Educational Technology Commons^™

Embedding Self-Management Into Mobile Learning Experiences, Kinta D. Montilus, Tiantian Jin

The Emerging Learning Design Journal

Today’s college students have become increasingly reliant on mobile devices, using them to remain connected, knowledgeable, and social on the go. Undoubtedly, self-management skills play a critical role in students’ ability to independently set goals, monitor their progress, and evaluate and assess their performance while engaging with mobile devices for their learning. This paper will provide an overview of a survey study of mobile learning and offer some self-management recommendations to leverage and support students’ mobile learning experiences.

Using Technology-Supported Enrichment Activities To Extend Student Learning In A Chinese As A Foreign Language Classroom, Lih-Ching Chen Wang, Xiongyi Liu, I-Hsin Lee

Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether exposing middle school students to content above their ability level produced significant differences in students’ confidence in their Chinese as a foreign language competence in each of the following four areas: reading, listening, speaking, and learning vocabulary. Participants (N = 30) were sixth and seventh graders. Results of paired t-test analyses indicated that there was no significant difference in student confidence in Chinese reading competence, t(30) = 0.78, p = 0.22; in Chinese speaking competence, t(30) = -0.50, p = 0.31; or to learn Chinese vocabulary, t(30) = …

Social Media Interaction As Informal Science Learning: A Comparison Of Message Design In Two Niches, Lisa Lundgren, Kent J. Crippen, Richard T. Bex Ii

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Social media provides science learners opportunities to interact with content-specific messages. However, most science-specific social media content is designed to disseminate information instead of encouraging dialog. In this novel, ex post facto exploratory study of a science social media community, we sought to understand the relationships among community member interaction, design elements of messages, and post type on two digital niches (i.e., Facebook and Twitter). Framed by the theory of symbolic interactionism, we conducted a content analysis of 1370 messages that were systematically created by an informal science learning project and found that usage frequency of messaging elements varied by …

How Can Open Educational Resources Be Used In Teaching Business Courses In Community Colleges? – A Case Of Bronx Community College, Harini Mittal, Neil Hwang, Emakoji Ayikoye

Publications and Research

There are a growing number of Open Educational Resources (OER) available worldwide to teach a wide range of courses at various learning levels. Hyler (2006) has listed motives for OER initiatives for institutions such as right to education for all, sharing of knowledge as basis of academics, leveraging tax payer’s money for the common good, better use of resources by reducing costs, good public relations tool, diversity in business models. As for individuals, the motives are access to the best possible resources and to have more flexible materials. Individuals are not motivated by altruistic ambitions, such as assisting developing countries, …

Digital Technologies In Nursing And Midwifery Education In Ghana: Educators Perspective, Practice And Barriers, Harry Barton Essel, Theodore Awuni, Shamsudeen Mohammed

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study assessed the perspective, practice and barrier that mitigate the integration of Information and Communication Technologies into nursing and midwifery education in Ghana. With purposive and convenience sampling techniques, a sample size of 108 health tutors was involved in the study. The findings revealed that most of the health tutors utilised information and communication technologies in the presentation of lessons to students and the management of examination results. Social media platforms, productivity tools and E-books were the most used technologies among health tutors. Barriers identified related to unavailability of task-appropriate ICT resources, and inadequate training for teachers to use …

Fostering Teacher Self-Efficacy For K-12 Classroom Technology Integration: The Role Of Professional Development And Growth Mindset, Audra Lisa Beberman

Theses and Dissertations

Professional development, in some form, is a critical part of a teachers’ evolution and how they learn and develop new skills to integrate into their teaching practice. This quantitative study was conducted to describe the extent to which self-efficacy is fostered by the type of technology integration professional development (one-to-one coaching or traditional professional development) in which a teacher participates when they later try to incorporate technology into their lessons. The sample will be currently working teachers from suburban Long Island school districts who voluntarily responded to a 3-part, 39 question survey distributed via a listserv. The survey collected teacher …

Dual-Axis Solar Tracker, Bryan Kennedy

All Undergraduate Projects

Renewable energies, and fuels that are not fossil fuel-based, are one of the prolific topics of debate in modern society. With climate change now becoming a primary focus for scientists and innovators of today, one of the areas for the largest amount of potential and growth is that of the capturing and utilization of Solar Energy. This method involves using a mechanical system to track the progression of the sun as it traverses the sky throughout the day. A dual-axis solar tracker such as the one designed and built for this project, can follow the sun both azimuthally and in …

Makerlab Annual Report 2020, Calina Glasgow, Amanda Baschnagel, Yitzhak Paul, Amy Vecchione

MakerLab Documents

The MakerLab and the Emerging Technology and Experiential Learning Unit team serves the Boise State University students, staff, and faculty. We offer access to emerging technologies, coaching on emerging technologies, and formal instruction on emerging technologies. In 2020, we welcomed a faculty member, a part time staff member, and two new student assistants. We welcomed Associate Professor Yitzhak "Yitzy" Paul who joined us as a faculty member in August 2020. Marisa Hadley joined us as a part-time instruction assistant also in August 2020. This is in addition to our existing team of Cali Glasgow, Amanda Baschnagel, and Amy Vecchione. This …

Heritage Language Maintenance: Research Review And Reflection Of One Family Case, Josiah Chan

ECTESOL Review

Heritage Language maintenance provides learner tangible benefits in academic achievement, language acquisition, and career opportunity. Intangibly, it enhances the learner’s self-esteem and cultural identity. The case here reflects the Mandarin Chinese learning experience of three children who were born in the United States of a migrant family from Hong Kong where the Cantonese Chinese dialect language is more predominant. The learning effort was complicated by the parents’ native Cantonese Chinese dialect. The parents and children strived to balance the learning dynamics between Mandarin and Cantonese. The results of the study indicate that successful heritage language maintenance can be achieved with …

Syntactic Accidents In The Spontaneous Speech Of English And Armenian Speakers, Karen Velyan

ECTESOL Review

Fragmented syntax or a break of the flow of surface syntax is well known to be an indispensable part of spontaneous spoken language. Interruptions in the flow of speech may be triggered by pragmatic reasons, changes in syntactic planning and performance errors, which results in syntactic fragments. Syntactic accidents may take different forms in the actual flow of speech. This study presents a cross-linguistic comparative analysis of the cases of syntax in the speech of low socioeconomic status speakers of English and Armenian. Based on data from informal interviews with native speakers, the analysis presents a variety of syntactic accidents, …

The Reflective Approach To Teaching Culture Within The Efl Classroom, Lucia Schiopu

ECTESOL Review

This article examines the reflective approach in the teaching of culture in the EFL classroom, which is not just a mere gathering of information, but is the creation and construction of discourses that break or maintain cultural stereotypes. This is also an approach where meaning is constructed that is shaped by the quality and depth of cultural sensitivity and awareness. Teaching and learning a culture reflectively does not necessarily mean that the learner is taught to behave in accordance with specific social norms but to introduce an acceptable and appropriate conduct for the use of language in terms of intelligibility, …

A Mobile Learning Community In A Living Learning Community: Perceived Impact On Digital Fluency And Communication, Devshikha Bose, Krishna Pakala, Lana Grover

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Though mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, and tablet computers have an immense potential for improving student learning, there is little empirical research which reports ways in which students actually use these technologies for learning, especially in fields like Engineering. Based on a social-constructivist approach to learning, the purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate student perceptions regarding changes in mobile device based digital fluency and communication, after participation in a Living Learning Community (LLC) based Mobile Learning Community. This study contributes to existing literature in the field in that it reports student perceptions of how mobile devices can …

From The Editor, Laureen Fregeau

ECTESOL Review

No abstract provided.

Prism Intro Student's Book With Online Workbook Listening And Speaking, And Reading And Writing, Robert Leier, Laureen Fregeau

ECTESOL Review

Prism Intro books use American English along with international and American topics to teach reading, writing, listening and speaking in English. Videos and American college life sections keep student interest.

Student-Directed Esol Family Literacy Program Design, Laureen Fregeau, Robert D. Leier

ECTESOL Review

ESOL Family Literacy programs for Hispanic immigrants have proliferated over past decades to serve the increasing population of ELs needing services. Several factors can disrupt or prevent participation in ESOL Family Literacy programs designed to enhance the academic success of Latin American adult and child immigrants. This qualitative case study set in the Deep South examined a student-directed design process to gain understanding of what would constitute an ideal program for the participating ELs, their families and their community. Emergent categories identified areas of design importance including site locations, time and frequency of class scheduling, curricular design, instructional materials, instructor …

The Benefits Of Implementing Cognitively-Demanding And Context-Embedded Language Translation In The El Classroom, Timothy Rodriquez

ECTESOL Review

The role of the first language in English Learner (EL) programs has been a historically controversial one. In addition, how the first language should be used is not without controversy. This article examines the role of translation in the EL classroom and how teachers should employ it. One approach, concurrent translation, may be considered to be cognitively-undemanding and context-reduced. The author argues that purposeful translation should be cognitively-demanding and context-embedded.

Promoting Preservice Stem Education Teachers' Metacognitive Awareness: Professional Development Designed To Improve Teacher Metacognitive Awareness, Andrew John Hughes, Eddie Partida

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

This quantitative portion of a convergent complementarity, mixed-methods, exploratory study describes the design and implementation of a 5-week preservice teacher professional development (PD) experience and the associated Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) measures before and after the experience. The PD experience was designed to explicitly address participants’ domain-general and domain-specific knowledge and regulation of cognition through a highly integrated academic and clinical preparation regimen centered on a cognitive coaching model. The study participants comprised preservice STEM education teachers (N = 11) enrolled in a dual teaching certification and Master’s in Education program. The findings showed an increase in participants’ regulation …

Concrete Beam Design: Pouring The Foundation To Engineering In T&E Classrooms, Andrew J. Hughes, Chris Merrill

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

Ask a middle or high school student if they could design a concrete beam that weighs only 20 pounds and is 36” long but must hold 600 pounds without failing. What is the student likely to say? What if the student was told that, with some optimized decision making based on relatively straightforward mathematics, their beam could hold 2400 pounds or more? The focus of this article is not on concrete beam design, it is rather an introduction to engineering principles in beam design using a lab activity. The concepts and skills learned in this article will lead students into …

Analyzing Concrete Beam Design: Verifying Predictions In T&Ee Classrooms, Andrew J. Hughes, Chris Merrill

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

Design is often accepted as a fundamental aspect of engineering (Dym, et al., 2005). The design process is frequently portrayed as a set of steps. However, the design process is more complex than just a set of steps in a relatively fixed process. The complex nature of design, design thinking, questioning, and decision-making is exactly what technology and engineering classrooms are well suited to address. When addressing the question—“Why is technology and engineering education (T&EE) so important?”—the authors believe T&EE’s importance relates to our discipline’s ability to solve complex problems by balancing theory and practice in engaging hands-on learning scenarios …

Makerspace Culture And Its Impact On Learning, Amy Vecchione

Library Faculty Publications and Presentations

"Makerspaces are about community. We need to ensure everyone from the community can participate."

—Participant in a Drexel ethnography about makerspaces

Many library workers want to discuss and reflect on makerspaces. A common issue present since makerspaces in libraries first began revolves around what types of equipment a library makerspace should have. This question often comes up as "What should I buy?" or "What equipment do I need?" or "What should I buy to make my makerspace successful?" Individual library workers who are starting to incorporate makerspaces into their libraries or who are trying to deepen, develop, and reinvigorate their …