Education Commons^™

Facilitating Conditions That Increase Faculty Perceived Usefulness Of Learning Management Systems: A Multiple-Case Study, Darnell S. Kemp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this research study designed as a multiple-case study was to discover the facilitating conditions that led faculty at the higher education level to create activities using student-centered learning tools in the learning management systems (LMSs). The theories guiding this study were Davis’ technology acceptance model and two versions of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. Both theories looked at how perceived ease of use (PEU) and perceived usefulness (PU) determine a user’s use of a technology. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology added facilitating conditions as a primary determiner of technology …

Experiences Of Asian American Women In Distance Education Doctoral Programs: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Cathy Vu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It is well documented that doctoral attrition is a concern, and research into subgroups of doctoral student populations is needed. Researchers have begun to examine the experiences of women in distance education doctoral programs, but the experiences of women from Asian backgrounds have not been the direct focus on any research to date. This transcendental phenomenological study described the persistence experiences of Asian American women pursuing distance education doctoral studies. Tinto’s (1975) theory of student integration served as a foundation for understanding how an individual’s academic and social integration affects persistence. In addition to Tinto’s theory of student integration, Berry’s …

Mental Health Delivery Method Outcomes For The Postsecondary Student: A Quantitative Quasi-Experimental, Non-Equivalent Control Group Pretest-Posttest Study, Mallory Nicole Ball

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact that a virtual mental health intervention has on distance education postsecondary students. This study utilized a quantitative quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest study design. The study design was used to determine if there is a statistically significant difference in the pretest and posttest scores for the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised (CESD-R). Furthermore, how these differences impact distance education postsecondary students utilizing online delivery method of mental health interventions compared to postsecondary distance education students who did not. The study setting was at …

Zooming In On Zoom Fatigue: A Case Study Of Videoconferencing And Zoom Fatigue In Higher Education, Chandra Kaye Massner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how faculty and students in higher education experience videoconferencing in online courses and why they feel fatigue. Zoom fatigue, the exhaustion users feel when communicating through videoconferencing platforms, is a recently identified phenomenon associated with the extensive use of synchronous videoconferencing communication. The research employed a qualitative case study approach to investigate how faculty and students experience videoconferencing and Zoom fatigue in online courses at a small liberal arts university in Appalachia. Document review, qualitative surveys, and in-depth interviews informed the case study. Faculty and student respondents reported dissatisfaction with …

Integration Of Doctoral Students In Distance Programs: An Instrument Validation Study Of Educational Doctorate Students, Joseph Holmes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Doctoral attrition rates range between 40%-60%. Attrition rates increase 10%-20% in the distance education (DE) environment. Academic integration and social integration are key elements of doctoral student integration and predictors of student persistence at any program stage. Instruments exist to measure academic integration and social integration for undergraduate students; however, no instruments exist that specifically measure both academic integration and social integration of doctoral students in DE programs at any program stage. The purpose of this research was to develop and analyze the structure, validity, and reliability of the Distance Doctoral Integration Scale (DDIS). Instrument development followed a multi-step process. …

The Relationship Between Mobile Learning And Academic Achievement In A Community College System Online Environment, Daniel Grenier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study poses the question: Is there a relationship between student use of mobile technology in an online environment and student achievement expressed by final grades? The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between mobile learning (m-learning) using mobile technology and academic achievement in terms of final grades in an online environment. The literature on m-learning indicates the freedom and flexibility of the m-learner constitutes a new paradigm in education. The untethered nature of m-learning means students can access course content anywhere, anytime. Studies have focused on the use of specific technologies in learning environments; this study …

Implications Of Theological Anthropology For Online Pedagogy In Graduate-Level Ministerial Training, Gabriel Benjamin Etzel

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The thesis of this dissertation is that by utilizing a biblical-theological framework, best practices of online graduate-level ministerial training can be presented in such a way that the role of the faculty, the objectives of the classroom, and the purpose of the institution are focused more effectively on the formation of students as ministers of the gospel. It is argued the role of the faculty member should be a model for students to follow, which necessitates institutions prioritize theological competencies ahead of technological and pedagogical competencies when hiring faculty, and institutions prioritize the faculty member's ongoing spiritual formation in the …

Learning Styles, Subject Matter, And Effectiveness In Undergraduate Distance Education, Darren Wu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Are potential relationships among students' learning styles and effectiveness in online education moderated by subject matter for undergraduate students at a private higher education institution? This causal relationship correlational study evaluated the effects of subject matter as a moderating variable between students learning styles and effectiveness of distance education (DE). Students in online English courses and online math courses at a private university located in the southeastern United States completed the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) instrument and an end of course satisfaction survey. Tests for homogeneity determined that the two comparison groups (English and math) were comparable since only …

A Comparison Of Course Delivery Formats On Student Success Of Developmental English Students At California Community Colleges, Camilla Bantum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the influence of campus-based and online-based community college developmental English courses on two student success factors: course persistence and course success. Retrospective data on all first year California community college students enrolled in developmental English courses between 2008 and 2011 were analyzed for differences between students. Descriptive statistics were used to compare differences in individual student characteristics of age, gender, and race, and the situational variables of enrollment status and eligibility for tuition fee waiver. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to examine the difference in likelihood of course success and course persistence of developmental English students in …

The Effectiveness Of Distance Education In A Small Rural High School: A Phenomenological Case Study, Roger Dunnick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The effectiveness of distance education in a small rural high school: A phenomenological case study (under the direction of Judy Shoemaker, School of Education, Liberty University, March, 2011).

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify the predominant format, benefits and challenges of distance education at the target school as perceived by multiple groups of stakeholders. Important in identifying the above categories were gaining an understanding of the reasons behind participant perceptions as well as the reasons for the current format of distance education at the target school. Additionally, the stakeholders were queried as to their beliefs as to …