Educational Technology Commons^™

Educational Leaders, Professional Learning Communities, And Social Media, Ashley Johnson-Holder, Terrie Bethea-Hampton

Journal of Research Initiatives

Though social media is at the forefront of technology strategies in the effort to close the digital divide, many educators fail to find the benefit in platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and MeWe. On the other hand, for many educators, social media has become the “go-to” resource, now that face-to-face communication is decreasing and social media is becoming the popular platform for keeping audiences engaged and informed. Social media has the potential of giving educational leaders the opportunity of communicating with multiple users simultaneously. Since students, parents, faculty, and educational stakeholders are using social media; this makes it an excellent …

Factors Influencing Faculty Use Of Screencasting For Feedback, Berlin Fang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored faculty concerns in using screencasting to give feedback, why they choose to adopt it, and what training and support would benefit them in the adoption of such a method. This is a single embedded case study using a stages of concern questionnaire, semistructured and open-ended interviews, as well as media comment reviews as data collection methods. Some 21 professors from a southwestern private university participated in the research, representing 51 potential participants who have been exposed to screencasting for feedback through software ownership, training, or coaching. After the completion of this questionnaire, 16 participants were interviewed in …

Using Microsoft Hololens To Improve Memory Recall In Anatomy And Physiology: A Pilot Study To Examine The Efficacy Of Using Augmented Reality In Education, Chen Chen, Lei Zhang, Tony Luczak, Eboni Smith, Reuben F. Burch

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This paper explores the use of augmented reality (AR) to improve memory recall and learning experiences in human anatomy and physiology. In particular, the opportunity to assess new computer technologies to improve learning environments may allow for an improvement in self-efficacy and a reduction in test anxiety. Twenty-two undergraduates participated in one of two study groups, the Microsoft HoloLens group (HLNS) or the traditional projector-based Microsoft Power Point group (PPT). Each group completed a five-minute, three-subject anatomy identification and brain physiology memory test. After a three-minute time delay, participants completed a fill-in-the-blank anatomy identification test and brain physiology question test, …

Fostering The Development Of Social Capital To Enrich Student Experiences Through After-School Digital Tutoring Programs, Chientzu Candace Chou, Hsueh-Hua Chuang, Aura N. Wharton-Beck

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Historically, tutoring has been considered an effective way of assisting academically challenged students. After-school digital tutoring programs that foster the development of social capital could provide academic and social support for struggling students in remote areas. However, research on how after-school digital tutoring programs can foster social capital development is sparse. In this study, we used the perspective of social capital theory to examine the factors that shaped student-learning experiences in an E-Tutor Program. Specific attention was given to the types of and the strategies for developing social capital. The study utilized a case study approach to analyze data collected …

Real-Time Support: Using Ecoaching To Increase Preservice Teachers’ Confidence To Teach, Morgan V. Blanton, Aftynne E. Cheek, Elizabeth Bellows

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The role of teacher education preparation programs is to equip preservice teachers (PSTs) with the knowledge and skills to support the development of all students. To do this, university faculty must establish and monitor PST’s progress toward quality standards for teaching. eCoaching is a professional learning tool that provides real-time feedback to PSTs during instruction. In this article, the authors present eCoaching as a professional learning strategy. An overview of eCoaching logistics, perceived impact of eCoaching on PSTs, a description of eCoaching in action, and an explanation of how it meshes with current support practices are provided.

Teaching Adolescents To Communicate (Better) Online: Best Practices From A Middle School Classroom, Michelle Ciccone

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Digital conversation spaces have the potential to generate powerful collective intelligence, but only when users are thoughtful, reflective, and have experience interacting with diverse ideas. To be able to engage in online conversational spaces in this way, though, is not inherent or natural: it must be practiced. This article will argue that it is essential to have adolescents practice engaging in challenging and professional conversations online with peers in classroom settings. Utilizing a New Media Literacy framework, this article will share impactful classroom practices that help adolescents develop effective online conversation skills. Essential to this pedagogy is a cycle of …

Integration Of Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math Into A Food And Nutrition Curriculum In Utah, Cathy A. Merrill, Becki G. Lawver

Applied Sciences, Technology and Education Faculty Publications

In 2014, Family and Consumer Sciences teachers in Utah revised the Food and Nutrition Sciences curriculum to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)‐related content. This study is a needs assessment of the state implementation of the STEM‐enhanced curriculum in 2015–2016. A Borich needs assessment model was used to analyze mean weighted discrepancy scores between teacher‐perceived levels of importance and teacher‐perceived competence for each objective in the new curriculum. The results showed that although teachers felt moderately competent to teach the new curriculum, the highest ranked need for professional development was in Standard 1: Kitchen Safety Procedures and Sanitation. Professional …

Correlation Study Between School Administrators’ Technology Leadership Preparation And Technology Integration, Jaime Villarreal

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Technology in the classroom takes many innovative and creative forms and inevitably many different roles. Since the turn of the century educational technology is perceived as possessing an exceeding potential to change the delivery of instruction but more significantly the student learning process. Strategies to implement the use of technology in the classroom continue to evolve with results ranging from effective use of technology that enhances learning to poor use of technology that has no effect on student learning. Past studies focused on teacher roles in technology implementation generated significant data that continues to guide new integration strategies without significant …

Do Corporate Owned Adaptive Learning Platforms Perpetuate Banking Style Learning? Integrating Technology For Activism Into Transformational Sustainability Education, Tina M. Garner

Leadership for Sustainability Education Comprehensive Papers

We live in a world that tends to be controlled by corporations. The public school system should be wary of the problems that corporate control has on education. Even though public schools should not have corporate influence, the fact remains that they do, and this perpetuates Freire's banking style learning. Through time, the corporate influence in education was through educational materials such as book sales. Since the decline of the use of books and the growth of the use of technologies, corporations have followed suit through the sales of Adaptive Learning Platforms. Through leveraging the technology which students enjoy using, …

Energy-Efficient Load Balancing Ant Based Routing Algorithm For Wireless Sensor Networks, Xinlu Li, Brian Keegan, Fredrick Mtenzi, Thomas Weise, Ming Tan

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are a type of self-organizing networks with limited energy supply and communication ability. One of the most crucial issues in WSNs is to use an energy-efficient routing protocol to prolong the network lifetime. We therefore propose the novel Energy-Efficient Load Balancing Ant-based Routing Algorithm (EBAR) for WSNs. EBAR adopts a pseudo-random route discovery algorithm and an improved pheromone trail update scheme to balance the energy consumption of the sensor nodes. It uses an efficient heuristic update algorithm based on a greedy expected energy cost metric to optimize the route establishment. Finally, in order to reduce the …

Investigating The Relation Between Saudi Teachers’ Self-Perceptions Of Tpack And Their Practical Application In Lesson Design, Amnah Albuloushi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Online education is a relatively new phenomenon in Saudi Arabian universities and best online teaching practices are still gaining ground in teacher training. At one university, which offers degrees primarily through distance education, this study sought to investigate online teachers’ perceptions of their TPACK (only the TK, PK, and TPK domains) as well as analyze their practical application of TPACK knowledge in designing unit plans. The researcher adopted a mixed methods approach to data collection by administering surveys (n=60) and analyzing unit plans (n=60), which were analyzed quantitatively, and conducting interviews (n=6), which were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Survey …

Digital Literacy: Myths And Realities, Julian Fraillon

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Digital literacy, under a wide variety of names, is routinely classified as a 21st-century skill and is frequently reported as an area of high priority in school education systems internationally. In comparison with students in other countries, Australian students have high levels of access to digital technologies both at and outside of school. With this access comes the expectations that students will be highly-proficient users of digital technologies and that schools will use digital technologies in transformative ways to support student learning. This session will examine how concepts of digital literacy have developed over time, what data from large-scale assessments …

Digital Literacy Skill Development: Prescriptive Learning Analytics Assessment Model, Elspeth Mckay

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

There is a broad awareness of how information communications technology (ICT) digital literacy impacts everyday life. In schools, use of ICT tools has become mandatory. These tools include computers, tablets and mobile phones. These smart devices are used to send emails, browse the internet and make video calls. It is essential for teachers to identify student digital literacy levels through classroom activities and when to implement flexible ePedagogies for students who need help. This presentation will provide easy-to-follow steps to manage learning analytics to determine digital literacy skill levels. Learning analytics can be used for a range of purposes: to …

Lights, Camera, Introduction Videos! Producing High-Quality Introductory Videos, Shelby Huddleston

SIDLIT Conference

This presentation is about how to create effective videos for teaching and learning in a higher education environment.

A Pedagogical Smart Learning Environment In South African Tertiary Institutions, Tope Samuel Adeyelure, Billy Mathias Kalema

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

With the rapid growth rate of technology innovation different sectors tends to keep up with the developing trends by implementing the latest technology with the aim of achieving their goals. Educational institutions deploy information systems in their teaching and learning environment to enhance performance. However, educational institutions usually struggle with smooth implementation of IT leading to its failure. Adopting various scientific methods such as content analysis, Principal Component Analysis and so on, contextual factors were identified for effective deployment of smart learning environments based on extensive review of exploratory research, analyzing data and study outcomes of ICT deployment educational institutes …

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 …

Mathematical Literacy And Video Games, Craig Carrigee

Dissertations

Mathematical literacy refers to the ability of a person to be able to comprehend and conceptualize real-world data and mathematical situations to make informed decisions. Minimal research exists compared to the explosion of video games available to the public over the past two decades. This study investigates the relationships between playing video games and the ability of a person to answer real-world questions about mathematics as well as the person’s attitude toward mathematics, including their self-confidence, perceived value, enjoyment, and motivation. Previous studies have shown mixed results related to the influence of playing video games on cognitive math ability, but …

A Narrative Approach To Educational Video Training, Matthew S. Havertz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Teachers often use videos to teach their students, but stories are not used as often in educational videos as they could be. Experts tell us that stories are an important part of teaching and learning. Unfortunately, there is only a small amount of research and no definitive expert agreement about stories used in educational videos. This is especially true for videos used with technical education students, like mechanic students or dental assisting students. In this study, dental assisting students learned how to assist a dentist with a standard cavity procedure after watching a video with or without a story. The …

Faculty Perceptions Of Online Teaching At A Mid-Sized Liberal Arts University In The Pacific Northwest: A Mixed Methods Study, Dana Shreaves

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Faculty resistance to online teaching is a problem that can affect institutions looking to increase online learning options for students. Prior research has identified a number of encouraging and discouraging factors that may affect faculty motivation to teach online. Given limited institutional resources, it would be difficult for an institution to address all of the factors identified in prior research. Furthermore, faculty at liberal arts colleges have not been studied as a specific population of interest in prior research. Therefore, to increase acceptance and participation in online teaching at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), this study employed a convergent, parallel mixed-methods …

Reframing Writing Instruction In Physical Learning Environments: Making Connections Between Digital And Nondigital Technologies, André C. Buchenot, Tiffany Roman

Faculty Articles

Physical learning environments offer many affordances that one can choose from when designing instruction. For courses where student writing is central to course learning outcomes, a challenge exists in that innovative digital technologies may take precedence over nondigital tools, such as paper-based student writing. We argue that treating student writing as a technology can increase opportunities for active learning within physical learning environments. In this article, we describe an approach to writing instruction that builds intentional connections between paper-based texts and digital technologies to increase opportunities for active learning. We explain the rationale for the design decisions in an introductory …

Scientific Twitter: The Flow Of Paleontological Communication Across A Topic Network, Richard T. Bex Ii, Lisa Lundgren, Kent J. Crippen

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

The field of paleontology, which is based principally on observations of the natural world, includes an active community that is engaged across multiple social media platforms, consisting of museums, academic researchers, amateur fossil collectors, paleontological artists, and commercial fossil dealers. As such, it represents an ideal environment for examining the people, interactions, and flow of scientific information. Using interactions involving the four most popular Twitter hashtags for paleontology, this embedded mixed methods study defined the members of this social world and investigated how they influenced and controlled the flow of information, as well as how their expression of scientific practice …

Digital Use And Internet Access In Fayetteville, Arkansas, Ron Warren Jr., Stephanie Schulte, Michelle J. Gibeault

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

A report on data gathered from a spring 2019 survey by the UA Center for Communication Research. The data will provide the City of Fayetteville with a baseline picture regarding residents’ current levels of internet access, their daily activities online, the importance of the internet to them, and the barriers they see to enhanced online access. Future study will consider the homework gap in homes with K-12 students as well as general internet access issues for residential multi-tenant environments. Data from this survey will inform the City of Fayetteville's Digital Equity Plan.

Socio-Demographic Predictors Associated With Capacity To Engage In Health Care, Ran Sun, Linden Wu, Scott Barnett, Patsy Deyo, Ellen Swartwout

Patient Experience Journal

Patient engagement is essential to improve outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. This study aimed to examine the socio-demographic factors associated with one’s capacity to engage in their health care. An observational, cross-sectional study was performed including patients from five medical/surgical units of four health systems. Patients’ engagement capacity was assessed using the person engagement index (PEI) instrument which contains four subscales: engagement in health care, technology use in health care, proactive approach to health care, and psychosocial support for health care. Separate general linear models were applied for the PEI total score and each of the four subscale scores. Our …

A Systematic Review Of Studies On Educational Robotics, Saira Anwar, Nicholas Alexander Bascou, Muhsin Menekse, Asefeh Kardgar

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

There has been a steady increase in the number of studies investigating educational robotics and its impact on academic and social skills of young learners. Educational robots are used both in and out of school environments to enhance K–12 students’ interest, engagement, and academic achievement in various fields of STEM education. Some prior studies show evidence for the general benefits of educational robotics as being effective in providing impactful learning experiences. However, there appears to be a need to determine the specific benefits which have been achieved through robotics implementation in K–12 formal and informal learning settings. In this study, …

Teaching Top-Down Approaches To The Engineering Design Process, Joshua E. Katz, Joshua E. Katz

STAR Program Research Presentations

One of the main focuses of metacognition is to have students think about their learning. By bringing the engineering design process with educational psychology together, it can lead to a society that thinks more in-depth on various topics. The goal of the internship was to utilize and teach top-down educational and instructional objectives. Throughout the project, we followed a modified progression of the System Architecture Methodology to help other interns think in a top-down fashion. The purpose of this procedure is to create and induce new innovative and creative ideas for different projects. As teaching this methodology was tasked, research …

Computational Thinking Framework, Julian Fraillon, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Daniel Duckworth, Tim Friedman

ICT - Digital Literacy

This computational thinking framework was developed to inform the 2018 International Computer and Information Literacy Study which included computational thinking as an international option. This chapter reviews definitions of computational thinking, the structure of the ICILS 2018 computational thinking construct and the framework including two strands of Conceptualizing problems, and Operationalizing solutions. Aspects of the framework are: knowing about and understanding digital systems; formulating and analyzing problems; collecting and representing relevant data; planning and evaluating solutions; and developing algorithms, programs and interfaces.

Does Class Size Matter?: An Exploration Into Faculty Perceptions Of Teaching High-Enrollment Online Courses, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Rob Nyland, Eulho Jung, Joanna C. Dunlap, Jennifer Kepka

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Class size has been a popular topic for decades. There is renewed interest in this topic now with the growth of online learning. Online courses can accommodate hundreds, if not thousands, of students in a single course. Very little research, though, has been conducted recently on class size in online courses and the research that has been conducted is mixed. As the demand for online courses increases, so likely will class size. In this exploratory study, we investigated the perceptions and experiences of 37 faculty teaching high-enrollment online courses. In the following article, we report the results of our inquiry, …

Virtual Classrooms Bridging Homeschooling To Public Schools, Dennis I. Norman

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

This research explored the preliminary results that show how technology through virtual classrooms has bridged the home and public-schooling systems. The research invites further reflection on the ways by which the home-learning process improves through the inclusion of other parameters such as the e-learning framework. Online education has been discussed extensively as a way of enabling the home-schooling with increased access to better teachers and learning materials.

The research identified the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a means of determining how new technologies in the online learning process compared to the virtual classroom learning experience. The research explored a case …

Teaching Online Foundation Course--Track A, Summer 2019, Center For Instruction & Research Technology (Cirt)

Teaching Online (TOL) Cohorts

A seminar on designing and delivering courses for distance learning in Summer 2019

An Examination Of Personality Traits As A Predictor Of The Use Of Self-Regulated Learning Strategies, Jacqueline L. Bruso

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Each learner brings a unique mix of personality traits, preferences, and talents to the educational setting. These factors can influence the extent to which learners are able to effectively deploy skills and strategies to achieve their academic goals. Gaining a deeper awareness of how specific personality traits play a role in the choice and deployment of SRL strategies provides opportunities to anticipate which learners might be ineffective self-regulators. Doing so would enable instructional designers, educators, or higher education administrators to better plan and deliver effective educational experiences for a wide range of learners. The purpose of this study was to …