The growing trend of internationalization in higher education underscores the importance of cross-national studies, particularly in the area of curricula, to facilitate learning and understanding among nations. This study examined undergraduate and graduate course syllabi from around the world to compare and contrast their components and subcomponents related to instructional design and technology. The aim was to identify major components and subcomponents and investigate their similarities and differences across continents. Additionally, the study explored the theories, principles, and concepts reflected in the syllabi and compared and contrasted them across the continents. The research analyzed 147 syllabi from 99 schools in 37 countries worldwide. The study identified eight major components that were present in the syllabi from all six continents, which include basic information, course information, course assessment, course resources, learning results, course schedule, course policies, and course expectations. The theories, principles, and concepts reflected in the syllabi included self-regulated learning, learner-centered pedagogy, universal design for learning, backward design, Bloom's taxonomy, and course objectives. However, the study also found significant differences in the specific components and subcomponents across continents. Therefore, when designing and creating a syllabus, it is essential to consider factors such as student readiness, instructor expertise, cultural practices, available resources, and educational policies, etc. / Doctor of Philosophy / This research looked at multiple course outlines related to technology-assisted teaching from universities worldwide to understand (1) what types of information were included and (2) why those types of information were important to the organization of the course outlines. It also described how universities across the world were different or similar in the contents included in their course outlines and in the ideas that supported the creation of their course outlines. In total, 147 course outlines were collected from 99 different schools in 37 countries. The researcher started by reviewing what other experts studied about course outlines and how they should be structured. After collecting these outlines from six different sources, the researcher organized the information from the outlines by grouping similar parts together. So, it became easier to find out how different parts of the outlines were similar or different from each other. The study found eight common parts in the course outlines collected worldwide. These parts included the following basic information about each course: details about what the course covers, how student assignments will be graded, the learning materials that students will use for the course, what students will be able to do after taking the course, the class activities, the rules, and what's expected from students. The study also discovered six common ideas that supported the creation of course outlines. These ideas deal with how students should take responsibility for their own learning, how teaching should center on the students, making sure that all students have equal access to the learning materials, planning lessons by starting with the end goal followed by assessment methods, describing different levels of thinking and learning, and setting clear goals for the course. In the end, this study found that the course outlines from the universities worldwide contained different types of information, despite sharing some key features. The outlines in different places frequently contained some information that is suitable and unique to the learning environments of specific regions. The same goes for the ideas and concepts regarding teaching and technology in these course outlines. The results of this research are important for a few reasons. First, the results provide new teachers with a broad perspective on how universities around the world structure their course outlines. Second, this study helps fill in a gap in our understanding of how course outlines are organized in different countries. It shows how they are similar or different. Third, it looks at whether these course outlines match up with the ideas and principles of teaching and technology. Fourth, the evidence from this research can be useful for people who make decisions about policies on teaching and learning. Lastly, it adds more knowledge to what we already know about making course outlines.

Social comparison influences well-being, especially during psychological threat. Social comparison outcomes have been theorized to depend on motivation, frequency, contrast versus identification, with a better- versus worse-off other. To reduce this complexity in the theory, 94 senior-housing residents were interviewed and cluster analysis was conducted. Four clusters emerged. Half the interviewees formed a cluster using only adaptive social comparison methods. Adaptives were contrasted with a cluster of indiscriminate comparers, a cluster striving for improvement, and a cluster of participants disagreeing with most questions. Clusters differed especially in patterns of downward identification, upward and downward contrast. Self-evaluation and uncertainty-reduction also differed between clusters; self-enhancement and self-improvement motivations did not. Cluster membership had no direct effect on well-being, but moderation analysis demonstrated threat-buffering of high neuroticism in the adaptive cluster. The benefits were not due to self-esteem or educational level. By separating individuals rather than behaviors, cluster analysis provides a fresh perspective.

Social comparison influences well-being, especially during psychological threat. Social comparison outcomes have been theorized to depend on motivation, frequency, contrast versus identification, with a better- versus worse-off other. To reduce this complexity in the theory, 94 senior-housing residents were interviewed and cluster analysis was conducted. Four clusters emerged. Half the interviewees formed a cluster using only adaptive social comparison methods. Adaptives were contrasted with a cluster of indiscriminate comparers, a cluster striving for improvement, and a cluster of participants disagreeing with most questions. Clusters differed especially in patterns of downward identification, upward and downward contrast. Self-evaluation and uncertainty-reduction also differed between clusters; self-enhancement and self-improvement motivations did not. Cluster membership had no direct effect on well-being, but moderation analysis demonstrated threat-buffering of high neuroticism in the adaptive cluster. The benefits were not due to self-esteem or educational level. By separating individuals rather than behaviors, cluster analysis provides a fresh perspective.