Educational Technology Commons^™

2013 Ijbe Front Matter, Tamra Connor

International Journal for Business Education

1. Editorial Board
2. President's Letter
3. SIEC-ISBE International

Visualizing Interaction: Pilot Investigation Of A Discourse Analytics Tool For Online Discussion, John Mccormick

Staff Scholarship

Discussion boards are perhaps the most commonly used collaboration tool in online courses. However, native discussion tools in learning management systems are limited in their ability to show interaction patterns among learners. Tools that provide more robust visual representations of discussions can improve instructors’ understanding of how students are interacting and, as a result, their ability to intervene when identifying suboptimal interaction patterns. This paper presents an exploratory investigation of one such tool, Social Networks Adapting Pedagogical Practice (SNAPP), examining its potential to help faculty understand and react to discussion patterns. Emerging learning analytics tools such as SNAPP can enhance …

Skill Level Of Web 2.0 Technology Applications Of Certified Educators And The Link To Iste/Nets Standards, Elisha C. Wohleb, Chistal C. Pritchett

International Journal for Business Education

The research study was designed to examine the degree of perceived skill level of utilizing Web 2.0 technology applications among certified education professionals. In addition, this research study was designed to examine differences among various groups as well as reasons for these differences. Furthermore, the Web 2.0 applications presented in the survey were linked to the International Society for Technology in Education’s National Educational Technology Standards and presented to participants to increase knowledge of Web 2.0 technology applications. The population included all certified education personnel at 34 schools. The perceived skill level of business educators as compared to all educators …

Teaching Online Seminar: A Focused Approach To Designing And Delivering Courses For Distance Learning--Spring 2013, Center For Instruction & Research Technology (Cirt)

Teaching Online (TOL) Cohorts

A seminar on designing and delivering courses for distance learning in Spring 2013

An Elearning Narration Modality Study: In Pursuit Of Faster, Cheaper, And Almost The Same, Richard David Horner

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of five different eLearning modality practices on workplace learning and perceived learner satisfaction. Using a factorial posttest comparison design (with a control group), this experimental field study explored the learning effects and learner perceived satisfaction associated with the use of different modality approaches within an eLearning course delivered in a workplace. More than 3,000 study participants, who are part of a U.S. federal workforce, where randomly assigned to one of five narration groups. A Learning Management System (LMS) gathered demographic data, administered the course, recorded individual test scores, learner satisfaction …

Seeking Solutions To Geographic Injustice: The Impact Of Distance On Rural Secondary School Students, Charles Douglas Ward

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by C. Doug Ward on March 26, 2013.

Instructional Technology Integration 2.0: Teacher Training And Socially Enabled Help Resources, Diane K. Lafferty

Theses and Dissertations

The shift in technology to user-centric, social, collaborative mediums has effected education in profound ways. However, the amount of technology available for use in the classroom and the quantity of related instructional materials has eclipsed teachers' ability to effectively trouble shoot and integrate 2.0 tools into their students' learning experience. Creating a help 2.0 resource center for a specific body of faculty not only alleviates information management difficulties but provides a model of a socially enabled 2.0 sustained tool to help educate educators.

“Opening” A New Kind Of School: The Story Of The Open High School Of Utah, Delaina Tonks, Sarah Weston, David Wiley, Michael K. Barbour

Entrepreneurship Faculty Research

The use of online learning at the primary and secondary school level is growing exponentially in the United States. Much of this growth is with full-time online schools, most of which are operated by for-profit companies that use proprietary online course content. In this article we trace the development of, and philosophy behind, a full-time online school that uses open access software and open educational resources for course content. As more nations begin to put in place plans for primary and secondary education in the event of natural disasters (e.g., the Christchurch earthquakes) or pandemics (e.g., avian flu or H1N1), …

The Season Of The Mooc, Justin J. Roberts, Jim O'Loughlin

UNIversitas: Journal of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

The Massive Open Online Course, or MOOC, first received widespread attention in 2011 when Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig of Stanford University decided to offer a course in artificial intelligence that would be open to anyone who wished to participate in it. With an in-class enrollment of 200, their artificial intelligence class was one of the largest offered at Stanford. Thurn and Norvig prepared to teach a physical class at Stanford for tuition-paying Stanford students, and they opened a parallel and free online version of the course. The MOOC version of the course included lecture videos and online discussion forums, …

Cirt Newsletter--March 2013, Center For Instruction & Research Technology (Cirt)

CIRT News

This issue contains the following articles:

Faculty Spotlight: Using iMovie on the iPad for In- Class Video Production

Changing Course: Ten Years of Online Education

Upcoming Events

Digital Thinking: NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Higher Education Edition

Best Practices Online: Lectures Using Blackboard Collaborate

Blackboard News: May Upgrade & New Video Tool

App Review: CloudOn

News from ITS: Kivuto

New in CIRT: More New Faces

Developing An Instructional Video For Educators On Blogging, Amal Ali Alsubki

Theses Digitization Project

This project explored teacher 's use of blogging as a discussion forum that facilitates group exchanges, develop teachers' skills in a new teaching environment, and motivate students toward a higher, more technologically based learning process.

Using Technology To Increase Parental Involvement In Elementary School, Scott Thomas Neuscheler

Theses Digitization Project

Summary.;The purpose of this project was to develop an entertaining and informative way of communicating school expectations to students and parents, and to create an atmosphere where parents want to participate in school events. The DVD targeted parents who were unaware of programs offered at the school, lacks the tools to help their students with homework, as well as parents who wanted to participate but did not know where to start.

Online Examination System, Yuvesh Kumar Singh

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project focused on how to implement a secure environment for online-examination in an academic and business environment without the need of any special network topologies and hardware devices. It will not only reduce the instructor's load, but will also enhance the system flexibility to fit every instructor's needs and from the examinees point of view. Contains source code.

Creating Quality School Websites, Eman Essa Aldhafiri

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project is to develop a template and video presentation to assist schools to develop and create high quality websites. Creating a good website has become increasingly important for educational institutions. The school website is an educational tool that can enhance the role of teachers, students, and parents.

Gradeboard: A Cloud-Based Solution For A Student Grading System, Manoj Kulkarni

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of the GradeBoard application is to develop a mobile application as a front end to interact with data stored in a cloud-based system. It leverages cloud computing features such as auto-scaling, load-balancing and NoSQL data stores. The GradeBoard application helps instructors keep track of student activities and gives students an opportunity to know how they are performing by comparing their grades with other students through a game-like leader board interface, thus creating a competitive environment in the class. Contains source code.

A Viewpoint Of Tanzania E-Commerce And Implementation Barriers, George S. Oreku, Fredrick Mtenzi, Ali Al Dahoud

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

The growing rate of ICT utilization particularly the Internet and mobile phones has influenced at an exponential rate online interaction and communication among the generality of the populace. However, with the enormity of businesses on the Internet, Tanzania is yet to harness the opportunities for optimal financial gains. This study is exploratory in nature as it attempts to unveil the prospects of e-commerce implementation, participation, motivation and opportunity to the developing countries like Tanzania where by the domestic market is very big to ensure the growth of agricultural sector. The paper proposes to investigate the ability of consumers to purchase …

The Design And Implementation Of An Online Professional Development Program For Future Online Educators : A Case Study, Joy Quah

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study examines the practices of an instructor who designed and instantiated an online professional development program to foster expertise in online instructional design. The main purpose of this study is to investigate how her application of technological affordances may inform a re-examination of Cognitive Apprenticeship (Collins, Brown, & Newman, 1989). This theory was formulated to guide the design and research of a workshop-based learning environment that support students in thinking, problem-solving and accomplishing tasks like practitioners in the field. Since the theory was proposed prior to the advent of online teaching and learning, there is a need to reconsider …

Caring In A Technology-Mediated Online High School Context, Andrea Velasquez, Charles R. Graham, Richard Osguthorpe

Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to describe how caring is experienced in the technology-mediated context of the Open High School in Utah, an online charter high school. Two female teachers, two male students, and two female students were interviewed three times over 9 months regarding their experience of caring teacher–student interactions. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Discovered themes were then organized into three superordinate themes: engrossment, motivational displacement, and reciprocity. Results suggest not only that caring interactions are possible in the online context, but also that specific caring pedagogies can strengthen the teacher–student relationship online. Additionally, …

The Nature Of Adolescent Learner Interaction In A Virtual High School Setting, J. Borup, Charles R. Graham, R.S. Davies

Faculty Publications

This study used survey data to measure the effect of learners’ reported interactions with content, peers, and instructors on several course outcomes in two virtual high school courses that emphasized interactive learning. Surveys found that the large majority of students viewed all investigated types of interaction as educational and motivational. Students perceived learner–instructor and learner–content interactions to have significantly higher educational value (a < 0.01) than learner–learner interactions, and viewed learner–instructor interaction to be significantly more motivational (a < 0.01) than learner–content interaction. Furthermore, nine significant correlations were found involving the time students reported spending on human interaction and course outcomes. Seven of the significant correlations were related to the time students reported spending in human interaction and the more affective outcomes, such as course satisfaction and disposition towards the subject area. Outcomes also indicate that learner–learner interaction had higher correlations with course outcomes than learners’ interactions with the content or their instructor. Students’ perceived learning was not significantly correlated with any type of interaction, and only students’ total reported time spent on learner– learner interaction and students’ social learner–learner interaction were significantly correlated with their grade.

A Framework For Institutional Adoption And Implementation Of Blended Learning In Higher Education, Charles R. Graham, Wendy Woodfield, J. Buckley Harrison

Faculty Publications

There has been rapid growth in blended learning implementation and research focused on course-level issues such as improved learning outcomes, but very limited research focused on institutional policy and adoption issues. More institutional-level blended learning research is needed to guide institutions of higher education in strategically adopting and implementing blended learning on campus. This research investigates six cases of institutional adoption of blended learning to examine the key issues that can guide university administrators interested in this endeavor. Cases were selected to represent institutions at various stages of blended learning adoption including (1) awareness/exploration, (2) adoption/early implementation, and (3) mature …

A Webquest For The Instruction Of Appropriate Online Behavior, Susan Heilig

Graduate Research Papers

The requirements of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and the expectations of the Iowa Department of Education's (2012) Iowa Core Curriculum 21st Century Skills increase the importance of having an organized collection of resources to teach Internet safety. These requirements and the literature reviewed confirmed the importance of preparing students to use the Internet safely and ethically and be productive digital citizens. While the teachers in the Calamus-Wheatland School District were already instructing students in appropriate online behavior, there wasn't an organized Internet Safety resource that could be used effectively within the time limits of the scheduled computer classes. …

Gendered Narratives Of Innovation Through Competition: Lessons From Science And Technology Studies, Scout Calvert

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Library and information science is a technologically intensive profession with a high percentage of women, unlike computer science and other male-dominated fields. On the occasion of the 2011 Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) conference, this essay analyzes the theme “Competitiveness and Innovation” through a review of social psychology and science and technology studies literature. Both theme concepts have ramifications for library and information science (LIS) education. Librarianship and teaching are both professions that resist commodification because they rely on embodied labor and personal interaction. Competition, as a management or learning style, may not promote meaningful innovation in …

Don't Just Cover The Engineering Design Process, Patent It!, Philip A. Reed

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article discusses the importance of understanding intellectual property (IP) concept for students of engineering design process. It highlights that IP classification are of four types which includes patent, trademarks and copyright. The article further offers brief information on process of obtaining a utility patent for technological inventions.

Virtual World Problem-Centered Challenge Evaluation, Jennifer A. Maddrell, Ginger S. Watson, Gary R. Morrison

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This paper describes the two-year implementation evaluation of a problem-based engineering design challenge held in a virtual world. The team-based challenge was designed and facilitated by an aerospace research and education institute for middle and high school student competitors in both classrooms and afterschool programs across the U.S. An independent evaluation team examined participant experiences to consider the strengths of the challenge, as well as recommendations to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of future challenges. Overall, the evaluation team found that the problem-centered design challenge offered the student competitors a unique and valuable opportunity to engage in real-life science and …

Designing Microblogging-Based Class Activities With Twiducate, Tian Luo, Fei Gao

STEMPS Faculty Publications

[First paragraph] Microblogging tools such as Twitter have been frequently adopted in educational setting to facilitate learning in recent years. Although the original purpose of microblogging tools is to connect with others in a wide network and instantly share what is happening to them with the rest of the world, educators have vigorously attempted to repurpose the utilization of the tool and integrate it into various educational settings to promote student learning.

Part One: An Instructional Module Template For Orientation To The Situated Practice Of Oral Communication Online In The Community College, Martha A. Lane

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The community college serves a diverse student population with numerous programs and degrees designed to complete general education requirements and prepare students for job placement. As these students enter their anticipated occupation, most are unprepared for the oral skill requirements of their new job. They lack confidence to navigate any number of scenarios demanding interpersonal poise, teamwork, conflict resolution, presentation skills, and other occupation-specific speaking tasks. Since many of these degrees and certificates are offered partially or completely online, this Project presents a practical means of introducing speaking skills into the coursework of the growing online learning environment. The research …

Parental Communication And The Impact On Student Performance, Nicholas K. Schreck

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

In the 1980s Epstein (1987) established that the more parents were involved in their child's education, the more likely that student was to succeed academically. Since then, scholars have evaluated how parents can become further involved to improve student scores, but there has been little research as to how the teachers and parents can effectively communicate using computer-mediated communication (CMC). By tying together research on both virtual communities and student achievement through Walther's Social Information Processing Theory, the research aimed to evaluate whether the successes of parental involvement in education could be achieved through the Internet. In this study, a …

The Benefits And Challenges Of Mobile Learning, Helen Crompton

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Systems Simulation Using Promodel: An Online Teaching Method, Gustavo Sioni Bosoli

Masters Theses

This study was designed with the purpose to create an online method to deploy the concepts and practical knowledge necessary for the course System Simulation {TEC 5523) offered by Eastern Illinois University. The course is currently offered on a hybrid format, with part of it being ministered in the classroom and the remaining on the online environment. This research focused on creating a set of multimedia and step-by-step lessons aimed to substitute the part of the course that demands the students to be present in the classroom. These lessons were developed based on exercises from the textbook currently used for …

An Analysis Of Research Trends In Dissertations And Theses Studying Blended Learning, Jeffrey S. Drysdale, Charles R. Graham, Kristian J. Spring, Lisa R. Halverson

Faculty Publications

This article analyzes the research of 205 doctoral dissertations and masters' theses in the domain of blended learning. A summary of trends regarding the growth and context of blended learning research is presented. Methodological trends are described in terms of qualitative, inferential statistics, descriptive statistics, and combined approaches to data analysis. Research topics are divided into nine topics (learner outcomes, dispositions, instructional design, interaction, comparison, demographics, technology, professional development, and other), each containing several sub-topics. Patterns in these topics are analyzed to identify gaps in research and to highlight opportunities for future research as the field of blended learning continues …