Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Social Construction Of Knowledge In A Semiformal, Long -Term Learning Environment: A Qualitative Study, Alycia Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social learning plays a critical role in cognitive apprenticeship, community of practice, and knowledge production theories. Gunawardena's interaction analysis model, which provides a means of evaluating discourse for social construction of knowledge, is comprised of five phases: (a) sharing and comparing, (b) disagreement, (c) negotiation and co-construction of new knowledge, (d) testing of knew knowledge, and (e) use or phrasing of new knowledge. There is a paucity of research that has empirically explored social construction of knowledge, especially in an extended semiformal asynchronous graduate learning experience. This study explored two research questions: whether social construction of knowledge took place, and …

Social Work Field Instructors' Perceptions Of On-Line Training, Denise E. Dedman

Dissertations

Social work has recently identified the field placement as the signature pedagogy of the profession, yet little has been done to identify the best means of training field instructors to supervise students in their field placements. This study addressed attitudes and perceptions of social work field instructors regarding on-line training in their roles. While previous studies of university social work program field placement directors had been conducted, there exist no broad studies of the field instructors' perceptions. Some earlier qualitative studies of field instructors identified time constraints as a significant issue in their willingness to continue accepting interns. This, along …

School-Based Community Television, John Kotarski

Wayne State University Theses

This thesis develops a new model for teaching media literacy through school-based community television. It traces the history of television from its use as a military and commercial vehicle intended for control of many by a few, to Internet enabled television produced by individuals for personal expression or amusement. In addition, it traces the criticism of commercial media from post-World War II to the present through writings of philosophers like Martin Heidegger and Herbert Marcuse as well as social critics Noam Chomsky, Neil Postman, Todd Gitlin, and Susan Jacoby. Finally, the thesis details the author's personal experience adapting high school …

A Study Of West Virginia Secondary Public School Library Media Centers And Library Media Specialists And Their Use Of 21st Century Technology Tools, Kimberly Ann Bickel Sigman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Twenty-first century learning, learning that teaches global and wellness awareness, and civic and business literacy, is essential for students to become vital, contributing members of society. In order for students to participate in an environment of 21st century learning, the attainment of 21st century skills is essential. Twenty-first century skills encourage students to collaborate, communicate, critically think, and reflect. Such skills involve the use of technology tools – 21stcentury tools – which include computers, Internet, production software, and communication processes. Literature establishes school library media centers as sites where students find many types of 21st century tools. Staffed by school …

Strategies For Improving Instruction & Services To English Language Learners In The High School Library Media Center, Eileen Ray

All Graduate Projects

One of the biggest challenges facing librarians in schools today is working with students who are just learning the English language. An extensive body of literature and research related to school library media centers and English Language Learners was reviewed to address this challenge. On the basis of this research, a handbook was created to help fill the gap between the instruction librarians receive in library methodology courses and the reality in which librarians work every day. The handbook includes eight strategies addressing four areas of need: information literacy instruction, the promotion ofliteracy, the development of technological skills and the …

Exploratory Learning: The Digital Recorder Project: An Investigation Into A Student Designed Project For Finding And Addressing Esl Students’ Listening And Speaking Needs, Joel Cooke

MA TESOL Collection

The Digital Recorder Project was designed to present students with an opportunity to design and implement, as a class, a project that would address speaking and listening issues they experience as ESL students. Each student was required to observe their own speaking via a self-created digital recording and in conjunction with the class, design a unique, individualized method to work on issues he or she identified. This document will present the observations and conclusions about the nature of such a project from the teacher’s perspective. In addition, the paper will use transcripts of class recordings as a means of placing …

Neurolinguistic Programming As Observational And Mediational Strategies In Teaching Primary-Level English As A Second Language, Amber Lee Hishmeh

Theses Digitization Project

This project serves as a resource for kindergarten ESL educators to explore more creative multisensory teaching strategies. The five methodologies presented are Neurolinguistic Programming, Suggestopedia, music, storytelling and Total Physical Response.

A Comparison Of Traditional Versus Computerized Anxiety Assessment Using Personal Digital Assistants, Wesley Alan Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The usage of the personal computer has become more prevalent in the field of psychology. The advent of the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) has opened a new area of possible clinical application. These pen-based devices allow for a more natural interface and more mobility. The feasibility and application of the PDA for personality assessment will be examined in this study. Does having a test administered by a PDA lead to a significant change in response patterns compared to a test administered by the traditional pen and paper method? The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the anxiety …

Let’S Play Cards. Grammar Is Fun. (How And Why I Have Taught English To My Students), Tomi Yukimune

MA TESOL Collection

In Japan, most students have to memorize grammar rules to pass entrance examinations to high schools as well as universities. As speaking skills are not required in those exams, many students regard grammar as nothing but rote learning. However, grammar is not dried bones but a vivid creature, which can be formed by students. Grammar can be learned with the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing), which is addressing diverse learning styles. It can be taught with stories, poems, plays, songs, games, puppets, picture books, and playing cards. Once students learn the rules of grammar, they will be able to …

Lingualib: Linguistic Liberation For The First Year Spanish Student, M. Theresa Cordell

MA TESOL Collection

LinguaLib: Linguistic Liberation for the First Year Spanish Student This variation of Mad Libs (a popular party game in the United States) is best suited for middle high school and first year Spanish students who are learning basic vocabulary and grammatical structures. This supplemental material focuses on vocabulary and form; it also elaborates on the culture lessons introduced in most textbooks of this level. The student’s interest and self-expression is piqued when they are invited to alter the authentic meaning of an incomplete text, into their own text, which conveys an improbable message. Students are encouraged to choose from acquired …

Integrating Technology Into The English As A Second Language Curriculum: Computer-Assisted English Language Learning, Ibrahem Rotha Pen

Theses Digitization Project

The project integrates computer technology with English as a second language curriculum and instruction. It utilizes the World Wide Web to deliver computer-assisted instruction in English grammar, reading and conversation. Moreover, the project shows the impact of computer technology in helping students develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and meaningful and applicable skills for employment.

Internet-Based Efl University Course Design: Humanistic Considerations, Options And Approaches, Russell Garafalo

MA TESOL Collection

This paper focuses on the developing field of internet-based education as it pertains to the EFL learning environment within the university context. Guidelines and suggestions for approaching EFL course design at the university level are presented in universal terms, with details from one specific Korean university context serving as the experiential touchstone. Humanistic education is the underlying theme of this paper which outlines ways of adapting humanistic learning principles to internet-based classrooms. The learning potential afforded by the internet is weighed against its potential drawbacks. The paper attends to considerations that need to be taken into account at all stages …

Writing On!, Maria Aranda

MA TESOL Collection

This paper describes my participation in the development and implementation of an online writing program at Associacao Alumni, a Binational Center in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The program, Writing On!, was Alumni’s first of many online programs that was developed by a team of teachers of writing.

In Chapter One, I narrate my first experience with giving feedback online in a writing program designed for a young Brazilian student who needed to improve his academic writing skills in order to study in the U.S.A. this enriching learning experience planted the seeds of Writing On!.

In Chapter Two, I give an overview …

“Pass The Remote…! Interactive Classroom Review For The 21st Century: Bringing Remote Response Pads Into Your Classroom, Lisa Michelle Lucas

MA TESOL Collection

This project describes a form of computer-assisted interactive classroom instruction, which is particularly useful in the ESL context. Not only does this project show how to integrate instruction with ever advancing technology, it also demonstrates how to integrate interactive class work with the diverse and relevant learning styles of each learner in the classroom. This project will show how easy it is to use this technology in conjunction with thematic units or projects-whatever the level of the ESL student. Enclosed are examples of instructional materials, created for the ESL High Beginner and examples of how they relate to the paper …

The Affect Of Writing On The Internet, Jane Hoelker

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is a description of the development, objectives, implementation and results of an advanced composition course conducted on the Internet with IWE (International Writing Exchange) of the Helsinki University of Technology. The purpose of the course was to motivate students of English who were discouraged during the difficult IMF era in Korea in 1998. During the 90's the majority of English Education majors at Pusan National University in Korea had studied and/or traveled overseas for extensive periods of time during their undergraduate career. But, in 1998 opportunities for overseas travel and study had been greatly curtailed due to IMF …

Ethnoquest: An Interactive Multimedia Simulation For Cultural Anthropology Fieldwork, Carey Brunner Van Loon, Frances Berdan, Edward A. Stark

Theses Digitization Project

EthnoQuest, an interactive multimedia CD-ROM simulating a visit to a fictional village named Amopan, was conceived as an adjunct to college-level classroom instruction in introductory anthropology courses. Since these classes typically involve large numbers of students, the logistics on conducting actual fieldwork pose serious problems for instructors and students alike. The conception of an engaging, interactive, accessible learning tool that incorporates appropriate pedagogical principles has found its ultimate expression in EthnoQuest.

Factors Contributing To The Use Of Computer-Based Information Systems In Student Services, Genene Marie Demaio

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine what factors facilitate and what factors inhibit computer use in the Student Affairs Divisions of James Madison University (JMU), Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI), and Mary Washington College (MWC).;The population for this study was student affairs officials and related personnel deliberately selected from three Virginia public institutions.;The following conclusions were drawn from the findings of this study. (1) MWC is in the beginning stages of automation, JMU is moving in the direction of state-of-art technology while VPI's current status has reached the level regarded as state-of-art. (2) The status of CBISs at MWC, …

On The Radio: Using Radio In Esl Classes, Mary Ann Barnes

MA TESOL Collection

Recent studies have brought about an increased awareness of the need for better listening comprehension skills among ESL students, and as a result there is heightened interest in the use of live language in the classroom. Radio is a highly accessible and versatile source of such, providing the student with a limitless supply of current language. This paper focuses on the use of radio as a live language tool. Included in the paper are a rationale for using radio; a description of the author's work with commercials, news and weather reports; specific lesson plans; guidelines for using radio as a …

Teaching Self-Protective Behaviors To Preschool Children Using A Videotape Training Program, Paul James Yoder

Masters Theses

This study investigated the effectiveness of a videotape training program to teach self-protective skills to preschool children. Children were taught to say, "I have to ask my teacher/parent," and to run to their teacher/parent when presented with one of two lures commonly used by child molesters. The videotape incorporated the direct instructional techniques of active pupil responding; the model, lead, and test format; and use of minimally different stimuli to teach children to discriminate between correct and incorrect responses. The results showed that although none of the subjects showed any improvement in responding after only one viewing, five of the …

A Program For Teaching Media Research Skills To Sixth And Seventh Grade Students In The Eastmont Middle School, Sally Hawkins Cooper

All Graduate Projects

This paper presents a program for teaching media/research skills by integrating them with study assignments in curricular areas developed by classroom teachers. It is planned to be carried out in the Instructional Resource Center with both the classroom teacher and the librarian present. Evaluation is provided for student diagnosis and program improvement. Recommendations include the adoption of this program for the Eastmont Middle School.

Speech Library Series: Formulation And Utilization, Johnn Edward Malloy

Masters Theses

School District 205 has erased a large portion of their videotaped library on advice of the district lawyer. This field study is a three-pronged effort: (1) to conduct a survey among district faculty to discover the attitudes toward the usefulness of a series of ten videotaped programs depicting excellent speech communication models performing in three basic areas--acting, interpretation, and public address, (2) to produce these ten programs and add them to the library, and (3) to survey selected groups of students to aquire their reactions to the tapes.

The faculty survey shows that the programs would be of value for …

Curriculum For High School Students Who Are Responsible For Elementary Library Services, Delitha Carpenter

All Graduate Projects

In order to alleviate some of the workload from the sole librarian of the Hartline School District in Eastern Washington, high school students were utilized as library aides. However, that created another problem which was how to efficiently train the student librarians. From this need, a curriculum was designed for teaching library aides for regular, clerical duties, to tell stories to the elementary students, and to aid in the typing and filing of catalog cards.

The Establishment Of Educational Television Station Kyve-Tv On Channel 47, Donald Forrest Ide

All Master's Theses

The purpose of the study was to define the individual and collective roles of various persons and organizations as well as of equipment, real estate, and finance in the establishment of educational television station KYVE-TV at Yakima, Washington. The study of the establishment of a new educational television station not only would reveal the various aspects of its operational status, but also would reveal the initial investment in terms of effort, finance, and gifts that brought it into existence.