Educational Technology Commons^™

Recognizing And Addressing Conflict That Emerges From Sociotechnical Change In Higher Education, Kathleen Ann Watkins-Richardson

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Today’s unprecedented technology growth impacts at many levels—from individuals to groups to society. This study aims to characterize how exponential digital technology growth and organizational change is explained and experienced in a university setting deploying new instructional technologies—and how or where conflict emerges. Organizational conflict is a phenomenon that takes many forms and may not be fully recognized. This dissertation highlights theories of technology invention and disruption, the dynamics of sociotechnical change (defined as the interdependencies between people, technology, and the environment) and response in organizations, complex adaptive systems, and practice theory of change. It considers current technological forces at …

Word Games For Education: Investigating The Effectiveness Of Adding Elaboration Tasks To Crosswords For Learning Technical Vocabulary, Warat Khaewratana

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

One challenge in STEM education is the learning of technical terms. In order to reason about higher-order scientific concepts, knowledge of technical vocabulary is often a prerequisite. Improving this knowledge may enhance the learning of higher-order concepts because it reduces cognitive load students experience while learning. To that end, we need innovative learning-aid tools that help students not only in learning and remembering technical terms, but also in applying the learned knowledge to broader concepts. This dissertation investigates the hypothesis that learning gained from crosswords can be used to teach technical terms. Furthermore, I am also examining the hypothesis that …

Determinants Of Students’ Intention To Learn Cloud Computing, Charles Changchit, Robert Cutshall, Chuleeporn Changchit

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The explosive growth of data and frequent application updates along with the increasing need to access data and/or applications from multiple locations has resulted in a need to improve the way data and applications are stored and served. Such a need has forced both companies and academic institutions to pay attention to cloud computing technology. Since education is a driving force for the continuous improvement of cloud computing, this study aims at identifying the factors that influence college students’ intention to learn about cloud computing technology. Specifically, the research question focuses on determining which factors drive students’ intention to learn …

Blended Or Differentiated Instruction For Inclusive Education During Post-Covid-19 Era: The Need For Upgrading School Libraries In Nigeria, Charity Onyishi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

With the socio-educational challenges posed by COVID-19, teaching-learning is gradually moving from face-to-face to digital and online distance learning across the world. This makes it generally challenging to meet the needs of all learners in the context of inclusive education. Increasing evidence tends to show that for effective inclusive learning, the hybrid blended approaches to learning should be differentiated. Further still is the fact that school libraries need to be upgraded with resources that meet the needs of diverse learners, and speak to the present hybridization in pedagogy and learning. A major impairing problem is the documented lack of …

Past Precedent Reconciling Established Multimedia Principles In 3d Virtual Learning Environments, Kristin Herman, Jim S. Shifflett, Courtney W. Schoolmaster, Charles Thull, Noah Glaser

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This design case documents the inception, development, and installation of a virtual exhibit on ethical use of learning analytics (LA) for the Museum of Instructional Design (MID), hosted in Mozilla Hubs. Tension emerged as the design team attempted to negotiate established principles of multimedia design theory (see Mayer, 2014; Mayer & Fiorella, 2021; Richardson, 2014) within an emerging learning environment. A rapid prototyping model, combined with elements of critical museology and dialectics, allowed for ongoing formative evaluation of design fidelity. Exhibit artifacts consisted of scenarios illustrating the ethical ambiguities of LA; a data justice timeline pairing recent peer-reviewed articles on …

A Predictive Study Of Students Social Presence And Their Interconnectivities In The Social Network Interaction Of Online Discussion Board, Cherng-Jyh Yen, Chih-Hsiung Tu, Moussa Tankari, Emrah Emre Ozkeskin, Hoda Harati, Alexandra Miller

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Effective online interaction is beyond interacting with whomever. The quality of social interconnectivity matters. Social presence plays a vital role in building an effective online learning community. This study empirically examined: how online social presence will predict various aspects of students’ social interconnectivities (i.e., in-degree, out-degree, betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, eigenvector centrality, reciprocated vertex pair ratio, & PageRank) in the social network of discussion board within an online course? The predictive utility of social presence for all social network interconnectivity was supported, but reciprocated vertex pair ratio, so-called two-way interconnectivity was not. Social presence serves as a strong predictor for …

Digital Educational Modules Development For The Career And Technical Cybersecurity Pathways During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Vukica Jovanović, Murat Kuzlu, Otilia Popescu, Petros Katsioloudis, Linda Vahala, Michael Wu, Deborah Marshall, Michael Crespo, Mary Addison

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Virtual learning has been used now for several decades, but it has never had a bigger impact on student learning than in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Universities and schools faced shutdowns all around the world, and teachers had to adapt rapidly to online mode of instruction. Many educators were faced with a triage approach with no previous experience in distance learning, a lack of resources for professional development, and already existing shortages of current educational modules that could assist them in their day-to-day jobs. This gap was especially evident in areas such as career and technical education (CTE) …

Coming Off Mute: A Case Study Of Elementary Students' Perceptions Of Remote Learning During The Height Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Karen L. Ladendorf

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory case study was to understand how elementary students perceived their learning and engagement in a remote learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five students elected to join the study with parental permission, ranging in grades 3rd – 5th. Interviews were conducted on Zoom with the students as well as their teachers and the students were observed during synchronous learning times.Data analysis identified three areas of themes: the remote learning experience, control and power struggles, and preferences for or against remote learning. Within the first area, the remote learning experience, students identified ways to personalize their …

A Case Study Of Using Social Media For Esl Learning: Experiences Of Saudi International Students On The Use Of Blogs As A Collaborative Learning Platform To Support English Writing, Hana Ali M. Alturki

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to investigate the Saudi international students’ experiences on the use of blogs as collaborative learning platform to support English writing performance. It also reported the advantages and disadvantages of blogs as a collaborative learning tool in ESL classes to support English writing skills. The overarching theoretical framework guided this study was diffusion of innovation theory by Rogers (2003). This study findings demonstrated that ESL students' blogging experiences were aligned with Rogers's five characteristics of innovation (relative advantage, trialability, observability, compatibility, and complexity). To explore ESL students' blogging experiences, a case study employing qualitative …

Smartphones And Learning: An Extension Of M-Learning Or A Distinct Area Of Inquiry, Kendall Hartley, Alberto Andújar

Teaching and Learning Faculty Research

The smartphone has become an integral part of the education landscape. While there has been significant smartphone research in education under the guise of m-learning, the unique role of the device suggests that m-learning may not be an appropriate characterization. The purpose of this paper is to review the use of m-learning as a primary descriptor for smartphone-and learning-related research. In support of this goal, the paper reviews the definitions associated with m-learning, smartphones, and related technologies from the perspective of educational research. In addition, a review of author keywords of research on smartphones in education is used to provide …

The Lived Experiences Of Selected Choral Directors During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Angela Berna Milliren

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The shift to online education during the COVID-19 pandemic found secondary choral teachers moving traditional performance-based courses to the online venue. The pedagogical changes needed include implementing technology and disseminating information through learning management systems. Relationships between teachers and students, and teachers and colleagues, were challenged with the physical distance of quarantines in the Spring of 2020. This dissertation research project examined the difficulties six teachers faced concerning technology and relationships. I sat down for semi-structured interviews with six colleagues where I asked about their backgrounds, relationships with students and fellow colleagues, and the changes the pandemic brought to their …

Women's Empowerment Through The Use Of Technology, Wolayat Tabasum Niroo, Helen Crompton

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Technology has shaped people’s lifestyles globally. Today, the majority of the world’s population seeks help through technology as a portal to learning with the wide variety of learning materials available. Women in both developed and developing countries can access learning through technology, yet the scholarly community do not have an up-to-date collective view of how technology is being used to provide learning materials to empower women around the world. Therefore, this systematic review included an aggregated and qualitative synthesis to investigate extant empirical work over five years, 2017-2021. Following a rigorous PRISMA selection process, 40 articles were included in the …

Increase Student Engagement In Online Writing Environments, Jonathan Balzotti, Jason K. Mcdonald, Kevin Haws, Amy Allen Rogers, Matthew J. Baker

Faculty Publications

This case study explores a type of educational simulation, an alternative reality game we call a playable case study (PCS), and how its use influenced student engagement in an online writing classroom. The goal of the simulation was to help students create professional communication artifacts and experience real-world professional communication situations. This article reports the effectiveness of the playable case study as a tool specifically for online writing instruction (OWI). The context of our research was a PCS called Microcore. Acting as interns for a company, students are asked to investigate a serious problem that occurs and present a solution …

Introducing Undergraduates To Instructional Design In A Graduate Studio: An Experiential, Model-Centered Approach, Rebecca Stull Zundell, William Sowards, Scott L. Howell, Jason K. Mcdonald

Faculty Publications

This case study describes a combined graduate and undergraduate instructional design studio that introduced undergraduate students to instructional design in a multifaceted, holistic, and applied way. Reviewing the experience of the undergraduates in the course, this design case describes four learning interventions used to create this applied experience: (1) instructional design team projects—one non-profit and the other in higher education, (2) weekly seminars and biweekly training sessions from field experts, (3) an experiential out-of-state trip, and (4) weekly reflection journals. These studio-based learning interventions are presented within the context of the Experiential Learning Theory and Model-Centered Instruction. Overall, the course …

Foundations Of Online Learning: Challenges And Opportunities, Christine Greenhow, Charles R. Graham, Matthew J. Koehler

Faculty Publications

Online learning—learning that involves interactions that are mediated through using digital, typically internet-based, technology—is pervasive, multi-faceted, and evolving, creating opportunities and challenges for educational research in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this special issue, we advance an interdisciplinary agenda for online learning research at the intersection of educational technology, educational psychology, and the learning sciences. In this first article in the issue, we define online learning including its variants, review historical and current contexts, explore its multidimensionality, and assert key issues shaping contemporary online learning. We propose five important lenses: community, engagement, pedagogy, equity, and design-based research, through …

Providing Institutional Support For Academic Engagement In Online And Blended Learning Programs, Sara Tuiloma, Charles R. Graham, Adriana María Martinez Arias, Diana Maria Parra Caicedo

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we examine how universities can evaluate the level of support they provide to help their students with affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement in their online and blended learning experiences. Additionally, it identifies what types of supports help students engage academically and what barriers hinder their online engagement. Using a survey instrument sent to university students (n = 1295), we conducted a mixed-methods analysis to understand better how students feel the institution supports their online engagement and what barriers they experience. To accomplish this, we addressed the following research questions: (1) How do students feel the institution supports …

Latine Family Math Engagement: A Phenomenological Study Of Co-Design Approaches, Susana Beltran-Grimm

Theses and Dissertations

Mathematics achievement at school entry is the strongest predictor for eighth-grade performance, regardless of race, gender, or family socioeconomic status. Yet, California Latine children continue to lack in math proficiency, struggling with concepts such as knowledge of numbers, counting, and spatial and pattern skills development. Existing literature has demonstrated that Family Engagement support children’s development. However, Latine parents often feel less comfortable doing math themselves and in participating in their children's math learning. This interpretive phenomenology research study was designed to uncover participants’ cultural repertoires and learning experiences to explore how Latine families perceived and engaged in co-design workshops to …

Cell Phones And Schools: A Merc Research Brief, Jesse Senechal

MERC Publications

This MERC research brief explores the following questions:

What are examples of district-level cell phone policies? What are the arguments and evidence for and against restrictive cell phone policies? What are the legal issues connected to student cell phone use?

Secondary School Gifted Students’ Attitude Toward The Classera Learning Management System In Saudi Arabia, Mansour Alamri

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The present study examined secondary students’ attitude toward the Classera learning management system (LMS) within the context of gifted education in Saudi Arabia. The theoretical framework that guided this study was the technology acceptance model (TAM). Data were collected using the TAM survey, which consisted three subscales: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitude. The data were collected from 306 gifted students in a secondary school in Saudi Arabia.Results indicated that gifted students’ attitude toward the Classera LMS is positive and showed that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were statistically significant predictors of gifted students’ attitude toward …

Engagement Detection Using Prosodic Cues: An Approach For Measuring Child Emotional Engagement Level In Child-Robot Interaction Scenario, Mustafa Oztoprak

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The ultimate goal of advanced child-robot interaction is to develop a high-level intelligencecommunication channel in a closed-loop configuration with the child as the focal point of the instructional scenario. This goal can be met by establishing efficient sensing mechanisms on the robot’s side, such as automatic engagement measuring, which will allow the robot to alter its behavior or even the instructional scenario’s execution.Recent researches, regarding engagement recognition systems mostly based on facial or multi-modal features.We would like to investigate this topic using prosodic cues only. We believe speech characteristics are more likely to be related to child speaker engagement level.This …