Education Commons^™

Regulation Of A Shared Focus In Open-Ended Collaborative Inquiry, Simona Pesaresi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Essential to a flourishing society in a changing environment, knowledge creation has become pervasive across social sectors. Creative work with knowledge and ideas requires dynamic forms of collaboration in which individuals adapt goals as new advances and problems emerge. To prepare students for creative knowledge work, new classroom designs using knowledge building pedagogy engage learners in a process of open-ended inquiry as a community. This type of inquiry involves students taking the responsibility for identifying and pursuing ever-evolving knowledge goals that lead to deeper conceptual understanding through a path not known in advance. However, a major challenge is to understand …

Use Of Stories In Courses And Student Engagement At Southwestern Michigan College, Heather Day

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of the relationship between the use of narrative in the classroom and student engagement. In this regard, the strategies used to connect students to learning experiences are important to ensuring their engagement. Research questions addressed: 1) What is the level of academic engagement among students at Southwestern Michigan College? 2) To what extent are stories embedded into academic courses? 3) To what extent is student engagement related to the use of stories in students’ courses?

To address these research questions, the researcher used two surveys. Survey one used secondary data …

Implicit Theories Of Intelligence And Learning A Novel Mathematics Task, Nathan Oehme Rudig

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The social-cognitive model of motivation states that students adopt a theory of the nature of intelligence that guides their goals in academia and their responses to academic setbacks. Students who believe intelligence is an unchanging entity within them are more likely to adopt goals to display high ability, hide low ability, and respond helplessly to failed schoolwork. Conversely, a student who believes intelligence is a measure of effort and persistence will be motivated to gather knowledge and acquire new skills. The current study investigated the role theories of intelligence play in the field of mathematics understanding. In two experiments, participants …

The Formation Of Situation Models In Multimedia, Kris Gunawan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

When people read traditional text-based stories, they construct mental representations of the described state of affairs, called situation models, to connect various details of events (e.g., time, space, entity) in memory (Zwaan & Radvansky, 1998). According to the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (Mayer, 2005; 2011), stories presented as pictures and text generate independent channels of mental representations that can work hand-in-hand or separately to acquire and remember the materials presented. This dissertation consisted of two experiments that were used to further explore how the two modalities affect what is being mentally represented in memory. In Experiment 1, participants were …

Proprioception And Literacy In The Digital Realm, Paul Michael Rappoccio

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Drawing on research in the fields of neuroscience, reading cognition, and the history of writing, the author explores the condition of reading today. Rather than accepting the apocalyptic pronouncements that the Internet is "dumbing down" current readers, the author argues for a more nuanced understanding of the effects of digital media. He argues that the literacies needed for the new digital realm are not new, but are literacies developed over thousands of years. The author argues for the need of more education and instruction in the use of digital media, and that the digital realm requires new proprioceptive (spatial awareness) …

Second Language Gesture And Acculturation In Study Abroad Contexts, Christie Marie Gardner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Motivationis an integral part of learning; Gestures are an important aspect of human communication, and culture plays a significant role in shaping all of these human elements. This study explores the relationship betweensocial, cultural-historical activityand second language(L2) gesture acquisitionas student motivations both drive, and emanate from, the L2 learning process. Six American students participating in a study-abroad program in Chile were evaluated at three different levels of L2 proficiency (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) for L2 gesture articulations and motivational developments. During the semester-long investigation, three audio-video recorded interviews were conducted to observe L2 gestural behaviors, and two e-mail logs were …

Examining The Testing Effect Using The Dual-Process Signal Detection Model, Nicole Jessica Bies-Hernandez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Taking a test can lead to enhanced long-term retention compared to not practicing the information or simply restudying, a finding known as the testing effect (Roediger, Agarwal, Kang, & Marsh, 2010). The current study examined whether the dual-process signal detection (DPSD) model (Yonelinas, 1994) offers an approach for investigating the testing effect across two experiments. Experiment 1 investigated if the DPSD model could be used to examine the testing effect, and it also examined a factor (i.e., the number of practice sessions) that influences the magnitude of the testing effect. Experiment 2 investigated whether making the final test dependent on …

Additive Effects Of An External Focus And Enhanced Expectancy In Learning A Motor Skill, Luigi Antonio Pascua

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An external focus of attention in has been shown to produce better performance in practice and retention of a motor skill when compared to an internal focus or control conditions in which no attentional focus cues are given to the learner (for a review, see Wulf, 2012). Enhancing learner expectancy (e.g., via positive feedback) has also been shown to improve learning (e.g., Lewthwaite & Wulf, 2010). This study sought to investigate whether combining the positive effects of an external focus of attention with an enhanced learner expectancy (through positive social-comparative feedback) would enhance learning relative to either variable alone or …

Feeling Knowledge : How Emotion And Identity Inform Student Learning, Rebecca M. Ossorio

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The exploratory and descriptive purpose of this work is to better understand what might be happening when students have an emotional response to learning in school and to offer a way of conceptualizing emotion, identity and student learning as deeply interrelated. The data for this study comes from four in-depth, phenomenological interviews where contemplative educators were asked to recollect emotional experiences from their formal education and tell the story of how those experiences impacted their learning. Evidence suggests that when students have an emotional response to learning it is like a beacon alerting them to the self-relevance of what they …

Parent And Family Engagement: The Missing Piece In Urban Education Reform, Sonya D. Horsford, Tonia Faye Holmes-Sutton

Lincy Institute Reports and Briefs

Parent and family engagement in the educational lives of children and youth positively influence student learning and achievement. While this connection may seem obvious, varying ideals of parent engagement limit the ways in which school communities understand, encourage, and benefit from meaningful school‐home‐community interactions. This is frequently the case in culturally diverse, urban communities where education reform has focused heavily on high‐stakes testing, teacher accountability, and school choice, but less on the fragile connections that often exist between schools and the families they serve. The purpose of this policy brief is to review selected research on parent involvement and expand …

The Effects Of Brain Compatible Instruction, Social Emotional Development And Classroom Community Structures On Students, Elizabeth Anne Glick

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was designed to gather data on the impact of several classroom structures/strategies on adolescent students. The objective of the study was to identify if an impact from these structures is positive or negative and the extent to which it exists, positively or negatively. The research aimed to answer the following question: to what extent do the practices of compatible teaching, social emotional education, and classroom community building have an impact on student behavior, achievement, and attendance?

Reading For Deep Understanding : Knowledge Building And Conceptual Artifacts In Secondary English, Marc Nachowitz

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of this design-based experiment is two-fold: to see if classroom pedagogies can be developed to improve student achievement in English literature as well as prepare them for 21st Century literacies. Applying Bereiter and Scardamalia's theory of Knowledge Building to English curricula, this experiment tracked the progress of a sixth grade Language Arts class as they engaged in creating theories of literary interpretation supported by Knowledge Forum, a computer-supported, on-line learning environment. The study revealed several key findings concerning how knowledge-building can support student's attainment of "high literacy" in the reading of literature, including maintaining idea diversity, the importance …

Learning Experiences Of International Students In Online Course : Mixed Methods Study, Gulnara Sadykova

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study explored the learning experiences of international students in fully online courses offered through a US university. Employing a sociocultural framework, particularly ideas put forward by Russian psychologists L. Vygotsky and American scholars R. Scollon and S. W. Scollon, the study examined the interplay of host and native cultures in an online learning environment and studied its effect on international students' learning experiences, specifically on the learning experiences of one focal student from China.

Feedback Intervention Theory: An Examination Of The Differential Effects Of Expertise On Performance, Blakely Lauren Smith

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of the current research was to test the differential effects of feedback type (i.e., self-relevant vs. task-relevant) on individuals with different levels of expertise type (expert vs. novice). The current study examined level of expertise as a moderator of the effects of feedback intervention cue on performance on a sample of 193 female undergraduate psychology students at California State University, San Bernardino.

Metacognition And Learning Styles As Antecedents Of Training Outcomes, Cho Yan Yam

Theses Digitization Project

The goal of this study was to evaluate how metacognition (knowledge or cognitive process that monitors or controls cognition) helps to predict training outcomes through learning adaptation. Participants were 117 students from California University San Bernardino (CSUSB). A sample of 117 CSUSB undergraduate students participated in the study to assess the impact of metacognition on their training performance and adaptation to the learning environment. As this study focused on visual learning style and auditory learning style, the reliability of the visual learning style and auditory learning style tested using the data collected from 108 participants in this study (with 9 …

An Exploration Of Virtual Study Groups Used To Prepare Candidates For A Professional Certification Exam, Sharon Katherine Kayne Chaplock

Dissertations (1934 -)

Professional credentials earned through certification programs are becoming an important way to demonstrate competency within a given discipline. With the globalization of business enterprises and associations, these credentials are eagerly sought by people located throughout the world. Candidates for these credentials often study together using virtual environments to prepare for a certification exam. Through a qualitative analysis of interviews with persons participating in such virtual groups, this study investigates what influences their choices among web-enabled study groups, what perceptions characterize their conception of a good virtual study group, and what limitations are encountered in a virtual study environment. This dissertation …

The Effectiveness Of Computer Games On Mathematics Learning In Elementary School, Sarah Michelle Lakamp

Theses Digitization Project

This study examined the use of mathematics computer games on math achievement as assessed by teachers, tests taken by students and students' attitudes. Students who played recreational games at home and used the computer game at school improved more on the math achievement measure compared to students who only played at home, who only played at school, and who played at neither home nor school, indicating that recreational game playing can prime children to gain more benefits from educational software.

Mapping Information Literacy Outcomes And Other Intellectual Skills Into Students' Educational Experiences, Patricia A. Iannuzzi, L Dee Fink

Library Faculty Presentations

The 2007 report, College Learning for the New Global Century, outlines a cluster of intellectual and practical skills that are critical components of a liberal education: inquiry and analysis; critical and creative thinking; written and oral communication; quantitative literacy; information literacy; and teamwork and problem solving. The learning outcomes associated with information literacy relate to and incorporate many of the learning outcomes in all of these skill clusters. Participants in this session will address how these information literacy and related learning outcomes can be mapped into student learning experiences at three levels: in an individual course, in an academic sequence …

Determining The Point Of Optimum Transferability Of Skill, Amanda Puchar

Theses : Honours

Cognitive research assumes that practice on a task can lead to improved performance, most often resulting in the attainment of automatic performance and possibly the transfer of this learning to another task. This study examined all of these questions through the use of a computer generated counting task that required participants, consisting of 60 randomly selected university students and friends and family of the researcher, to count stars on a display screen and determine if the number of stars presented was an odd or even number. Coefficient of variation (CV) measures that calculated the variability for a given level of …

A Cross-Cultural Study Of Learning Behaviors In The Classroom From A Thinking Style Perspective, Hongyu Cheng

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT

Automaticity As A Predictor Of Skill Transfer, Jana Melis

Theses : Honours

Research into the effect of automaticity on skill transfer has resulted in conflicting conclusions about how automatic processes act on the transferability of skill. The research in this study was designed to investigate the existence and nature of the relationship between automaticity in skill acquisition and the ability to transfer that skill to a different task. Using a quantitative research design, a simple counting exercise was used to train participants in a skill, with the amount of training manipulated between groups. Accuracy rates and reaction times were recorded and analysed to determine the variance within and between the groups between …

Confluent Education: Curriculum Developed To Create Connections For Students, Blythe Ariana Wilson Fuge

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project is to develop a confluent interdisciplinary unit for use by other teachers. Confluent education focuses on teaching the affective and cognitive domains in a seamless approach in which the education of both domains are part of the objectives in the lessons. Includes lesson plans.

Critical Analysis Of Total Physical Response As Pedagogy, Rachel Lynn Anderson

Theses Digitization Project

Total Physical Response (TPR) is a language-teaching method, developed by James Asher in the 1960's. In this critical analysis the theoritical origins of TPR were explored along with the work of James Asher. Twenty-three studies by Asher were examined in conjuction with others who have studied TPR, in order to understand the effectiveness of TPR as both theory and pedagogy. In all studies examined, TPR (which focuses on listening comprehension) was found to be an effective means for producing near perfect retention even long term. TPR was found to be a powerful method for teaching a second lanuage.

Designing A Brain-Based Learning Environment, Juntana Ginda Sperlich

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project was to develop a teacher friendly guide that would help teachers not only apply brain-based strategies in the classroom, but also to see results from transforming their classrooms into brain-based learning environments.

Features Of Optimally Motivating College Classrooms: Perspectives Of Preservice Teachers, Donna S. Bogart

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The primary objective of this mixed methods study was to explore the parameters of college students' perspectives on classroom learning environments. Specifically, the investigation sought to identify and describe the relevant features of the college classroom context that undergraduate students distinguished as promoting and supporting academic motivation at one four-year postsecondary institution. Secondarily, the study sought to examine the extent to which there was an association between the achievement goals students endorsed and their perspectives concerning the motivating features of the classroom learning environment. The nonprobability purposeful sample of undergraduate students consisted of 122 preservice teachers who were attending a …

Skill Acquisition And Transfer To Contextually Different Tasks: Complete, Partial Or Zero Transfer?, Lois E. Johnson

Theses : Honours

There are differing opinions as to whether skills learned in one situation can be transferred and used in new situations. Anderson's (1982, 1993) Adaptive Control of Thought theory states that complete transfer of skills from one situation to another will occur when the processes used in training are the same as those required in transfer. Logan's (1988) Instance theory posits that complete transfer will occur only if the problems used in training are identical to those used in transfer, and that partial transfer should not occur in any transfer situation. However research by Speelman and Kirsner (2001), and Speelman, Forbes …

Neurolinguistic Programming As Observational And Mediational Strategies In Teaching Primary-Level English As A Second Language, Amber Lee Hishmeh

Theses Digitization Project

This project serves as a resource for kindergarten ESL educators to explore more creative multisensory teaching strategies. The five methodologies presented are Neurolinguistic Programming, Suggestopedia, music, storytelling and Total Physical Response.

Extroversion And Introversion As Factors Affecting Adult English-As-A-Second-Language Learners, David Augustine Baptiste

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this research is to investigate if there is a significant difference in literacy skills between Level-Two extroverts and introverts after three years of English instruction at the community-college level.

Using Self-Directed Learning Strategies And Affective Factors In Educating Adult English Learners, Jennifer Margaret Heald

Theses Digitization Project

The content of this project will serve to demonstrate that ample research connects self-directed learning to more healthy psychological dynamics in language acquisition. It will also show that self-directed learning strategies are practical and effective in teaching a second language.

Skill Acquisition And Transfer In A Simple Algebraic Task, Charan J. Singh

Theses : Honours

Speelman's (\999) finding that performance of a skill is based to some extent on the conter.t in which it is performed, rather than simply on the acquired skill itself, is not accounted for by the basic skill acquisition theories like ACT -R Theory or Instance Theory. The purpose of the current experiment was to examine whether the degree of change in context influences the degree of reduction in transfer. Forty participants were trained on an algebraic task and then tested in two different transfer conditions. Condition one included one new item and condition two included two new items in the …