This paper compared and evaluated different distance education models to determine if there was a significant impact on (1) student achievement and (2) level of satisfaction with the education experience in an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) statistics course. In addition, it investigated if there were statistically and academically significant relationships between these factors and student-student and student-instructor interaction. The comparison addressed the following delivery system categories: traditional classroom instruction, independent learning, and open learning/online instruction. The study involved the achievement levels of three groups of college-level students enrolled in courses in statistics at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida. The population consisted of 85 students overall. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to determine if student's perceived needs are being met, (2) to identify a delivery system that will accelerate attainment of skills in statistics required for further educational and occupational achievement, and (3) to provide performance data to be used in continually improving distance education programs. To determine whether there were differences among groups on individual survey items, a survey and questionnaire was administered to students enrolled in the courses. To test the research hypothesis, collected data were statistically treated and analyzed by means of an analysis of variance that was conducted on the data for each item. The established level of significance for all tests was .05. The results of this study indicate a significant difference between achievement scores based on delivery method used. Achievement scores were significantly lower for students who took statistics in the traditional classroom and the independent study environment when compare to student in the open learning/online environment. The data yielded evidence of a statistically significant difference between levels of student satisfaction with the three delivery systems. The delivery method used to teach statistics did impact student satisfaction with the course design, content, and delivery. Study findings suggest that there were no statistically significant differences in students' perception of degree of interaction with delivery methods used. Neither performance nor student's perception of the course were significantly affected by gender or age.

Constructivists have reasoned that their approach to education is suited to computer mediated communication (CMC). Problem-based learning (PBL) is a constructivist approach gaining favor in physical therapy (PT) curricula that has been minimally researched in using CMC. The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of a computer-mediated communication environment on the processes and outcomes of PBL. Thirty-four second-year PT students at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG), studying a module of Women's Health (WH), were stratified by site into those at the host campus (Augusta), and those at the remote campus (AJbany). Ten students from AJbany and twenty-four from Augusta were randomly assigned to either traditional face-to-face (FTF) PBL groups (TPBL) or computer-mediated PBL groups (CMPBL). All students addressed the same stimulus problems and followed the PBL learning process comprising an introductory tutorial, self-directed learning and a second tutorial. The same content expert was available to all groups. To control for effects of confounding variables measures were taken of computer knowledge and skills, Myers-Briggs type, GRE and gender. During the learning experience students logged time-on-task, provided records of the learning issues identified during the first tutorial for each problem. At the conclusion of the module all students took a 30 question multiple-choice test (MCQ) and responded to two short answer questions (SAQs). The two groups were comparable on gender, Myers-Briggs type, GRE and computer knowledge and skills. The CMPBL group logged significantly longer time-on-task than the TPBL group, but there were no significant differences in learning outcomes between the groups based on learning conditions. The processes of PBL as measured by hypothesis generation, learning issues identified and facts ascertained from the inquiry materials were unaffected by the learning conditions. Students in the CMPBL expressed frustration with medium. Post hoc analyses suggest individual group factors might be more significant predictors of performance than the conditions of learning (CMC vs. FTF). Recommendations based on this study relate to interface design to facilitate the PBL process and further research on group process and tutor roles in the CMC environment.

Mathematics has been the most difficult part of the Ohio Ninth Grade Proficiency Test (ONGPT) for students to pass. Although the current test measures achievement of basic skills that should have been acquired during the K-8 experience, students, for the most part, have not mastered objectives tested on the exam to the degree needed to pass. At the present time there is no general consensus or recommendations among schools within the Ohio Department of Education's Urban Schools Initiative about the use and effectiveness of software to help students pass that test. This dissertation examined that issue. Grade 8 mathematics, special education, and proficiency intervention teachers (N =113) in 35 middle schools across 13 mid-sized districts in the Urban Schools Initiative were surveyed. The survey addressed teacher beliefs on individual and organizational factors related to class time software use, what software was used, how it was used, and software's instructional and technical merit for proficiency test preparation. Research on standardized exams and the ONGPT, mathematics achievement and educational technology, learning from software, and factors relating to teacher technology beliefs and use supported the design of the survey instrument and shed light on expected outcomes of the study. Results indicated that administrative support, teacher instructional style, their perceived priority of learning about computers and software, computer availability and access, technical assistance, and software quality were significant factors affecting teachers' decisions to use technology in their instruction. The occasional use of software during class time had a significant negative impact on students passing the test. Software's impact on passing the test was positively significant for students who had not used software during c1asstime, but had used it in a proficiency intervention class that met in addition to their regular math class. The study includes information for over 50 mathematics software titles and determined guidelines for valuable software. Implications of results are discussed.

Programs that involve teaching and learning at a distance often include the use of computer conferencing as a means to promote discussion and to stimulate higher-order thinking among students. Critical thinking should be considered an important outcome of graduate education yet there is little information available regarding the effectiveness of either synchronous or asynchronous computer conferencing to promote higher-order thinking in higher education. Although it stands to reason that asynchronous discourse would provide students with more time for research, reflection and decision making when compared to synchronous forms of communication, research was needed to provide evidence that this was actually occurring. In this study, content analysis was used to investigate higher order thinking. The primary research question examined whether critical thinking occurred to a higher degree in an asynchronous computer conferencing environment when compared to a synchronous one. Thirty-five students in the Pharmacy Informatics elective course of the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree program at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) participated in the study. Students completed the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) and the Myers-Briggs Type Index (MBTl) before the study. Students were randomized to four groups and were exposed to two asynchronous and two synchronous online discussions designed to take advantage of constructivist learning theory. These discussions were recorded and the content analyses coding scheme was used to measure cognitive (critical thinking) presence. Results were obtained by coding and examining 3742 synchronous and asynchronous online postings from the instructor and students. Differences between synchronous and asynchronous modes of computer conferencing were assessed in terms of cognitive presence, social presence, instructor participation, and instructor-student interaction, participation by personality type and participation by gender. Student perception of critical thinking in the two different environments was also compared. Results from the study indicated a significant difference in critical thinking and instructor participation between the two online conferencing environments. No differences in cognitive presence were seen by personality type or by gender. Students were able to perceive that more critical thinking occurred in the asynchronous conferences compared to the synchronous ones. Interrater agreement was reported.

This study was an analysis of the quality of Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC) Records of children's picture books and easy readers in terms of accuracy and completeness of information. It was a case study which was based on the books in the Educational Media Collection (EMC) at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. The purpose was to determine to what extent there were elements of the MARC record as provided in The Guidelines for Standardized Cataloging of Children's Materials, referred to as The Guidelines, which were missing and/or incorrect in records retrieved from the OCLC utility. The catalogers at the Library of Congress are required to use these guidelines when cataloging children's materials. There were 3,098 records used in this study; 2,363 records were submitted to the OCLC database by the catalogers at the Library of Congress and 735 were submitted by the catalogers at OCLC Participating Libraries. Six guidelines were relevant to picture books and easy readers: placing the "j" code in the Target Audience Field, entering the elements of the record following the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules 2nd ed. 1988 Revision (AACR2R88) Level 2 description, including summary notes, providing the International Standard Book Number (ISBN), providing added entries for joint authors and illustrators and identifying the illustrators, and providing subject headings without juvenile form subdivisions. There were 9,849 errors which appeared on 3,098 records. This was an average of2.5 errors per record cataloged at the Library of Congress and 5.5 errors per record cataloged at the OCLC Participating Libraries. Once the errors were determined, analyzed, and noted, the author developed a policy/procedures manual for applying The Guidelines to the cataloging records for children's picture books and easy readers. The previously established policies of the EMC in regard to the handling of books in the Juvenile Collection were included. This manual, although designed using the EMC at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, could be of practical use to any cataloger of children's picture books and easy readers.

Community college students participate less in campus organizations than do students at four-year colleges, while academic and social integration have consistently been factors that promote academic success, persistence and goal attainment. Community college researchers have failed to adequately identify academic and social integration as important factors in student retention and have often produced contradictory findings. There remains a dearth in the literature concerning the distinctive social relations of community college students, and studies on the first two years of college are often based upon first year students at four-year colleges. Regardless of limited research and contradictory findings, social relations should be fostered on community college campuses. The goal of the dissertation was to develop and implement an online social environment for the Alpha Psi Rho chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society at Lakeland Community College, in Kirtland, Ohio. The online social environment that was created was titled APR-CoP.org. APR-CoP.org added new dimensions and methods of integration for Alpha Psi Rho, where students collaborated together and benefited from integrating academically and socially by sharing ideas and resources. The online social environment was not a replacement of the on-campus or in community functions of Alpha Psi Rho, but was an enlacement. It was determined that student based online social environments need to supply positive reinforcement concerning the organization, its members, its advisors and the entire campus community, and should be places to disseminate information and reach out to all their members. Success of a student based online social environment has to be determined by the level of commitment by its participants. Regardless of usability and sociability needs, methods of integration, collaboration, academic impact and goals achievement, student based online social environments cannot be successful without the commitment of their members.

Little is known about student success in online learning environments, especially how the predisposing characteristics that the learner brings to the learning environment may differentially affect student outcomes. This study explored the question of whether a student's "readiness" to be a self-directed learner is a predictor of student success in an online community college curriculum. The specific goal of this investigation was to determine whether there was a significant relationship between self-directed learning readiness-as measured by Guglielmino's (1977) Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS)- and student success-as measured by course completion, grade point average (GPA) and student satisfaction, the latter assessed by student responses to an opinion poll. The subjects of this study were community college students in the state of Washington, enrolled in one or more transfer-level online courses delivered via Washington ONLINE (WAOL) during fall quarter 1999. Students who voluntarily chose to respond to two elective surveys comprised the study sample. A correlational research design was used to test the explanatory power of self-directed learning readiness and to describe the relationships between variables. Since this study was designed to test hypothesized relationships, the resulting correlation coefficients were interpreted in terms of their statistical significance. The expected outcome of this study was to confirm or disconfirm a statistically significant relationship between self-directed learning readiness and student success in an online community college curriculum. The findings of this study failed to achieve this outcome due to (1) the lack of statistical reliability of the SDLRS among the subject population; (2) the resulting lack of validity of the SDLRS among the study sample; (3) a nonresponse effect; and (4) a self-selection effect. The unanticipated outcome of this study was evidence that student perception of student/instructor interactions is a single variable predictor of student success among community college students in an online learning environment. Recommendations for further study include Web-specific research methodologies that address the potentially deleterious effects of nonresponse and self-selection in cyber research environments and continued exploration of the multiple facets of student success in asynchronous learning domains.

Knowing that an object does not belong to an authorized set of objects is an important step in computer system defense. Dr. Stephanie Forrest of the University of New Mexico compared the process of computer system defense to the process used by living organisms to defend against diseases, viruses and other foreign agents. Dr. Forrest's thesis was to develop a methodology for identifying the self to use intrusion detection to detect non-self-agents. An alternative to this external view is a system that contains its own self-defense mechanism. The project proposed that an internal function could be used to differentiate between self and non-self-objects by creating unique identifiers for computer systems as the human DNA differentiates individuals. This research developed the DNA Self-Defense Methodology where implementation would insert identification data into an object that will identify the object uniquely to the operating system on which it resides. This identification data, denoted as the DNA Pattern, will serve to create a unique copy of the object and create an ownership token between the object and the operating system. The research project then focused on developing an instantiation of the methodology for single node computer systems. Additionally, a proof of concept system was developed to test the functionality of certain features of the methodology. The results of the test demonstrated that, given additional research, practical application of the methodology is feasible.

This dissertation investigates data integrity in Ada 95. The hypothesis presented is that Ada 95 programs must be designed under the control of the programmer in order for data entities to be protected from internal corruption. The designers of the language made a conscious decision to add object-oriented features by extending the existing definitions of Ada 83. While the new implementation provides the object-oriented features of inheritance and polymorphism, the language implementation of these features, along with that of hierarchical libraries, introduce an ambiguity of object-oriented design-to language constructs that can result in data integrity problems. Coding techniques are presented for various program design dilemmas and emphasize the protection and consistent use of data entities within and between the various components of an Ada 95 program. The results of testing the coding techniques indicate that different encapsulation organizations have different impacts on the various aspects of data integrity. During this testing, a flaw in the compiler was revealed with respect to the inheritance of private primitive operations. Through investigating the language from the perspective of data integrity, it was found that the object-oriented paradigm, as well as the protection of critical data entities as dictated by the problem domain, can be achieved through a combination of Ada 95 features. This is fully dependent on an increased intervention and control of the program code by the programmer.

The purpose of this study was to investigate learners' attitudes and preferences and how they relate to participation in Internet-based instruction at Coastal Carolina University. The study was focused on Generation Y because they behave decidedly different from previous generations. Also, in light of the current fiscal challenges that are ongoing in colleges and universities, it is necessary to explore different avenues that would attract more students to online learning environments (OLE) for many reasons. They include cutting capital costs, attracting more students to distance education formats, and using a profile that catalogs traits favorable to OLEs during advisement. The goal of the study was to gather empirical evidence that would shed light in revamping and improving ways to increase student enrollment in online distance education classes and understanding attitudes and preferences relating to participation in Internet-based instruction. The researcher also examined how selected demographic variables like age, gender, GPA, student rank, student status, academic major, marital status, and employment status shaped students' attitudes and preferences. To collect data, the researcher developed a survey instrument, which adopted a five-point Likel1-type scale. An expert panel of four individuals tested the validity of the instrument. A reliability test and a factor analysis were carried out. A pilot study was conducted and recommendations for changes to the survey were made prior to the actual study. Collection of data took place primarily online via a unique WebCT server. Hard copies were available but were not used because all participants had Internet and WebCT access. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data. Inferential statistics such as tests of significance like I-tests and analysis of variance (ANOYA) were used to test the null hypotheses. Correlation analyses were run to examine any relationships between attitudes and preferences and linear regression was also performed to establish the strength of the relationships between the variables. The outcomes of this study included a profile of traits with emphasis on Generation Y that would show compatibility with Internet-based instruction. The study results showed significant differences in attitudes and preferences based on selected demographics. Finally, the results revealed existing relationships between attitudes and preferences.