Education Commons^™

Community College Faculty Perspective On Changing Online Course Management Systems: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Kathleen Eitzmann

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This is a phenomenological research study about a college that is changing course management systems for online courses and the experiences that the full-time faculty go through during the transition from one course management system (CMS) to another.

Colleges are seeing a student enrollment shift away from the traditional classroom toward the online environment. This demand in online learning means colleges have to offer more online courses, train more faculty, and support the technological requirements of online learning. Many colleges purchase a course management system to support their online courses. When a college changes the course management system, faculty must …

English Language Learners’ Connection To School And English Through The Digital Storytelling Process, Megan J. Mcelfresh

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Thanks to the developing technology of digital storytelling, English Language Learner teachers at Maple Elementary may have a potential answer to help 2nd grade students with their growth in English and connection to school. The questions that guided this inquiry into digital storytelling in the ELL classroom were the following: Are there particular benefits to ELLs in digital storytelling? Do ELL students see connections through the digital storytelling process to their growth as a writer and role in the school community? Research has previously shown the success of ELL students is strongly linked to the instruction they receive and sense …

The Development Of Phonological Awareness In Young Children: Examining The Effectiveness Of A Phonological Awareness Program, Stephanie Schmitz

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the effectiveness of the Road to the Code phonological awareness program on the development of at-risk, kindergarten students’ phonological awareness and early reading skills. Six kindergarten students were identified as experiencing difficulty in the area of phonological awareness and were divided into three groups. This study included three phases: a baseline phase, during which no instruction in the Road to the Code program was provided; an intervention phase, during which the Road to the Code program was implemented; and a maintenance phase. Student reading progress was monitored using standardized measures from …

Exploring Student Perceptions To Explain The Relationship Between Physical Activity And Academic Achievement In Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Study, Megan J. Hylok

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A nationwide survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control in 2007 reported 65% of high school students did not meet the recommendation that youth participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week (CDC, 2008). While research has focused its attention primarily on bodily health, growing evidence supports the benefits of physical activity on brain health (Ratey & Hagerman, 2008). Physical activity is important and many adolescents are not meeting the recommendation, therefore, it is important to explore the adolescent perceptions to understand which factors influence physical activity participation. The significance of this study …

Managing Small Group Instruction Through The Implementation Of Literacy Work Stations, Carrie Kracl

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This case study explored the journey of four first grade teachers in their pursuit to improve the quality of their small group instruction time through increased engagement of students away from the small groups, thus allowing for quality instruction taking place in the small group. The teachers participated in professional development on literacy work stations that included video and an accompanying text. Based on the qualitative data from observations and interviews, all four teachers believed that the quality of their small group instruction improved with the implementation of literacy work stations through increased student engagement and motivation and the subsequent …