This case study is set within the theoretical framework of distance education, and is centred on the first large-scale use of computer conferencing for distance education at the Open University. The concepts of independence and autonomy, of the quasi-industrialisation of large distance teaching universities, and of interaction with learners, are taken as the frameworks for analysing the success of this application of the medium. The hypothesis concerning the convergence of traditional and distance education systems is given further support by the introduction of this new technology. The perspectives of the students who used conferencing as part of their course on Information Technology, the tutors who used conferencing for tutoring the course, and the course team who designed and wrote the course, and then maintained it with conferencing, are the central areas of investigation and analysis in this study. Qualitative data - from interviews, observation and conference content, is used along with quantitative data from user-generated statistics, from surveys and from the course database. The success of the application is analysed in three ways: its effectiveness as a mass distance teaching medium, its value as a medium for tutoring, and its use as a minor component of a multi-media course. The results show that computer conferencing can be used with large numbers of students mastering the system at a distance, though not necessarily using it interactively. The medium is very successful for certain tutoring duties - support, advice and information exchange, and potentially for interactive discussion. However, as a minor component of a course, it is too powerful and too time consuming to be successful.

The purpose of this study was to determine the dominant learning style of dosimetry students. The study also investigated to see if there was a significant difference in test performance based on synchronous/asynchronous participation, specific learning style, and the Bloom's taxonomy level of the test questions. To conduct the study, 25 medical dosimetry students enrolled at an accredited university were studied. Fifteen students participated in the course through a synchronous format using live video conferencing. Ten students used streaming video for their instruction in an asynchronous format. To determine the students' learning styles, Kolb's Learning Style Inventory was used. Findings from the study indicated the most common learning styles of dosimetry students were converging and assimilating. The study also found no significant differences in test performance by students based on synchronous or asynchronous class participation, individual learning style, or the item's Bloom's taxonomy level. Even though no significant differences were found, this study offers insight to potential students and dosimetry educators about taking or offering distance education courses.

No description available.

No description available.

Digital divide scholars suggest that the speed and scope of the digital precipitates unique catalysts of societal inequity, which public schools have long sought to mitigate by democratizing access to education. This study investigates a one-to-one digital device program in one of the largest public school districts in the United States, and its impact on literacy achievement in varying socioeconomic climates and the attitudes and beliefs of marginalized parent populations. Previous studies on one-to-one programs are largely qualitative, and existing quantitative studies suffer too many variables for reliable conclusions. Through a mixed methods design, this study centers on a highly-standardized implementation across 200,000 students, controlling for variables plaguing existing work, and offering a breadth of comparable data previously unavailable. The quantitative phase analyzed standardized test scores over seven years surrounding the implementation, and the qualitative phase analyzed survey data gathered from parents in varying socioeconomic climates. These analyses found no statistically significant change in the literacy achievement gap between low and high-income communities, and no concerns unique to any particular parent demographic, negating concerns of some scholars that one-to-one programs might exacerbate the digital divide. This study also found that parents—regardless of language, income, or educational background—generally believe this program eased the transition to remote learning when schools closed due to Covid-19 in 2020, and will better prepare students for a digitized workplace. Recommendations are made for existing and future digital learning and one-to-one laptop programs, and suggestions are offered for future research in or tangential to the fields of digital learning and digital inequity.

The core curriculum of interdisciplinary studies undergraduate programs represents interdisciplinarity as a consciously applied process, whether individually or collaboratively, of drawing and integrating insights from various disciplinary perspectives toward complex problem-solving and innovation. At the front-end of these programs students are often introduced to interdisciplinarity through terminology, metaphors, concepts, and context that are intended to familiarize them with the process. This initiation usually precedes what will ultimately entail a limited number of upper-division courses within the several disciplines or areas that will encompass a unique plan of study characterized by its breadth. The philosophy underlying current pedagogy in interdisciplinary studies appears in many ways to mirror the cognitive habitudes and socio-cultural zeitgeist that have emerged with our increasing connectedness with and reliance on digital technology. This dissertation proposes that through a revised front-end core curriculum revisiting both classical and Ramist pedagogy, and perhaps reframing how we think about interdisciplinarity itself, we need not sacrifice depth for breadth. Rather, we may be able to encourage a broadly applicable self-directed goal-centered mindset in our students that places equal emphasis on both breadth and depth in terms of deliberate knowledge acquisition. Through adapting the initial phases of a cognitivist instructional design model provisional week-by-week, curricular content is presented to illustrate how this endeavor might be realized within the context of interdisciplinary studies or like programs. This core curricular model is intended as an alternative well-suited to both the fully online and mixed mode format as well as the diversity of students within the typical undergraduate interdisciplinary studies program.

The purpose of this evaluative study was to review the implementation of a Webcam Test-Proctoring Program (WTPP) implemented in a Kindergarten through 12th grade public virtual school. Results of the evaluative study will be used to determine if the secure Webcam proctoring method would be a viable solution to a problem of practice—requiring full-time virtual school students to participate in the multitude of required state and Florida school district assessments. At the core of virtual education lies the appeal of flexibility in each student's individual learning path. The rigid nature of secure assessments conflict with the intentions of a K-12 virtual school. Natale and Cook (2012) identified this as a problem of practice as well, stating, "Digital learning de-standardizes and decentralizes educational delivery, so it presents challenges in applying quality control systems and metrics that were developed for more traditional school structures" (p. 541). A formal evaluation included an electronic survey and one-on-one phone interviews. The sample population for this study included 6th-12th grade students (n = 27) who were enrolled in Hurricane County Virtual School during the 2014-2015 school year. The HCVS population was 165 at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year, therefore the population for this study was N=165. The WTPP evaluated for this study took place over two test sessions, the first in October of 2014 and the second in January 2015. Students were asked to complete the electronic survey and to volunteer to complete phone interviews to provide feedback about their experience completing their benchmark assessments. In this mixed-methods study, an electronic survey created by the evaluator and research chair gathered quantitative data that were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. In order to determine if there was any relationship between specific demographic sub-groups and their experiences and preferences regarding Webcam proctoring, the researcher used the Kruskal-Walis and Mann-Whitney inferential statistics. Additionally, qualitative data were collected through one-on-one phone interviews with six students who participated in the WTPP. Data from these interviews yielded supporting statements for the quantitative data analyzed. Results yielded from this study indicated that the majority of students who participated in the WTPP were satisfied or very satisfied with this method of proctoring for secure testing overall. Future studies should further evaluate the effectiveness of Webcam proctoring for secure testing and determine the impact of allowing students more flexibility (which Webcam proctoring inherently does) while testing has on their test scores.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain what has been written about feedback in Distance Education: An International Journal. Distance education has been dramatically developed in domestic and international education. It is a kind of education that concentrates on teaching methods and technologies, intending to deliver teaching to students who are not physically present in the traditional education setting such as the classroom. In distance education, students have fewer chances to get immediate responses from their teachers. Hence, in order to make sure that students have really learned and made progress, students and instructors should interact or communicate with each other frequently. The definition of feedback is that it is a reinforcer information given by different kinds of sources to help feedback receivers to make progress. Feedback serves as a useful learning tool with which to interact and communicate. In many cases, feedback may be the only learning communication between students and teacher in distance education courses. Content analysis methodology had been chosen for this research project in order to get a systematic and deep understanding of feedback in distance education. A coding form was utilized to support the objective observation. Predetermined themes were used to categorize the articles from the Distance Education: An International Journal. Six hundred and twenty peer reviewed articles were searched, and three hundred and fifty eight articles include the term feedback. The researcher read all these three hundred and fifty eight articles. One hundred and twenty four articles were about sources, sixty-two were about types of feedback, fifty-seven were about technology, and nineteen of them were about quality. There were also some other kinds of topics appeared in the articles of this journal. In order to make the analysis much more clear, the researcher categorized topics into four specific themes: feedback types, feedback providers, ways to deliver feedback and feedback quality. Results and discussion were provided. / Ph. D.