Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Berkeley, 1989. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 167-176).

In 2016, over 11 million people misused prescription opioids and the economic costs were estimated to be over $500 billion. In the same year, opioids killed 42,000 people, which was more than any year on record. These data highlight the need to reduce the harm caused to individuals, families, communities, and the nation. One element of a more comprehensive national strategy is increasing awareness among citizens, physicians and policy makers. Given its widespread reach YouTube can be very helpful. There is a large literature on the opiate epidemic, but no published studies describing the sources or content of YouTube videos on the opiate epidemic were identified. This study was, therefore, intended to help fill this gap in current knowledge. YouTube was searched using two key terms, “opiate addiction” and “opioids.” The results were sorted by number of views, and the URL, title, and number of views were saved for videos with a minimum of 1,500 views. Videos were then screened for the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The remaining sample comprised 309 videos. Collectively, these 309 videos were viewed 44,693,887 times. The results revealed the sources that were most viewed and the nature of content that was and was not likely to be covered. The two main sources of videos were Internet Based and Television news/Entertainment. Compared with videos with health professions as the main speaker, those featuring consumers garnered almost 10 times as many cumulative views (30.35%versus 3.24%). Government organizations uploaded 11 videos (< 4%), collectively garnering 343,983 views (less than 1% of cumulative views). YouTube represents an important opportunity for health promotion and disease prevention regarding the opiate epidemic. However, improved understanding about ways to communicate accurate and useful information in ways that attract viewers is needed. Recommendations for research, policy and practice are presented relevant to how YouTube can help mitigate the harm caused by the opiate epidemic.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Instructional Systems, Leadership, and Workforce Development. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

There is a need to increase awareness among African American men regarding their potential risk of prostate cancer and inform them of screening and treatment options, given the health disparities that affect their group. To do so, an innovative e health video was developed, using an animated avatar video to educate African American males about prostate cancer and potential screening methods in a way that is culturally appropriate. Effectiveness of this e-health intervention was tested on a sample of 41 African American males. Efficacy was measured using a repeated measures design that used pre- and post-measures of four target behaviors regarding prostate cancer screening. These four target behaviors include: (1) getting an annual physical exam, (2) discussing the possibility of getting a digital rectal exam to screen for prostate cancer with a doctor, (3) discussing the possibility of getting a PSA exam to screen for prostate cancer with a doctor, and (4) spreading awareness about prostate cancer among other African American men. The stage of change, which is a theoretical framework adapted from Prochaska and DiClemente (1983), measures changes in human behavior from precontemplation and contemplation on the low end to action and maintenance on the high end. Self-efficacy was also measured before and after the intervention for each of the four target behaviors. Paired t-tests show that the stage of change for the third and fourth target behaviors and self-efficacy for the second, third, and fourth target behaviors were significantly increased by the e-health intervention, indicating that the intervention was successful. Additionally, participant ratings about the intervention were largely positive. In effect, this study finds that the e-health intervention developed in this study not only works, but is an affordable, scalable, and practical tool that can educate African American males about prostate cancer screening practices.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) affects one in every 110 children. Medical and educational research have demonstrated that ASD children's social skills and adaptation can be much improved, provided that interventions are early and intensive enough. The advancement of computer technologies and their ubiquitous penetration in people's life make them widely available to support intensive sociocognitive rehabilitation. Additionally, computer interactions are a natural choice for people with autism who value lawful and "systematizing" tools. A number of computer-aided approaches have been developed, showing effectiveness and generalization, but little quantitative research was conducted to identify the critical factors of engaging and improving the child's interest and performance. This thesis designs an adaptive computer interaction system, called Ying, which detects learning patterns in children with ASD and explores the computer interactive possibilities. The system tailors its content based on periodic performance assessments that offer a more effective learning path for children with ASD. / by Jake Levi Petersen. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web. FboU

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Doctor of Philosophy in Library and Information Science: Information and Corporate Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / The core interest in blended learning lies in the need to provide more engaged learning experiences while recognizing the potential of ICTs which has a profound impact on all aspects of life including the Library and Information Service (LIS) field. This doctoral study was undertaken with the objective of exploring the educational and pedagogical issues in blended learning for the development of a framework for designing and implementing blended learning in the delivery of LIS curricula in South African universities. The target populations for this study included, LIS educators from higher education institutions in South Africa offering LIS education, LIS students from these institutions exposed to blended learning interventions and facilitators of blended learning (individuals in institutional teaching and learning units) from the various institutions offering LIS education and using blended learning. The study adopted a mixed method research approach using a fully mixed dominant status design to explore and understand the phenomenon of blended learning at a more detailed level by using qualitative follow-up data (for example, interviews with LIS educators and institutional facilitators of blended learning and focus group discussions with LIS students) to explain and explore the results of a largely quantitative Web survey. The theoretical framework that underpinned the study involved various learning theories, learning styles as well as blended learning models relating to the higher education environment. The key findings of the study reveal that blended learning remains a complex concept with no clear consensus on the key components that need to be blended, how much of each component to blend and the criteria that are needed for the interventions to be regarded as blended learning. This flexibility, to an extent, allows for institutions to tailor the concept and maximise the potential of blended learning while still being responsive to the diverse student populations at South African higher institutions. The framework for blended learning in the delivery of LIS curricula at South African universities proposed by this study is generated from the theories informing this study; the literature reviewed; existing frameworks for blended learning such as Khan’s octagonal framework and the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework; the findings of this study; the researcher’s own educational experiences; and, is grounded in the larger field of higher education. The use of blended learning has the potential to transform LIS education and training by encouraging LIS educators to reflect on their teaching and learning practices and to use the proposed framework as a guideline to design and implement pedagogically sound blended learning interventions for LIS education and training.

Affecting one in every 68 children, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the fastest growing developmental disabilities. Scientific research has proven that early behavioral intervention can improve learning, communication, and social skills. Similarly, studies have shown that the usage of of-the-shelf technology boosts motivation in children diagnosed with ASD while increasing their attention span and ability to interact socially. Embracing perspectives from different fields of study can lead to the development of an effective tool to complement traditional treatment of those with ASD. This thesis documents the re-engineering, extension, and evolu- tion of Ying, an existing web application designed to aid in the learning of autistic children. The original methodology of Ying combines expertise from other research areas including developmental psychology, semantic learning, and computer science. In this work, Ying is modifed to incorporate aspects of traditional treatment, such as Applied Behavior Analysis. Using cutting-edge software technology in areas like voice recognition and mobile device applications, this project aspires to use software engineering approaches and audio-visual interaction with the learner to enhance social behavior and reinforce verbal communication skills in children with ASD, while detecting and storing learning patterns for later study. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-10-19T12:00:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Rubervan da Silva Leite.pdf: 4442566 bytes, checksum: 7cc5035cbced8b9a29b6fa235fdbc9c6 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-19T12:00:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rubervan da Silva Leite.pdf: 4442566 bytes, checksum: 7cc5035cbced8b9a29b6fa235fdbc9c6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-28 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This research aims to identify the integration of didactic, specific and technological knowledge that a group of undergraduate students in Mathematics of the State University of Pará possess, related to the theorem of Tales. This is a qualitative research, in which the methodology was based on the application of activities so that the students had to use Geogebra software in the resolution of them. The activities were based on a sequence of progressive complexity, in which students were asked to demonstrate that their conjectures were mathematically valid. In addition, their technological know-how should be refined, so that they develop fluency in relation to the interfaces used. Integrated into these two cognitive fields, it was expected that the didactic knowledge needed to work with the theorem of Tales in teaching situations would emerge. The analyzes were carried out in order to observe the resolutions presented by each subject and to identify the extent to which the answers provided evidenced integration between three types of knowledge, in the molds proposed by TPACK. It was observed that the students presented misunderstandings related to the specific knowledge, in the same extent they indicated that they had doubts regarding the didactic and technological knowledge necessary to achieve the sequence to which they were submitted, which led to the study making recommendations in the sense that differentiated approaches for the mathematics teachers education processes of Mathematics are conceived so that the three aspects of knowledge mentioned here can be contemplated in an integrated way / Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo identificar a integração dos conhecimentos didáticos, específicos e tecnológicos que um grupo de alunos de licenciatura em Matemática da Universidade do Estado do Pará possuem, relacionados ao teorema de Tales. Essa é uma pesquisa de natureza qualitativa, em que a metodologia se baseou na aplicação de atividades de modo que os alunos tiveram que utilizar o software Geogebra na resolução das mesmas. As atividades foram baseadas em uma sequência de complexidade progressiva, em que os alunos foram solicitados a demonstrar que suas conjecturas eram válidas matematicamente. Além disso, seus conhecimentos tecnológicos deviam passar por um processo de refinamento, de modo que os mesmos desenvolvessem fluência em relação às interfaces utilizadas. Integrado a estes dois campos cognitivos, esperava-se que surgissem os conhecimentos didáticos necessários para o trabalho com o teorema de Tales em situações de ensino. As análises ocorreram no sentido de observar as resoluções apresentadas por cada sujeito e identificar em que medida as respostas fornecidas evidenciavam integração entre os conhecimentos, nos moldes propostos pelo TPACK. Observou-se que os licenciandos apresentaram equívocos relacionados com os conhecimentos específicos, na mesma medida em que indicaram ter dúvidas em relação aos conhecimentos didáticos e tecnológicos necessários para a consecução da sequência a que foram submetidos, o que ensejou que o estudo fizesse recomendações no sentido de que se concebam abordagens diferenciadas para a formação dos professores de Matemática, de modo que os três aspectos do conhecimento aqui mencionados possam ser contemplados em regime de integração

University of Macau / Faculty of Education

As tecnologias e a sociedade atual demandam novas competências dos professores. Portanto, a formação inicial desses profissionais é fundamental para que os futuros professores possam integrar as Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TIC), de maneira criativa e inovadora, às suas práticas pedagógicas para potencializar o processo ensino-aprendizagem. Em consequência, as maneiras como os professores formadores se apropriam das TIC para essa formação são de grande importância. O objetivo geral do estudo foi analisar como os professores formadores do Conselho de Formação em Educação (CFE) no Uruguai se apropriam das TIC para a formação de futuros professores. A revisão da literatura aborda conceitos e questões inerentes à apropriação das tecnologias pelos professores: mudanças necessárias na formação de professores; o conceito de apropriação da tecnologia pelos professores, que abrange como os professores adquirem conhecimentos para utilizar as TIC como recursos pedagógicos; os significados que eles constroem sobre a sua importância no processo de ensino-aprendizagem e os usos que eles dão a elas; os aspectos que favorecem ou dificultam os processos de transformação para a inovação com as tecnologias; as discussões sobre a formação inicial para a utilização das TIC como recurso pedagógico; o contexto da formação de professores no Uruguai e as políticas relacionadas às tecnologias. A pesquisa foi qualitativa de natureza interpretativa. O estudo foi realizado em um centro de formação de professores no Uruguai. A técnica de coleta de dados foi a entrevista individual semiestruturada. Os participantes do estudo foram 16 professores que ministram as disciplinas de didática nos diferentes cursos de formação de professores. A amostra foi intencional por critérios. Os principais resultados do estudo foram: a utilização das TIC mantendo metodologias tradicionais com novas ferramentas e a dificuldade de aproveitar as vantagens que as TIC proporcionam para transformar as metodologias de ensino. Entre as dificuldades estão: a falta de conhecimentos sobre como utilizar as TIC como recurso pedagógico; a predominância da individualidade na busca de conhecimentos sobre como integrar as TIC nas aulas e atividades e a necessidade de preparar os formadores em relação às TIC para que possam formar os futuros professores mediante o exemplo. / Technologies and today's society require new competences from teachers. Therefore, teacher training is essential for future teachers to be able to integrate Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) creatively and innovatively into their pedagogical practices to enhance the teaching-learning process. As a consequence, the ways in which teacher trainers appropriate ICT for this training is of great importance. The general objective of this study was to analyze how training teachers of the Education Training Council (CFE) in Uruguay appropriate ICT for the training processes of future teachers. The literature review contemplates concepts and issues inherent to teachers' appropriation of technologies: changes in technological competences needed for teaching, the concept of technology appropriation by teachers, which includes how teachers acquire knowledge to use ICT as pedagogical resources, the meanings they construct about their importance in the teaching-learning process and the uses they give to them; aspects that promote or make it difficult to innovate with technologies; discussions on teacher training for the use of ICT as a pedagogical resource; the context of teacher education and technology education policies in Uruguay. The methodological approach was qualitative. The study was conducted with sixteen teachers at a teacher training center in Uruguay. The technique of data collection was the semi-structured interview. The sample was intentional by criteria. The main results of the study were: the use of ICT maintaining traditional methodologies with new tools; the difficulty of taking advantage of the benefits of ICT to transform teaching methodologies. Among the difficulties were: the lack of knowledge on how to use ICT as pedagogical resources; the predominance of individuality in the search for knowledge on how to integrate ICT; the need to prepare teachers to use ICT to train future teachers by example.