Instructional Media Design Commons^™

Mollenhauer & Forgotten Connections: An Intellectual/Biographical Sketch, Norm Friesen

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Klaus Mollenhauer was born in 1928 in Berlin. Like other Germans born at the end of the 1920s (e.g., Jürgen Habermas), Mollenhauer was forced to join the German army as a teenager at the end of the Second World War. After he was captured by the Soviets and imprisoned for almost seven weeks by British forces, Mollenhauer returned to school in 1946. Then he attended the College of Education in Göttingen in what was then West Germany. When asked about an underlying theme in his life’s work, Mollenhauer responded by re-stating a question originally formulated by hermeneutician Friedrich Schleiermacher: “I …

Establishing An Equitable And Fair Admissions System For An Online Doctoral Program, Ross A. Perkins, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The field of educational technology has seen marked growth from just a small number of distance-based doctoral programs to nearly 20 today. Creating and sustaining a quality doctoral program of any kind requires a substantial amount of work; the additional challenges of online programs both increases and changes the nature of the efforts required. Among these challenges is creating an admissions process that treats people fairly, does not create a burdensome system for applicants or those involved in the selection process, and ensures the selection of a solid foundation of high quality candidates with whom faculty can mentor, who add …

Exploring The Impact Of Role-Playing On Peer Feedback In An Online Case-Based Learning Activity, Yu-Hui Ching

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study explored the impact of role-playing on the quality of peer feedback and learners’ perception of this strategy in a case-based learning activity with VoiceThread in an online course. The findings revealed potential positive impact of role-playing on learners’ generation of constructive feedback as role-playing was associated with higher frequency of problem identification in the peer comments. Sixty percent of learners perceived the role-play strategy useful in assisting them to compose and provide meaningful feedback. Multiple motivations drove learners in making decisions on role choice when responding to their peers, mostly for peer benefits. Finally, 90% of learners reported …

Telepresence And Tele-Absence: A Phenomenology Of The (In)Visible Alien Online, Norm Friesen

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

“The problem, actually, does not lie in telepresence, which amplifies our own possibilities to the level where distance is abolished; but in tele-absence, which withdraws from its own access.”

(Waldenfels, 2009, p. 110)

Proliferating media forms, from tablets to Twitter, are changing communicative practice, delimiting new experiential horizons, and thus providing phenomenological research with novel variations on the experience of self and other. Videoconferencing via Skype or FaceTime offers prominent examples of these changing forms. Despite the use of these communication technologies in both educational contexts and everyday life, educational videoconferencing has been described in the research literature as “a …

Research Priorities In Mobile Learning: An International Delphi Study, Yu-Chang Hsu, Yu-Hui Ching, Chareen Snelson

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Along with advancing mobile technologies and proliferating mobile devices and applications, mobile learning research has gained great momentum in recent years. While there have been review articles summarizing past research, studies identifying mobile learning research priorities based on experts’ latest insights have been lacking. This study employed the Delphi method to obtain a consensus from experts about areas that are most in need of research in mobile learning. An international expert panel participated in a three-round Delphi process involving two cycles of online questionnaires and feedback reports. Participants responded to the question, “What should be the research priorities for the …

Review Of Educational Research Methods In Desktop Virtual World Environments: Framing The Past To Provide Future Direction, Dennis Beck, Ross A. Perkins

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article describes educational research methodologies being used in the investigation and evaluation of desktop virtual world environments (DVWEs) as used to teach a variety of subjects in higher education. Ellis’ research framework on innovations (2005) and Reeves and Hedberg’s research goals (2003) were used as lenses to examine the state of educational research methods within DVWEs. An extensive search that resulted in 127 peer-reviewed papers chosen, was carried out to locate journal articles in the fields of educational technology, computer science and information systems, virtual reality/virtual worlds/gaming, science and health education, human-computer interaction, media and communications, psychology, social science, …

Research And History Of Policies In K-12 Online And Blended Learning, Kerry Rice

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This chapter provides a historical review of U. S. education policy from its earliest inception to the present day with a focus on policy developments in the 21st century that have influenced the growth and development of online and blended education and those that we can foresee will have the greatest impact moving forward. 21st century policies are synthesized into themes of Online and Distance Learning, Accountability, Innovation and Reform, and Teacher Preparation.

Making Personal And Professional Learning Mobile: Blending Mobile Devices, Social Media, Social Networks, And Mobile Apps To Support Ples, Plns, & Prolns, Michael Grant, Yu-Chang Hsu

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mobile technologies have become an integrated, or inseparable, part of individuals’ daily lives for work, play, and learning. While social networking has been important and in practice in our society even before human civilization and certainly prior to the advent of computers, nowadays, the opportunities and venues of building a network are unprecedented. Currently, the opportunities and tools to build a network to support personal and professional learning are enabled by mobile technologies (e.g., mobile apps, devices, and services), web-based applications (e.g., Diigo and RSS readers), and social-networking applications and services (e.g., Facebook, Google+, and Twitter). The purpose of this …

Peer Feedback To Facilitate Project-Based Learning In An Online Environment, Yu-Hui Ching, Yu-Chang Hsu

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

There has been limited research examining the pedagogical benefits of peer feedback for facilitating project-based learning in an online environment. Using a mixed method approach, this paper examines graduate students’ participation and perceptions of peer feedback activity that supports project-based learning in an online instructional design course. Our findings indicate that peer feedback can be implemented in an online learning environment to effectively support project-based learning. Students actively participated in the peer feedback activity and responded positively about how the peer feedback activity facilitated their project-based learning experiences. The results of content analysis exploring the peer feedback reveal that learners …

Learning Analytics: Readiness And Rewards, Norm Friesen

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper introduces the relatively new field of learning analytics, first by considering the relevant meanings of both “learning” and “analytics,” and then by looking at two main levels at which learning analytics can be or has been implemented in educational organizations. Although turnkey systems or modules are not yet available for review, specific technologies for analyzing online student activities have been implemented and piloted. As a result, this paper recommends an incremental approach to institutional preparedness.

Mobile App Design For Teaching And Learning: Educators’ Experiences In An Online Graduate Course, Yu-Chang Hsu, Yu-Hui Ching

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This research explored how educators with limited programming experiences learned to design mobile apps through peer support and instructor guidance. Educators were positive about the sense of community in this online course. They also considered App Inventor a great web-based visual programming tool for developing useful and fully functioning mobile apps. They had great sense of empowerment through developing unique apps by using App Inventor. They felt their own design work and creative problem solving were inspired by the customized mobile apps shared by peers. The learning activities, including sharing customized apps, providing peer feedback, composing design proposals, and keeping …

Development Of A Scale For Fantasy State In Digital Games, Beomkyu Choi, Jie Huang, Annie Jeffrey, Youngkyun Baek

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Digital games appear to motivate players intrinsically. Of various game features, fantasy in particularly plays a crucial role in enhancing motivation and is a key factor in immersion in gameplay. As with its inherent value, fantasy also plays a vital role in distinguishing digital games itself from other media. Despite its significance, fantasy has received little attention, and this concept is still ambiguous to define with any certainty. This study thus aims to create a framework to explore a dimension of fantasy and to develop a scale to measure a state of fantasy in digital games. As a result, four …

Collaborative Learning Using Voicethread In An Online Graduate Course, Yu-Hui Ching, Yu-Chang Hsu

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Collaborative learning enables participants in a learning community to externalize and share knowledge, experiences, and practice. However, collaborative learning in an online environment can be challenging due to the lack of face-to face interaction. This current study examined twenty graduate students’ experiences of using VoiceThread for a collaborative activity in an entirely online course to explore students’ perceptions of using multi-modal communication for collaboration and knowledge sharing. The results of this study revealed that graduate students had very positive experiences toward using VoiceThread for collaborative learning. The participants found VoiceThread easy to learn and use, and reported that audio and …

Using A Learner-Centered Approach To Develop An Educational Technology Course, Mariam Abdelmalak, Jesús Trespalacios

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The article explores the structure of a graduate educational technology course that used a learner-centered approach to prepare students to be independent responsible learners. Key features of this approach were the balance of power between the instructor and students, involving students in decision-making about their learning, sharing the responsibility for learning between the instructor and students, and using students' needs and interests in the course content. The article describes how the decision-making power was shared between the instructor and students, as well as how students responded to the course structure. This work has implications for creating learner-centered environments in which …

Leading A Multiple Project Mobile Learning Initiative: The Approach At Boise State University, Susan E. Shadle, Ross A. Perkins, Doug J. Lincoln, Michael J. Humphrey, R. Eric Landrum

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many colleges and universities have launched wide-ranging, device-specific mobile initiatives or invested substantial resources to make services mobile friendly in a platform-neutral manner. For others, a more measured approach toward integration of mobile devices can be a reasonable and pragmatic way forward. Faculty and staff from a number of units within Boise State University convened in Fall 2010 to develop a series of specific recommendations that would allow for the development of one or more innovative, technology-based projects across campus. In 2011, the task force submitted a proposal titled “Mobile-Learning for Boise State: A Proposal to Catalyze Transformation in Teaching …

Scholarship And Literacies In A Digital Age, Norm Friesen, Lesley Gourlay, Martin Oliver

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

There is growing interest in the impact of digital technologies on meaning-making practices and identity in education, which has been explored via the related concepts of ‘digital scholarship’ and ‘digital literacies’. However, to date, much published work in this area has been descriptive, identifying possibilities or promoting specific kinds of intervention. Far rarer is work that develops concepts, links to research outside of the field of learning technology or work that uses new data to challenge existing orthodoxies.

Rethinking Fantasy As A Contributor To Intrinsic Motivation In Digital Gameplay, Beomkyu Choi, Youngkyun Baek

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Playing digital games is a part of life for current natives. Games make people engrossed, and are optimized environments where fun prevails. Of making people motivated in gameplay, fantasy is a paramount element. Research has discovered that fantasy plays a critical role in enhancing intrinsic motivation. This chapter thus revisits the role of fantasy while playing digital games, focusing on what brings a state of fantasy in a gaming world. Specifically, the purpose of this chapter is to probe factors creating fantasy state while gameplay. To this end, 153 junior high students aged from 11 to 13 were participated in …

What Was Your Best Learning Experience? Our Story About Using Stories To Solve Instructional Problems, Joanna C. Dunlap, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

“Theory? What does this have to do with anything we’re doing?” Sound familiar? Students may not always verbalize this, but they often think it, especially in courses where the emphasis is on the development of technical skills and the application of those skills to the building of products. Presenting theory in a way that is relevant and engaging can be challenging under these circumstances. This article describes how we addressed this challenge by involving students in an analysis of their “best learning experiences” stories, and then helped them apply their discoveries to the products they built.

An Educational Data Mining Model For Online Teaching And Learning, Jui-Long Hung, Kerry Rice, Anthony Saba

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study contains two major parts. First, this study proposed a generic model for Educational Data Ming (EDM) studies by reviewing EDM literature and the existing data mining model. Second, the procedures of the EDM model are demonstrated with a case study approach. The case study results showed patterns and relationships discovered from the EDM model that could be applied to improve online teaching and learning and to predict students’ academic performances.

Technology-Supported Storytelling (Tsst) Strategy In Virtual World For Multicultural Education, Jie Huang, Youngkyun Baek, Jungwon Cho

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Learning culture through stories is an effective way for multicultural education, since stories are one of the most powerful and personal ways that we learn about the world. Storytelling, the process of telling stories, is a form of communication and a universal expression of culture. With the development of technology, storytelling emerges out of diverse ways. This study explores the storytelling in virtual worlds for multicultural education, and devises a Technology-Supported storytelling (TSST) strategy by examining and considering the characteristics of virtual worlds which could be incorporated into the storytelling, and then uses this strategy to teach Korean culture to …

Which Conference Do You Attend?: A Look At The Conference Attendance Of Educational Technology Professionals, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Educational technology professionals attend conferences each year. Many have funds to attend at most 1-2 conferences each year. As a result, educational technology professionals must make a decision of which conferences to attend. The following article reports on what conferences other educational technology professionals attend.

Mobile Microblogging: Using Twitter And Mobile Devices In An Online Course To Promote Learning In Authentic Contexts, Yu-Chang Hsu, Yu-Hui Ching

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This research applied a mixed-method design to explore how best to promote learning in authentic contexts in an online graduate course in instructional message design. The students used Twitter apps on their mobile devices to collect, share, and comment on authentic design examples found in their daily lives. The data sources included tweets (i.e., postings on Twitter), students' perceptions about mobile microblogging activities, and self-reported Twitter usage. Based on the tweet analysis, we found that the students appropriately applied the design principles and design terms in their critique of design examples. While the students were mainly engaged in assignment-relevant activities, …

Intentional Web Presence: 10 Seo Strategies Every Academic Needs To Know, Joanna Dunlap, Patrick Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

A little over a year ago The Chronicle of Higher Education published a piece titled "Creating Your Web Presence: A Primer for Academics." We were excited to see some of the strategies Miriam Posner recommended for academics wanting to create and maintain a web presence. We had been doing many of the things Posner recommended, as well as a number of others. Thus, in many ways this article builds on Posner's piece but argues that faculty should be taking even more steps to build, maintain, and ensure that others can find their presence on the web.

Empowering Educators With Google's Android App Inventor: An Online Workshop In Mobile App Design, Yu-Chang Hsu, Kerry Rice, Lisa Dawley

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this report, the authors describe an introductory-level mobile app design workshop developed and offered over six weeks in Summer 2011. We also discuss the challenges and instructional implications derived from our experiences with this workshop.

Microblogging For Strengthening A Virtual Learning Community In An Online Course, Yu-Chang Hsu, Yu-Hui Ching

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper examines how a microblogging tool (i.e., Twitter) can be effectively used to strengthen a virtual learning community (VLC) in the two sections of a fully online graduate course. Students in this course were consisted of K-12 teachers, school technology specialists, corporate trainers, and military personnel. The microblogging activities were designed to allow quick peer interaction to build the momentum of social learning in the VLC. In this study, we collected quantitative data on sense of community through a Likert scale survey, and rich qualitative data on students' perception about microblogging activities. It was found that students’ sense of …

Exploring Factors Of Media Characteristic Influencing Flow In Learning Through Virtual Worlds, Beomkyu Choi, Youngkyun Baek

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study aims to find out factors of media characteristic which are considered to influence flow in learning through virtual worlds. One hundred ninety eight elementary students who are eleven to twelve years old participated in this study. After the exploratory factor analysis, to extract media characteristics of virtual worlds, seventy-eight elementary students who are eleven years old were used in the analysis of exploring relationships between factors influencing flow.

The results of this study show that distinct media characteristics of virtual worlds affecting engagement were labeled 'interactivity', 'representational fidelity', 'immediacy of communication', 'consistency', and 'persistence' after the exploratory factor …

Situational Qualities Exhibited By Exceptional Presenters, Joanna Dunlap, Patrick Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Bad presentations are commonplace, but rather than focus on what is wrong with bad presentations, the authors looked at what makes an exceptional presentation. They referenced recent work on the aesthetic qualities of learning experiences by Patrick Parrish and others, which describe aesthetic learning experiences as those that involve learners in the right level of challenge and heightened engagement. Aesthetic learning experiences are memorable and often transformative, leaving learners with enhanced confidence and capabilities—the very definition of exceptional. By attending to the situational qualities of aesthetic learning experiences, presenters are more likely to create exceptional presentations that establish relevance and …

Ict International: Developing An “International Issues In Ict” Course, Ross A. Perkins

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Given that educational or instructional technology graduate programs are preparing students to work in a highly connected, global society, faculty should seriously consider adding a course to their curriculum that specifically examines ICT integration in educational or training contexts outside of the nation in which the course is offered. Adding a course that examines international perspectives about ICT for teaching and learning would benefit all students no matter their career trajectory, as the issues to be addressed can provide them with critical perspectives within a comparative framework. This article provides a brief overview of a course that I designed for …

Design-Grounded Assessment: A Framework And A Case Study Of Web 2.0 Practices In Higher Education, Yu-Hui Ching, Yu-Chang Hsu

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper synthesises three theoretical perspectives, including sociocultural theory, distributed cognition, and situated cognition, into a framework to guide the design and assessment of Web 2.0 practices in higher education. In addition, this paper presents a case study of Web 2.0 practices. Thirty-seven online graduate students participated in a small-group collaborative concept mapping activity using Web 2.0 applications (e.g. Webspiration) to construct sophisticated understanding of instructional design processes. The analysis of this case focuses on different assessment strategies adopted to ensure students' successful participation in such technology-rich collaborative context. This case study concludes that a shared goal needs to …

Using Research-Based Practices To Increase Response Rates Of Web-Based Surveys, Ross A. Perkins

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

An office of information technology at any institution of higher education must not only maintain and extend operations and services but also innovate. Under budgetary pressures current and future, goals for support and visioning face increased scrutiny and a demand for return on investment. Decisions, therefore, must be made based on a careful accounting of an organization’s needs — the gap between "what is" and "what is not." Because IT staff serve constituents with a wide range of needs, however, these needs are not always easily identified.

The 2008 IT budget of a midsize state university on the East Coast, …