Education Commons^™

To Believe Or Not To Believe: Assessing The Credibility Of Social Media As Non-Formal Learning, Ralf St. Clair, Maryam Shirdel Pour Ms, James Nahachewsky

Adult Education Research Conference

Examines the criteria used by adults to assess the credibility of resources encountered online and the extent to which they differ from younger cohorts. Key information for design of adult online education.

College Students’ Perceptions Of The Importance Of Student Engagement In Online Courses, Alicia Beasley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have identified high dropout rates in online courses for the past several years with few strategies for improvement. The problem addressed in this basic qualitative study was that peer socialization and engagement are challenges in online courses. The purpose of this study was to understand how far utilizing social media improved student socialization and engagement in online courses thus resulting in increased student success. This study used the conceptual framework of engagement theory, which states that students must be meaningfully engaged in learning activities through interaction with others and worthwhile tasks. The research questions addressed student perceptions about the …

Teacher Perceptions Of Social Networking Tools For Increasing Student Literacy And Engagement, Kishema Yolanda Simms

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social networking tools are innovative practices utilized by higher education institutions to promote the development of literacy skills and encourage engagement in an online learning platform. There is limited understanding of whether social networking tools have a similar effect on fourth-grade students' literacy development and engagement. The purpose of this basic qualitative research study was to explore fourth-grade teachers' perceptions of using social networking tools for literacy development and engagement. Using the Garrison, Anderson, and Archer's community of inquiry conceptual framework, research questions were designed to explore fourth-grade teachers' perceptions of using social networking tools in English language arts classes …

Junior High Teachers' Perception On Consistent Implementing Technology-Based Gamification, Ali Tootian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem investigated was many junior high teachers do not consistently implement technology-based gamification (TBG) within class activities despite evidence showing it as a useful learning tool for student engagement. This study aimed to explore why junior high teachers do not consistently implement TBG and identify the barriers and potential solutions from teachers' perspectives. A modified technology acceptance model and diffusion of innovation theory were combined with cultural and local aspects to generate a comprehensive gamification acceptance model. A basic qualitative approach was suitable for the study. The research questions sought junior high teachers' perceptions about consistently implementing TBG, the …

Mining Educational Implications Of Minecraft, Youngkyun Baek, Ellen Min, Seongchul Yun

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study aims to explore the educational potential of Minecraft which has been widely used since its first release in 2009. Articles about Minecraft were searched for in ProQuest. Data was gathered from twenty-six articles which were indicative of three categories: Integration into curriculum; Student engagement, interest and enthusiasm; and Knowledge and skills acquisition. By using Minecraft, students acquire knowledge and skills, and are also engaged, interested and enthusiastic when Minecraft is employed in science, math, social sciences, language arts and composition classes. Challenges with using Minecraft in the classroom include the lack of focused learning objectives, inflexible curriculum, and …

Chopped Id: Students Engaged In Gamification To Enhance Advanced Instructional Design Techniques, John Baaki, Tian Luo

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The Food Network's television show Chopped pits chefs against each other, in a three-round battle, to create their best appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Facing master chef judges, the chef participants present their dishes with one chef chopped (eliminated) after each round. The last chef standing is crowned the Chopped Champion. A faculty member in an instructional design and technology program, created Chopped ID, an innovative adaptation and gamification of the Food Network's Chopped for application in a distance learning environment. Participating as competitors and judges, graduate students, firsthand, experienced gamification as an advanced instructional design technique. In the end, Chopped …

Fragile Strength: Math Self-Efficacy Of High Achieving Girls, Tristan Tang

Education | Master's Theses

Math gender gap research shows girls’ math self-efficacy to be correlated with their interest in pursuing higher levels of math education and STEM career opportunities. Most math gender gap studies have used only quantitative approaches, thereby missing the opportunity to gain deeper perspectives directly from girls who are steadfastly facing the math gender gap. This study centered around two small focus groups of girls attending a unique secondary school where every afternoon is fully dedicated to deep engagement with higher-level mathematics. Additionally, parents of girls at the school were surveyed to provide further insight into possible sources of their daughter’s …

Insurance Claims Adjuster Remote Training Initiative, Pamela Wieboldt

Instructional Design Capstones Collection

This paper contains a full training plan initiative to correct a knowledge gap among remote marine insurance adjusters. The problem originated from a longer claims handling process among remote adjusters dealing with Maritime Law claims. In an assessment in the analyze phase this knowledge gap was confirmed. Through analysis there were three major areas of maritime law that adjusters on staff did not test well on. The modules developed will follow the theory of micro learning due to the staff members having limited time to commit to learning each day. As the employees are remote, all of the learning events …

Equitable Engagement In Stem: Using E-Textiles To Challenge The Positioning Of Non-Dominant Girls In School Science, Kristin A. Searle, Colby Tofel-Grehl, Janet Breitenstein

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper examines how working with sewable, programmable electronics embedded in textiles (e-textiles) impacted the self-perceptions and actions of two middle school girls from non-dominant communities as they navigated their place within science class. Using analytic induction (Erickson, 1986), we explore the phenomena around their experiences and the influence of their teachers’ perceptions. Findings indicate that the personalizable nature of e-textiles created a meaningful opportunity for students to engage in science class in a new way.

Middle School Students' Experiences In An Online Problem-Based Learning Environment, Teri A. Bradley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of implementing educational reform is to improve the academic achievement and social skills of graduating students, but evaluating the benefits of a particular instructional method or curriculum design can be complicated. In an online and problem-based learning environment that allows students to choose content and assessment projects and self-pace, the motivation of students to learn and their engagement in the learning process significantly influences the success of the program. This generic qualitative study focused on the experiences of middle school students participating in an online and problem-based educational setting. The study included interview data and self-evaluation questionnaires about …

Reconceptualizing The Work Of A Content Provider For An Online Audience: A Case Study For How Pedagogical Strategies Can Provide Models Of Engagement For Producers Of Entertainment, Diane Cooke

English Theses & Dissertations

With the interconnectivity of the Internet, and the availability of affordable media compositional tools, the proliferation of online media continues to grow exponentially. However, each day is still comprised of a fixed 24 hours, with far fewer hours spent in active media consumption. Considering the global potential for content to be found (Moreville), discovered (Cormier) or spread (Jenkins), content providers are looking for ways to attract, cultivate and hopefully expand their audiences amid all this digital clutter. In the field of entertainment, this challenge is complicated when small content providers are not aligned with an online, curated network such as …

Applying A Community Of Inquiry Instrument To Measure Student Engagement In Large Online Courses, Carol A.V. Damm

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

The similarity of structure shared by Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) and traditional online college courses creates the opportunity to evaluate MOOC and related course offerings using a validated evaluation instrument, the Community of Inquiry (CoI) survey, to measure Teaching, Social, and Cognitive Presences (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000) in college-level online courses. In this study, the survey has been adapted to evaluate instances of student engagement in large online courses offered at low cost by a publishing firm. The courses suffer from two of the standard problems associated with MOOCs: high dropout rates and inconsistent participation among all but …

Hot For Teacher: Using Digital Music To Enhance Students' Experience In Online Courses, Joanna C. Dunlap, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Joanna Dunlap

This article provides a review of the instructional potential of digital music to enhance postsecondary students' experience in online courses by involving them in music-driven instructional activities. The authors describe how music-driven instructional activities, when used appropriately, can (a) humanize, personalize, and energize online courses by enhancing social presence through student-to-student interaction; (b) tap into students' interests, and elicit positive feelings and associations; and (c) involve students in relevant and meaningful student-to-content interaction by engaging them in active knowledge construction. This article includes descriptions of several music-driven instructional activities that rely on digital music resources to engage students in generative, …

Getting The Picture: Engaging Student Learning Using Pinterest, Jo Koster

Winthrop Conference on Teaching and Learning

In a digital environment, teachers and students have access to a wide variety of material that can be used to create discussion, spark inquiry, and prompt critical thinking. One of the social media tools that can be used for this is Pinterest, a free online visual discovery, collection, sharing, and storage tool that allows users to curate and share information through the creation of visual bookmarks called “boards.” Users can “pin” material to their boards either by linking to other online sites or by uploading materials of their own; boards can be grouped by similar characteristics, themes, events, questions, ideas, …

How Social Presence On Twitter Impacts Student Engagement And Learning In A Grade 8 Mathematics Classroom, Shelly Vohra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media for personal use has evolved rapidly among adolescents, changing the way they communicate with each other. However, little research has been conducted about how teachers use social media in the classroom to improve student learning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how social presence on Twitter impacts student engagement and learning when a mathematics teacher integrates this social media tool into an instructional unit. The conceptual framework was based on social presence theory developed by Short, Williams, and Christie. This qualitative study used a single case study design. Participants included 6 students and 1 classroom …

Down The Rabbit Hole: An Initial Typology Of Issues Around The Development Of Moocs, Apostolos Koutropoulos, Panagiotis Zaharias

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

MOOCs have experienced an unprecedented explosion of publicity. This publicity indicates both optimism that they may be the panacea for whatever ails higher education, as well as caution and trepidation that this may in-fact be some sort of new fad in higher education. In this wave of optimism, and subsequent wave of pessimism, we believe that there is something good to examine about MOOCs and that they do hold potential for certain educational arenas. That said, we don’t want to blindly dive into the MOOC optimism camp. We have critically examined the literature, from both academic peer-reviewed and academic press …

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. …

Supportive Technologies For Group Discussion In Moocs, Carolyn P. Rosé, Pam Goldman, Jennifer Zoltners Sherer, Lauren Resnick

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

A key hurdle that prevents MOOCs from reaching their transformative potential in terms of making valuable learning experiences available to the masses is providing support for students to make use of the resources they can provide for each other. This paper lays the foundation for meeting this challenge by beginning with a case study and computational modeling of social interaction data. The analysis yields new knowledge that informs design and development of novel, real-time support for building healthy learning communities that foster a high level of engagement and learning. We conclude by suggesting specific areas for potential impact of new …

E3: Emotions, Engagement, And Educational Digital Games, Ani Aghababyan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The use of educational digital games as a method of instruction for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics has increased in the past decade. While these games provide successfully implemented interactive and fun interfaces, they are not designed to respond or remedy students’ negative affect towards the game dynamics or their educational content. Therefore, this exploratory study investigated the frequent patterns of student emotional and behavioral response to educational digital games.

To unveil the sequential occurrence of these affective states, students were assigned to play the game for nine class sessions. During these sessions, their affective and behavioral response was recorded …

Improvization And Strategic Risk Taking In Informal Learning With Digital Media Literacy, Renee Hobbs

Renee Hobbs

The city provides a rich array of learning opportunities for young children. However, in many urban schools, often it can be logistically difficult to get young children out of the building. But when elementary children are encouraged to view the city as a classroom and use digital media to explore and represent their neighborhoods, they can be inspired by the unpredictable events of daily life to ask naive, critical and sometimes troubling questions. This paper presents a case study of a teacher in an informal media literacy learning environment who worked with a group of 9-year-olds in Philadelphia. It documents …

Using Academic Advising To Increase Motivation And Engagement In First-Year College Students, Lisa Remsing

Wayne State University Dissertations

According to ACT Educational Services (2010), more than one-third of college freshmen will not progress to their sophomore year. Several states, including Michigan, have proposed higher education performance funding models, which directly correlate state funds to student retention and graduation rates (Jesse, 2012). As higher education suffers from diminishing resources, there is a heightened focus to increase retention and graduation rates (Tinto, 2007).

The transition from high school to college can be a traumatic time for adolescents. This age group has unique motivational needs as they adjust to an unfamiliar academic environment (Perry et al., 2005). The first year of …

A Theoretical Framework For Serious Game Design: Exploring Pedagogy, Play And Fidelity And Their Implications For The Design Process, Pauline Rooney

Articles

It is widely acknowledged that digital games can provide an engaging, motivating and “fun” experience for students. However an entertaining game does not necessarily constitute a meaningful, valuable learning experience. For this reason, experts espouse the importance of underpinning serious games with a sound theoretical framework which integrates and balances theories from two fields of practice: pedagogy and game design (Kiili, 2005; Seeney & Routledge, 2009). Additionally, with the advent of sophisticated, immersive technologies, and increasing interest in the opportunities for constructivist learning offered by these technologies, concepts of fidelity and its impact on student learning and engagement, have emerged …

The Computer Integration Into The Efl Instruction In Indonesia: An Analysis Of Two University Instructors In Integrating Computer Technology Into Elf Instruction To Encourage Students' Language Learning Engagement, Pius Nurwidasa Prihatin

Dissertations

Computer technology has been popular for teaching English as a foreign language in non-English speaking countries. This case study explored the way language instructors designed and implemented computer-based instruction so that students are engaged in English language learning. This study explored the beliefs, practices and perceptions of university faculty in integrating computer technology into English instruction. This research was conducted in English education program in Sanata Dharma University, Indonesia. Communicative language teaching, Engagement Theory, and learner-centered principles were used as the pillars for developing the theoretical framework. The researcher conducted interviews, observed the classroom situation, and reviewed teaching instruments. This …

Promoting Student’S Online Engagement With Communication Tools, Shuyan Wang

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This case study investigated students’ engagement and learning experiences in online courses through Blackboard CE6 (Course Management System). The meaning that students gave to their learning experiences and the problems they encountered were also investigated in order to understand how students learn in a technology-enriched learning environment. Data were col­lected through open-ended survey questions, participant observations, and document analyses from three online instructional technology graduate courses where students used threaded dis­cussion, live classroom, chat room, and email for online communication and interaction. Find­ings indicated that students’ engagement was promoted by using various communication tools although student preferred discussion board and …

Exploring The Use Of Audio-Visual Feedback Within 3d Virtual Environments To Provide Complex Sensory Cues For Scenario-Based Learning, Michael Garrett, Mark Mcmahon

Research outputs 2011

The continuous quest for ever increasing fidelity in 3D virtual worlds is running parallel to the emergence and adoption of low-cost technologies to implement such environments. In education and training, complex simulations can now be implemented on standard desktop technologies. However, such tools lack the means to represent multisensory data beyond audio-visual feedback. This paper reports on a study that involved the design, development and implementation of a 3D learning environment for underground mine evacuation. The requirements of the environment are discussed in terms of the sensory information that needs to be conveyed and techniques are described to achieve this …

The Dynamic Of A Living Lecture In Career And Technical Education, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

This chapter introduces the lecture as a long standard learning technique. The background is provided with the extensive value and scope, including the elements of good lectures. Weakness of the lecture centers around its being overused and/or misused. Strengths of the lecture include its familiarity, well accepted, and provides much information in a short period of time. A theoretical context is provided for maximizing the benefit of a lecture, which includes: guiding questions for use; a foundational learning theory; stressing engagement and interaction as integral; and, a large group theory to heighten engagement and interaction. Actually coupling listening teams (clarification, …