Education Commons^™

Creating And Using Interactive Presentations In Distance Education Courses: A View From The Instructor's Chair, Karen K. Hein

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Instructors of distance education courses have many choices when it comes to designing course materials and learning experiences. One approach has been to develop interactive presentations – audio voice-over slide presentations or presentations incorporating voice-over narration plus other interactive elements. Some of the previous research has focused upon the impact of these types of instructional materials on student academic achievement (Stephenson, Brown, Griffin, 2008; Lents & Cifuentes, 2009; Savoy, Proctor, & Salvendy, 2009; and Geri, 2011). Others have examined interactive presentations from a limited instructor perspective, focusing on the tools and preferences in specific disciplines (Pace & Kelly, 2006; Burke, …

Student Characteristics, Prior Experiences, And The Perception Of Mixed Methods As An Innovation, Sydney E. Brown

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

There are persistent challenges to teaching mixed methods and innovative solutions are sought in order to address the needs of an increasingly diverse global audience seeking mixed methods instruction. This mixed methods study was conducted to gain insights to course design by more fully understanding the relationships among graduate student characteristics and prior experiences with research approaches with the perceived characteristics of the innovation of mixed methods.

Quantitative and qualitative data was gathered using a self-developed survey. Correlational analyses were done between measures of quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and overall prior experience and the perceived innovation characteristics of relative advantage, …

Use Of Cognitive Artifacts In Chemistry Learning, Ilker Yengin

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In everyday life, we interact with cognitive artifacts to receive and/or manipulate information so as to alter our thinking processes. CHEM/TEAC 869Q is a distance course that includes extensive explicit instruction in the use of a cognitive artifact. This study investigates issues related to the design of that online artifact. In order to understand design implications and how cognitive artifacts contribute to students’ thinking and learning, a qualitative research methodology was engaged that utilized think aloud sessions. Participants’ described constrained and structured cognitive models while using the artifact. The study also was informed by interviews and researcher's field notes. A …