The Quebec Education Program (QEP) provides educators with detailed descriptions of competencies of learning achievement. However, current approaches used by educators to instruct and assess their students do not target the relevant QEP competencies. The goal of this thesis is to document efforts of one teacher to implement digital portfolios in her grade one and two classroom in order to instruct and assess her students according to the relevant QEP competencies. The study documents the kinds of technology and skills that are needed to implement digital portfolios in order to instruct and to assess and communicate student learning to their parents. Interviews with all participants were used to document the process from multiple perspectives. Overall, digital portfolios were found to be a very useful for instructing and assessing student and communicating with parents.

A problem currently facing South Africa is the large number of poorly educated or uneducated people in many parts of the country. Distance education has proven to be an apt solution to this problem However, one of the numerous constraints associated with studying at a distance is insufficient communication between students and lecturers and the lack of peer interaction. The integration of Computer Mediated Communications (CMC) in the delivery of distance education courses world-wide has proved to be a means of alleviating this communication problem. The study presented in this thesis examines the technical feasibility of implementing CMC in the delivery of South African distance education courses as a solution to the communication problems experienced by distance learners in this country. For this purpose a system was developed and implemented at a South African distance education institution namely, Natal College of Education in Pietermaritzburg. Based on this implementation a technical evaluation of the feasibility of CMC in the instruction of distance education courses within a South African infrastructure was examined. As a result of this study we have been able to: • Determine the technical problems associated with the implementation of a CMC system in a South African distance education environment. • Identify possible solutions to these technical problems • Define a set of criteria, which if met by a CMC system would ensure the technical feasibility of the system as a solution to the communication problems experienced by South African distance learners. • Determine the effects of students' attitudes towards computers on their use of the CMC system. • Determine the effect of CMC on students' attitudes towards computers. • Identify any additional factors, besides technical issues, which need to be taken into account when implementing a CMC system. / Thesis (M.Sc)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

This research is intended for educational policy makers. This is an exploratory study that investigates Quebec's classrooms as a new educational reform is implemented. There are two relevant pieces of legislation in the reform that elicited this study. First, teachers are required to adopt constructivist teaching practices; second, teachers must use ICT in classrooms. The questions being addressed are: (1) What are the current challenges and benefits impacting teachers with the integration of computers in the classroom environment? (2) What do classroom practices look like given (a) in the context of Quebec's constructivist-learning environment and (b) the possibility of ICT support. Case studies with teachers from elementary and high schools show changes in teacher and student role; however, lack of guidelines hinder constructivist teaching practices. Five predominant challenges were identified: lack of personal development, lack of time, technical support, accessibility, and classroom management. The study also identifies five elements as benefits: sharing of information; communication; editing; monitoring; web access.

As teachers and society become more comfortable with various technologies, it is likely that technology will be implemented in all areas of the educational curriculum as well as physical education. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which individual physical education teachers in public schools were using technology as a tool for their students' education. Individuals who were currently teaching physical education in public schools in Indiana completed the Computer Usage Survey on the web (N = 400). To determine types of technology used, potential uses for technology, difference in the implementation of technology by gender and teaching experience, usage of the Internet, and physical educators' attitudes toward technology, statistics including descriptive statistics, Chi-square (X ), and One-way ANOVA were used (p < .05). The results of this study show that physical educators were more likely to use PC computers (both desktop and laptop) over Apple computers. Participant responses demonstrated a high usage of hardware devices such as Printers, hard drives, and CD drives, however, 5.25 floppy drives, external hard drives, Hand-held computers (i.e. Pocket PC or Companion PC), Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and smart boards were rarely used by physical educators. A significant positive relationship resulted between use of technology at school and at home. Significant differences were observed between male and female physical educators in types of technology used and purposes for using technology. Use of technology was significantly lower in the experienced physical educators group. Most of the physical educators use the Internet and they usually use it for research and teaching/assessment ideas. Physical educators in Indiana believed that technology has an important role and can enhance their teaching with implementation of technology. The findings of the present study demonstrated that use of technology among physical educators in Indiana has been changed dramatically within 10 years; however, the result emphasized importance of technology training programs for pre-service and in-service physical educators. / School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science

The purpose of this study was to enlarge the information base that can be used by practitioners in the field of adult education to determine important computer competencies for individual development, training, and staff development programs for administrators of adult basic education programs. The final result of this study was a listing of computer competencies ranked as to their relative importance to each other based on the judgment of State Directors of Adult Education throughout the United States. The study results are presented to not be a rigid listing of prioritized competencies, but instead, to be general and current trends in ABE administrator computer competency needs as determined by State Directors of Adult Education.The general research question that was investigated by this study was: What computer competencies are needed by administrators of adult basic education programs to meet the educational requirements of adults in the twenty-first century? There are two specific research questions that were answered: 1) What are the computer competencies that experts in technology and/or adult basic education judge are important to the successful educational administrator? and 2) How do State Directors of Adult Education rank the importance of these competencies in terms of the needs of local adult basic education administrators in their respective states?These questions are answered by exploring, describing, and comparing information using both the analytical and survey approach to determining competencies. The analytical approach consisted of a review of literature and interview of experts in adult education and/or technology to establish a listing of 77 potential computer competencies for administrators of adult basic education programs. The democratic approach consisted of a national survey of State Directors of Adult Education throughout the United States and including Washington D.C.Eighty percent of the State Directors of Adult Education responded providing their judgment as to the importance of each of the 77 computer competencies. The outcome of the study is a rank-ordered list of important computer competencies for adult basic education administrators along with the survey write-in comments provided by State Directors of Adult Education. / Department of Educational Leadership

This study examined the effect of web-based portfolio assessment strategies on the attitudes and self-perceived growth in music learning of non-music elementary general classroom educators in a basics of music course. The study is based upon research and literature in regards to constructivism, alternative assessment strategies including portfolio assessment, and computer technology.The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research. The study was quasi-experimental and utilized a pretest and posttest survey and a final discussion interview between the student and the researcher. Students participating were enrolled in the Basic Music for Elementary Classroom Teachers course during the Spring 2002 academic semester. There total number of students involved in the study was 88 (n=88). Two classes served as the control group (n=41) and two classes served as the treatment groups (n=47). Students in the control group were evaluated through traditional methods including paper-pencil exams. Students in the treatment group were assessed through alternative assessment strategies including rubrics, reflective thinking, peer review, and the construction of a web-based portfolio. Students in both groups participated in the four main projects of the semester and completed the pre-post survey, Music in My Life.Quantitative data analysis was calculated using SPSS. Information obtained through the data collection from the pre-post survey was analyzed and interpreted with the ANCOVA test at an alpha level of .05. Qualitative data was collected from the individual discussion sessions. These interviews were transcribed and coded.Quantitative analysis found significant differences in two of the questions on the pre-post survey in regards to music as a subject. No significant difference was found regarding the attitudes about music growth between the groups from the pre-post survey. However, qualitative data collected illustrated that students in the treatment groups were better able to use music vocabulary, discuss connections between the projects while viewing the semester as a whole, and discussing their growth over the period of an academic semester. These students were also able to discuss the web-based portfolio in terms of the website showing their growth over the academic semester. / School of Music

The purpose of this study is to explain a management the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend (Indiana). For well over 100 years the Catholic school system in this diocese was =governed by the following principles: (1) each parish was expected to have a parish school; (2) this school was to be financed from the resources of the parish; and (3) the teachers were largely religious sisters. Not until the 1960's was any serious attempt made to centralize a school system which encompassed 54 grade schools, 6 high schools, and enrolled 28,600 pupils in 1965. The late 1960's witnessed a crisis in Catholic education; between 1964 and 1970 enrollment declined in the grade schools 27.3%; during that same period of time the ratio of lay teachers to religious teachers rose 160.5:0 (while the number of sisters dropped 18%); parishes income, in constant dollars, dropped 0.5%. The educational crisis found the parishes without adequate management information for decision making.Two types of information puterized for annual updating.I. Educational Data Analysis. Basic income and expense information, from each parish, is analyzed for the most recent five year period. This analysis brings into one place the necessary data for trend analysis. (Projections are based on the polynomial method of curve fitting.) Most data treated is analyzed for year-to-year rates of change; at the same time an over-all rate of change is developed with 1964 forming the base year. All income data is reduced to a constant dollar (1958= 100) with the Implicit Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Deflator. Educational costs are further analyzed on a per pupil cash cost basis, and on a percent of total educational costs. The contributed services of each teacher is developed (as well as an analysis of degrees, license, grade taught, years of experience, etc.). In this way a total cost, closer to true costs than are the cash costs, are developed. Some use is made of regional median income data to determine the over-all ability of a parish to support the program. This data is intended for the use of the pastors, parish councils, committees on education, etc.II. Educational Situation Indices. These indices were developed to simplify financial explanations for parishioners; at the same time they provide a means of comparing one parish against the rest of the diocese. Thirteen key resources were selected from the data developed by Part I. These resources from each parish are compared with the diocesan average to develop and index number. The "norm=100." Three types of mathematical formulas develop three indices. The Parish Index (I,) merely measures the percent above or below the norm. This information makes it possible to analyze parish resource use, the flow of resources both within the parish and between parishes, and aids greatly in resource allocation. (This latter is aided because for the first time one parish can compare itself to other parishes.) The Variance Index (12) makes use of the Z-value and the standard deviation to develop an "average range" of parishes (± one standard deviation). Therefore, parishes which are using resources in such a manner as to be beyond the middle 68/ are identified, and the "mis-used resource" located. The final index (14) is the result of weilhtin the various resources with the Beta coefficient (by means of a stepwise multiple regression computer formula). This produces a single composite number termed the Educational Situation Index.The use of scatter charts makes it possible to obtain visual pictures of the entire diocese for each resource, or for all resources in a single parish. (The basic scatter charts are developed by a Calcomp plotter.)These computer print-outs are meant to be tools to aid the volunteer members of the many parish committees on education, and the area and diocesan boards of education. The study explains the development and the use of these managerial tools which are developed for broad level use.

Students enter composition classrooms in the twenty-first century with various levels of computer proficiency and comfort with technology and digital media. Instructors often make assumptions that their students’ are familiar with technology, even though students may be hesitant to use technology in the classroom. This dissertation gathers data from one university class and two community college classes to study students’ perceptions of and use of technology, particularly the Blackboard content management system (CMS), in the critical pedagogy classroom. In particular, it studies students’ use of technology to reflect on their own work and engage in dialogue with classmates and the instructor. The evidence suggests that students use technology and media cautiously in the classroom and will revert to more traditional forms of expression (e.g., the linear essay) when they feel uncomfortable using technology or they feel that their grade is in jeopardy. Students tended to use Blackboard more for reflection and dialogue when the CMS was an integral part of in-class and out-of-class activities. Findings indicate that first-year composition instructors should reflect on their use of technology to enhance critical pedagogy and make that pedagogy more reactive to students’ needs. / Description of problem and study -- Literature review -- Methods and methodology -- Critical pedagogy in the laptop classroom at the university -- University students' perceptions and use of technology -- Critical pedagogy in the computer classroom at the community college -- Community college students' perceptions of and use of technology -- Student questioning, dialogue and reflection at the community college. / Description of problem and study -- Literature review -- Methods and methodology -- Critical pedagogy in the laptop classroom at the university -- University students' perceptions and use of technology -- Critical pedagogy in the computer classroom at the community college -- Community college students' perceptions of and use of technology -- Student questioning, dialogue and reflection at the community college. / Department of English

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Development in each sector of our society, especially with regard to computer technology, has progressed so dramatically that we have reached a stage where it is virtually impossible for an individual who does not have computer knowledge and skills to function with ease in society in almost any part of the world. In order to counter this situation the governments of a large number of countries across the globe are encouraging their citizens to become computer literate. These governments spend huge amounts of money on the integration and improvement of technology in education in order to ensure effective teaching and learning for each learner in each school. The South African government has also caught on and acknowledged the importance of communication technology in education, hence the White Paper on e-Education, which provides for the integration of technology in schools. The question that arises is whether enough is being done to enable underprivileged schools to benefit from this development as well. This study observed the way in which the policy regarding e-Education is applied in privileged and underprivileged schools. During the course of the study the researcher visited schools that utilise their technological facilities, as well as schools that do not, and the reasons and circumstances that prevent them from utilising these facilities were also investigated. An investigation regarding the application of the technology policy within schools and how schools adapt this policy to accommodate their requirements, was conducted. The study endeavoured to determine the reasons why the technology policy is applied wel land properly in some schools, while other schools that have the technology do not apply the policy. The difference between privileged and underprivileged schools regarding the application of the policy was also investigated. The situation regarding the application of technology policy in privileged and underprivileged schools in the Western Cape was researched in four schools: two schools in rural areas and two in urban areas. Two of these schools are privileged schools that have technology and utilise it daily. The other two schools are underprivileged schools with technology that, however, is not used to the advantage of the learners on a regular basis. Two schools have mainly Afrikaans-speaking learners while the learners of the other two schools predominantly have English as their mother tongue. The policy is applied differently at each of these schools, possibly due to circumstances or untrained staff who do not have the necessary knowledge and skills to utilise technology as method of instruction. The study aims to cause awareness at schools of the importance of technology and that a paradigm shift should take place in the methods and techniques of instruction of educators. It also aims to make teachers more aware of the value of technology when used effectively in their lesson presentations. In this way we could ensure that our learners receive the tuition they will need to be competitive globally. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ontwikkeling in elke sektor van die samelewing en veral op die gebied van rekenaartegnologie het só dramaties vooruitgegaan en gegroei dat dit ʼn stadium bereik het waar dit vir ʼn persoon sonder rekenaargeletterdheid byna onmoontlik geword het om gemaklik in die gemeenskap in die meeste dele van die wêreld te funksioneer. Ten einde hierdie situasie die hoof te bied, moedig die meeste regerings regoor die wêreld hul burgers aan om tegnologie-geletterd te word. Lande spandeer groot bedrae geld om tegnologie in die onderwys te integreer en te verbeter om so effektiewe onderrig en leer vir elke leerder in elke skool te bewerkstellig. Plaaslik het die Suid-Afrikaanse regering die belangrikheid van inligtings- en kommunikasietegnologie in die onderwys besef en erken, vandaar die Witskrif oor e-Onderwys, wat voorsiening maak vir die integrasie van tegnologie in skole. Die vraag wat ontstaan, is of daar genoeg gedoen word om voorsiening te maak vir minder gegoede skole om ook voordeel uit dié ontwikkeling te trek. Hierdie ondersoek kyk na die beleid aangaande e-Onderwys en hoe dit toegepas word binne gegoede en minder gegoede skole. Tydens die studie het die navorser skole besoek wat oor tegnologiese fasiliteite beskik en dit gebruik, sowel as skole wat tegnologie besit en dit nie gebruik nie, en die redes en omstandighede wat hulle verhoed om dit te gebruik, is dus ook ondersoek. ʼn Ondersoek is gedoen na die toepassing van die beleid rakende tegnologie binne skole en hoe skole by hierdie beleid aanpas om hulle behoeftes te akkommodeer. Die studie het ook gepoog om vas te stel wat die redes is waarom die beleid rakende tegnologie in sommige skole na behore toegepas word, terwyl ander skole wat wel oor die tegnologie beskik, dit nie behoorlik toepas nie. Daar is verder ondersoek ingestel na die verskil in toepassing van die beleid tussen gegoede en minder gegoede skole. Die situasie ten opsigte van die toepassing van beleid oor tegnologie in gegoede en minder gegoede skole in die Wes-Kaap is by vier skole onder die soeklig geplaas: twee skole in die platteland en twee skole in ʼn stedelike gebied. Twee van die skole is gegoede skole wat tegnologie besit en dit daagliks gebruik. Die ander twee skole is minder gegoede skole wat oor tegnologiese hulpbronne beskik, maar dit nie gereeld tot voordeel van hul leerders gebruik nie. Twee skole het oorwegend Afrikaanssprekende leerders en twee oorwegend Engelssprekende leerders. Die beleid word by elk van hierdie skole verskillend toegepas, moontlik weens omstandighede of onopgeleide personeel wat nie die nodige kennis en vaardighede besit om tegnologie as onderrigmetode te gebruik nie. Die studie poog om skole bewus te maak van die belangrikheid van tegnologie en dat daar ʼn paradigmaskuif moet plaasvind in onderwysers se onderrigmetodes en -tegnieke. Dit poog ook om onderwysers meer bewus te maak van die waarde wat tegnologie kan hê as dit in lesaanbiedings geïntegreer word. Só kan daar moontlik verseker word dat leerders die opleiding ontvang wat nodig is om globaal mededingend te wees.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Twenty-first century youth have been privy to regular exposure to digital technology, both in their schools and in the home, which has resulted in a change of both lifestyle and educational practice from that enjoyed by prior generations. Parallel to the technology market trajectory that has arguably influenced the psychological and psycho-social development of contemporary youth is the burgeoning industry of learning technology. Integration of such technology into South African schools is relatively in its infancy when compared to global initiatives, and has sparked debate as to the place of technology within education in a country fraught with divided resources. In consideration of the influence of technology on education, research which investigates the motivating role of technology upon learning, particularly from the perspective of the learners themselves, is amiss. This study aimed to discover the extent to which technology tools used in education motivate the twenty-first century South African learner to learn, and whether the use of such technology would create a more engaging, relevant educational environment. In order to investigate the topic, exploratory qualitative research as underpinned by the constructivist paradigm and within a social constructivist theoretical framework was conducted as a case study. Purposive sampling was employed to select Grade 11 learners in order to gain their perspectives and those of their teachers who bear witness to their learning at one private co-educational high school in the Western Cape. Qualitative content analysis was utilised to interpret the data collected from a semi-structured focus group interview conducted with eight learners, as well as from learner and teacher questionnaires which provided valuable contextualisation for the focus group interview. The research findings from the study indicated that the learner participants could identify the role of intrinsic motivation to learn, and demonstrated awareness of the factors that contributed to the facilitation thereof, of which learning technology played a prominent role. The participants noted the importance of the complementary role of learning technology; a means to an end and not an end in itself. Important considerations were highlighted, such as the potential for distraction, personal learning preferences, and conceptualisations of learning required for technology to be successfully integrated into the twenty-first century learning environment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In teenstelling met vorige generasies word die jeug van die 21ste eeu gereeld blootgestel aan digitale tegnologie, tuis sowel as in hul skole, wat ‘n verandering in beide hul leefstyl en die onderwyspraktyk tot gevolg het. Parallel aan die baan van ontwikkeling van die tegnologiemarkte, wat ʼn betwisbare invloed het op die sielkundige en psigososiale ontwikkeling van die hedendaagse jeug het, is die ontluikende industrie van leertegnologie. Die integrasie van sulke tegnologie in Suid-Afrikaanse skole is nog in sy kinderskoene as dit vergelyk word met globale inisiatiewe en dit het debat oor die plek van tegnologie in ‘n land met oneweredig verdeelde hulpbronne ontlok. As die invloed van tegnologie op opvoeding in ag geneem word, is navorsing wat die motiverende effek van tegnologie op leer ondersoek, veral vanuit die perpektief van die leerders self, beperk. Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel tot watter mate tegnologiese hulpmiddels in die onderwys die Suid-Afrikaanse leerder van die 21ste eeu motiveer om te leer en of die gebruik van sulke tegnologie ʼn meer deelnemende, relevante onderwysomgewing sal skep. Hierdie verkennende, kwalitatiewe gevallestudie binne die konstruktivistiese paradigma het sosiale konstruktivisme as die onderliggende teoretiese raamwerk gehad. Doelbewuste steekproefneming is uitgevoer om die Graad 11 leerders uit 'n enkele private hoërskool in die Wes-Kaap te selekteer om sodoende hul perspektiewe asook dié van hul onderwysers, wat van hul leerproses kan getuig, te bekom. Data is deur middel van ʼn semi-gestruktureerde fokusgroeponderhoud asook vraelyste aan beide die leerders en onderwysers ingesamel, wat waardevolle kontekstualisering vir die fokusgroeponderhoud voorsien het. Die ontleding van die navorsingsdata is met behulp van kwalitatiewe inhoudsanalise uitgevoer. Die bevindings van hierdie studie het aangedui dat die leerderdeelnemers die rol van intrinsieke motivering om te leer kon identifiseer en hulle het ʼn bewustheid getoon vir die faktore wat dit bevorder. Leertegnologie het ʼn prominente rol gespeel in hierdie faktore. Die deelnemers het gewys op die belangrike komplementêre rol van leertegnologie; ʼn weg tot ʼn doel en nie die doel self nie. Belangrike oorwegings is uitgelig, soos die potensiaal vir aandagafleiding en ook persoonlike leervoorkeure en konseptualiserings van leer benodig vir suksesvolle integrasie van tegnologie in die 21ste eeuse leeromgewing.