Educational Technology Commons^™

Use Of Video Technology To Support Soft Skills Acquisition For Enhancing Employment Opportunities For Individuals With Autism, Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Cliff Guya Oliech M.S.Ed., Edith Olajumoke Oshokoya Ma.Ed.

Graduate Student Research Symposium

Preparing individuals with Autism and Intellectual Disabilities for work is an accountability issue established through Indicators 13 and 14 of the State's Performance Plan in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) (IDEA, 2004). Unfortunately, transitioning into jobs for individuals with Autism (ASD) or intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has not been very successful to date because of the need for growth in their soft skills acquisition and use. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to establish the types of video technology (VT) used in teaching soft skills that may enhance employment opportunities for individuals with ASD and …

Teacher Perceptions Of E-Learning During Covid-19 In Low-And-High-Income Schools, Thomas Allen Cooper Ii

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined if there were significant differences among K-12 teachers at low-income and high-income schools on their perceptions of various aspects of e-learning due to COVID-19. The study also sought to collect data concerning how teachers’ perceptions of technology may have changed, what factors impacted their ability to conduct e-learning, and what factors most impacted their students’ performance during e-learning due to COVID-19. A concurrent nested mixed-methods design was used. A 15-item self-report survey containing both Likert scale and open-ended questions was developed by the researcher to assess differences in teachers’ perceptions. Findings indicated a statistically significant difference in …

Digital Equity In The Time Of Covid: Student Use Of Technology For Equitable Outcomes, Joy Washington, Andrea Woodard, Jonathan D. Becker, Joan A. Rhodes, Andrew Harris, Oscar Keyes, David B. Naff

MERC Publications

This issue brief is the third and final in a series published by the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) addressing digital equity in K-12 schools. It examines research regarding students’ use of and outcomes related to technology. Research finds that inequities exist in use and outcomes for students based on gender, language, ability, race, SES and other sociocultural factors. Based on these inequities, theoretical and practical recommendations are discussed.

Raw And Pure Education In The Society, Iwasan D. Kejawa

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

What does education mean to individuals in the world today? Education is a way one can attain or improve his or her ability to lead and survive in the society of ours. Without educational training of the mind, it may be impossible to realize the importance of adaptability of living in the environment. Without education, It may also be difficult to embellish the use of both the mental and physical attributes possessed by individual beings.

What really is education? Education is the training of the mind to perform desire functions or to perpetuate the modality of obtaining an end or …

Pivoting To Deeper Experiences In Higher Education Classrooms, Danielle M. Pratt, Daniel W. Eadens

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In higher education, pivoting quickly to a fully virtual experience online in the midst of a global pandemic is an adventure. There are marked differences between the online experience for a student who was already in a web-delivered course versus one that started face-to-face and quickly pivoted to an online setting. Some assignments, lessons, and courses are easily delivered in alternate formats while other learning opportunities are much more difficult to transition for online delivery. For example, assignments that involve internships or in-person experiences had to shift dramatically, be delayed, or cancelled. Beyond the experiences within the higher education classroom, …

Covid-19 And The Achievement Gap, David Herr

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will investigate whether the shift of many schools to remote instruction as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has widened the achievement gaps between students of different racial identities and socioeconomic groups. I will use existing research and my understanding of pedagogical principles, as well as GPA data from before and after the advent of remote learning, to determine whether these gaps have changed since the implementation of remote learning, as well as to identify the mechanisms that have caused these changes, if they do exist. I will then extrapolate strategies with which to combat these disparities in …

Blind Accessibility In College And University: Is Online Learning Accessible To All?, Erica R. Hagman

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Increasing technological advancement, coupled with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting social distancing orders, has amplified the push for online learning and hybrid courses like never before. As education moves online, are the necessary adjustments to accommodate students with varying levels of ability being made? One would think that online learning would be easier to navigate for Blind and Visually Impaired (BVI) students, but is that truly the case? In this study I investigated if the Learning Management System (LMS), Canvas, is accessible to BVI students. I hypothesized that BVI students would have more difficulty accessing classroom material …

Vulnerable Learners In The Age Of Covid-19: A Scoping Review, Catherine F. Drane, Lynette Vernon, Sarah O’Shea

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020, The Author(s). This scoping review provides an overview of COVID-19 approaches to managing unanticipated school closures and available literature related to young people learning outside-of-school. A range of material has been drawn upon to highlight educational issues of this learning context, including psychosocial and emotional repercussions. Globally, while some countries opted for a mass school shut-down, many schools remained open for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This partial closure not only enabled learning in smaller targeted groups but also offered a safe sanctuary for those who needed a regulated and secure environment. In Australia, if full school closures were …

Teacher Perceptions Of Blended Learning To Support 21st Century Learners, Nikki Hensley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand teacher perceptions of blended learning as an instructional methodology for addressing the needs of diverse learners. The researcher explored the perceptions of teachers who were participating in an ongoing professional development program within their school district. This program focused on improving teaching and learning through the implementation of a blended learning approach. The researcher examined the experiences of teachers as they learned to adapt pedagogical practices to address the learning needs of 21st century students through blended learning. The researcher sought to gain a better understanding of how teachers perceived that …

Effects Of Gatekeeper Course Modality, Age, Gender And High School Gpa On Kaplan Subject Area Exam Scores, Vernon Hoffman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The question of equivalency regarding course modality has plagued and intrigued educators for as long as multiple modalities have existed. In the modern world of academia, the two prevailing modalities are face-to-face or traditional courses and online courses. A multitude of factors have contributed to the increase in online course offerings, including increasingly dependable technology and fiscal pressures on institutions of higher learning.

A great deal of scholarly research has compared modalities using within-course measures such as course grades and comprehensive final exams. Most of these studies have found the two modalities equivalent. However, a dearth of research exists which …

Covid-19 And Online Early Childhood Education, Mark Nagasawa

Straus Institute for Thriving Children & Families

This infographic summarizes some themes from a survey conducted with early childhood educators across New York in May 2020, when 65% of programs reported providing online ECE. While respondents expressed clear needs for support in providing technologically-mediated ECE - including tech support, curricular, materials, and hardware - they also displayed three key components of any ECE, commitments to relationships, flexibility, and creativity. This highlights a critical need to document educators' many creative approaches and lessons learned from the pandemic.

A Library For Everyone: Building A Model For Library Digital Accessibility, Rebeca Peacock, Amy Vecchione

Library Faculty Publications and Presentations

Want to know more about the ways libraries can support digital accessibility? Learn from the expertise of Boise State University librarians Rebeca Peacock and Amy Vecchione using their digital accessibility research to show how you can apply the lessons learned in your library. In this presentation, you'll learn what digital accessibility is and how meeting digital accessibility needs supports everyone! In addition, they will share easy to implement techniques and tools to improve the library experience for everyone.

Perceptions Of Students With Disabilities And Their Experiences With Accommodations As Online Learners, Valarie Lashell Hilson

Student Theses and Dissertations

With the growing trend of online education and the increased enrollment of students with disabilities, institutions of higher learning find themselves experiencing increased challenges to service the diverse needs of its students with disabilities. The purpose of this quantitative study was to gain insights into the perceptions of students with disabilities, specifically with regard to their personal experiences with accommodations while enrolled in online courses. The study employed a modified version of the Course, Interaction, Structure, and Support (CISS) Instrument. Participants of the study included undergraduate and graduate students registered with the Office of Disability Services at their respective state …

Covid-19 Lockdown And Its Effect On The Children With Disabilities In Albania, Nesila Koka

International Programs

When the World slowly started to get invaded by Covid-19 “an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus" (Coronavirus n.d.), Albania was also one of the countries, that wasn’t prepared at all. The lockdown officially lasted for 2 months (Mid-March - First weeks May) but for the children with disabilities it lasted longer than that, as schools closed by the end of May and the protocols for the daily centers to provide therapeutically services didn’t come out till the end of June. Unpreparedness of government lead un directly to retardation of development for the children with disabilities, with …

Factors Influencing The Adoption Of Immersive Virtual Reality For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Parents Perceptions, Fahad Abdeen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify factors that affect the adoption of a spherical video virtual reality (SVVR) mobile application among parents of adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The study used the diffusion of innovation theory by Rogers (2003) as a framework to explore parents’ perceptions of an SVVR transportation model designed to improve the quality of life of adults with ASD. In addition, the study sought to learn what might increase adoption of VR technology among other parents of individuals with ASD and what life skills that might be addressed using VR technology in the …

The Use Of Speech-Generating Devices For Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jessica Miller

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The first of the following articles provides a review of the literature related to vocalizations among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, with special attention paid to speech-generating devices (SGD). After providing an overview of ASD, evidence-based practices (EBP), and AAC types and a brief history, this review evaluates studies that collected data on vocalizations in SGD-users, including both those that targeted vocalizations as a dependent variable and those that measured vocalizations as a collateral effect without directly targeting it. The goal of this review is to evaluate whether SGD use may …

The Effects Of Computer And Information Technology On Education, Iwasan D. Kejawa

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

In the society of ours, is it true really that computers and information technology have contributed immensely to the way we learn? After observing and reading various educational paraphernalia and scanning the environment research has shown that the educational systems have greatly been impacted by computers and information technology. With the growth of technology, the ways we learn have been improved tremendously. Innovative technologies have contributed to the innovation of learning in the education arena and outside. The traditional ways of conveying instructions to learners have been augmented with the use of computers information technologies. The educational system of our …

Reading Robot, Gillian Watts, Andrew Myers, Sabrinna Tan, Taylor Klein, Omeed Djassemi

General Engineering

Presently, there is an insufficient availability of human experts to assist students in reading competency and comprehension. Our team’s goal was to create an improved socially assistive robot for use by therapists, teachers, and parents to help children and adults develop reading skills while they do not have access to specialists. HAPI is a socially assistive robot that we created with the goal of helping students practice their reading comprehension skills. HAPI enables a student to improve their reading skills without an educator present, while enabling educators to review the student's performance remotely. Design constraints included: physical size, weight, duration …

Meaningful Engagement Via Robotic Telepresence: An Exploratory Case Study, Tommy Lister

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

Recent advances in robotic telepresence have created new opportunities for students that are unable to engage in traditional classroom environments physically. Although these technologies are still being tested in application, early indicators support the idea that robotic telepresence enhances the learning experience by allowing greater autonomy and depth of engagement with peers. This exploratory case study examines the experiences of a fifth-grade student who was limited in her ability to attend school due to illness. It utilizes a qualitative investigation into the experiences of robotic-telepresence from the perspectives of the remote student, peer students in the classroom context, and the …

Human-Machine Communication: Complete Volume. Volume 1

Human-Machine Communication

This is the complete volume of HMC Volume 1.

Progressive Time Delay To Teach High School Students With Intellectual Disability To Initiate Manding Siri® For Unknown Information, Madelyn N. Calzi

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

A multiple probe design across participants with intermittent generalization probes was used to evaluate (a) the effectiveness of progressive time delay to teach four high school students with intellectual disability to initiate using Siri® when asked an unknown question and (b) the generalized use of Siri® when asked questions from untrained communicative partners. Technology training occurred prior to baseline to teach all participants to use Siri®. Secondary data were collected on Siri’s® response and student engagement with the answer. Due to the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic and school closures, only one participant entered intervention and the study was unable to be …

Creating Dynamic Spaces: Exploring Student-Empowered Self-Expression Through Art, Meghan E. Charest

Honors Theses

Research suggests that students living in rural areas may be more likely to face adversity and stress due to intersecting challenges present in their communities including poverty, substance abuse, addiction, poor health, reduced economic opportunity, and geographic isolation. I conducted an engaged scholarship project in partnership with students and staff at JES to explore ways that open-ended art activities that provide students with self-directed creative spaces can cultivate a student-centered environment built around strong relationships. This type of environment can mitigate the negative impacts of adverse childhood experiences potentially affecting rural Maine students and improve a culture of emotional wellness …

The Value Of Interactive Multimodal Online Higher Education Classrooms: Examining The Impact Of Interactive Multimedia-Based Instructional Design (Imbid), Andrea Munro

Dissertations

Purpose: Despite their affordability and convenience, online courses have higher student failure and dropout rates than ground based-courses. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative single-case study was to determine if there is a difference between interactive, multimedia-based online instruction and traditional text-based online instruction as it relates to the level of student performance, engagement, and satisfaction in higher education.

Methodology: This quantitative research design used inferential statistics to analyze the research questions. The researcher selected 13 text-based courses that were redesigned to become interactive, multimedia-based courses. Archival student performance, engagement, and satisfaction data was abstracted from both the text-based and …

Chapter 7: Learners With Disabilities And Video-Based Instructional Message Design, Charles Thull

Instructional Message Design, Volume 1

Learners with disabilities are entitled to public education that supports their unique needs, but unfortunately, they experience poor post-secondary outcomes when compared to their peers, including lower rates of post-secondary education engagement and employment. Individuals with low incidence disabilities experience lower employment rates when compared to other individuals with disabilities, due to the impact of difficulties with social/communication, self-determination, and executive functioning skills. Researchers have developed video-based instruction with various message design and technology features to support independence for individuals with disabilities, including basic to complex vocational task completion. This chapter will provide useful information for designers, educators, state and …

Instructional Message Design: Theory, Research, And Practice, Miguel Ramlatchan, Bethany Emory, Dana Garcia, Meredith Spencer, Travis Saylor, Charles Thull, Frances R. Dukes

Instructional Message Design, Volume 1

Message design is all around us, from the presentations we see in meetings and classes, to the instructions that come with our latest tech gadgets, to multi-million-dollar training simulations. In short, instructional message design is the real-world application of instructional and learning theories to design the tools and technologies used to communicate and effectively convey information. This field of study pulls from many applied sciences including cognitive psychology, industrial design, graphic design, instructional design, and human performance technology to name just a few. In this book we visit several foundational theories that guide our research, look at different real-world applications, …

Tech For Understanding: An Introduction To Assistive And Instructional Technology In The Classroom, Taylor Caldwell

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

This paper examines the different types of assistive and instructional technology available to students who are classified with one or more of the thirteen disabilities outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (referred to as, IDEA). While the roles of assistive and instructional technology are different, there are many instances where their uses may overlap. Thus, while these two categories will be discussed separately, it should be noted that some information may be applied to each category and more than one piece of technology. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to the world of assistive …

Reading Emotions: Designing Digital Tools To Strengthen The “Social Brain” Of Young Children With Autism, Kirsten M. Benjamin

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Autism (ASD) is characterized by impaired development in social interaction and communication. This can affect the ability to develop relationships with peers and family. Being limited in this area leads those with Autism unable to translate their own emotions and the emotions of others. As technology develops, so do methods of teaching facial emotion recognition. Building these skills can increase the social communication abilities of those struggling with Autism. This paper will explore the effectiveness of various educational applications (apps).

Taking the lessons gained from previous iPhone application designs I will attempt to create a new application that incorporates the …

Advances In Global Education And Research: Volume 3, Waynne B. James, Cihan Cobanoglu

University of South Florida (USF) - M3 Publishing

This is the third volume of the Advances in Global Education and Research Book Series. This volume has the following parts:

• Part 1: Adult Education
• Part 2: Curriculum and Instruction Development
• Part 3: Education in Other Specialties
• Part 4: Educational Technology
• Part 5: Global Competence
• Part 6: Higher Education and Educational Leadership
• Part 7: Human Resource Development
• Part 8: Inclusive Education
• Part 9: International Education
• Part 10: Pre K-12
• Part 11: Research Methods in Education

ISBN: 978-1-7321275-4-8

Using Free & Open Tools: A Holistic Selection Process Centered On Digital Literacy, Tim Miller

Digital Initiatives Symposium

This session will cover free and open tools as well as teaching strategies for creating and implementing digital/web literacy and digital media instruction. The session will also be useful for people looking for free and open tools for their own projects, including how to get started and how to learn necessary new skills. Considerations such as terms of use, privacy, accessibility and licensing can be as or more important than functionality. Additionally, adopting open tools can advance conversations about open licensing which, in turn, can promote the application of creative commons and public domain licenses to appropriate works. Knowing about …

Pushing The Boundaries Of Participatory Design With Children With Special Needs, Jerry Alan Fails

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite its inherent challenges, participatory design (PD) has unique benefits when designing technology for children, especially children with special needs. Researchers have developed a multitude of PD approaches to accommodate specific populations. However, a lack of understanding of the appropriateness of existing approaches across contexts presents a challenge for PD researchers. This workshop will provide an opportunity for PD researchers to exchange and reflect on their experiences of designing with children with special needs. We aim to identify, synthesize and collate PD best practices across contexts and participant groups.