And Technology In An Anatomy And Physiology Lab, Tamilselvi Gopal

Dissertations

This research provides an understanding of how the 5E instructional method combined with educational technology tools can be used in teaching undergraduate college level anatomy and physiology laboratory classes. The 5E instructional model is the exemplary instructional model in teaching biology for high school students. The phases in the 5E learning cycle are Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. In every step of the learning cycle, the researcher used appropriate technology tools to enhance the teaching and learning processes. The researcher used the Dynamic Instructional Design model to identify the appropriate technology tools for instruction. The topics selected for modification …

“The Negro Speaks Of Rivers” An African Centered Historical Study Of The Selfethnic Liberatory Education Nature And Goals Of The Poetry Of Langston Hughes: The Impact On Adult Education, Sarah E. Howard

Dissertations

The purposes of this historical study were to 1) document the Selfethnic Liberatory adult education nature and goals of the poetry of Langston Hughes (from 1921 to 1933); and 2) to document the impact this poetry had on members of the African Diaspora. In addition, the goal of this research was to expand the historical knowledge base of the adult education field, so that it is more inclusive of the contributions of African Americans.

This study addressed the problem that the historical and philosophical literature of the field does not to any significant degree include the intellectual and adult education …

The Development Of An Instrument For K12 Coordinators Implementing Curriculum Videoconferencing And A Model To Predict Utilization Of Videoconferencing, Janine Monica Lim

Dissertations

Problem. The role of the coordinator and factors affecting their ability to support curriculum videoconferencing in relationship to the utilization of videoconferencing in the school have not been thoroughly studied. The focus of this study is the videoconference coordinatorand their influence on the utilization of videoconferencing.

Method. A measure of the usage of curriculum videoconferencing was developed and compared to a multidimensional conceptualization of factors influencing usage. The conceptualization included the development of a K12 Curriculum Videoconferencing Implementation Scale, as well as measures of educational service agency support, technical support, administrative support, and school and demographic variables. Multiple regression analysis …

Social Work Field Instructors' Perceptions Of On-Line Training, Denise E. Dedman

Dissertations

Social work has recently identified the field placement as the signature pedagogy of the profession, yet little has been done to identify the best means of training field instructors to supervise students in their field placements. This study addressed attitudes and perceptions of social work field instructors regarding on-line training in their roles. While previous studies of university social work program field placement directors had been conducted, there exist no broad studies of the field instructors' perceptions. Some earlier qualitative studies of field instructors identified time constraints as a significant issue in their willingness to continue accepting interns. This, along …

How Teacher Attitudes And Administrator Behaviors Affect Levels Of Technology Integration In The Classroom, Sheri Leigh Bradshaw

Dissertations

Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to evaluate how well teachers’ attitudes predict levels of technology integration into the classroom. This study also investigated whether perceived support from the administrator as the instructional leader was related to teachers’ levels of technology integration into the classroom. The population for this study included identified school districts in rural North Georgia. Utilizing the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the 2002-2003 school year, the researcher identified 5 peer districts: Franklin County, Gilmer County, Stephens County, Union County, and White County. All middle and high school teachers within a district were invited to …

Electronic Literacy: Teaching Literary Reading Through The Digital Medium, Robert Adams Rozema

Dissertations

Over the last decade, digital technology has become an increasingly important part of education. In the discipline of English language arts, digital technology has been enlisted to teach writing, as the word processor and more recently, the World Wide Web, have provided new tools and new publishing opportunities for student writers. The presence of digital technology is less pronounced, however, in literature instruction in secondary schools. In both theoretical and practical discussions of digital technology and literature, the two mediums have been conceived as radically different. This dissertation argues that the digital medium, and more specifically the World Wide Web, …

The Reading Connection: A Leadership Initiative Designed To Change The Delivery Of Educational Services To At-Risk Children, Gary Compton

Dissertations

For many young children, the process of learning to read in school is cumbersome and extremely difficult. As a result, remedial or compensatory services are provided to these students. Once these at-risk students are targeted for remedial services, generally through the Chapter 1 program (Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 1965), they receive small group reading instruction from a specifically trained professional teacher. A problem occurs when these children, generally the poorest readers in their class, do not make significant gains when compared to their age-appropriate peers.

In the winter of 1988, a collaborative project between Western Michigan University and the …

The Identification And Assessment Of Interaction In Educational Microcomputer Software, Pamela J. Zeller

Dissertations

Many professionals involved with the educational use of microcomputers have indicated that criteria for evaluating software are often based on speculation and intuition and that there is a need to establish valid evaluative criteria. Among the elements comprising most evaluation schemes is interaction. The literature suggests that both an operational definition for the term interaction as applied to educational microcomputer software and a means to validly assess such interaction are necessary. The purpose of the study was to systematically develop such an operational definition and to develop and validate an instrument and a procedure to assess this interaction. Using a …

The Use Of Microcomputer Programs To Improve The Reliability And Validity Of Content Analysis In Evaluation, Richard D. Frisbie

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to advance the body of knowledge about how practicing evaluators can use microcomputer programs to obtain reliable and valid content analyses of responses to open-ended survey questions. This is important because practitioners often analyze such responses as part of larger evaluation efforts. To address this general problem, content analysis experts have developed methods of survey and discovery to help delineate new category systems and obtain codes for responses based on existing categories. Fortunately, some of the methods can be implemented with general purpose microcomputer programs. For example, key words out of context--word lists--can be …

A Study Of Effects Of A Systematically Designed Promotional Message On The Acceptance Of Michigan Regional Educational Media Centers By Nonusers, Jaswant Singh

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of using a systematically planned and presented promotional message on increasing the number of public and private K-12 teachers who use the media services of the REMCs.

The following hypotheses were tested: (1) There will be a difference in the proportion of teachers requesting REMC media services in the experimental and control groups as a result of the use of a systematically designed promotional message. (2) There will be a difference in the mean number of media items requested by users in the experimental and control groups as a result …