Education Commons^™

A Cognitive Apprenticeship Approach For Teaching Abstract And Complex Skills In An Online Learning Environment, Reinaldo Fernandez

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Undergraduate courses such as mathematics, science, and computer programming require high levels of decision making, concentration, and cognitive demand. Researchers in the field of instructional design are interested in effective instructional strategies that can aid practitioners in teaching such abstract and complex skills.

One example of an instructional strategy that has proven effective in teaching these skills is cognitive apprenticeship (CA). While CA has been applied to courses such as mathematics and computer programming in face-to-face and blended learning environments, there is little evidence of the advantages of applying CA in a fully online computer programming course. Specifically, the introductory …

Examining Fully Online Degree Students' Perceptions Of Online Student Support Services: A Mixed Method Study Using Grounded Theory And Rasch Analysis, Tamara Dean Heimberg

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The higher education market is becoming much more competitive as more students are attracted to online courses and online degree programs. In order to remain competitive, higher education institutions must provide students access to online support services. However, an online student support services plan is an often overlooked component of an online initiative even though it is a critical factor in the overall success of an online program.

This research specifically focuses on online student support services for students enrolled in fully online degree programs in an effort to identify the most important online student support services from students’ perspectives, …

Being Nontraditional And Learning Online: Assessing The Psychosocial Learning Environments, Self-Efficacy, And Affective Outcomes Among College Student Groups, Roslyn La'toya Ashford

Dissertations

The study compared traditional and nontraditional students’ attitudes about the psychosocial learning environment and their influence on self-efficacy, enjoyment of online learning, and student satisfaction by using Moos’ (1979) Model of Environmental and Personal Variables and the three dimensions of social climate as its theoretical framework. Traditional and nontraditional students were selected based on known differences between their personal characteristics/traits. A total of 151 undergraduate students taking online classes at a university in the southeastern United States participated in the online quantitative pretest/posttest. The findings revealed that nontraditional students preferred less student interaction and collaboration and more asynchronicity than traditional …

Improving Argumentation Through Goal Instructions In Asynchronous Online Discussions, Yekaterina Prudchenko

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Argumentation incorporated into class discussions can improve students' problem solving skills and enhance their epistemic and conceptual understanding. Research indicates students sometimes need scaffolding such as goal instructions to improve their argumentation skills. This study examined the effectiveness of different types of goal instructions on participants' argumentation achievement. In particular, the study compared the effects of minimal, moderate, substantial, and no goal instructions in asynchronous online discussions on participants' argumentation achievement, as measured by development, balance, and explanatory discourse scores. The study also tried to understand participants' experiences of the goal instructions by comparing the differences in emergent themes across …

Pe Central: A Possible Online Professional Development Tool, Amber M. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Bringing about positive teacher change in physical education is often a slow process not supported by traditional professional development practices. The purpose of this study was (a) to assess the usage and satisfaction with the online site PE Central and (b) to ascertain whether PE Central constitutes a valid source of professional development leading to changes in teaching practices and student learning outcomes. Participants (45 pre-service and 288 in-service teachers) completed an online survey assessing the effects of using PE Central on their perceptions of usage, satisfaction, professional development, teacher change, and student engagement. Results indicated no significant differences between …

An Investigation Of Online Tools And Teaching, Social, And Cognitive Presence In A Large Hybrid Online Class, Victoria Rath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore the impact of specific Web 2.0 tools on students' experience of teaching, social, and cognitive presence and motivation when enrolled in a very large hybrid course. With online course enrollments continuing to grow at a higher rate than traditional enrollments in higher education (Allen & Seaman, 2011) and universities increasing class sizes as a way to meet this demand with fewer fiscal resources, it is imperative to find ways to keep students engaged and motivated when enrolled in very large classes. This study used the Community of Inquiry framework (Garrison, Anderson …

Supporting Middle School Students With Emotional Or Behavioral Disorders In Blended Learning: A Fraction Intervention Using Virtual Manipulatives, Barbara Serianni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) are more likely than other students with disabilities to drop out of school (Blackorby & Wagner, 1996) and suffer societal consequences that include higher probabilities and rates of incarceration, poverty, drug abuse, homelessness, low wages, and unemployment (Bradley, Doolittle, & Bartolotta, 2008; Wagner, 1995). High school graduation is a critical factor to improve post-secondary outcomes for students with EBD; yet it is often mathematics, specifically algebra, that stands in the way of graduation (Blackorby & Wagner). Students with EBD often enter middle school lacking foundational mathematics skills, such as fractions, which sets them …

Measuring Student Satisfaction In Online Math Courses, Antoinette M. Davis

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

Colleges and universities worldwide have struggled to find a way to measure student satisfaction in online courses. This study examined the growth of math courses that are delivered in the online format. This study aims to address many gaps in the research literature concerning distance education using technology. In particular, it is the intention of this study to investigate satisfaction and performance of students as a result of taking online courses.

There has been an expanding concern over whether students are satisfied and can perform well in courses taken in an online environment. Satisfaction and performance in distance education have …

Academically Resilient Minority Doctoral Students Who Experienced Poverty And Parental Substance Abuse, Marcia Boatman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of research on the academic resilience of minority, first-generation, online doctoral students (MFOD) who experienced poverty and parental substance abuse (PSA). The purpose of this study was to explore how MFOD who overcame poverty and PSA developed academic resilience. Resilience theory and Kember's model of attrition in online programs provided a conceptual framework for this study. The research questions guiding this qualitative study concerned how MFOD perceive and interpret their academic resilience and protective factors. A purposeful sample of 6 students participated in semistructured interviews. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted, which included a case by …

Community College Students With Psychological Disorders And Their Perceptions Of Online Learning, Gretchen Winifred Langford Warren

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Research focusing on students with learning disabilities is abundant for secondary and higher education. Studies utilizing data on students with psychological disorders cover secondary and 4-year university education. However, community college students with psychological disorders and their perception of online classes is an area of educational research which lacks data. Students across a wide spectrum of psychological disorders tend to find learning challenging. The community college's learning environment may best fit their learning styles. With modem educational innovations, the online learning methods must take into consideration the unique psychosocial, cognitive, and academic needs of the community college student population.

Analysis Of Student Perceptions Of The Psychosocial Learning Environment In Online And Face-To-Face Career And Technical Education Courses, Diane L. Carver

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Career and technical education (CTE) courses offered online are becoming more common in secondary schools. Recognizing the adaptability of CTE courses and designing curricula to offer online learners the same experience as face-to-face learners is challenging for education professionals and requires analyses of both environments. A lack of empirical studies makes it important to conduct research on online learning environments from the perspectives of high school students.

This study analyzes student perceptions of the psychosocial learning environment in online and face-to-face career and technical education courses. The research explores and compares how high school students perceive their learning environment and …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Shared Epistemic Agency In Team Projects In An Online Baccalaureate Nursing Course, Suzanne Hayes

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study explores the role of instructional design in the development of shared epistemic agency (SEA) when RN to BSN nursing students collaborate to complete a team project in an online course. Paavola & Hakkarainen's (2005) trialogical model of learning is used to design a learning activity where teams create a shared knowledge object, a co-authored patient interprofessional care plan to support group knowledge creation. The study addresses the following research questions: