Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Curriculum & Instruction / Margaret Gail Shroyer / Compared to other nations, fewer American students are pursuing and completing degrees within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. For the United States to remain competitive, the development of novel instructional techniques designed to reach students who might otherwise be lost from these majors is imperative. This study examined the use of teacher designed multimedia within an introductory STEM course. Quantitative methods were used in a real classroom setting to examine the relationship between the use of multimedia and the amount of information students comprehended and retained when learning photosynthesis. Also, the relationship between the use of multimedia and the learning gains of female students within introductory STEM courses was examined, as their participation within the STEM fields has historically been low. Qualitative methods were employed to discern which multimedia features students and instructors found the most beneficial regarding the presentation of complex and abstract scientific concepts. Using a quasi-experimental, design-based research approach, it was determined that the use of simple animations and corresponding narration increased student learning gains compared to the use of static pictures and text. This finding aligned well with theories regarding multimedia learning and its use of dual coding for reducing cognitive load. The value of multimedia for learning gains was greatest for females with lower prior knowledge levels, as defined by performance on a pre-test. However male students with low prior knowledge benefited, although not to the same degree as females. In agreement with the fundamentals of constructivism, this finding supported the idea that basic schema construction is paramount for increasing comprehension. Results from the qualitative portion of the study indicated that students prefer multimedia over static text and pictures because: 1. Complex processes can unfold in motion while being described verbally 2. Schema construction is guided by a trusted source, and 3. Small chunks of information can be presented yet tied together in a larger sequence.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Rosemary S. Talab / The purpose of this study was to obtain science faculty concerns and professional development needs to adopt blended learning in their teaching at Taibah University. To answer these two research questions the survey instrument was designed to collect quantitative and qualitative data from close-ended and open-ended questions. The participants’ general characteristics were first presented, then the quantitative measures were presented as the results of the null hypotheses. The data analysis for research question one revealed a statistically significant difference in the participants’ concerns in adopting BL by their gender sig = .0015. The significances were found in stages one (sig = .000) and stage five (sig = .006) for female faculty. Therefore, null hypothesis 1.1 was rejected (There are no statistically significant differences between science faculty’s gender and their concerns in adopting BL). The data analysis indicated also that there were no relationships between science faculty’s age, academic rank, nationality, country of graduation and years of teaching experience and their concerns in adopting BL in their teaching, so the null hypotheses 1.2-7 were accepted (There are no statistically significant differences between Science faculty’s age and their concerns in adopting BL, there are no statistically significant differences between Science faculty’s academic rank and their concerns in adopting BL, there are no statistically significant differences between Science faculty’s nationality and their concerns in adopting BL, there are no statistically significant differences between Science faculty’s content area and their concerns in adopting BL, there are no statistically significant differences between Science faculty’s country of graduation and their concerns in adopting BL and there are no statistically significant differences between Science faculty’s years of teaching experience and their concerns in adopting BL). The data analyses for research question two revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between science faculty’s use of technology in teaching by department and their attitudes towards technology integration in the Science curriculum. Lambda MANOVA test result was sig =.019 at the alpha = .05 level. Follow up ANOVA result indicated that Chemistry department was significant in the use of computer-based technology (sig =.049) and instructional technology use (sig =.041). Therefore, null hypothesis 2.1 was rejected (There are no statistically significant differences between science faculty’s attitudes towards technology integration in the Science curriculum and faculty’s use of technology in teaching by department). The data also revealed that there was no statistically significant difference (p<.05) between science faculty’s use of technology in teaching by department and their instructional technology use on pedagogy. Therefore, null hypothesis 2.2 was accepted (There are no statistically significant differences between science faculty’s perceptions of the effects of faculty IT use on pedagogy and faculty’s use of technology in teaching by department). The data also revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between science faculty’s use of technology in teaching by department and their professional development needs in adopting BL. Lambda MANOVA test result was .007 at the alpha = .05 level. The follow up ANOVA results showed that the value of significance of Science faculty’s professional development needs for adopting BL was smaller than .05 in the Chemistry department with sig =.001 in instructional technology use. Therefore, null hypothesis 2.3 was rejected (There are no statistically significant differences between Science faculty’s perceptions of technology professional development needs and faculty’s use of technology in teaching by department). Qualitative measures included analyzing data based on answers to three open-ended questions, numbers thirty-six, seventy-four, and seventy-five. These three questions were on blended learning concerns comments (question 36, which had 10 units), professional development activities, support, or incentive requested (question 74, which had 28 units), and the most important professional development activities, support, or incentive (question 75, which had 37 units). These questions yielded 75 units, 23 categories and 8 themes that triangulated with the quantitative data. These 8 themes were then combined to obtain overall themes for all qualitative questions in the study. The two most important themes were “Professional development” with three categories; Professional development through workshops (10 units), Workshops (10 units), Professional development (5 units) and the second overall theme was “Technical support” with two categories: Internet connectivity (4 units), and Technical support (4 units). Finally, based on quantitative and qualitative data, the summary, conclusions, and recommendations for Taibah University regarding faculty adoption of BL in teaching were presented. The recommendations for future studies focused on Science faculty Level of Use and technology use in Saudi universities.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Curriculum and Instruction / Rosemary Talab / The purpose of this case study was to explore the online learning environment through the experiences of the individual learner and to gain more insight into the elements of Business online courses, as framed by the Keller ARCS Model of Motivation. This study explored the following three Research Questions: 1. How do undergraduate first-year Business students perceive online course elements as being motivational? 2. How do the online courses that Business students perceive as being motivational use the Keller ARCS Motivational Model? 3 How do exemplary online Business faculty use the Keller ARCS Motivational Model in online instruction? The population was students enrolled in first-year for-credit online classes taken during the Fall 2010 semester in a Midwestern community college. A sample of required Business online sections was purposively selected in order to investigate Business student motivation. The participants in this study were 18 first-year Business students enrolled in Business courses. Based on student interviews, the instructors of the three courses that were most often nominated by students as being most motivational were interviewed. Interviews of students and instructors were conducted at the end of the Fall 2010 semester. Seven themes were identified for Research Question 1: 116 units for theme “Course Communication,” 83 units for theme “Course Requirements,” 71 units for theme “Grades,” 60 units for theme “Course Organization,” 50 units for the theme “Learning Online,” 48 units or the theme “Course Element Availability,” and 46 units for the theme “Track Course Progress.” For Research Question 2, the ARCS model categories were used as a framework for understanding and interpreting student motivation: “Attention,” “Relevance,” “Confidence,” and “Satisfaction.” The components of the Keller ARCS themes were then analyzed according to the components that students perceived as being most motivational. The ARCS Themes found were: 31 units for theme “Satisfaction,” 25 units for theme “Relevance,” 24 units were found for theme “Confidence,” and 20 units were found for theme “Attention.” The significant theme findings were: The Satisfaction theme was found to include practice prior to graded activities. The Relevance theme was found to include the use of “choices” as a key motivational component to what was perceived as being relevant. The Confidence theme was found to include a progression in difficulty of activities and access to review and practice new material. The Attention theme was found to include variability of instruction and course elements. To answer Research Question 3, faculty interviews focused specifically on the Keller ARCS Motivational Model and components. The ARCS themes found were: 36 units for theme “Confidence,” 25 units for theme “Relevance,” 24 units for theme “Satisfaction,” and 22 units for theme “Attention.” The significant findings from the themes were: The Confidence theme was found to include providing key information upfront to students. The design of the course must allow for student success and become progressively more difficult for students. Also, the time and effort required to complete activities should be provided to students. The Relevance theme was found to include the use of “choices” and to relate the course to the student’s situation as key motivational components. The Satisfaction theme was found to include negative consequences that are handled within the course, and practice that offers immediate feedback. The Attention theme was found to include students asking students questions within the course. Recommendations for further studies included a qualitative study to uncover how online Business students are motivated in their second and later years and a study to understand student motivation through various settings and technologies used in learning management system course elements.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Curriculum and Instruction / Dean A. Zollman / The work described here represents an effort to design, construct, and test an interactive online multimedia learning environment that can provide physics instruction to students in their homes. The system was designed with one-on-one human tutoring in mind as the mode of instruction. The system uses an original combination of a video-based tutor that incorporates natural language processing video-centered lessons and additional illustrative multimedia. Our Synthetic Interview (SI) tutor provides pre-recorded video answers from expert physics instructors in response to students’ typed natural language questions. Our lessons cover Newton’s laws and provide a context for the tutoring interaction to occur, connect physics ideas to real-world behavior of mechanical systems, and allow for quantitative testing of physics. Additional multimedia can be used to supplement the SI tutors’ explanations and illustrate the physics of interest. The system is targeted at students of algebra-based and concept-based physics at the college and high school level. The system logs queries to the SI tutor, responses to lesson questions and several other interactions with the system, tagging those interactions with a username and timestamp. We have provided several groups of students with access to our system under several different conditions ranging from the controlled conditions of our interview facility to the naturalistic conditions of use at home. In total nearly two-hundred students have accessed the system. To gain insight into the ways students might use the system and understand the utility of its various components we analyzed qualitative interview data collected with 22 algebra-based physics students who worked with our system in our interview facility. We also performed a descriptive analysis of data from the system’s log of user interactions. Finally we explored the use of machine learning to explore the possibility of using automated assessment to augment the interactive capabilities of the system as well as to identify productive and unproductive use patterns. This work establishes a proof-of-concept level demonstration of the feasibility of deploying this type of system. The impact of this work and the possibility of future research efforts are discussed in the context of Internet technologies that are changing rapidly.

Master of Science / Department of Food Science / Delores Chambers / Electronic reading (e-reading) device has been available for decades and there are many studies that have been published based on those devices. However with continuously changing tablet marketplace, there is a lack of studies looking at current devices. In order to understand the effect of tablets on undergraduate students, we conducted a consumer study to: 1) Determine the most beneficial tablet size for college students in their academic pursuits and 2) Determine the necessary types of support from academic libraries for college students conducting schoolwork using a tablet. An initial focus group study guided a consumer survey of 121 undergraduate students. The focus group study identified reading and note taking as key academic activities for tablet users. The participants were also interested in receiving quick help from the library and using electronic journal articles available from the library. A consumer survey took place at a university campus a month later. Each survey respondent answered a set of questionnaires using both large and small tablets of either Android or iOS operating system. The survey data showed that overall, larger tablet was preferred for academic use. Tablet size was not an important factor in reading or note taking (P ≥ 0.05) but perceived portability of a tablet size increased preference for that tablet size (P = 0.0078). In addition, the library’s instant messaging feature was found to be equally successful in both full and mobile website when viewed on a tablet (P ≥ 0.05). Many students who use HTML only or both HTML and PDF formats to view electronic journal articles when on a computer switched to PDF only when on a tablet. Our findings can assist tablet manufacturers in making a suitable tablet targeted for higher education uses. This study can also guide academic libraries in improving accessibility to resource for a growing number of undergraduate tablet users.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / F. Todd Goodson / Historically, advances in technology have impacted education, particularly in the field of literacy. Often, educators initially resist these changes. Today, this is the case with the new literacies. Although students increasingly turn to technology to communicate, school practices still largely ignore this cultural phenomenon. This qualitative study explores the roots of this resistance by examining how teachers negotiate the use of digital literacies in the classroom, particularly in respect to the rhetorical boundaries imposed upon schools by their local culture. Data were collected through 34 interviews with individuals in three demographically different schools districts. Of particular interest were the key literacy decision makers. At the district level, assistant superintendents who also served as secondary curriculum directors, technology directors and literacy coaches were interviewed. The school level focused on middle and high schools, and, in two districts, on alternative education centers. Principals, librarian, lead English teachers and new English teachers, defined as teaching for three years or less, provided information for the study at these schools. During the data analysis, grounded theory, as well as the gap and continuum theories described by Deanna Bogdan (1992a & b), guided the study. When examining what factors create the boundaries educators work within, nine initial themes emerged: infractions, distractions, dependency, immediacy, misinformation, safety, inappropriateness, funding and change. Further examination of the data revealed the central phenomenon: “The technological evolution that occurs outside the classroom must be adapted before it makes its way into pedagogical practice.” This phenomenon provides the first layer for the model. To better understand the adaptation process, the gap and continuum theories were employed, leading to a spectrum between gatekeepers and facilitators. Each of the three districts fit in distinctively different places on this spectrum. Axial coding was then used to further explore the relationship of the themes to the adaptation process. The nine themes could then be collapsed into three categories: perceptions of student behaviors, perceptions of technology, and perception of school’s role in society. This study provides educators insight into the factors that guide their decision-making processes when considering the incorporation of technology into the classroom.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Andrew G. Bennett / Online assessments afford many advantages for teachers and students. Okolo (2006) stated, “As the power, sophistication, and availability of technology have increased in the classroom, online assessments have become a viable tool for providing the type of frequent and dynamic assessment information that educators need to guide instructional decisions,” (pp 67-68). As post secondary institutes use online learning environments, education has molded into hybrid experiences. Traditional courses now regularly infuse components of online learning and assessments by required student participation both in person and online. Research is needed to analyze online components of assessment and student achievement. Data was gathered from an undergraduate mathematics course designed for students seeking a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. The course was entitled MATH 320: Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers. Synergies of quantitative and qualitative data were evaluated to assess the impact of written and video help tutorials in online quizzes on student achievement. Three forms of data were collected: student interviews, surveys about students’ online quiz experiences and learning style preferences, and student performance and tutorial usage statistics from seven online quizzes. Student interviews were conducted mid-semester by the researcher who also transcribed and analyzed data. Graphical schemes were used to identify and categorize responses to interview questions. Students’ responses were summarized and quantified in frequency tables. Surveys about students’ online quiz experiences and learning style preferences were analyzed through descriptive statistical methods to describe the data with numerical indices and in graphical form. Correlation matrices and linear regression models were used to identify relationships among survey items. Additionally, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) techniques were used to explore the data for statistical significance. Students were assigned seven online quizzes throughout the semester. Descriptive statistics were calculated to describe the online quiz data. Regression models were used to determine correlations between use of help tutorials and performance on online quizzes. Data analysis revealed students were persistent and motivated to retake similar quizzes multiple times until a high or perfect score was obtained. After missing a problem, students selected written help tutorials more often than video help tutorials to identify mistakes and understand how to solve the particular problem. The proportion of students whose scores improved after using both written and video help tutorials was greater than those who used the written help tutorials alone. Although the number of students who benefited from the video help tutorials was smaller than expected, the increased performance could be appreciated by students and educators alike. The research presented herein should serve as a base for curriculum development in university mathematics programs utilizing or considering implementation of online tutorials coupled with student evaluation.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Curriculum & Instruction / M. Gail Shroyer / Home computer ownership and Internet access have become essential to education, job security and economic opportunity. The digital divide, the gap between those who can afford and can use computer technolgies remains greatest for ethnic/racial groups placing them at a disadvantage for economic and eductional opportunties. The purpose of the study was to gain understanding and insight into the sociocultural factors influencing the digital divide as related to Latinos as a group, specifically a group of non-traditional Latina pre-service teachers from Southwestern Kansas in a required online instructional media and technology course. The folowing sociocultural factors 1) generational status, 2) English language ability, 3) educational attainment, 4) socioeconomic status and 5) gender identity are defined and identified in relationship to the success of eight Latina non-traditional, pre-service teachers in a required online instructional media and technology course as a requirement in their pursuit of a degree in elementary education. Four of the five sociocultural factors explored in this study; generational status, educational attainment, socioeconomic status, and gender roles appeared to influence the success of Hispanic, non-traditional pre-service teachers enrolled in the required online instructional media and technology course. Only one of the factors, English language ability, did not appear to have any direct influence on the success of these particular students. Although many of the students struggled with conventional use of English and this undoubtedly influenced their success in other courses, it did not inhibit their success in the on-line media and technology course. Participants were most expressive in their personal interviews about the influence of gender roles, both as a motivator and an inhibitor of success. These sociocultural factors also influence one another, particularly as generational status influences, English language ability, educational attainment, gender roles, and ultimately socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status, in turn, highly influences computer ownership and Internet access which leads to reduced familiarity with computer and technology terminology, prior experience with computers, and the participant’s perceived self-efficacy in using computer technology for teaching. These factors all then influence the digital divide and the gaps that exist between Hispanics and other racial / ethnic groups.

The aim of this thesis is to ascertain the degree to which high-stakes assessment for qualifications, such as New Zealand's National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), act as a barrier to secondary English teachers' use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) with their students. Although the focus is on high-stakes assessment for qualifications, other factors, which might also facilitate or hinder English teachers' use of ICTs, such as professional development and infrastructural, technical and access issues, are also considered. The literature review summarises the factors which tend to constrain or encourage teachers' use of ICTs, with a special focus on the considerable constraint placed on secondary teachers by their role in preparing and assessing students for high-stakes qualifications. The literature review also highlights the lack of convincing research into the impact on learning of ICTs but reveals that, in the subject English, there is some evidence of a positive impact when appropriate ICTs are used by well trained teachers in appropriate contexts. Key NCEA foundation and implementation documents and publicity, achievement standards and assessment activities were analysed to ascertain the degree of official endorsement for the use of ICTs in secondary schools and English programmes in particular. To gauge the perceptions of New Zealand English teachers about the constraints and encouragers of ICTs in their teaching, all NCEA level one English teachers were surveyed. This was followed by face-to-face and online focus groups in which trends revealed in the survey were explored. Document analysis revealed considerable official optimism that the flexibility and internal assessment of the NCEA would enable teachers to make greater use of ICTs. The achievement standards and supporting assessment activities however, tend to situate ICTs at the margins of English programmes as optional extras which, if used at all, tend to support current practice. The focus groups confirmed survey findings that, although English teachers are significant users of ICTs in their personal and professional lives, although they believe in the educational advantages of ICTs and although they work in schools and departments which support the classroom use of ICTs, they face significant constraints which prevent them making as much use of ICTs as they would like in their teaching. Most significant among these constraints is pressure of course coverage and lack of class time (largely attributable to the need to prepare students for high-stakes assessments). Other constraints include lack of adequate access to ICTs and technical support, and lack of appropriate professional development and time to learn about ICTs. Based on the literature review and research findings, recommendations are provided for schools, policy makers and researchers. Key among these is the need to acknowledge the profound influence of high-stakes qualifications on secondary schools and teachers and evolve such qualifications to encourage and enable desired innovations. It is recommended that ICTs could be infused into English and eventually, inter-disciplinary programmes, through the creation of innovative, ICT infused achievement standards which could be combined into flexibly structured courses which better meet the needs of twenty first century students. Also recommended are approaches which enable greater access to ICTs for English teachers and methods of professional development which have proved effective with adult learners. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

The aim of this thesis is to ascertain the degree to which high-stakes assessment for qualifications, such as New Zealand's National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), act as a barrier to secondary English teachers' use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) with their students. Although the focus is on high-stakes assessment for qualifications, other factors, which might also facilitate or hinder English teachers' use of ICTs, such as professional development and infrastructural, technical and access issues, are also considered. The literature review summarises the factors which tend to constrain or encourage teachers' use of ICTs, with a special focus on the considerable constraint placed on secondary teachers by their role in preparing and assessing students for high-stakes qualifications. The literature review also highlights the lack of convincing research into the impact on learning of ICTs but reveals that, in the subject English, there is some evidence of a positive impact when appropriate ICTs are used by well trained teachers in appropriate contexts. Key NCEA foundation and implementation documents and publicity, achievement standards and assessment activities were analysed to ascertain the degree of official endorsement for the use of ICTs in secondary schools and English programmes in particular. To gauge the perceptions of New Zealand English teachers about the constraints and encouragers of ICTs in their teaching, all NCEA level one English teachers were surveyed. This was followed by face-to-face and online focus groups in which trends revealed in the survey were explored. Document analysis revealed considerable official optimism that the flexibility and internal assessment of the NCEA would enable teachers to make greater use of ICTs. The achievement standards and supporting assessment activities however, tend to situate ICTs at the margins of English programmes as optional extras which, if used at all, tend to support current practice. The focus groups confirmed survey findings that, although English teachers are significant users of ICTs in their personal and professional lives, although they believe in the educational advantages of ICTs and although they work in schools and departments which support the classroom use of ICTs, they face significant constraints which prevent them making as much use of ICTs as they would like in their teaching. Most significant among these constraints is pressure of course coverage and lack of class time (largely attributable to the need to prepare students for high-stakes assessments). Other constraints include lack of adequate access to ICTs and technical support, and lack of appropriate professional development and time to learn about ICTs. Based on the literature review and research findings, recommendations are provided for schools, policy makers and researchers. Key among these is the need to acknowledge the profound influence of high-stakes qualifications on secondary schools and teachers and evolve such qualifications to encourage and enable desired innovations. It is recommended that ICTs could be infused into English and eventually, inter-disciplinary programmes, through the creation of innovative, ICT infused achievement standards which could be combined into flexibly structured courses which better meet the needs of twenty first century students. Also recommended are approaches which enable greater access to ICTs for English teachers and methods of professional development which have proved effective with adult learners. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.