Digital Commons Network^™

Multi-Disciplinary Hands-On Desktop Learning Modules And Modern Pedagogies, Bernard J. Van Wie, David B. Thiessen, Marc Compere, Ximena Toro, Jennifer C. Adam, Et Al.

Publications

Our team’s research focuses on fundamental problems in undergraduate education in terms of how to expand use of well researched, yet still “new”, teaching pedagogies of ‘sensing’ or ‘hands-on’, ‘active’ and ‘problem-based learning’ within engineering courses. It is now widely accepted that traditional lectures ARE NOT best for students – yet that is what the community almost universally does.

To address this issue we are developing new Desktop Learning Modules (DLMs) that contain miniaturized processes with a uniquely expandable electronic system to contend with known sensor systems/removable cartridges, as well as, unknown expansions to the project. We have shown that …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Student Life Skills Courses In The Social And Academic Integration Of Community College Students, Lourdes M. Perez

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to determine if Student Life Skills (SLS) courses impact the social and academic integration of community college students. Additionally, due to the unique demographics of the student population of the research setting, this study also examined if factors such as native language, income and employment workload impact the social and/or academic integration of students enrolled in a community college.

The writer developed an instrument using the Institution Integration Scale (IIS) consisting of 30 items constructed to assess the dimensions of academic and social integration. The instrument requires respondents to indicate their involvement with faculty, staff, …

Teaching Independent Living Skills To Moderately And Severely Disabled Students, Jennifer Jordan

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This study examined the use of picture reading to teach independent living skills to students with moderate to severe disabilities. The purpose of this research was to test the hypothesis that picture reading would increase independence in employability and daily living skills. The primary investigator decided to use pictures as visual supports to determine if students could follow directions in sequential order to make a sandwich and wash dishes. Six students from an inner-city school receiving special education services in a self-contained setting participated in this research. Research was conducted using a mixed-methods approach consisting of qualitative and quantitative research. …

Factores Que Influyen En La Adopción De La Tecnología Educativa En Las Escuelas Elementales Del Sur De Puerto Rico, Carmen Milagros González De Jesús

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

El presente estudio tuvo como propósito determinar los factores que influyen en la adopción y uso de lo s equipos tecnológicos como herramienta educativa en tres escuelas del sur de Puerto Rico. La investigación se centró en determinar los usos que le dan los maestros a los equipos disponibles, las actitudes hacia el uso de la computadora en la sala de clases, los factores que contribuyen con el uso de la tecnología, así como los factores que actúan como barrera. Para determinar los factores que influyen en la adopción y uso de la tecnología como herramienta educativa se utilizó un …

A Technology Acceptance Model Of Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment Use By Kindergarten-Grade 12 Teachers, John N. Just

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This study surveyed 51 traditional, classroom kindergarten-Grade 12 (K-12) teachers to explore a possible relationship between responses on the extended technology acceptance model (TAM2) adapted for use with the Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle) system and classroom use of the system. Moodle is an online learning environment used increasingly by K-12 teachers as a tool for integrating web-based resources and online activities in traditional classrooms. The TAM2 contains questions to measure teachers’ perceptions relative to Moodle about perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, image, social, voluntariness, training, and technology support.

A path analysis was performed between usage data mined …

Teaching Presence And Communication Timeliness In Asynchronous Online Courses, Erik Skramstad

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions of teaching presence and communication timeliness in asynchronous online courses using a survey research methodology. The community of inquiry model developed by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000) provided the framework of the study while asking the following research questions:

1. What are student perceptions of teaching presence in asynchronous online courses?

2. What is the communication timeliness of instructors for direct feedback on students’ assignments?

3. What is the relationship between instructor communication timeliness for direct feedback on students’ assignments and student perceptions of teaching presence?

Participants were 59 anonymous …

A Study Of The Processes Involved In Sexual Battery Investigations, Kelly S. Boone

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to identify the common and unique processes employed during investigations of sexual battery. While departmental policies and state statutes provide guidance on the processes to be used in sexual battery investigations, there is a great deal of variability in the combination of processes that can be employed to investigate these cases. There is also some degree of variability in the outcomes associated with these investigations. This study examined the processes employed during sexual battery investigations in an effort to identify common themes. Importantly, the study identified the variation in cases that are genuine versus unfounded, …

The Impact Of Selected Behavior Intervention Strategies On Achievement Of Students In Adult Basic Education, Doris J. Granberry

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a better understanding of the strategies that were available to practitioners in adult education programs that were designed to improve student retention. The adult center where this dissertation was implemented experienced a large number of Adult Basic Education Program students who discontinued their studies before earning either the General Equivalency Diploma or the traditional High School Diploma. Many students exhibited aggressive behavior toward the teachers and other students. Consequently, the teachers felt helpless to alter the trend.

The writer developed lesson plans and strategies to train the students and to teach them how …

The Sustainability Of Middle And Elementary School Professional Learning Communities In A Mobile School District, Phillys Hill

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This purpose of this applied dissertation was to provide school leaders with information to guide decisions about professional learning communities (PLCs) in elementary and middle schools. A sample group of secondary and elementary teachers and principals provided their perceptions of the implementation and subsequent sustainability of PLCs in an urban school district challenged with teacher and principal mobility. Sixteen of 45 schools in the large, southern school district gained new principals within 3 years of learning community implementation. In addition, the teacher mobility rate of 13.7% exceeded the state average of 11.8% (Texas Education Agency, 2010). Although it had been …

Efecto Del Enfoque Del Aprendizaje Basado En Problemas Diferenciando Estilos De Aprendizaje En Un Curso De Estadística, Manuel Pio Rosales Almendra

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

El propósito de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto de la estrategia de Aprendizaje Basado en Problemas (ABP) mediada por los estilos de aprendizaje sobre las variables dependientes desempeño académico, actitud, motivación y satisfacción de los estudiantes en el curso a distancia de estadística II.

Los participantes fueron estudiantes del curso de Estadísticas II en una universidad Mexicana. Se utilizaron cuatro cuestionarios. El primero identificó los estilos de aprendizaje predominantes de los estudiantes (PEPS). El cuestionario de actitud (CUAC) y Motivación (CUMO) hacia el ambiente de aprendizaje propuesto se aplicaron al inicio y al final del curso. El cuestionario de …

Assessing The Effect Of Mentoring On First-Semester Associate-Degree Nursing Students, Arlene Walker-Adams

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This research study assessed the perceptions of first-semester nursing students about mentoring. The first purpose of the study was to describe the perceptions of first-semester nursing students in an associate-degree nursing program about mentoring. The second purpose was to ascertain the students‟ perceived values of mentorship as a strategy to support their learning and promote retention.

The sample population consisted of 10 first-semester nursing students who participated as mentees. The researcher utilized a qualitative methodology to assess the perceptions of first-semester nursing students. The researcher used three instruments to collect the data: focus groups, individual interviews, and a demographic questionnaire. …

Applying Peer Modeling In Inclusion Classrooms: A Study On Educators’ Perception, Rossana I. Chiarella

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This study evaluated the effects of educators’ perception on the application of peer modeling strategies in the classrooms. Without teachers’ positive attitude towards peer modeling, it was difficult to apply these strategies effectively. Teachers’ attitudes were determined by their existing perceptions, whereas different perceptions resulted in different dispositions to act and different outcomes. The purpose was to determine how teachers in a school located in south Florida applied peer modeling, and how their perceptions over it played an important role. The researcher attempted to evaluate the importance of peer-model strategies and to demonstrate the true benefit of their proper application …

El Empleo De Foros Electrónicos Para El Aprendizaje En El Área De Ingeniería De Software De Una Institución De Educación Superior Del Noroeste De México, Elsa L. Padilla M.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Esta disertación investigó la aplicación del foro electrónico como apoyo al aprendizaje en entornos de tipo virtual-presencial. El propósito fue diseñar los criterios de calidad y la metodología para planear, organizar, desarrollar, retroalimentar y evaluar el uso de foros electrónicos, en los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje de cursos en modalidad virtual-presencial, de la forma más apropiada para las condiciones del área de ingeniería de software una institución de educación superior del noroeste de México. Las preguntas de investigación fueron: ¿cuáles son los criterios de calidad para aplicar los foros electrónicos en los cursos en modalidad Virtual-Presencial, para apoyar los …

Evaluación De Las Competencias Básicas En Tic De Los Docentes De Una Universidad Pública Mexicana, Lilia Elisa Torres Moran

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Esta propuesta de investigación fue diseñada para evaluar las competencias básicas en TIC de los docentes de una Universidad Pública Mexicana (UPM) ubicada al noroeste del país, así como sus actitudes hacia las TIC y su integración al proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje utilizando las “Normas UNESCO (2008) sobre Competencias en TIC para Docentes” en su enfoque sobre Nociones Básicas en TIC.

La presente disertación aplicada tiene como propósito elaborar una estrategia de formación y actualización docente que facilite la incorporación del uso de las TIC a la tarea pedagógica, el diseño se realizó con una investigación bajo un enfoque dominante en …

The Implementation Of Blogging And The Perception Of Its Impact On Student Writing, Charles R. Ford Jr.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This qualitative study took place at a school district located in a northeastern state in the United States. The town has approximately 25,000 residents and covers approximately 8.5 square miles. The study took place at an elementary school with approximately 400 students in kindergarten through Grade 4. This study targeted the 69 students at this research site who were enrolled in the 3rd grade and divided into 4 sections. Each section utilized the same district-approved language arts literacy program.

The problem addressed in this study was that students were not receiving maximum scores on the writing-analysis portion of the New …

Effects Of An Extended-School-Year Summer Program On The Language-Arts Achievement Of At-Risk Students, Jeffery S. Zito

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of the study was to improve the reading and writing skills of underperforming students in Grades 3 through 5 at an elementary school located in the northeastern United States. Proficient literacy skills are essential for future academic success (National Early Literacy Panel, 2009). Because acquiring literacy skills is a prerequisite to the attainment of all other academic skills, learning to read is considered a necessary foundational ability by researchers (Krezmien & Mulcahy, 2008; Lo, Wang, & Haskell, 2009; Murphy, 2004). The problem addressed in this study was that, in the 2004-2005 to 2006-2007 school years, a mean of …

Analysis Of The Retention Level Of A Foreign Language Among High School Students After Graduation, Obed Barrientos

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to measure student retention levels of the Spanish that they learned during high school. The researcher compared the scores of participants who took Spanish in college to the scores of participants who did not attend college. In addition, the purpose of the study was to (a) see if motivation had an impact on retention, (b) see if high school grade point average correlated with retention, and (c) investigate specific topics of the curriculum that former students remembered the most. The researcher tested former students who graduated from high school between 2002 and 2011.

Students completed …

Developing Athletic Accountability Systems To Control Spending At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Travis A. Blue

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Athletic departments at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) were not performing well due to anomalies in accounting systems. Further, because the HBCUs lacked the funding, staff, and training necessary to support such programs, strategic plans were needed to help establish better accounting systems in HBCUs. This goal involved training staff within the athletic departments to take full responsibility for their fiscal accountability.

The researcher developed two surveys to provide a quantitative assessment, to make recommendations, and to develop ideas for training that would strengthen the fiscal accountability of athletic department personnel. The research questions for this study were as …

Aproximación A Una Descripción Del Perfil Del Profesor De Cursos Virtual-Presencial En Una Universidad Mexicana Según Las Percepciones Del Propio Maestro Y Estudiantes, Elizabeth Del Hierro Parra

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Esta disertación doctoral se diseñó con el propósito de describir en una primera aproximación el perfil del profesor que imparte curso virtual-presencial (V-P) a partir de la opinión del estudiante y del mismo profesor de las asignaturas en esa modalidad de una universidad mexicana. Se parte del precedente del área de educación a distancia de la universidad en estudio, que cuenta con hallazgos de dificultades que enfrenta el estudiante de los cursos en la modalidad V-P y que están relacionadas directamente a los conocimientos, habilidades y actitudes del profesor. Esta situación forma parte de las características del perfil del profesor …

Explanatory Style And Innovativeness: Use Of Web 2.0 Tools In Education, Michelle Rogers-Estable

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

People may have either a more positive or more negative explanatory style, and their explanatory style consequently leads to behavior choices. Explanatory style may be a primary intrinsic factor underlying optimistic or pessimistic attitudes that directly affect technology adoption by faculty. Research has already found some links among optimism, positive attitudes, and technology adoption. This dissertation therefore analyzed the relationship between explanatory style and individual innovativeness among higher education faculty as measured by the use of emerging Web 2.0 technologies in higher education with the intent to better understand how optimism and pessimism affect choices to use technology in education. …

Generational Differences In Work Ethic: A Study Of Four Generations In The Workplace, Kathleen J. Barlow

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which differences in work ethic existed among four generations and two genders in the workplace. Data from four subsets of the Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile (MWEP) were examined (delay of gratification, hard work, morality/ethics, and self-reliance). Popular press has raised awareness of differences in work ethic between generations; however, scholars have disagreed about whether generational differences existed in the workplace. The writer used archival data to examine the work ethic of four generations of workers.

Two research questions guided this study:

1. What differences in work ethic, if any, …

An Ethnographic Case Study Of Elementary Principal Leadership Strategies And The No Child Left Behind Act, Cassandra J. Poole

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Leadership is regarded as the key to comprehensive school improvement efforts and the principal is expected to lead the charge/change. Book knowledge is good, but the difference between effective and less effective principals is not what they know but what they actually do. What do principals do to meet AYP? Young (2004) pointed out that some principals recognize they can gain the edge and survive by learning from other effective practitioners. NCLB and AYP demand change to meet the mandates that will bring about improvement in student achievement. NCLB has changed the educational landscape. Numerous articles and literature exists on …

Implementation Of A Reading Comprehension Model Designed To Increase Reading Comprehension Of Fifth-Grade Students, Marcia Lim-Tom

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the effectiveness of a computer-based reading program and reciprocal teaching strategies on reading comprehension skills of a group of 5th-grade students. Some 5th-grade students at the research site were deficient in their reading comprehension performance. Results from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and Academy of Reading assessments demonstrated their comprehension deficits. This research was guided by 3 research questions:

1. Will participation in a computer-assisted instruction reading program and reciprocal teaching strategies increase the reading comprehension scores of a group of 5th-grade students by at least 10% as measured by the Standardized …

Propuesta De Un Sistema De Indicadores Para Valorar La Capacitación De Profesores Universitarios En Un Learning Management System (Moodle), Armando Ramírez Jiménez

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

La presente investigación se realizó en una Universidad en el Occidente de México (UOM). Cuenta con un curso de capacitación que se ofrece a los profesores del nivel educativo superior sobre el manejo de la Plataforma Moodle, o Learning Management System (LMS). El estudio se hizo necesario dado que no se conoce si el curso que se imparte es efectivo.

Se desarrolló una búsqueda profunda de sistemas que miden o valoran la efectividad de la capacitación y su impacto en las habilidades formativas. Este estudio se llevó a cabo a través de la metodología Revisión Sistemática (RS), misma que cuenta …

The Effect Of A School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Intervention On Student Behavior, Tobin R. Walcott

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Many school districts nationwide have implemented a school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) intervention to provide an environment for students to be productive, engaged, and empowered to make positive choices. The problem addressed in this study was that student behavior in the classroom was unacceptable as defined by the school’s student code of conduct, resulting in a high number of behavioral referrals and a decrease in instructional time for those students who committed infractions warranting an office discipline referral (ODR). The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of an SWPBS intervention on student behavior by comparing ODRs for …

Developing A Standardized Articulation Model For Florida High School Career And Technical Graduates To Florida’S Community And State Colleges, Dennette Foy

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide Florida college educators with a standardized process for determining credit portability for Florida high school career and technical graduates to career programs of Florida’s 28 community and state colleges. This study focused on the process of local articulation development and the analysis of assessment methods employed to determine college credit for career pathways (formerly Tech Prep) within the Florida colleges and the local school districts.

This study employed a survey and document analysis. Study participants were key college administrators involved in the career pathways articulation process, including the articulation officer, student advising administrator, …

Training And Evaluating Teachers To Implement Best Practices In Community-Based Instruction, Faustina A. Quist

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation study was designed to train and evaluate teachers to implement best practices of community-based instruction (CBI) in a special-education school. The researcher employed quantitative and qualitative measures to assess the extent to which the participants implemented the knowledge and skills acquired during the training.

The researcher implemented training on best practices for CBI, based on andragogical learning theory. Phase 1 involved 10 weekly sessions with 3 different teams from middle school, high school, and upper school. Phase 2 focused on the application and demonstration and involved 2 classroom and community observations and feedback for each teacher.

The …

The Effectiveness Of The Reading Recovery Program In A Southern Florida School District, Jacqueline Dallas-Sanders

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The Reading Recovery (RR) program is an early literacy intervention that provides individualized daily instruction to 1st-grade students with the lowest reading abilities in their classrooms. The program aims to increase the students’ reading performance levels so that they perform at the same level as their peers. A school district in southeast Florida is currently experiencing school district-wide problems as a result of poor reading achievement among its students. The RR program was implemented at many elementary schools as an intense early intervention for reading. This applied dissertation evaluated the effectiveness of the implementation of the RR program in the …

An Evaluation Of A High School General Educational Development Program: Work Plus Academics, Andrea Tillery Wilkins

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Students deal with conflicts every day. In their quest to survive peer pressure and other conflicts in their lives, they often find themselves at a crossroads where they have to solve dilemmas. Some of those dilemmas cause students to contemplate dropping out of school. Some schools have accepted the challenge of helping those students by creating alternative programs that give nontraditional students a way to complete their education. In one school district, a General Educational Development (GED) program named Work Plus Academics was created to assist at-risk high school students in completing their education. Even though the program has been …

An Investigation On Self-Esteem And Battered Women In A Shelter In Belize: A Guide To Treatment Intervention, Dorla E. Rosado

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem investigated involved the increasing numbers of reported cases of domestic violence in Belize between 2000 and 2009. As a result of this situation, the purpose of this applied research was to investigate the self-esteem of battered women who access the services of a shelter in Belize. This first of its kind study in Belize provided baseline data on the self-esteem of battered women to guide the development and implementation of treatment intervention for the women. Key to developing any treatment intervention is that the format is based on data-driven evidence that indicates how battered women in the shelter …