Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Instructional Systems Technology of the School of Education, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-01, Section: A, page: 0152. Adviser: Thomas M. Duffy. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed Jan. 8, 2007)."

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, School of Education, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-03, Section: A, page: 0835. Adviser: Curtis J. Bonk. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed March 16, 2007)."

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: . Adviser: Renee Clift. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 197-210) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: . Adviser: Marilyn Johnston-Parsons. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-186) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Language Education, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Feb 4, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-04, Section: A, page: 1205. Adviser: Faridah Pawan.

<p> As student learners become exposed to more technology, they drive change in their learning environments. The United States Department of Education and Georgia Department of Education responded with national and state technology plans to better support the Digital Natives of this century. Local school districts and schools equipped educators in this study through portable and mobile tablet/laptop carts, student response devices, data/video projectors, and/or interactive TVs/white boards. In this multisited, multiple case study, three middle grades English/Language Arts educators honored connections between content, pedagogy, and technology. Through narrative vignettes, within-case and cross-case analysis of data, and interpretation and implications of findings, the researcher described how technology-based learning impacts the learning environment of student learners and their educators in middle grades English/Language Arts instruction and how those experiences impact learner autonomy. The researcher desired the findings to be of value to educators and others whose decisions regarding professional development, instructional practices, and instructional resources influence the learning experiences for educators and their student learners.</p>

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore a situated technology integration professional development experience from the perspective of six university-level foreign and second language teachers as they engaged and participated in a best practices professional development model. Assuming variability in development based on contextual and individual factors, the study aimed to (1) illuminate the underlying issues by exploring how and why each teacher-learner experienced the professional development; (2) investigate the similarities and differences among the cases in order to more fully understand what was involved in advancing the development process, and (3) locate patterns among the cases that provide insight into what constitutes successful and effective technology integration professional development. This dissertation took a comparative multi-case study approach to achieving these research goals and employed a variety of interview, observation, and document data collection techniques. These included pre- and post-questionnaires that focused on the teacher-learners' technological, pedagogical, curricular, and development attitudes, beliefs, and goals; pre- and post-inventories measuring technology integration familiarity, use, and interest; six formative questionnaires by which the teacher-learners measured their own progression; group, pair, and individual interviews examining the teacher-learners experiences at different points; participatory and semi-participatory observations of the teacher-learners' participation in the various events that made up the model, including workshops, one-on-one consultations, collegial presentations, and in-class technology integration implementations; and document evidence in the form of the model's help sheets and lesson plans, as well as the syllabi and curriculum records kept by the teacher-learners themselves regarding their technology integration efforts. The resulting data were analyzed using a constant comparative method, quantitative visual display, and a grounded theory approach to coding for process. The study's findings supported the originally assumed development variability among the six technology integration professional development cases. Such variability was shown to be a product of the teacher-learners' own agency, which was revealed to exist in the individualized and contextualized ways they responded to and, thereby, shaped their experiences. The effectiveness vs. ineffectiveness of these means to advance the development processes support language teacher-learners undertaking situated cognition-based dialogic and reflective learning scenarios infused with self-directed learning and transformative learning opportunities.

This qualitative study of classroom processes focuses on the roles students play in two different environments, a regular classroom and an anonymous, collaborative, technological environment using GroupSystems. As students from an urban high school engaged in a brainstorming session about complex, ethical issues, they participated differently in each setting. The research questions that this study addresses are: Given a discussion of complex, ethical issues, what is the nature of classroom participation roles? In addition, in what ways are participation roles in a regular classroom structure different from a collaborative, technological environment? Furthermore, in each environment, how do ethnically diverse students participate in discussions of complex, ethical issues, as defined by their participation roles? Then to view gender issues in each environment, how do male and female students participate in discussions of complex, ethical issues, as defined by their participation roles? An analysis of these questions provides a deeper understanding of the roles students take in a classroom discussion. In addition, it provides similarities and differences between such discussions in a regular classroom versus an online setting. The insights provided in this study may contribute to a better understanding for teaching and teacher education in constructing activities and environments that support student voice, equity, and active participation in society as a whole.

The purpose of this study was twofold: to develop a computer-based piano performance trainer, and to study subjects' frequency of choices pertaining to different kinds of information feedback during self-directed practice while using a computer-based trainer. Additional concerns in the present study were: (1) the preferences of subjects regarding other practice options; (2) subjects' accuracy of performance, as measured by an investigator-designed test; (3) the relationship between subjects' accuracy of performance and their attributes of musical aptitude, reading ability, sightreading ability, and manual dexterity; and (4) the relationship between subjects' sightreading ability and the other three attributes. Data were collected from thirty-seven volunteers in piano class at Mesa Community College. In a natural setting, subjects practiced a fifteen-measure composition daily until the earlier of two events occurred: (1) students reached criterion level, or (2) two weeks elapsed. Results indicated that during self-directed practice as they were using a computer-based trainer, students most frequently chose: (a) to receive supplementary visual feedback--superimposed errors over the musical score, (b) to practice with a metronome and (c) to practice part of the composition with both hands. Across all subjects, the number of rhythm errors was significantly greater than the number of pitch errors; only two subjects reached criterion level during the two weeks. A correlation coefficent between performance accuracy scores and subject profile scores revealed a significant relationship between performance accuracy and sightreading, and a slight relationship between performance accuracy scores and reading. The findings indicated no significant relationship between performance accuracy and the other three attributes; also, there was no relationship between the same attributes and sightreading. Some of the writer's recommendations regarding future research in computer-based piano instruction were as follows: (1) Use courseware that "recognizes" student errors and makes incisive commentary or remediation as is necessary. (2) Select appropriately graded material for different skill levels. (3) Incorporate different styles of music. (4) Provide subjects with a supplementary IF mode that combines visual and aural feedback simultaneously. (5) Compare the performance accuracy of different groups of subjects with looser or tighter tolerances of the rhythm error for the beginning of each note.

The basis of this study is that traditional models of leadership do not adequately address the complexity of challenges presented to leaders engaged in IT-facilitated process improvements. The result is that most IT (information technology) implementations either fail outright or do not meet expectations. This study was conducted therefore, to close the knowledge gap that exists between the leadership decision to seek IT-facilitated improvement and the leadership approach needed to successfully accomplish it. Case study and qualitative research methodologies were employed to reveal assumptions and beliefs of leadership that influenced the development of network-based applications in a financial service organization--how improvement projects were initiated, implemented, and accepted by the staff for whom they were intended. The analysis of data led to the description of seven leadership themes--Institutional Climate, Involvement, Communication, Learning, Development Strategy, Resources, and Impact. Of particular interest are the assumptions and beliefs of the Impact theme, which provides evidence that IT-facilitated process improvements were successfully implemented in the financial service organization studied. The assumptions and beliefs of leadership are then used to determine how the described framework of leadership is aligned with the Postindustrial Model of Leadership suggested by Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal (1991)--a model that they contend extends beyond the limitations of traditional models. The framework revealed by the seven leadership themes was compared to evaluation criteria developed for Bolman and Deal's leadership model. Using the organizational frame definitions developed by Bolman and Deal in their book Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership (1991), the following ranking was observed: Structural, Political, Human Resource, and Symbolic. This analysis provides evidence that the framework of leadership in the financial services organization is aligned with the Postindustrial Model of Leadership suggested by Bolman and Deal. In summary, the study reveals that successful IT-implementations were achieved in the financial service organization with Bolman and Deal's Postindustrial Model of Leadership in place. Additional research is recommended, however, to refine the assumptions and beliefs of leadership such that the conclusions reached in this study can be confirmed and generalized to expanded populations and circumstances.