Education Commons^™

S-Kmn: Integrating Semantic Features Learning And Knowledge Mapping Network For Automatic Quiz Question Annotation, Jing Wang, Hao Li, Xu Du, Jui-Long Hung, Shuoqiu Yang

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Quiz question annotation aims to assign the most relevant knowledge point to a question, which is a key technology to support intelligent education applications. However, the existing methods only extract the explicit semantic information that reveals the literal meaning of a question, and ignore the implicit knowledge information that highlights the knowledge intention. To this end, an innovative dual-channel model, the Semantic-Knowledge Mapping Network (S-KMN) is proposed to enrich the question representation from two perspectives, semantic and knowledge, simultaneously. It integrates semantic features learning and knowledge mapping network (KMN) to extract explicit semantic features and implicit knowledge features of questions,respectively. …

The Effect Of Group Interactions And Group Structure On Achievement In Elementary School Robotics Classrooms, Jonathan Kimei Yogi

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Jung and Won's (2018) review of elementary school ER found a lack of understanding of instructional practices for ER with young children. Other researchers have called for further studies into what effective classroom orchestration and interaction look like within ER classrooms (Ioannou & Makridou, 2018; Xia & Zhong, 2019). This study was conducted to understand the effect of group interactions and group structure in terms of gender on achievement in elementary school robotics classes. Knowing the effect that interactions have on students' achievement can help inform instructional practices and pedagogies in educational robotics activities (Kucuk & Sisman, 2017). The study …

Impact Of Big Data Analytics On Banking: A Case Study, Wu He, Jui-Long Hung, Lixin Liu

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose – The paper aims to help enterprises gain valuable knowledge about big data implementation in practice and improve their information management ability, as they accumulate experience, to reuse or adapt the proposed method to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach – Guided by the theory of technological frames of reference (TFR) and transaction cost theory (TCT), this paper describes a real-world case study in the banking industry to explain how to help enterprises leverage big data analytics for changes. Through close integration with bank's daily operations and strategic planning, the case study shows how the analytics team frame the …

Protecting Students: Data Privacy In The African Union, Etienne Vallée, Yu-Chang Hsu

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The adoption by the African Union of its Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection in 2014 represented a step forward to protect personal data and to ensure that data remain private and secure. This is especially important for students, who often have no autonomy in the educational technology they use. Students cannot choose why data and information is collected, nor how it is used. In this paper, the importance of data privacy in general is explored, along with a particular focus on educational data privacy. The legal implications for the protection of data privacy in Africa are then …

Accessible Online Learning: A Preliminary Investigation Of Educational Technologists’ And Faculty Members’ Knowledge And Skills, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Amy Lomellini

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Colleges and Universities have a more diverse student body than ever before—this includes a growing number of students with disabilities. Many of these students are attracted to the flexibility and anonymity of learning online. However, research suggests that students with disabilities often face barriers learning online. Given this, we set out to investigate how faculty and educational technologists are prepared to design accessible online courses and instructional materials. We surveyed 95 educational technologists, directors, and disability access personnel in this exploratory study. In the following paper, we report the results of our inquiry into these professionals’ perspectives on faculty and …

What Is Pedagogy?: Discovering The Hidden Pedagogical Dimension, Norm Friesen, Hanno Su

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

What is pedagogy, exactly? Merriam-Webster defines it simply as “the art, science, or profession of teaching.” In contemporary academic discourse, however, pedagogy is generally left undefined — with its apparent implicit meanings ranging anywhere from a specific “model for teaching” (e.g., behaviorist or progressivist instruction) to a broadly political philosophy of education in general (most famously, a “pedagogy of the oppressed”). In this paper, Norm Friesen and Hanno Su follow the Continental pedagogical tradition in giving pedagogy a general but explicit definition. They do so by looking at how pedagogy arises both in everyday life and in school as unavoidably …

Lived Experiences Of Women In Collegiate Esports Leadership, Kim S. Johnson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

A leadership gender gap exists in politics, business, and higher education, and there appears to be one in collegiate esports. Researchers have conducted studies on some aspects of esports; however, we know little about women’s experiences leading collegiate esports programs. The purpose of this qualitative study - a descriptive (transcendental) phenomenology – was to explore and describe the essence of women’s lived experiences in leading collegiate varsity esports programs at higher education institutions. In-depth interviews were the research method. Seven women employed as collegiate varsity esports coaches or directors described their historical context, present experiences in the profession, and how …

Accessible And Inclusive Online Course Design In Higher Education, Amy Lomellini

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The growth of online learning has expanded the reach of higher education to more diverse students than ever before; however, students often face barriers to equitable access to online instructional materials, course activities, and assessments. The challenge of meeting the needs of diverse learners was both highlighted and exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid shift to remote teaching and learning at many institutions. Disabled students were one group that was particularly affected. Research has explored faculty and students’ (with and without disabilities) perceptions of online learning; however, less is known about instructional designers’ and their team leaders’ roles …

Understanding Students' Experience With 1:1 Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning In A Mathematics Classroom, Oscar Antonio Perales Aguilera

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

There has been a move towards integrating educational technology into K-12 mathematics classrooms. This emphasis has been partly driven by policy, increases in technology resources available, and a need to engage students in their mathematical learning. Most studies on technology integration in mathematics education are focused on teachers’ perceptions or students’ academic achievement. However, we need to learn how students perceive their learning in this type of environment. This dissertation is a basic qualitative study aimed at understanding the experiences of students with 1:1 computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) in an Algebraic Reasoning classroom. The study used the mathematical software, Desmos, …

Game-Based Learning: Examining Factors That Influence K-12 Classroom Usage, Sean Ward

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Video games have become a popular and accepted part of digital culture and are becoming more accepted as an engaging instructional tool in schools. Integration of games can help develop students’ intrinsic motivation for learning and are a great way for teachers to incorporate student interests and make connections to the curriculum. Classroom usage of digital games is becoming more widespread, but prior research suggests that game-based learning is underutilized as a tool in the teacher toolbox. This study seeks to understand the factors that influence teachers’ decisions to use or not use digital games in their classroom and make …

Teachers’ Experiences With And Perceptions Of Virtual Manipulatives Following The Covid-19 Pandemic, Fayth Keldgord, Yu-Hui Ching

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

While the use of virtual manipulatives (VM) is rising in classrooms, there is still limited research. regarding teacher experiences with and perceptions of virtual manipulatives. Most of the research regarding teacher perceptions of VM has focused only on short-term uses following professional development sessions and none has highlighted the experiences of teachers using them during emergency remote teaching during COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher perceptions and. experiences with virtual manipulatives following emergency remote teaching during COVID-19. To achieve this, the researchers conducted an online survey to gather data on educator’s (n = 103) experiences, …

Understand Group Interaction And Cognitive State In Online Collaborative Problem Solving: Leveraging Brain-To-Brain Synchrony Data, Xu Du, Lizhao Zhang, Jui-Long Hung, Hao Li, Hengtao Tang, Yiqian Xie

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this study aimed to analyze the process of online collaborative problem solving (CPS) via brain-to-brain synchrony (BS) at the problem-understanding and problem-solving stages. Aiming to obtain additional insights than traditional approaches (survey and observation), BS refers to the synchronization of brain activity between two or more people, as an indicator of interpersonal interaction or common attention. Thirty-six undergraduate students participated. Results indicate the problem-understanding stage showed a higher level of BS than the problem-solving stage. Moreover, the level of BS at the problem-solving stage was significantly correlated with task performance. Groups with all high CPS skill students …

The Relationship Between Motivation, Academic Achievement, And Engagement In Mathematics Using Digital Game-Based Learning: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study, Amy Rose Morgan

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Digital game-based learning (DGBL) has unique factors that can engage students in the learning process. It has been shown that incorporating DGBL into mathematics can help bridge the learning gap, differentiate instruction, and engage students (Yang et al., 2018; Hulse et al., 2019; Chen et al., 2012; Naik, 2017). This study examined how students’ prior engagements are related to their academic achievement as well as investigated students’ motivation while utilizing DGBL in mathematics. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was utilized to collect the quantitative data followed by the qualitative data. There were eighteen middle school participants in grades six …

Making In The Midst Of Pandemic: The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Two Public Library Makerspaces, Stacey Woods

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on makerspaces in the United States which were subject to public health guidelines and challenged with limited/no access to facilities. This multi-case study examined two public library makerspaces, and addressed these research questions: (1) How did the pandemic affect makerspace operations and access, and the teaching and learning that occurs there? (2) How did makerspace leaders respond to the challenges of the pandemic? (3) How did makerspaces evolve during the COVID-19 pandemic? I developed the Conceptual Framework for Studying the Impact of Pandemic on Public Library Makerspaces which informed the …

From Emergency Remote Teaching (Ert) To Sustained Remote Teaching (Srt): A Comparative Semester Analysis Of Exchange Students’ Experiences And Perceptions Of Learning Online During Covid-19, William H. Stewart, Youngkyun Baek, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused universities worldwide to close campuses, forcing millions of teachers and students to resort to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) and learning. Though necessary, the sudden move to remote delivery marked a significant departure from the standards and norms in distance education. In Korea, the pandemic coincided with the start of the 2020 academic year. Though ERT was new and unplanned during the first semester of the year, it became Sustained Remote Teaching (SRT) in the second. Through the lens of performance improvement theory, we sought to determine if students’ experiences and perceptions with learning remotely via SRT …

Strategies To Improve The Use Of Live Synchronous Meetings In Blended, Remote, And Online Courses, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Mickinzie Johnson

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Distance education over the years has been defined by the ability of students to learn at any time, from anywhere. Thus, it is not surprising that most online courses rely solely on asynchronous text-based online communication, such as email and discussion forums. However, the COVID- 19 pandemic and the rise of emergency remote teaching have sparked an increased interest in using web conferencing software (e.g., Zoom, WebEx, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams) to hold live synchronous meetings, often on a set day and time each week, instead of asynchronous discussions. But as convenient as it can be to move classroom instruction …

Interaction In Asynchronous Discussion Boards: A Campus-Wide Analysis To Better Understand Regular And Substantive Interaction, Crystal Gasell, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Lida Uribe-Flórez, Yu-Hui Ching

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Discussion boards can provide a glimpse into the regular and substantive interaction required in online courses. Advances in technology and an increased interest in learning analytics now provides researchers with billions of data points about instructor and student interaction within a learning management system (LMS). This study used LMS data to explore the frequency of interaction between instructors and students in discussion boards in online courses at one institution. Overall, 415 courses were analyzed spanning two semesters. Results from the study found that the average number of posts by an instructor was 32.9. The average instructor interaction was 1.49 instructor …

Investigating Students’ Perceptions Of Screencasting Style Of Video Feedback In Online Courses, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Holly S. Fiock, Dana L. Shreaves, Eric S. Belt

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Feedback is an essential part of the learning process. Asynchronous online courses are marked by an abundance of text-based feedback. Yet, video feedback in asynchronous online courses is a nascent field of inquiry. This study investigated student perceptions of screencasting style of video feedback in online courses. During this course, students received video feedback from their instructor, and provided and received video feedback to their peers. A total of 84 graduate students completed an end-of-course survey between 2018 and 2020 that focused in part on student satisfaction and perceived learning with video feedback and overall perceptions of social presence. Results …

Distance Education Under Duress: A Case Study Of Exchange Students’ Experience With Online Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Republic Of Korea, William H. Stewart, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

COVID-19 caused universities around the world to transition overnight to some type of remote learning or online format. The way this occurred, though necessary, was a departure from the standards and norms of traditional distance education and was a drastic change for the majority of faculty and students who had no prior experience with remote, blended, or online learning. This case study was conducted in the Republic of Korea with 15 international exchange students who found themselves forced to take distance education courses on an empty campus during the COVID19 pandemic. Themes of isolation and loneliness, diverse learning experiences, little-to-no …

Exploring Student Perceptions Of Asynchronous Video In Online Courses, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research suggests that video can improve social presence in online courses. Video, though, is not a panacea; rather the success of video use depends in part on how and when it is used. Online instructors are increasingly using video in various ways, but questions remain on which types of videos students value most when it comes to establishing social presence. Given this, this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study explored student perceptions of three types of asynchronous video: video announcements, instructional videos, and video feedback. The results suggest that while video has the potential to improve social presence, it ultimately depends on …

Synchronous Tools For Interaction And Collaboration, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The history of distance education in many ways is a history about the evolution of synchronous and asynchronous communication technologies. Distance education, and online learning in particular, has primarily relied on asynchronous communication technologies over the years. However, COVID-19 has sparked a new interest in using synchronous tools for interaction and collaboration in open, distance, and digital education. Given this it is incumbent upon educators and researchers alike to be familiar not only with the current iteration of synchronous communication technologies but also with how they have developed and evolved over time, the affordances and constraints of synchronous communication, interaction, …

Investigating Cultural Values And Educational Technology Adoption In Central Asia: A Case Study, Randall W. Gwin

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Although the adoption of new tools for communication and learning could reasonably be expected to influence culture, little is known about the relationship between cultural values and the adoption or diffusion of Web 2.0 technologies. This case study examines the way in which the cultural values of 59 teachers in four Central Asian countries influenced and were influenced by Web 2.0 technologies during five to eighteen months of online professional development. Data was collected through self-introductions, Likert-scale and open-ended prompts on initial and final surveys, online forum discussions, and capstone projects. This allows an examination of changes in the participants’ …

Identifying Factors Impacting The Intention To Use Videos Of Authentic Patient Encounters By Ems Educators, Melisa Martin

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The cornerstones of prehospital provider education include didactic instruction, psychomotor skills training, and hospital and ambulance clinical rotations. Increasing enrollment in healthcare education programs, limited clinical opportunities, and an increasingly technologically savvy student body are compelling educators to pursue supplementary techniques for teaching and learning. Although high fidelity simulators are becoming increasingly commonplace, other educational technologies are less widely adopted. Concomitantly, little research has been conducted exploring rationale and motivating factors for adoption and utilization of technology by EMS educators. Videos of authentic patient encounters recorded in clinical settings (VAPE) have the potential to provide students an opportunity to learn …

An Exploration Of Levels Of Choice In Online Assignments And The Relationship To Students' Work And Their Thoughts About Motivation, Jonathan Crocker

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This case study explored the relationship between levels of content choice in three high school online English language arts courses and evidence of student motivation in student work and students’ thoughts about motivation. These courses were designed around the main components of Self-Determination Theory (autonomy, competence, relatedness) and with a personalized learning framework. During the 2020-2021 school year, students in the courses were given reading options and writing prompts that offered “no choice” (zero options), “low choice” (2-3 options), and “high choice” (4+ options). Forty students completed anonymous end-of-course surveys designed to gather details about the relationship between motivation and …

Video Communication: Explorations Of Community And Connectedness, And Closeness In Online Courses, Eric S. Belt

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Educators and students are using synchronous and asynchronous video communication technologies in unprecedented ways given the ongoing global pandemic. Despite continued educational research on video communication technology, less is known about the social implications of these forms of communication. Online learning has faced challenges (e.g., learner isolation, technological competency, and time management) since its inception; these challenges have been exacerbated in the rapid transition to emergency remote teaching. Given problems like these, additional research is needed to better understand how video communication technology can be used to improve communication and interaction in online learning. The following dissertation presents a series …

Teachers And Digital Literacies: Mixed-Methods Investigation Into 1:1 Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments, Angela S. Wagner

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Despite the bustling technological landscape in which we live and learn, technology is still limited in its integration within classrooms. The current drive in education to promote 21st-century skills and digital literacies appears to remain relatively idle for a variety of reasons. This mixed-methods study examines the impact 1:1 technology has on digital literacies and the barriers faced by teachers with its incorporation into secondary classrooms. It explores the extent to which instructors within 1:1 environments perceive their technology integration and investigates how this indirectly impacts the acquisition of digital literacies within the classroom. By gaining more insight into how …

Faculty Perceptions Of Using Synchronous Video-Based Communication Technology, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Richard E. West, Leanna Archambault, Jered Borup, Eric S. Belt

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Online learning has traditionally relied on asynchronous text-based communication. The COVID-19 pandemic, though, has provided many faculty members with new and/or additional experience using synchronous video-based communication. Questions remain, though, about how this experience will shape online teaching and learning in the future. We conducted a mixed method study to investigate faculty perceptions of using synchronous video-based communication technology. In this paper, we present the results of our inquiry and implications for future research and practice.

Exploring Factors That Influence Computational Thinking Skills In Elementary Students’ Collaborative Robotics, William H. Stewart, Youngkyun Baek, Gina Kwid, Kellie Taylor

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recently educational robotics has expanded into curriculum beyond traditional STEM fields, and which can also be used to foster computational thinking (CT) skills. Prior research has shown numerous interdisciplinary benefits related to CT, however, these influential factors have often been investigated with relatively few variables. This study investigated factors that may lead to 4th and 5th grade elementary school students’ development of computational thinking skills in collaborative robotics activities by hypothesizing a model which proposed that a problem solving inventory, intrinsic motivation, and enjoyment were the main predictors of computational thinking skills. The model was then tested by surveying students …

Understanding Teachers’ Perceptions And Strategies Implemented In High School Mathematics Classes Using Aleks, Tristan Kumor

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) is an adaptive learning tool used by hundreds of thousands of high school students in the United States. This study was designed to understand how teachers in high school mathematics classrooms used the ALEKS system for instruction and to examine what their perceptions were of its ease of use and usefulness. A basic qualitative study was conducted where five Chicagoland high school mathematics teachers were interviewed three times over the course of one academic school year. This study asked teachers to share first hand experiences and perceptions of using ALEKS. The Technology …

Video Use In Online And Blended Courses: A Qualitative Synthesis, Eric S. Belt, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The use of video has become commonplace in education today. Educators are engaging students with video communication technology more frequently than ever before, given COVID-19. However, questions remain on how instructors use video as a communication and teaching tool in online and blended courses. The purpose of this literature review was to synthesize research on the use of video as a teaching tool in online and blended courses. A systematic approach was used to identify 64 peer-reviewed studies published from 2010 to 2020. A qualitative synthesis of the studies resulted in four themes: delivering video lectures, fostering discussions with video, …