The purpose of this study was to evaluate Core5, a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) programme, on developing early literacy skills in struggling kindergartners and providing enrichment for high achieving kindergartners. Conducted through the positivist research paradigm, the research design of this study is a quantitative quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design using the probes AIMSweb Letter Name Fluency (LNF), AIMSweb Letter Sound Fluency (LSF), MAP K-2 Early Literacy, as well as a questionnaire regarding teacher perceptions of Core5 and its implementation in the classroom. This study used convenience sampling instead of probability sampling since many schools already use Core5. Fifteen schools in the Matanuska Susitna Borough School District was the target population. The sample group comprised of 751 kindergartners, aged five to six-year-olds divided into the treatment group, the partial treatment group, and the control group. Posttest analysis of LNF and LSF data confirmed all three groups made gains from the pretest, but an ANOVA indicated there was a significant difference between the three groups. A Bonferroni post hoc test determined the treatment group and the partial treatment group were significantly different from the control group. The posttest analysis of MAP K-2 Early Literacy data indicated that all three groups made gains from the pretest. An ANOVA suggested there was no significant difference between the three groups. Lastly, the end-of-year Core5 levels were correlated to the benchmark scores on LNF, LSF and MAP K-2 Early Literacy probes using Pearson’s r. The teacher questionnaire indicated that a majority of teachers have a favourable view of Core5, which is vital to the implementation of Core5 because their attitude is also a significant predictor of student use in the classroom. The findings indicate that Core5 is an effective CAI program to use as part of the kindergarten ELA curriculum. The findings also add to the volume of research on Core5, CAI programmes and blended learning. / English Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (English)

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY SCHOOL OF EDUCATION THE UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND July, 2014 / This study seeks to establish key differences in pedagogical practices associated with and facilitated by different modalities of course delivery. These are: face-to-face instruction in a traditional university lecture-based environment; print-based course delivery, whereby off- campus distance learning students attend face-to-face lectures and tutorials on campus from time-to-time, and Moodle-based online course delivery integrated into the lecture and tutorial-based environments. The key aspect of the study concerns changing pedagogy as a consequence of the introduction of online learning tools within the traditional delivery modalities. I investigate the nature of and extent to which a Moodle platform has been introduced into the traditional face-to-face teaching and learning situation. This is done to ascertain exactly how the pedagogies established and practiced within the traditional delivery modalities are recontextualised in the digital delivery modality. Recontextualisation in this context refers to how the curriculum and pedagogic practice are transformed when interpreted and delivered by instructors to both full-time and distance education students through the three teaching and learning delivery modalities used at UNISWA. The extent of the recontextualisation is accounted for through an experiential case study of four different instances in which the same course is taught by the same instructor to the two student groups. The content and aim of each course is identical, but the pedagogy is not intended by each instructor to be the same in each case. This scenario provided a distinctive, perhaps even unique, opportunity to study the recontextualisation of pedagogic content, pedagogic practices, and assessment practices in a controlled manner across the three modalities. The research goal was realised by employing a multiple-case study design where four faculty staff members completed a 36 item Likert scales type questionnaire. On the basis of a content analysis of this limited quantitative data, each instructor was interviewed in-depth on their pedagogical practices to establish what lay beneath their beliefs in teaching and learning and espoused practices. Key themes were identified and continuous comparison was executed to analyse the transcribed questionnaire data against the interview data. I strengthened the qualitative aspect of this study by means of documentary analysis of course texts ranging from printed course learning materials, such as; course outlines, handouts, modules and Moodle web pages. I also conducted, 3 recorded and transcribed face-to-face as well as content and learning pathway (Moodle) observations, to once more contrast enacted pedagogic practice against espoused pedagogic beliefs. I use Bernstein’s (1990, 2000) theory of pedagogic discourse extensively,particularly his notions of classification and framing principles. Weak classification (-C), specifically in the case of this study, means the more there is reference to online lessons, materials, assignments, feedback and so on or use of e-learning in face-to-face instruction,the more e-learning is integrated into the traditional modalities of teaching. In the same way, strong classification (+C) denotes that the more face-to-face and e-learning are kept apart, the less integration of e-learning into traditional modalities of teaching is taking place. Likewise, the framing principle relates to the transmission of knowledge through pedagogic practices. Strong framing (+F) is used to indicate a visible pedagogic practice that is traditional and therefore opposed to a constructivists approach expected when teaching distance education students and when using e-learning. Weak framing (-F) is applied to indicate an invisible pedagogic practice that is closely related to the mandated constructivist approach. The research findings answered the research question of whether an instructor’s pedagogic practice remains unchanged whichever delivery modality is used. Bernstein’s classification and framing principles are employed to check and establish the instructor’s pedagogical practice and provide the framework for presenting the main findings of this study. With the exception of one out of four case study instructors, the practice is strong classification and framing (+C/F) throughout. This reflects that the traditional approach is predominantly applied in the classroom. This study thus recommends that multiple pedagogical approaches should be acknowledged and applied in all teaching and learning.

The purpose of this two-phase, explanatory mixed methods study was to understand the benefits of teaching grammar from three different learning methods: face-to-face, online personalized learning lab and a blended learning method. The study obtained quantitative results from a pre and post-tests, a general survey and writing assignment rubrics from three English 1301 classes and then follow-up interviews with focus groups from each class to explore those results in more depth. In the first phase, quantitative research questions addressed the relationship of grammar teaching methods and grammar acquisition with students at a two-year technical and academic college. In the second phase, used focus groups to perform qualitative interviews to better explore the quantitative results.

Enhanced innovative learning through the purposeful development of effective blended teaching and learning environments supported by a variety of interfaces is a strategic focus of the NWU and specifically the Faculty of Educational Science. There are several emerging models to ensure effective online and blended learning but the prominent model that has attracted attention is the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework developed by Garrison, Anderson and Archer in 2000. The CoI framework is conceptually grounded in theories of teaching and learning in higher education and is consistent with John Dewey’s work on community of inquiry. CoI is deeply rooted into pragmatism as is evident in Dewey’s argument where he explains the idea of extracting meaning from experience. The focused of this study was on blended learning in a graduate teacher training course in Technology Education. The content of Technology as a subject is derived from other disciplines such as science, engineering and design. Due to the unique features of Technology as a subject, it was of great value, within this applied discipline, to investigate the unique patterns and relationships occurring among CoI presences in such a module of a teacher training graduate course. The purpose of the study was to:  develop an understanding of how the three presences (teaching presence, social presence and cognitive presence) in CoI enhance online learning;  investigate the extent of CoI in a blended mode of delivery within a TE graduate course; and  develop, implement and evaluate a module for a graduate course in Technology teacher training for a blended mode of delivery, based on requirements for the development of CoI. A design-based research methodology approach was followed for this study and included qualitative and quantitative methods in a multi-strand design. Design-based research is intrinsically linked to, and developmentally nourished by, multiple design and research methodologies, which utilises many data collection and analysis methods and which makes it suitable for a mixed method research. Findings from the literature review on the value of CoI for the effectiveness of online learning indicated that blended learning is dependent on the ability to facilitate a CoI. It is through the application of the principles for CoI that a successful transition from a face-to-face to a blended mode of delivery for the applied subject TE was possible. Findings with regard to the extent to which CoI manifested itself in this Technology graduate course indicated that teaching presence manifested itself to a good extent in the TE undergraduate course. The main findings that were of concern with regard to teaching presence included: insufficient clear instructions and communication, feelings of isolations and disconnectedness, lack of immediacy and the inability to connect online feedback to lecturer expertise. Although social presence did manifest itself to some extent in the TE undergraduate course, it was the hardest to establish out of the three presences. The main issues arising from the manifestation and existence of social presence included: insufficient sense of belonging in the online environment, students didn’t feel comfortable expressing themselves affectively as well as uneasiness to communicate, interact and participate online with other module participants. Finally, cognitive presence did manifest itself to a satisfying extent in the TE undergraduate course. Findings suggest that there was a not sufficient structured triggering events to create a sense of puzzlement which suggests that more activities must be included that will encourage reflection and therefore will improve the movement through the cognitive inquiry process. Other findings from the study indicated that students experienced time management and the coordination and management of group activities as challenging. These challenges experienced by students reflect a lack of self-regulation skills in learning presence. Other challenges included that students experienced in the online environment of blended learning included: accessibility, lack of technology skills and the newness of blended learning. Design principles for the manifestation and existence of CoI for effective learning within a TE graduate module were establish for teaching presence, social presence and cognitive presence. The research contributed to the field by reporting on the process of how CoI can be enhanced in a blended learning environment for a complex subject such as Technology, and by providing evidence based guidelines for the design and implementation of blended learning with CoI principles as guidelines. / PhD (Curriculum Development Innovation and Evaluation), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Enhanced innovative learning through the purposeful development of effective blended teaching and learning environments supported by a variety of interfaces is a strategic focus of the NWU and specifically the Faculty of Educational Science. There are several emerging models to ensure effective online and blended learning but the prominent model that has attracted attention is the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework developed by Garrison, Anderson and Archer in 2000. The CoI framework is conceptually grounded in theories of teaching and learning in higher education and is consistent with John Dewey’s work on community of inquiry. CoI is deeply rooted into pragmatism as is evident in Dewey’s argument where he explains the idea of extracting meaning from experience. The focused of this study was on blended learning in a graduate teacher training course in Technology Education. The content of Technology as a subject is derived from other disciplines such as science, engineering and design. Due to the unique features of Technology as a subject, it was of great value, within this applied discipline, to investigate the unique patterns and relationships occurring among CoI presences in such a module of a teacher training graduate course. The purpose of the study was to:  develop an understanding of how the three presences (teaching presence, social presence and cognitive presence) in CoI enhance online learning;  investigate the extent of CoI in a blended mode of delivery within a TE graduate course; and  develop, implement and evaluate a module for a graduate course in Technology teacher training for a blended mode of delivery, based on requirements for the development of CoI. A design-based research methodology approach was followed for this study and included qualitative and quantitative methods in a multi-strand design. Design-based research is intrinsically linked to, and developmentally nourished by, multiple design and research methodologies, which utilises many data collection and analysis methods and which makes it suitable for a mixed method research. Findings from the literature review on the value of CoI for the effectiveness of online learning indicated that blended learning is dependent on the ability to facilitate a CoI. It is through the application of the principles for CoI that a successful transition from a face-to-face to a blended mode of delivery for the applied subject TE was possible. Findings with regard to the extent to which CoI manifested itself in this Technology graduate course indicated that teaching presence manifested itself to a good extent in the TE undergraduate course. The main findings that were of concern with regard to teaching presence included: insufficient clear instructions and communication, feelings of isolations and disconnectedness, lack of immediacy and the inability to connect online feedback to lecturer expertise. Although social presence did manifest itself to some extent in the TE undergraduate course, it was the hardest to establish out of the three presences. The main issues arising from the manifestation and existence of social presence included: insufficient sense of belonging in the online environment, students didn’t feel comfortable expressing themselves affectively as well as uneasiness to communicate, interact and participate online with other module participants. Finally, cognitive presence did manifest itself to a satisfying extent in the TE undergraduate course. Findings suggest that there was a not sufficient structured triggering events to create a sense of puzzlement which suggests that more activities must be included that will encourage reflection and therefore will improve the movement through the cognitive inquiry process. Other findings from the study indicated that students experienced time management and the coordination and management of group activities as challenging. These challenges experienced by students reflect a lack of self-regulation skills in learning presence. Other challenges included that students experienced in the online environment of blended learning included: accessibility, lack of technology skills and the newness of blended learning. Design principles for the manifestation and existence of CoI for effective learning within a TE graduate module were establish for teaching presence, social presence and cognitive presence. The research contributed to the field by reporting on the process of how CoI can be enhanced in a blended learning environment for a complex subject such as Technology, and by providing evidence based guidelines for the design and implementation of blended learning with CoI principles as guidelines. / PhD (Curriculum Development Innovation and Evaluation), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Technology: Language Practice, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / The innovative application of an online educational portal in everyday teaching and learning is proposed to meet the needs of the new generation of students entering Universities of Technology (UoTs). The setting is against a background of educationally under-prepared but multimedia-literate students, and the university vision of integrating eLearning into the curriculum. The emergence of the Academic Commons Attribution has facilitated the channelling of free-to-use/open source educational information through the dedicated artefact. The investigation combined the challenges of artefact design with the necessity of authenticating subject content so that it was geared to the needs of the students in the Photography Programme. This study highlights the importance of managing knowledge so that it can be passed down to current and future generations in ways which keep pace with their exponential development of digital expertise. This research was carried out within Bhaskar’s critical realist philosophy, which argues that there is a real world which exists independently of one’s perception of it. It must be stressed that the artefact contained in the multimedia portal did not follow a linear, logical development but was a process of transformational iterative change, very similar to the developmental consistency described by Bhaskar. Bhaskar’s philosophical overview was complemented by Archer’s morphogenetic approach. The latter showed that the application of technology in teaching and learning is not just about use of “better tools” but signals a shift in social structure. The main technical challenge was for the researcher to standardise the multimedia resources so that they could be used on most personal computers, with the option of downloading short tutorials on mobile phones for later use. The resulting multimedia portal provides strong support in guiding inexperienced students and novice academics to choose resources appropriate to both the Photography curriculum and rapidly changing Industry requirements. The portal can also reduce the number of time consuming searches on various themes or topics, as it directs users to specific hyperlinked online resources in any given syllabus item. The curated educational portal is, therefore, currently being introduced as an enhancement to the traditional teaching and learning methods hitherto used in the Photography Programme. While the traditional methods have the strong humanist leanings essential for personal development, they are not geared to tackle the cutting edge technological advances required by industry. Moreover, in promoting the Durban University of Technology (DUT) as a centre using cutting-edge multimedia tuition, the portal might better establish influences with Industry (one of the core functions of a UoT) as well as attract international academics and students. The end result is to offer a blended learning model of tertiary programme delivery which is supported by the literature as currently being one of the most effective options. / D

Titel: Varför YouTube? Title: Why YouTube? Författare: Björn Lindgren I den här studien har syftet med undersökningen varit att synliggöra varför några elever använder sig av YouTube i sitt lärande av sång och instrumentspel. Undersökningen började med en enkät med elever från ett musikestetiskt gymnasium i årskurs 3. Utifrån enkäten valdes fem frivilliga elever ut till att delta i intervjuer. Genom enkäten kom det fram att alla elever som använder YouTube i syfte att lära sig något på sitt instrument eller i sin sång främst bara lär sig specifika låtar, vilket också bekräftas i intervjuerna. Databearbetningen av intervjuerna visade på resultat som kunde delas in i fem olika kategorier/orsaker till varför elever vänder sig till YouTube, nämligen smidighet, självklarhet, mångfald, låtarna och skola. I resultatet förklaras hur YouTube upplevs som en plats där eleverna med självklarhet och enkelhet kan klicka sig fram till en instruktionsvideo som passar dem. Här lär de sig i sitt eget tempo, när de vill och när de har tid.

M. Tech. Business Administration / The study was conducted at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Business School in order to assess the degree of interest in the blended method of teaching and learning among Business School students. The study was based on a sample of size 50 students who were enrolled as Year III students while the study was being conducted at the Business School. Data was collected by using a structured, pre-tested and validated questionnaire of study from each of the 50 students who took part in the study. Data analyses were performed by using methods such as frequency tables, Fisher’s exact tests of associations and Marcov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms or Bayesian analysis.

Digital learning is becoming increasingly prevalent in colleges and universities in the United States (Allen & Seaman, 2013; Godev, 2014), including in the social field of second language learning. In larger language programs in particular, online and blended (partially online) courses are gaining popularity, such as the recently cited "hybrid revolution in Spanish-language learning" (Long, 2014, p. 1). Administrators look to digital solutions to tight finances, a lack of classroom space, and student demands. A current challenge in the field is helping instructors and students adapt to digital pedagogy and a new perspective: Technology provides innovative possibilities for instruction and interaction, not solely a distance replication of face-to-face courses (Blake, 2009, 2013, 2014; Goertler, 2011, 2014). To be successful, digital learning must include pedagogically sound course design and adequate support for both instructors and learners, requirements that may make this trend not as economical as originally believed (Godev, 2014).Responding to Hermosilla's (2014) declaration that "a pending task is to gather accurate data on existing hybrid Spanish programs in US colleges and universities in order to carry out comparative studies" (p. 3), this dissertation examines lower-division blended courses of languages other than English currently or recently taught at U.S. colleges and universities. The dissertation follows Wu's (2015) assumption that the courses appearing in the prior research literature might not be representative of the vast number of blended courses that now exist. The dissertation draws upon an original survey of 121 instructor and administrator participants representing 52 language programs and 13 languages, interviews with 21 of these participants, and surveys of 35 students in 4 participants' classes. Conducted using mixed methods and thematic analysis, the dissertation provides information about blended course designs so that other institutions can learn from them and emulate them. The study explores the choices that underlie the selection and development of curricula, materials, and technologies in blended language courses; student, instructor, and administrator perspectives on these courses; and support (training, professional development, and resources) available to participants. Most participants (98 in total) reported being very or somewhat satisfied with the current setup of their blended courses. Variables correlated with instructor satisfaction included a greater number of years of instruction (overall and in the blended format), instructors' amount of influence over the curriculum and materials, their choice of teaching blended classes, and the availability of technology training in their programs. Themes emerging from the interviews included an emphasis on the communicative approach, the use of textbook website packages and (in a few cases) open educational resources, a frustration with inadequate student preparation, instructor autonomy, and varying levels of support for instructors and students. Blended courses in basic language programs are best served when instructors choose their level of technological integration, contribute to the course design, and are offered preparation and support related to both technology and teaching methods. The study recommends ways that institutions, departments, instructors, and students of languages can make the most of digital pedagogy, not only in officially blended courses, but also in courses across the spectrum of technological integration, from fully face-to-face to fully online. Useful strategies include selecting and creating technological materials that align with the skills that instructors and administrators want students to develop, providing training and support for both pedagogy and technology to new and continuing instructors, and offering technological support to students. The lessons of this study are applicable not only to courses that are officially blended, but also to all language programs considering or evaluating new technological integrations.

Radical aircraft and propulsion system architecture changes may be required to continue historic performance improvement rates as current civil aircraft and engine technologies mature. Significant fuel-burn savings are predicted to be achieved through the Distributed Propulsion concept, where an array of propulsors is distributed along the span of an aircraft to ingest boundary layer air and increase propulsive efficiency. Studies such as those by NASA predict large performance benefits when integrating Distributed Propulsion with the Blended Wing Body aircraft configuration, as this planform geometry is particularly suited to the ingestion of boundary layer air and the fans can be redesigned to reduce the detrimental distortion effects on performance. Additionally, a conventional aircraft with Distributed Propulsion has not been assessed in public domain literature and may also provide substantial benefits. A conceptual aircraft design code has been developed to enable the modelling of conventional and novel aircraft. A distributed fan tool has been developed to model fan performance, and a mathematical derivation was created and integrated with the fan tool to enable the boundary layer ingestion modelling. A tube & wing Distributed Propulsion aircraft with boundary layer ingestion has been compared with a current technology reference aircraft and an advanced turbofan aircraft of 2035 technology. The advanced tube & wing aircraft achieved a 27.5% fuel-burn reduction relative to the baseline aircraft and the Distributed Propulsion variant showed fuel efficiency gains of 4.1% relative to the advanced turbofan variant due to a reduced specific fuel consumption, produced through a reduction in distributed fan power requirement. The Blended Wing Body with Distributed Propulsion was compared with a turbofan variant reference aircraft and a 5.3% fuel-burn reduction was shown to be achievable through reduced core engine size and weight. The Distributed Propulsion system was shown to be particularly sensitive to inlet duct losses. Further investigation into the parametric sensitivity of the system revealed that duct loss could be mitigated by altering the mass flow and the percentage thrust produced by the distributed fans. Fuel-burn could be further reduced bydecreasing component weight and drag, through decreasing the fan and electrical system size to below that necessary for optimum power or specific fuel consumption.