Education Commons^™

The Role Of The Cyber School Principal: A Mixed Methods Study, Jacob P. Jefferis

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The educational landscape of the United States is changing. Educational opportunities for students and families are increasing with increased technological capabilities. At every level in the educational process, information is being delivered to students in new and faster ways. Cyber education is one of those new modes of information delivery for students. Just like traditional schools, cyber schools require sound leadership to assist stakeholders in the educational process.

Knowing that the principal is a vital position in a successful educational system, the purpose of this study is to define the role of the cyber school principal. This research is focused …

A Program For Persistent Integration Of Faith And Learning In A Christian University Online Environment, John Norris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia has expanded since 1971 to become the largest Christian university in the world. Liberty will be used in this paper as a contemporary example of a Christian university that has maintained its Christian commitment. Liberty will be contrasted with numerous Christian colleges and universities that had similar missions but have eventually lost their religious affiliations and their Christian-oriented focus. This paper will explore how and why other universities have drifted from their original religious affiliations and doctrines. The reasons and processes will be examined and used to develop a program for online Christian education that …

Beating The Odds: Teaching Italian Online In The Community College Environment, Giulia Guarnieri

Publications and Research

This study analyzes data collected from Italian language online classes during the course of four consecutive semesters at Bronx Community College in order to measure the impact that distance learning has on students’ retention and success rates in elementary courses. The results reveal that reconfiguring the online meetings to a lower percentage and implementing social pedagogies reduce course abandonment and favor the creation of strong learning communities. Furthermore, the data relative to the grade distribution shows no substantial difference between online courses and face-to-face instruction.

Honoring Diversity In An Online Classroom: Approaches Used By Instructors Engaging Through An Lms, Jacob Petersen

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This is an inquiry into how online instructors embrace the diversity of their student body while facing the inherent differences between a traditional face-to-face class and one that is taught online. Current research suggests that diversity in a traditional classroom is an asset if the instructor is sensitive to students’ backgrounds. This paper examines if such philosophies in traditional classrooms translate well into a distance education environment, where the student body may be even more diverse than a face-to-face class, but possibly unrecognizable because of the lack of physical cues. Research on the topic of multiculturalism in an online classroom …

Capturing And Sharing Professional Practice On Mediating Live Online Tutorial Sessions: A Case Study From Hibernia College, Michael Hallissy

Stream 3: Digital Campus and Universal Design

This case-study is set within the context of a new online Masters Programme for teachers within Hibernia College, the Masters of Arts in Teaching and Learning (MATL). It explores how tutors and students interact using synchronous computer mediated conferencing (SCMC) technologies during live tutorial sessions. The study found that students and tutors did not have an agreed set of ground rules for these online events and thus there was a need for a signature pedagogy to clarify this. It was observed, using the Flanders Interaction Analysis Categories (FIAC) and tutor interviews, that the level of interaction during these tutorials was …

Do Cyberbullies Really Want To Hurt Others?, Danielle Law

Clear Language Summaries

Cyberbullying occurs when computer and mobile technologies are used to intentionally harm others. When communicating online there are two basic motivations for online aggression: whether they are posting mean things with intention to harm, or whether they are engaging in these behaviours to defend themselves. This research found that the majority of teenagers are not intentionally mean; rather, they are navigating a world of miscommunication that lends itself to retaliation that spirals out of control in aggressive ways. A small percentage of teens are deliberately malicious and require special intervention. When educating teens about cyberbullying it is important to understand …

Social Media In Secondary School Settings, Michael K. Barbour

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC Graduate School of Education

From Conclusion:

The rise of social media gives schools another opportunity to use a real world connection with their students. The benefits are plentiful, allowing for collaboration and communication opportunities both in and out of the classroom. Depending on the social media tool selected, students can share videos, writing, and photos while allowing others to comment and interact. While the socialization aspects are powerful, educators should strongly consider the online safety of young teens before venturing into social media. If not supervised properly, social media can open students up to cyberbullying and leaving a negative digital footprint, both of which …

Technology-Enhanced Learning: Towards Providing Supports For Phd Students And Researchers In Higher Education., Eileen O'Donnell, Liam O'Donnell

Books/Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Spectacle Of Suffering: Representations Of Rape In Online Anti-Rape Activism, Rachel E. Loney-Howes

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

From vigilante street politics, to consciousness raising, speak outs, and now online spaces, the mediums through which representations of rape are transmitted by anti-rape activists have transformed over time. Although activists have made concerted efforts to broaden the representation of rape, narratives about women's sexual suffering and vulnerability continue to dominate popular assumptions about rape. The internet purportedly offers a more complex and networked platform for activists to engage with and challenge these representations propagated by a culture which condones sexual violence, due to a proliferation of fluid public and counter-public spaces. By examining the ways in which rape is …

The Learning Experience: Training Teachers Using Online Synchronous Environments, Stuart Woodcock, Ashley Sisco, Michelle J. Eady

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study examined the effectiveness of an online synchronous platform used for training preservice teachers. A blended learning approach was implemented. Fifty-three students participated in the course. Qualitative interview data and quantitative survey data were collected about students' experiences using the platform, and analyzed via thematic content analysis and statistical analysis, respectively. The findings show that e-learning synchronous technology is an effective learning tool in enhancing preservice teachers' e-learning competency in subject matter and information communication technology skills. However, preservice teachers' competency to learn and implement e-learning for students is dependent on four hierarchal conditions (a) ease of use, (b) …

Online Gaming In The Context Of Social Anxiety, Bianca Lee, Peter R. Leeson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In 2014, over 23 million individuals were playing massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). In light of the framework provided by Davis's (2001) cognitive-behavioral model of pathological Internet use, social anxiety, expressions of true self, and perceived in-game and face-to-face social support were examined as predictors of Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale (GPIUS) scores and hours spent playing MMORPGs per week. Data were collected from adult MMORPG players via an online survey (N = 626). Using structural equation modeling, the hypothesized model was tested on 1 half of the sample (N = 313) and then retested on the other half …

Social Capital From Online Discussion Forums: Differences Between Online And Blended Modes Of Delivery, Charles Carceller, Shane P. Dawson, Lori Lockyer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study explored the concept of social capital in higher education contexts by investigating student discussion forum activity and academic performance. To address these aims online discussion forum logs, student marks and teaching delivery method (blended or fully online) data were extracted from the universities learning management system (LMS). Student social network centrality measures were then calculated from the course discussion activity and correlated against student academic performance for each delivery mode. Drawing on social capital and social network theories the analyses identified that in comparison to low performing students the high-performing group held more central positions in their networks …

"I 'Feel' Like I Am At University Even Though I Am Online." Exploring How Students Narrate Their Engagement With Higher Education Institutions In An Online Learning Environment, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea, Cathy Stone, Janine Delahunty

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article outlines a collaborative study between higher education institutions in Australia, which qualitatively explored the online learning experience for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The project adopted a narrative inquiry approach and encouraged students to story their experiences of this virtual environment, providing a snapshot of how learning is experienced by those undertaking online studies. The study explores what impacted upon students' engagement in this environment and how different facets of their learning experience made a qualitative difference to how individuals enacted engagement. Drawing upon Sharon Pittaway's engagement framework, the article seeks to foreground student voice as the learners define …

Participatory Or Deliberative Democracy? Exploring The Mediation Effects Of Perceived Online Deliberation And Online Interactive Activities On Social Outcomes, Kyung Han You, Jeong Kyu Lee, Hyunjin Kang, Eun Go

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Using the structural equation modeling method (N = 811), this study explores the structural relationships among online news consumption, political participation and social trust, with a focus on the mediating effects of online users' deliberative perceptions and news-related online interactive activities. The analysis confirms that users' perceptions of online deliberation exert a significant mediating effect on users' levels of news consumption, political participation, and social trust. Users' interactive civic messaging behaviors, on the other hand, solely enhance participatory intentions. The findings also show that the consumption of political news and the consumption of entertainment news have different effects on users' …

Data Mining In Online Professional Development Program Evaluation: An Exploratory Case Study, Kerry Rice, Jui-Long Hung

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This case study explored the potential applications of data mining in the educational program evaluation of online professional development workshops for pre K-12 teachers. Multiple data mining analyses were implemented in combination with traditional evaluation instruments and student outcomes to determine learner engagement and more clearly understand the relationship between logged activities and learner experiences. Data analysis focused on the following aspects: 1) Shared learning characteristics, 2) frequent learning paths, 3) engagement prediction, 4) expectation prediction, 5) workshop satisfaction prediction, and 6) instructor quality prediction. Results indicated that interaction and engagement were important factors in learning outcomes for this workshop. …

Comparing Student Assessments And Perceptions Of Online And Face-To-Face Versions Of An Introductory Linguistics Course, David M. Johnson, Chris C. Palmer

Faculty and Research Publications

This article examines the issue of whether linguistics is better suited for a face-to-face (F2F) environment than an online teaching environment. Specifically, it examines assessment scores and student perceptions of the effectiveness of an introductory linguistics course at an undergraduate state university that has been taught multiple times in both online and F2F modes. To study this issue data was collected about the types of students enrolled in either version of the course, including their GPAs and course grades. A survey with both closed- and open-ended questions was also used to ask students about their experiences and perceptions of the …

Online Cognitive Training In Healthy Older Adults: A Preliminary Study On The Effects Of Single Versus Multi-Domain Training, Courtney C. Walton, Alexandra Kavanagh, Luke Downey, Justine Lomas, David A. Camfield, Con Stough

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

It has been argued that cognitive training may be effective in improving cognitive performance in healthy older adults. However, inappropriate active control groups often hinder the validity of these claims. Additionally there are relatively few independent empirical studies on popular commercially available cognitive training programs. The current research extends on previous work to explore cognitive training employing a more robust control group. Twenty-eight healthy older adults (age: M = 64.18, SD = 6.9) completed either a multi-faceted online computerised cognitive training program or trained on a simple reaction time task for 20 minutes a day over a 28 day period. …

Developing An Online Decision Aid For Osteoarthritis, Glenn P. Salkeld, Sally Wortley, David Hunter, Hema Umapathy, Jack Dowie

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A decision aid for osteoarthritis was developed using the best available evidence on effect size, potential harms and self-rated performance for other attributes. The aid was developed using a multi-criteria decision analytic tool capable of combing evidence and an individual's preferences for the attributes related to treatment.