University peer-mentoring programs have shown to increase the retention rates of students, including students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and improved satisfaction with the college experience. The perceived quality of a mentee-mentor relationship may predict satisfaction with a peer-mentoring program; therefore, teaching peer mentors to engage in behaviors that could contribute to a high-quality mentee-mentor relationship may be beneficial. The current study identified target outcomes, operationally defined target behaviors, and developed a computer-based instruction (CBI) training module. The CBI training module was divided into four submodules that incorporated teaching through examples and nonexamples and discrimination training. The efficacy of each CBI submodule was evaluated using a pretest/posttest design with two mentors in a university peer-mentoring program. Results suggested that the CBI training module produced an increase in the frequency of correct responses in seven out of eight submodule posttests across both participants. The CBI training program also produced an increase in the frequency of target behaviors emitted by both participants across all submodules. These findings suggest that this CBI training module can be used to teach peer-mentors the behaviors that may improve their relationship with their mentee.

Due to the increasing demands of third-party payers to show measurable results in a decreased amount of time, mental health practitioners need new tools and techniques to quickly and efficiently assess their client's current status and progress in treatment. The goal of this study was to develop and validate a brief computerized measure of emotional states and personality traits for use as an assessment tool in a clinical setting. Adapted from the State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI; Spielberger, 1998), the computerized instrument measured state and trait anxiety, anger, depression, and curiosity. The computerized STPI was examined for equivalence with the traditional STPI and compared with therapists' ratings of their clients' emotional states and personality traits. Forty individuals (24 women, 16 men) in psychotherapy were administered either a computerized version of the STPI or the original, paper version. Each client's therapist was asked to rate him or her on the same 4 states and 4 traits measured by the STPI. In addition, clients and therapists answered short questionnaires regarding their reactions to the STPI and the client report generated by the STPI, respectively. A comparison of mean STPI scale scores between the computerized and paper administration groups showed slightly higher levels of reported state emotion for the computerized administration. There was no other evidence of differences between the two experimental groups. Therapists who had previously conducted assessment with their client demonstrated a significantly higher correlation of their ratings with the corresponding client STPI self-reported scores. Feedback from the client and therapist exit questionnaires suggested that their reactions to the procedure and the usefulness of the STPI were quite favorable. Implications of increasing the use of computers in clinical assessment are discussed.

Educators in the United States (U.S.) are increasingly turning to intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) to provide differentiated math instruction to high school students. However, many struggling high school learners do not perform well on these platforms, which reinforces the need for more awareness about effective supports that influence the achievement of learners in these milieus. The purpose of this study was to determine what factors of the Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS), an ITS, are predictive of struggling learners' performance in a blended-learning Algebra 1 course at an inner city technical high school located in the northeastern U.S. The theoretical framework consisted of knowledge base theory, the zone of proximal development, and cognitive learning theory. Three variables (student retention, engagement time, and the ratio of topics mastered to topics practiced) were used to predict the degree of association on the criterion variable (mathematics competencies), as measured by final course progress grades in algebra, and the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSATm) math scores. A correlational predictive design was applied to assess the data of a purposive sample of 265 struggling students at the study site; multiple regression analysis was also used to investigate the predictability of these variables. Findings suggest that engagement time and the ratio of mastered to practiced topics were significant predictors of final course progress grades. Nevertheless, these factors were not significant contributors in predicting PSATm score. Retention was identified as the only statistically significant predictor of PSATm score. The results offer educators with additional insights that can facilitate improvements in mathematical content knowledge and promote higher graduation rates for struggling learners in high school mathematics.

This multiple paper dissertation addressed several issues in Problem-based learning (PBL) through conceptual analysis, meta-analysis, and empirical research. PBL is characterized by ill-structured tasks, self-directed learning process, and a combination of individual and cooperative learning activities. Students who lack content knowledge and problem-solving skills may struggle to address associated tasks that are beyond their current ability levels in PBL. This dissertation addressed a) scaffolding characteristics (i.e., scaffolding types, delivery method, customization) and their effects on students’ perception of optimal challenge in PBL, b) the possibility of virtual learning environments for PBL, and c) the importance of information literacy for successful PBL learning. Specifically, this dissertation demonstrated the effectiveness of scaffolding customization (i.e., fading, adding, and fading/adding) to enhance students’ self-directed learning in PBL. Moreover, the effectiveness of scaffolding was greatest when scaffolding customization is self-selected than based on fixed-time interval and their performance. This suggests that it might be important for students to take responsibility for their learning in PBL and individualized and just-in-time scaffolding can be one of the solutions to address K-12 students’ difficulties in improving problem-solving skills and adjusting to PBL.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the mathematics anxiety treatment messages in a computer-based environment on ninth-grade students' mathematics anxiety and mathematics learning. The study also examined whether the impact of the treatment messages would be differentiated by learner's gender and by learner's prior mathematics anxiety levels (High vs. Medium vs. Low). Participants were 161 ninth-grade students, who took a required introductory algebra class in a public high school neighboring Utah State University. The learning environment was integrated with a pedagogical agent (animated human-like character) as a tutor. This study employed a pretest and posttest experimental design. Participants' mathematics anxiety was measured at the beginning and at the end of the intervention; participants' mathematics learning was measured before and after each lesson (four lessons in total). The participants were randomly assigned to work with either an agent presenting mathematics anxiety treatment messages (TR) or an agent without presenting the treatment messages (NoTR). Because of student attrition, only 128 students were included for data analysis. The results suggested that mathematics anxiety treatment messages provided by a pedagogical agent had no impact on student mathematics anxiety and mathematics learning. Second, there were no main or interaction effects of the treatment messages and learners' gender on mathematics anxiety and mathematics learning. Third, there were significant interaction effects between treatment messages and learner's prior mathematics anxiety levels only on current mathematics anxiety (p < .05). High-anxious students in the TR condition decreased their anxiety more than those in the NoTR condition. Medium-anxious students in the TR condition increased their anxiety whereas those in the NoTR condition decreased their anxiety. Low-anxious students in the TR condition did not change their anxiety whereas those in the NoTR condition increased their anxiety.

The natural movement of water is known as the hydrological cycle. Many different factors affect the hydrological cycle and the availability of freshwater. The availability of freshwater is essential for many human activities. Three of the UN SDG’s (Sustainable Development Goals), number 2, 6 and 7, directly or indirectly relate to freshwater supplies. SDG number 2, zero hunger; a part of fulfilling this goal is to have enough available freshwater to irrigate crops. SDG number 6 is about access to clean water and sanitation. It is possible to desalinate saline water, treat unclean water or transport water long distances, but these are often costly and energy demanding processes. Therefore, it is important to manage the freshwater supplies that are available wisely. Access to clean and affordable energy is SDG number 7. One source of clean and affordable energy is hydropower, in order to produce electricity in a hydropower plant, plenty of water and a change in potential energy is needed . To be able to fulfil all these goals, it is important to include all of the perspectives when making policies regarding agriculture, building hydropower plants or making big infrastructure changes. The complex relationships between the different areas of interest can make it complicated to analyse the effects of a change made in any area. The concept of connecting different perspectives is called Nexus. This aim of this thesis was to evaluate different computer-based hydrological modelling tools, and how they can be used for Nexus assessments. This was done by performing a market research, choosing two tools for further assessment, creating evaluation criteria and perform a case study on a watershed in Uganda. The case study results and the evaluation criteria were then compared to an existing model in WEAP. The two selected hydrological modelling tools were MIKE SHE and SWAT. These two modelling tools were evaluated based on specified evaluation criteria. In the case study they modelled the same area in Kamwenge, Uganda. The output of the models was compared and calibrated against observed flow in the river at the outlet of the watershed. The results of the case study were incomplete since the MIKE SHE model was not calibrated successfully. The different models have different strengths. The format of output data and flexibility of the program is superior in MIKE SHE, while SWAT is more intuitive and demands less computer power. Over all SWAT is easier to use and model in for a novice user, while MIKE SHE requires more expertise in order to run a successful model. SWAT is able to model more of the Nexus perspectives and are therefore the preferred model. / Många faktorer påverkar tillgängligheten av sötvatten som är väsentligt för många mänskliga aktiviteter. Tre av FN:s globala hållbarhets mål, nummer 2, 6 och 7 relaterar direkt eller indirekt till tillgång till sötvatten. Mål nummer 2, ingen hunger; en del av att uppfylla detta mål är att det måste finnas vatten för att bevattna grödor. Mål nummer 6, tillgång till rent vatten och sanitet; det är möjligt att rena vatten eller att transportera det längre distanser, men det är ofta energikrävande och kostsamt. Därför är det viktigt att förvalta tillgängliga sötvatten resurser klokt. Hållbar energi för alla är mål nummer 7. En källa till hållbar och ren energi är vattenkraft, för att producera vattenkraft behövs en skillnad i potentiell energi och mycket vatten. För att kunna uppfylla alla dessa mål är det viktigt att inkludera alla perspektiv när man bestämmer policys för jordbruk, bygger vattenkraftverk eller gör andra stora ändringar i infrastrukturen. De komplicerade förhållandena mellan dessa olika intresseområden för vatten kan göra det svårt att förutse hur en förändring i en av dem påverkar de andra. Konceptet att koppla ihop olika perspektiv kallas Nexus. Målet med denna uppsats var att utvärdera olika hydrologiska modelleringsverktyg och hur de kan användas för Nexus bedömning. Det gjordes genom att en marknadsundersökning genomfördes och två modelleringsverktyg valdes ut. De två utvalda modelleringsverktygen var MIKE SHE och SWAT. Dessa två verktyg utvärderades baserat på specificerade kriterier. I fallstudien modellerade båda modelleringsverktygen samma område i Kamwenge, Uganda. De båda modellerna kalibrerades mot observerade utflöden från avrinningsområdet. Resultaten jämfördes med en existerande modell i WEAP. Resultaten från fallstudien är ofullständiga då kalibreringen för MIKE SHE modellen inte lyckades.

Students who display reading difficulties/disabilities at the end of third grade are less likely to succeed in content areas and graduate from high school than their reading-proficient peers. Literature suggests that students in rural school districts lag behind their suburban peers in terms of their reading levels and accessibility to resources. Furthermore, students from low socioeconomic status (SES) households and those who have disabilities exhibit greater learning loss during the summer break. This exploratory study examined the effects of two parent-implemented computer-based reading programs on the reading skills of 20 students at-risk for reading failure during a summer break. Parental and students’ perceptions regarding the effectiveness and desirability of the programs were elicited. Results suggested that both programs facilitated gains in phonemic awareness and phonics. Furthermore, students in the Funnix group exhibited large gains in vocabulary and oral reading fluency, and the students in the PLATO group exhibited large gains in comprehension. Most of the students indicated they liked the programs and the programs helped them read. Similarly, most of the parents agreed that the programs were useful, and they were comfortable using the programs. A description of the computer programs, results, implications, and limitations of the study are discussed.

No description available.

This project was completed to fill a need in the field of pronunciation teaching and learning by providing a computer-based, speech-perception diagnostic tool that helps determine learners' problem areas in the perception of English speech. Current diagnostic tools are few and very limited in their scope and application in the language classroom. The Perception of Spoken English Test diagnoses learners' specific speech perception problems, alerting teachers to areas that require special attention in a particular course or lesson. This project involved the development, production, piloting, evaluation, and revision of a computer-based instrument in an intensive English program. The data collected from the pilot experience led to several adjustments and improvements in the instrument, resulting in the version presented herein.

This project report describes the instructional design, development and evaluation of the Chinese Radical and Character Tutorial (CRCT) project. The web-based CRCT project integrated hypermedia resources (audio, video, graphics, animation and hyperlinks) to teach undergraduate and graduate students basic Chinese radical and character recognition and writing. One-to-one test, expert review and small-group test were utilized in the formative evaluation. Statistical significance was found in the small-group test, which suggests that supplemental hypermedia material can effectively facilitate student learning of Chinese reading and writing outside of the classroom. Moreover, the qualitative data indicated that students enjoyed using CRCT's drills, feedback features and video-writing demonstrations to facilitate their learning. The web-based environment provided interaction and allowed them to practice at any time and place.