Instructional Media Design Commons^™

The Effects Of Synchronous Class Sessions On Students' Academic Achievement And Levels Of Satisfaction In An Online Introduction To Computers Course, Andrea Leshea

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quasi-experimental static-group comparison study was to test the theory of transactional distance that relates the inclusion of synchronous class sessions into an online introductory computer course to students' levels of satisfaction and academic achievement at a post-secondary technical college. This study specifically looked at the effects of adding live, synchronous class sessions into an online learning environment using collaboration software such as Blackboard Collaborate and the impact that this form of live interaction had on students' overall levels of satisfaction and academic achievement with the course. A quasi-experiment using the post-test only, static-group comparison design was …

Computer Access, Teacher Skills And Motivation To Take Online Professional Development In The Riyadh School District, Haya Mohammad Albrkhil

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eight hundred Saudi Arabia educators from the Riyadh District participated in this study to determine teachers' access to computers, computer skill level and motivation to enroll in online courses pertaining to professional development. Participants, who were chosen according to a stratified sampling technique, completed a survey which provided the data for the study.

The correlation between the motivation to take online courses and the computer skill perception of participants was weak but statistically significant indicating that as the rate of computer skills perception increases, the rate of motivation to take online classes increases as well. Other factors pertaining to increased …

Online Attrition At A Community College In Rural Appalachia: A Phenomenological Approach, Victoria Sue Ratliff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The education attainment level of residents in rural Appalachia has consistently ranked below the remaining populous of the United States. Although distance education initiatives have attempted to bridge the disparities between rural Appalachia and the rest of the nation, online community college students in this region are likely to drop out or fail their classes. To understand the phenomenon of online attrition in rural Appalachia, a phenomenological study was conducted to determine what students experienced from the time they chose to enroll in online classes through the point of failure or withdrawal from their courses. This triangulated study utilized surveys, …

Teacher Design Using Online Learning Resources: A Comparative Case Study Of Science And Mathematics Teachers, Mimi Recker

Mimi Recker

Using a comparative case study design, this paper explores the impacts of a technology-related professional development (TTPD) design aimed at helping science and mathematics teachers design classroom activities using the wealth of resources available on the Internet. Using the lens of curricular adaption and the notion of teachers’ varying pedagogical design capacity, we analyzed the experiences of four teachers in terms of the kinds of instructional activities teachers designed, how these were supported with online resources, and teachers’ perceptions of impacts on student learning. Findings suggested that participants used a variety of personally relevant design strategies when applying TTPD concepts …

Teacher Design Using Online Learning Resources: A Comparative Case Study Of Science And Mathematics Teachers, Mimi Recker

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Using a comparative case study design, this paper explores the impacts of a technology-related professional development (TTPD) design aimed at helping science and mathematics teachers design classroom activities using the wealth of resources available on the Internet. Using the lens of curricular adaption and the notion of teachers’ varying pedagogical design capacity, we analyzed the experiences of four teachers in terms of the kinds of instructional activities teachers designed, how these were supported with online resources, and teachers’ perceptions of impacts on student learning. Findings suggested that participants used a variety of personally relevant design strategies when applying TTPD concepts …