Low college readiness among high school graduates is a national problem. A significant percentage of graduates are referred to courses designed to remediate deficiencies in the basic skills of reading, writing, and mathematics. Initiatives designed to improve the student experience in remedial and developmental programs have focused on the use of technology. Although technology has been used in the teaching of writing, research has not shown that this method is an improvement when compared to the lecture-based approach to teaching writing. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to examine the impact of a technology-based writing program on student academic achievement, retention, and success in the advanced English class when compared to the lecture-based program. A framework for the study was Piaget's theory of cognitive development, which emphasizes learning through active exploration. A sample size of 88 degree-seeking freshmen, under the age of 20, with ACT scores that placed them in developmental writing or learning support writing courses, was used in the research. Quantitative, secondary data were analyzed using Chi-square and Cramer's V tests. The results of the Chi-square analysis were significant (Ï?2(1) = 22.72, p < .001), indicating that the percentage of students who succeeded in their advanced English course was different between the technology-based and the lecture-based classes. This study has implications for positive social change in the form of empirical-based data, which may inform decisions relative to the design of writing programs across the country. This information would potentially impact the college completion initiatives employed at community colleges nationwide.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2001. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 62-07, Section: B, page: 3402. Chair: William J. Froming.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1988. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-05, Section: B, page: 1964.

Thesis (Psy.D.)--Fairleigh Dickinson University, 2004. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 65-04, Section: B, page: 2128. Chairperson: Judith Kaufman. Available also in print.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction / Sherri Martinie / Low success rates in developmental mathematics courses have caused a growing concern for many institutions including moderately selective four-year universities. As a result, institutions have adopted various course redesign models, such as the emporium and replacement models, which take advantage of interactive online learning tools. Though these models have proven successful for increasing completion rates in algebra intensive courses, the models do not address additional concerns for developmental students enrolled in liberal arts mathematics courses. The co-requisite model of instruction is an alternative pathway for students with developmental needs. This model allows students to enroll in the required general education gateway mathematics course concurrent with a developmental mathematics lab, which offers student-centered instruction and just-in-time support for student learning. This study examined the implementation of a co-requisite model of instruction, at one moderately selective four-year university, by investigating the potential of multiple variables for predicting student success.

<p> Monitoring bodies in the District of Columbia articulated that people diagnosed with an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) who reside in community-based group home settings are vulnerable to safety issues, poor quality of care from registered nursing services, and poor oversight. Those monitors have identified the lack of knowledge of roles and responsibilities among registered nurses (RNs) in these settings as a significant risk factor. The District of Columbia Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) has no formal orientation or training for RNs that encompasses the multifaceted needs of people diagnosed with IDD. This capstone project aimed to identify the effectiveness of an educational intervention and the effect of continuing education on RNs' perception of their practice in the field of IDD. After review of current literature, an educational presentation addressing all facets of entry-level registered nursing was developed. The presentation focused on the fundamentals of IDD nursing. A group of RNs working in the District of Columbia IDD community participated in an all-day educational program and completed a pre- and posttest evaluation to measure their knowledge prior to the intervention and their knowledge gain immediately after the intervention. A standard five-point Likert scale survey was delivered on the third and sixth months after educational intervention (EI). The survey asked the participants to rate the impact of the EI at three and six months post intervention to measure their perceived confidence level and actual practice changes. Eighty-seven percent of the RNs that participated in the EI and responded to the questionnaire reported that their role as an IDD nurse had changed because of participating in this training, and 93.8% reported that they would recommend this training to other RNs entering or working in this subspecialty.</p>

Orientador: Cyntia Graziella Guizelim Simões Girotto / Banca: Stela Miller / Banca: José Carlos Miguel / Banca: Marta Chaves / Banca: Orlando Fernández Aquino / Resumo: A atividade, para a perspectiva Histórico-Cultural e a Teoria da Atividade, torna-se a promotora da práxis, uma vez que, por meio dela, se consolida a apropriação da cultura e se permite a objetivação do sujeito na cultura. Tendo a atividade como referência, a pesquisa aqui relatada tem por objetivo principal comprovar que a prática docente intencionalmente organizada nos moldes da atividade envolvente, com base problematizadora, é capaz de efetivar uma educação com os princípios da educação desenvolvente, que prime pelo desenvolvimento do pensamento teórico, promovendo um outro nível de consciência nos alunos. Para tanto, buscou-se compreender como as condições concretas da realidade escolar em que se desenvolveu a pesquisa viabilizam a constituição do trabalho docente e verificar em que medida os estudos teóricos possibilitam o desenvolvimento de uma prática pedagógica diferenciada, calcada na perspectiva da Educação Desenvolvente. Por meio do aprofundamento teórico acerca dessas categorias e do estabelecimento do conceito de problematização dos conteúdos escolares para a referida teoria, considerou-se tanto a atividade quanto a problematização como promotores do desenvolvimento das funções psíquicas superiores, especificamente da formação do pensamento teórico. Com base metodológica qualitativa, a pesquisa de campo, desenvolvida por meio da pesquisa-ação entre os anos de 2010 e meados de 2012, ocorreu em uma escola estadual do município de Paranaíba/MS, onde foi constituído um grupo de professoras e coordenadoras das séries iniciais do Ensino Fundamental, com encontros quinzenais para estudos teóricos sobre a abordagem Histórico-Cultural e planejamento de atividades problematizadoras, com o intuito de verificar, no contexto de sala de aula, a construção coletiva de uma prática pedagógica que... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Activity, from the Historical-Cultural point of view and the Theory of Activity, becomes the promoter of praxis, since, by means of it, one consolidates the appropriation of culture and gives way to the objectification of the subject in culture. Having activity as reference, this research was carried out to verify mainly that the teaching practice intentionally organized in the moulds of the involving activity, based on problem solving, is capable of accomplishing an education with the principles of the developmental education, which distinguishes itself by the development of the theoretical thought, providing another level of awareness for the students. Therefore, one tried to understand how the concrete conditions of the school reality in which the research was developed made the constitution of the teaching work feasible and verify to what extent the theoretical studies give way to the development of a differentiated pedagogical practice, based on the perspective of Developmental Education. By means of the theoretical probing for those categories and the establishment of the problem solving concept of school contents for the theory at issue, one took into account both the activity and the problem solving as promoters of the development of higher psychic functions, specifically of the formation of the theoretical thought. Based on a qualitative approach, the field research, developed by means of the research-action from 2010 to the middle 2012, took place in a public school of Paranaíba/MS, where a group of teachers and coordinators at the level of Grade/Junior high school was organized, holding fortnightly meetings to carry out theoretical studies on the Historical-Cultural approach and the planning of problem solving activities, aiming at verifying, within the classroom, the collective organization of... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

<p> This dissertation examines the extent to which children's tablet software applications, commonly called <i>apps,</i> are designed appropriately to promote the optimal development of preschool children aged three to five. This study extends previous research, particularly the theoretical frameworks of <i>developmentally appropriate practice</i> and Bers' <i> positive technological development.</i> The researcher argues that, for children's mobile apps to be developmentally meaningful, they need to satisfy three conditions: (1) apps must be designed appropriately to accommodate the developmental stages and needs of young children; (2) content must be designed to promote young children's development in the areas of cognition, academic skills, social-emotional skills, and physical development; and (3) digital interactions engage children in activities and behaviors that foster optimal developmental assets. The researcher devised three instruments to evaluate and examine the breadth, depth, and design quality of 100 children's apps from the Apple's App Store for iPad. Content analysis revealed that only a non-significant majority of apps (58%) were meaningfully designed for preschool children in terms of user interface, audio and visual design, and instructional support. The apps selected for this sample included games and learning activities, interactive eBooks, as well as creativity and utility apps. The content of these apps tended to cluster around school skills and they rarely engaged children in activities beyond academic drill-and-practice. These apps largely ignored the social, emotional, and physical aspects of children's development. Using numerous vignettes and examples as illustrations, the analysis highlights design techniques, content offering, and technological features that could be productive toward children's development, as well as those that distract from meaningful user experiences. This study underscores the need for developmentally meaningful children's mobile apps for preschool children.</p>

<p> This study examined the role of course engagement in college student success, especially for students who have multiple life commitments and few social supports. Building on previous measurement work and based in self-determination theory, the study was organized in five steps. Relying on information provided by 860 undergraduates from 12 upper and lower division Psychology classes, the first step was to improve the measurement of course engagement, by mapping the increased complexity found in self-reports of college students (by incorporating items capturing engagement in &ldquo;out-of-classroom" activities and general orientation, to standard items tapping classroom engaged and disaffected behavior and emotion). 12 items were selected to create a brief assessment covering the conceptual scope of this multidimensional construct; its performance was compared to the full scale and found to be nearly identical. </p><p> Second, the assessment was validated by examining the functioning of course engagement within the classroom model: As predicted, engagement was linked to proposed contextual and personal antecedents as well as course performance, and fully or partially mediated the effects of both context and self-perceptions on actual class grades; findings also indicated the importance of including a marker of perceived course difficulty. Third, the university level model was examined, which postulated key predictors of students&rsquo; overall academic performance and persistence toward graduation. Unexpectedly, academic identity was found to be the primary driver of persistence and the sole predictor of GPA; moreover, it mediated the effects of learning experiences and course engagement on both outcomes.</p><p> The fourth and most important step was to integrate the classroom and university models through course engagement, to examine whether students&rsquo; daily engagement predicted their overall performance and persistence at the university level. As expected, course engagement indeed showed a significant indirect effect (through academic identity) on both success outcomes, and these effects were maintained, even when controlling for the effects of university supports. Finally, student circumstances were added to the integrated model, specifically focusing on whether course engagement buffered cumulative non-academic demands on performance and persistence. Although unexpected, most interesting was the marginal interaction revealing that students whose lives were higher in non-academic demands showed the highest levels of persistence when their course engagement was high (and were the least likely to return next term when their engagement was low). Future measurement work and longitudinal studies are suggested to examine how course engagement cumulatively shapes academic identity, especially for students with differentiated profiles of non-academic demands and supports. Implications of findings are discussed for improving student engagement and success, and for using the brief assessment of course engagement as a tool for instructor professional development, and as part of threshold scores that serve as early warning signs for drop-out and trigger timely and targeted interventions.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1992. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-11, Section: B, page: 5975. Chair: Debra Gordon.