Education Commons^™

Defining And Measuring Learner-Content Interaction In Digitally Augmented Learning Experiences, Sandra Thatcher Powell

Theses and Dissertations

Using content analysis, researchers reviewed literature to identify the meanings attached to and methods used for measuring learner-content interaction in digitally augmented learning experience. Digitally augmented learning experiences are defined in this dissertation as situations where a learner interacts with content delivered using a computer. Examples include online learning using a desktop, laptop, or mobile device, classroom use of a device to interact with content such as a digital textbook, computer simulation, augmented or virtual reality, smart watch or phone, or other similar educational activities. These activities can be delivered directly from a digital device, over a wireless connection, or …

Impact Of Internet Connection On Gifted Students’ Perceptions Of Course Quality At An Online High School, Stacy Hawthorne

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Online learning is on the rise in K-12 education and, with the lockdowns and social distancing measures implemented as a result of COVID-19, has gained increased prominence. While the demand for online learning is on the rise, many U.S. students lack adequate Internet connectivity to have a successful online learning experience. Connectivity issues, particularly when they impact audio, can cause students to tune out or even drop out of online learning. This is problematic for online schools and course providers who often have no control over the speed of a student’s home Internet connection. Online schools also have to balance …

Examining The Role Of Enjoyment, Anxiety, And Emotional Intelligence In Online Graduate Students' Self-Regulated Learning: A Control-Value Theory Perspective, Achraf Touati

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

As online learning continues to grow, particularly amid the COVID pandemic, so too has interest among educational practitioners and researchers to understand the personal and contextual factors that shape students’ emotions in these environments. The control-value theory of achievement emotions has emerged as a useful framework for examining the antecedents and consequences of different emotions that students experience in online learning. The purpose of the present study was to validate the assumptions of the control-value theory in an asynchronous online graduate program, and to examine the role of emotional intelligence in this social-cognitive process. Data were collected from 102 graduate …

Arts Integration And Teacher Collaboration In An Unprecedented Era Of Online Learning, Natalie Hahn

Theses and Dissertations

The unexpected halt of in-person teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic added another layer to an already sizeable and imperative gap in research on arts integrated teacher collaboration. Research shows that teacher collaboration is essential to effective arts integration and can have powerful, positive outcomes for students and teachers (Burnaford et al., 2007; Burton et al., 1999; Carney et al., 2016; Duma & Silverstein, 2014; Lynch, 2007; Snyder et al., 2014; Upitis et al., 1999; Vitulli et al., 2013), but less is understood about the characteristics of and teacher experiences with collaboration in arts integrated environments. The reconceptualization of …

Engaging Students In The Virtual Classroom: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Teacher Leaders Creating Connections Through Virtual Learning Communities, Michaine Suzanne Ashley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The core problem that drove this study was high attrition rates and low student academic growth in virtual students when compared to their brick and mortar peers. To investigate this issue, the study focused on one issue related to the core problem: student engagement. The purpose of the study was to determine what pedagogical practices and instructional strategies were utilized by teachers in their virtual learning communities (VCLs) in order to engage students in the virtual classroom. This explanatory-sequential, mixed methods, single case study was conducted through the collection of archival data and through a teacher questionnaire and follow up …

Leading The Way: A Critical Narrative About The Creation Of An Online Professional Development Program, Otis Wilder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Leading the Way is a narrative examination of how I (the author) built a professional development training program for the hospitality industry in cooperation with my university and numerous hospitality industry leaders from our community. The program was developed over the course of a year by a large team of people working together to create the Hospitality Leadership Program (HLP). My role in the creation of the HLP was that of instructional designer and curriculum developer. The purpose of the narrative is to provide a critical view of the interactions between the fields of instructional design and curriculum development during …

Evaluating Impact And Perception Of A Structured Online Peer Evaluation System Among Graduate Communication Capstone Students Through Action Research, Karen Larimore Wilkinson

Theses and Dissertations

Although enrollment in online courses continues to accelerate, challenges exist in online learning. A failure to experience collaboration and interaction can impact student retention and success. While peer review activity provides student interaction and the development of a collaborative community of learners, higher education environments have failed to equip students with the knowledge and tools to ensure adept participation. As students offer limited participation and low-quality engagement in routine online peer review activities, the purpose of this action research was to implement and evaluate the impact of a structured online peer evaluation system for Graduate Communication Capstone students at the …

Measuring Faculty-Student Interaction In Online Courses Using Asynchronous Discussion Boards: A Campus-Wide Analysis, Crystal Gasell

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Online learning is growing. As such, institutions want to grow programs, while ensuring quality. Part of ensuring quality in online courses is ensuring that there is regular and substantive interaction (RSI) between students and instructors. Discussion boards are often used in online courses as a way to promote social exchange, interaction, and the discussion of course concepts. Therefore, discussion board activity can provide a glimpse into the RSI that occur between students and instructors. Until recently, data from learning management systems was difficult to access and analyze. However, advances in technology and an increased interest in learning analytics provides researchers …

How Student Perceptions Of The Online Learning Environment And Student Motivation Predict Persistence, Completion, And Retention In Developmental Mathematics Courses, Samuel K. Gedeborg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Online developmental mathematics courses have high dropout rates. The focus of this study is to improve understanding of how students’ perceptions of the online learning environment and student motivation from course design predict student drop out. This understanding will benefit faculty and institutions on student support for online developmental mathematics students.

The study included 330 undergraduate students enrolled in online developmental mathematics courses during the Fall 2018 semester at eight public universities and colleges in the Utah State Higher Education (USHE) system. Participants completed a survey with questions measuring their perceptions of the learning environment. They also completed a survey …

Always Something There To Remind Me: The Role Of Nudging In Assignment Submission, Carolyn Anne Bancroft Andrews

Theses and Dissertations

Online learning continues to widen in popularity by providing greater access and flexibility in time and location the learning occurs. There is a shift in the profile of a traditional college student. Almost half of the students who are enrolled in online classes are 24 or older and tend to carry increased time constraints due to external factors such as employment and family responsibilities. Student retention remains a concern for institutions. Many students lack the skills necessary to be successful in the online platform. Research reports self-regulation learning skills are essential. Providing reminders for an upcoming assignment may give needed …

The Potential Impact Of Online Learning On Economically Disadvantaged Students, Anthony M. Tartaglia

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Opportunity gaps have consistently been prevalent in the United States’ education system and that continues today. The struggle to provide economically disadvantaged students the equity necessary to ensure opportunities exist, similar to those present for students of economic advantage, remains a pervasive dilemma for which there are few solutions. As technology continually changes the global marketplace, it is doing the same to education. Educators have an enormous impact on the lives of their students, both in and out of the classroom and through their instruction, there are techniques available to ensure that students remain engaged. One such method is by …

Assessing Learning Efficiency In Narrative Simulation Delivered Through Interactive Multimedia, Christopher Shannon Daniel

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

This study evaluated the effects of Narrative Simulation (NS) on learning and cognitive load. Specifically, it measured the potential differences in observed instructional efficiency when comparing a self-paced expository multimedia lesson to a NS lesson which involves a character-focused story with multiple decision inputs at key points.

This ex post facto design observed 119 participants consisting of preservice teachers from a large public university in the southeastern United States. They were divided into two sequence groups: (a) Expository Lesson Group; and (b) Narrative Simulation group. The Expository group received Expository Lesson One first, then Expository Lesson Two, and then Narrative …

Student Outcomes In Online And Face-To-Face Classes At A Hispanic-Serving Institution (Hsi), Rebecca S. Cottrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As online course enrollments are increasing in higher education in the United States, it is increasingly important to understand student course outcomes in these classes, particularly at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI), where there has been limited previous research. This current study examines online course outcomes in the form of student course grades and student withdrawal rates as compared to outcomes in face-to-face courses. The setting for the study is Russell University, a public university in the Rocky Mountain west, and an HSI. Data used in this study came from a large, deidentified data set of all enrollments in any course offered …

Effects Of Synchronous Group Work On Learning And Community In Online Mathematics At Community Colleges, Carrie L. Naughton

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Online learning plays an increasingly important role in community college education. However, evidence has shown that online learning can be a challenge, especially in mathematics, and students are not performing as well in online classes as they are in face-to-face formats. In addition, the online environment can be isolating and lonely, with little opportunity for interaction and group work with fellow students. With the increased demand for online mathematics courses at the community college level, it has become imperative that two-year colleges find ways to increase online student success while simultaneously fostering interaction, collaboration and community. This study focused on …

An Investigation Of The Impact Of A Stem Program On Students’ Knowledge On Interest In Stem, Danielle Dean

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The objective of the study was to investigate middle school students’ attitudes towards Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), as well as their knowledge about engineering practices. A quantitative design was employed with a total of 51 participants randomly assigned to two conditions. 24 students took a STEM elective course and the other 27 an equivalent course with a career focus on forensics as a career.

Over nine weeks participants took a pre and post survey on attitudes and completed a project that was assessed using a common rubric. The results on gains in student attitude were mixed. On the …

Organizational Management Of Distance Learning: An Analysis Of Teacher Feedback Throughout Hampton Roads Public High Schools During The Covid-19 Pandemic Response, Cody P. Trudeau

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

Public schools throughout the United States experienced closures and transitions to online curriculum in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many of the policies and strategies implemented to manage teaching faculty were hastily designed and employed out of necessity. This study sought to examine organizational management policies and strategies throughout public high schools in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia through teaching faculty perspectives. This cross-sectional study examined descriptive and correlational statistics of survey responses to determine and evaluate how schools managed communication, responsibilities and delegation, and training for distance learning in order to provide policy …

Professor Perceptions Of Grit In Baccalaureate Online Education, Erica Marie Aiken

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Undergraduate students who enroll in online courses and degree programs often struggle to make progress. Researchers have suggested that noncognitive traits like grit may contribute to student success. However, findings on grit have been conflicting and there is no research on professors’ perceptions. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore professor perceptions of the role of grit in online baccalaureate education, particularly its role in student progress and if there were any implications for teaching practice. Dewey’s pragmatism, Garrison et al.’s CoI framework, and Rogers’ diffusion of innovations theory came together to form the conceptual framework for …