<p> Despite the robust literature surrounding the benefits of blended learning including improved student learning and positive student perceptions of learning (Bishop &amp; Verleger, 2013; O&rsquo;Flaherty &amp; Phillips, 2015), simply rearranging the structure of activities or incorporating technology does not ensure a more meaningful learning experience (Duffy &amp; McDonald, 2008; Gopal et al., 2010; Lim &amp; Morris, 2009; Mitchell &amp; Honore, 2007; Okojie, Olinzock, &amp; Boulder, 2006). There exists a danger of educators attempting the transition to blended learning without thoroughly understanding how it works (Ash, 2012). Considering the definition of blended learning as &ldquo;the organic integration of thoughtfully selected and complementary F2F and online approaches and technologies&rdquo; (Garrison &amp; Vaughan, 2008, p. 148), achieving meaningful learning in the blended classroom requires intentional design, mindful collaboration, and complete integration between the F2F experience and asynchronous online technology. Therefore, this study aimed to understand how anatomy faculty create meaningful learning spaces within their blended anatomy course. By conducting formal research that is focused on understanding the experiences of anatomy faculty in their blended learning course through the theoretical framework of community of inquiry, collaborative learning, and discovery learning, this study informs current and future undergraduate anatomy education by providing insight into how learning happens within this space.</p><p>

<p> Lack of presence in online courses can result in perceived isolation leading to student dissatisfaction with the learning experience. The purpose of this study was to measure nursing students&rsquo; perceived extent of teaching, social and cognitive presence and course satisfaction in an online undergraduate nursing course, and whether relationships and associations existed between the three presences, course satisfaction, student demographic, academic, and technology variables, and selected instructional strategies. </p><p> The Community of Inquiry theory was the framework used in this descriptive correlational study of RN-BSN students (n= 76). Variables were measured using the <i>Community of Inquiry Survey</i> and the <i>Perceived Student Satisfaction Scale</i> instruments, and a researcher developed survey. </p><p> Findings indicated students&rsquo; perceived teaching and cognitive presence were present to a greater extent than social presence. Significant positive correlations (p &lt; .01) were found between teaching and cognitive presence (r =.79), cognitive and social presence (r =.64), teaching and social presence (r =.52), satisfaction and the teaching (r =.77), social (r =.63), and cognitive (r =.52) presences. There were no significant findings associated with age, ethnicity, race, number of online courses taken, expected course grade or GPA and perceptions of the three presences and course satisfaction. There was a significant difference (<i>p</i> &le; .05) with gender and perceived social presence with male students reporting stronger levels. Students experiencing course technology difficulties reported significantly (<i> p</i> &le; .05) lower perceptions of teaching presence than those experiencing no difficulty. Significant differences (<i>p</i> &le; .05) were found between specific course instructional strategies and each presence and course satisfaction. The findings provide faculty with an understanding of online course management and teaching/learning strategies that may increase students&rsquo; perceptions of presence in online courses and improve student satisfaction with online learning.</p>

<p> School administrators at the research site, which is a public school district, had been under pressure to improve low reading state scores of Grade 11 students as measured by Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests. A web-based reading software called Study Island was integrated into the literacy curriculum for students to increase their reading proficiency and pass PSSA state tests. The research problem was that the integration of Study Island had not been evaluated and students were not meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP). The purpose of this study was to provide research-based evidence on whether Study Island helped students to improve their reading proficiency. This nonequivalent, quasi-experimental study was based on Tomlinson's differentiated instruction theory and Marzano's intelligence theory. Archived PSSA scores were collected for 2 cohorts of Grade 11 students (<i>N</i> = 800), before and after the curricular integration of Study Island between the academic years 2009&ndash;2011 and 2011&ndash;2013. An independent samples <i> t</i> test showed that students' reading proficiency scores were significantly higher after receiving the Stony Island software than they were before the software. These findings can be used by school and district administrators regarding the integration of Study Island into other academic subjects. Implications for positive social change may include professional development (PD) for high school teachers to use Study Island in the academic subjects they teach. PD on Study Island for high school teachers may help students pass PSSA testing, meet AYP, and graduate from high school.</p>

<p>CARRINO, STEPHANIE SEDBERRY, Ph.D. Digital Connection in a Physical Classroom: Clickers and the Student-Teacher Relationship. (2015) Directed by Dr. Kathryn Hytten. 191 pp. Education is fundamentally relational, and the student-teacher relationship is central to student learning. However, high-enrollment classrooms, now common on college campuses, limit student-faculty interaction and opportunities for relationship building. ?Clickers? facilitate communication in large classes, but there is a lack of research on the potential relational functions of this technology. This study addresses this gap in the literature by asking: How might the use of clickers in the classroom contribute to the student-teacher relationship? Employing a mixed-method descriptive research design, I created and analyzed three data sets to respond to this question: I observed 3 large clicker-based classes, surveyed students to explore their perceptions of clicker use and student-teacher relational dimensions, and I interviewed a subset of students for assistance interpreting the results. Data analyses resulted in four general findings: clickers can be used for multiple purposes and ends; clickers facilitate aspects of the student-teacher pedagogical relationship; clicker communication is not perceived as comprising a student-teacher relationship; and clickers are viewed as a tool for collective rather than individual communication and dialogue. Clickers may have value as relational tools, as they facilitate some aspects of the student-teacher relationship. The frame of the technology may explain why only some relational dimensions are facilitated, and not others. More research is needed to explore how clickers and other educational technologies may facilitate the student-teacher relationship.

<p> As we become more advanced technologically in our online educational courses, it is imperative that we also incorporate effective research-based practices such as the use of formative assessment. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of formative self-assessment to academic achievement and self-efficacy in online graduate courses. The research included a review of online education, formative assessment, self-efficacy, and associated learning theories. </p><p> A mixed methods study was used that included quantitative and qualitative data for triangulation of the study results. A correlational research design was used for the quantitative approach and a phenomenological research design was used for the qualitative approach. The correlational research design was chosen to examine the relationships between variables and to describe the current state. The phenomenological research design was chosen because the study was focused on the relationship of a particular phenomenon to the participant&rsquo;s cognitive and dispositional experiences. The subjects included students that were enrolled in Master&rsquo;s in Education or Doctor of Education courses from three universities located in Southern California. The methodology included student self-assessment through a project rubric, a survey to operationalize academic achievement, and a survey and interviews to operationalize student self-efficacy. While the statistical findings did not reflect strong correlations, the non-statistical findings reflected a positive relationship between formative self-assessment as it related to academic achievement and student self-efficacy in online graduate programs. Formative self-assessment provides online educators with a tool to enhance the course effectiveness and the overall learning process.</p><p>

<p> This exploratory dissertation investigates and describes 1) the habits of U.S. college students&rsquo; use of mobile devices in the classroom, and 2) U.S. college students&rsquo; perceptions on policy which bans mobile device usage in the classroom. The study also examines how students&rsquo; demographics influence their usage of mobile devices in the classroom and perceptions on the banning policy. The purpose of this study was to determine how frequently college students self-reported the use of mobile devices in the classroom whether for communication or for activities unrelated to class content and how college students feel about policies banning the use of such devices during class. </p><p> The following research questions framed this quantitative methods study: 1. To what extent do college students use their personal mobile device(s) during class for activities that are not related to class content? 2. Which mobile device activities not related to class content do college student access most often during class time? 3. To what extent do college students feel that mobile devices are a distraction from learning during class time? 4. How do college students perceive banning of mobile device use during class time? 5. To what extent are student demographics related to attitude about mobile devices in college classrooms? </p><p> This study utilized descriptive statistical analysis to summarize and analyze the survey results that were collected from 584 randomly selected U.S. college students. A questionnaire with 13 questions was distributed and collected through SurveyMonkey to the target audience who are: 1) 18&ndash;39 years old, 2) college students, and 3) studying in U.S. The survey results indicated a majority of college students don&rsquo;t perceive using a personal mobile device during class as a substantial distraction nor did the students who completed the survey prefer their instructors implement a policy banning the use of mobile devices for personal reasons in the classroom. In addition, the study found that most students use their personal mobile devices in the classroom for text messaging, social networking, and checking e-mail as those activities not related to the class content.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this dissertation was to study perceptions of faculty and administrators at institutions of higher education on copyright ownership of faculty-created digital course content. The central question for this study was: Who had copyright ownership rights of faculty-created digital content and in what manner was copyright ownership developed, implemented, and asserted at institutions of higher education. The five research questions were: (a) How were copyright ownership policies of faculty-created digital content developed and implemented at institutions of higher education?; (b) How were faculty involved in the development of copyright ownership agreements?; (c) What institutional policy and contractual documents contained specific language on copyright ownership rights of faculty-created digital content?; (d) How were institutional assertions of copyright ownership of faculty-created digital content allocated and managed?; (e) How were copyright ownership issues of faculty-created digital content resolved? A descriptive study approach was used to study administrator and faculty perceptions on copyright ownership at five institution types within the State of Texas and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. A total of 100 random faculty and administrator participants were sent the online survey link via e-mail. The online survey included closed-ended and open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results from the closed-ended and open- ended questions. In summary, the findings showed that within the participating respondent groups: (a) Most faculty were not involved in the development of copyright ownership policies; (b) Institutions asserted copyright ownership through some institutional document/policy and not through contractual agreements; and, (c) Copyright ownership issues did not arise between the institution and faculty. With the portability of digital content, and the need to utilize and develop said content within the university setting, more faculty and administrators should be aware of, and be involved in copyright ownership policies. The field of study of copyright ownership in accordance to faculty and administrator digitally created content was limited, and more studies should be conducted with a larger population. </p><p>

<p> Adult online learners represent the largest demographic in higher education. Academic leaders increasingly use non-designer instructors (NDIs) to meet demands. NDIs have little control over course design, part of teaching presence valued by learners. This quantitative, predictive correlational study investigated 1) to what frequency online learners&rsquo; perceptions of their NDIs&rsquo; teaching presence predicted learners&rsquo; cognitive presence; and 2) to what frequency did learners&rsquo; use of instructional media resources moderate that predictive relationship, while enrolled in online courses in a private, non-profit university in the western United States. Using The Community of Inquiry (COI) survey, this study measured learners&rsquo; perceptions of presence as they related to online students&rsquo; learning and use of instructional media. Multiple regression analyses tested both hypotheses (<i>n</i> = 128). The first null hypothesis was rejected revealing NDIs&rsquo; teaching presence significantly predicted 52% of the variance of learners&rsquo; cognitive presence, <i>R</i>² = .524, <i>p</i> &lt; .001, <i>f</i>² = 1.08. These findings expand scientific knowledge to the instructional context of NDIs and confirm prior research that found a similar role for teaching presence on cognitive presence. The study failed to reject the null hypothesis for research question two. Frequencies of instructional media use showed a nonsignificant effect on the predictive role of teaching presence on cognitive presence. Further research could examine the unique contributions of the course design sub-factor of teaching presence in the context of courses taught by NDIs. </p><p>

<p> This study examined the use of virtual emergency management systems within operational and tactical environments and explored the experiences of officials using these virtual systems regarding communication of information, coordination of resources, and strategic thinking throughout a critical incident at 4-year public institutions of higher education. Emergency management organizations are increasingly using virtual emergency management systems within their operations, but their effects on communication and incident management in operational and tactical environments during a critical incident is unclear. A gap in the literature has emerged in the understanding of how organizations comprehend, train, and utilize virtual emergency management systems and the possible integration of these systems with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS) standards. There was a need for this study to explore virtual emergency management systems within the operational and tactical environments prior to, during, and after a critical incident; and to answer the research question, &ldquo;What are the experiences of university officials, who have utilized virtual emergency management systems, in terms of communication capability, resource coordination, and strategic thinking prior to, during, and after a critical incident involving 4-year public institutions of higher education?&rdquo; This study used a transcendental phenomenological design to elicit the lived experiences of university officials who have utilized virtual emergency management systems throughout a critical incident at a 4-year public institution of higher education. The population of 10 university officials included a sample of six university emergency managers and four senior university officials who were familiar with the use of virtual systems prior to, during, and after a critical incident. The resulting data were then analyzed using open coding to identify themes and a codebook was developed to define terms associated with the themes and ascribe meaning to the data. The software NVivo11 was utilized to assist with the organization of the resulting themes. Numerous reviews of participant interview transcripts were conducted to ensure that the essences of participants&rsquo; experiences were appropriately displayed. Member checking was also conducted to ensure accuracy of the data. The findings indicated that the use of virtual emergency management systems did aid in the communication of information, the coordination and allocation of resources, and strategic thinking prior to, during, and after a critical incident at 4-year public institutions of higher education. The study also found that these systems aid in the development of trust, leadership, and team building at these institutions. The study also indicated that these systems were not being fully utilized at many of these institutions, thereby limiting the effectiveness of these systems.</p><p>

<p> There are currently five sources on news and information in the United States. The Internet is slowly taking over as the number one source of news and information for students who are currently attending college. With the popularity of social media, the Millennial generation college student is turning away from the traditional news media. One of the primary challenges for educational leaders in journalism courses is to understand what types of news today&rsquo;s generation finds favorable, why are they so attracted to the non-traditional news sources, and what changes can be implemented into the classrooms. </p><p>