<p> This dissertation presents a qualitative case study of students enrolled in online courses and how they perceived the orientation program they completed before starting these courses. The study was based on the perspectives of students enrolled in a fully online program at a small community college in western Maine. They were interviewed individually to find out: (a) what are the perceptions of participants toward the materials presented in the orientation after completing their first semester; (b) what aspects of the orientation resonate most with participants when it comes to completing a course (nature of online learning, how to use course management system, technical requirements or learning skills and motivation). Besides the interviews, data was collected from the college&rsquo;s learning management system. </p><p> The results of the study show that participants were satisfied with the content of the orientation; however, more information pertaining to specific aspects of the learning management system should be included for additional satisfaction. Participants requested additional information concerning navigating courses, turning in assignments, and posting on discussion boards. The information provided in the interviews was consistent with the theory presented by Rovai&rsquo;s (2003) persistence model. Participants&rsquo; perceptions fell into tow categories, personal and technical. These results were consistent with the current literature pertaining to online courses, orientations, and persistence. </p><p> The results and findings of this study add to the body of knowledge concerning what materials in an orientation program are most effective in helping students complete online courses. The participants in this study perceived information about the use of the learning management system to be most important. Academic Deans and Student Services coordinators can learn more about what students&rsquo; perceive to be the important elements of an orientation program. The study also contributes to the existing literature on attrition, persistence, and retention.</p>

<p> As more online courses and programs are created, it is imperative institutions understand the concern of their faculty toward teaching online, the types of technology they use, and the methods they use to instruct students in order to provide appropriate resources to support them. This quantitative study measures these concerns, using the Stages of Concern Questionnaire, of full-time faculty at a small Christian liberal arts university in Southern California relative to teaching online, technology use, and teaching methods. The majority of faculty reported being unconcerned about teaching online. </p><p> The correlations conducted between faculty&rsquo;s concerns about teaching online and their teaching methods showed that while some relationships exist, the strength of the relationships are weak. The same was true for the relationships between faculty&rsquo;s technology use and their concern about teaching online. Additionally, analysis of variance revealed faculty who practice more student-centered teaching methods are more likely to focus on coordinating and cooperating with others regarding teaching online. </p><p> It can be concluded that the majority of faculty at the institution are not concerned about teaching online and that overall, their technology use and specific teaching methods do not contribute to their concerns about teaching online. However, it was found that faculty who are more student-centered are more likely to cooperate and coordinate with others in regards to teaching online. These findings have implications for the institution where this research was conducted. The administration can be more confident knowing that many of their faculty are not highly concerned about teaching online, therefore, may be less likely to resist teaching these types of classes. The administration now has information that shows faculty who are more student-centered are more likely to cooperate with others in regards to teaching online. These faculty may be more inclined to promote online teaching and ultimately help fulfill the strategic plans of the University.</p>

<p> In the last few years, educational computer games have gained attention as a tool for facilitating. Few empirical studies have investigated the effects of educational games in the context of formal K-12 settings.</p><p> The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of game-based technology on high school students&rsquo; algebraic lear ning on their motivation towards math, conceptual knowledge, and reasoning skills. The participants in this study were 15 girls and 25 boys in algebra II classes. The age of participants ranged from 15 to 17 years old. There were three algebra II classes; two of them would use the game-based learning on line twice a week for 41-minute every time (experimental group), and the last one would be the (control group). The teacher-researcher is a certified mathematics teacher for twelve years. </p><p> Students&rsquo; conceptual knowledge and reasoning skills were measured using assessments once every two weeks as well as pre and post assessment. SMS (Students Motivation Survey) was designed based on Keller&rsquo;s (1987a) ARCS model of motivational to analyze the data. The overall analysis results revealed that using game-based learning in addition to traditional non-electronic role-playing and board games with algebra II high school students would increase their motivation. However, there was no effect on their conceptual knowledge or reasoning skills. </p><p> Effective mathematics games should be integrated with classroom activities if teachers want to increase mathematics class motivation, which would effect the students&rsquo; performance. Further study would be needed with larger sample size and carried through for a longer intervention period. Also, future research might use modifying games to investigate the influence of the implementation of the reasoning skills on individual differences. In addition, future research might examine contextual settings for effects upon game play, and conduct an experimental design that includes an introductory game play seminar as the treatment.</p>

<p> As schools across the United States continue to earmark funds for instructional technology in the classroom we must consider how it is being used in the classroom. This qualitative research study was conducted to investigate instructional technology methods being used in sixth through eighth grade classrooms and to understand the Depth of Knowledge of those lessons. The study was grounded in Huberman&rsquo;s Teacher Life Cycle Theory, Constructivism Theory, and Norman Webb&rsquo;s Depth of Knowledge Theory. Interviews and observations were conducted to gather data about how teachers plan and deliver instructional technology methods to students in 6-8th grade classrooms. Findings from this study determined the instructional technology methods (ITMs) teachers utilize in the classroom, the perceptions teachers have about integrating technology, and instructional technology tools (ITTs) teachers used in the classroom. Discussion of the research findings revolved around how ITMs and methods teachers use in the classroom and teacher perceptions about how they integrate technology methods in the classroom to achieve depth of knowledge with their students. One implication of this study is that teachers would benefit from utilizing Puentendura&rsquo;s (2009) SAMR Model as a guide for ITM planning to improve ITMs and to sustain ITM use in the classroom.</p>

<p> Researchers have studied blended learning environments, but few focused-on student satisfaction in these environments. This mixed methods study addresses this gap in literature by focusing on how student satisfaction is viewed in blended learning environments. The conceptual framework is based upon research that discusses both face-to-face and online environments, which make a key argument for blended learning. This framework is community and inquiry. In conjunction with this, the study relied on the multimodal model that examines different learning environments. A mixed methods study design was conducted using surveys. A sample of 20-25 students from blended undergraduate courses were used. Data was analyzed using open and axial coding in order to identify emergent themes. The main findings indicated that students were satisfied with blended learning environments because they are flexible and convenient. Some of the areas that participants indicated there was dissatisfaction were: nothing, disconnection, and technology.</p>

Computerized annotation has gained great popularity and is a main tool among the various explorations of computerized second language reading. The present dissertation study investigated whether and how annotation sharing and guidance on annotation strategies could promote second language reading comprehension. In this study, I proposed six annotation strategies which fulfilled the need to deepen second language learners’ understanding about the basic components and developing their skills to use the components to express their thoughts. The results revealed that annotation sharing was more effective than private annotation, and guidance on annotation strategies was more effective than personal strategies (though this difference was not significant) in promoting L2 reading comprehension. Implications of the findings relating how to better use the guided annotation strategies and how to integrate them into second language learning and teaching are discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2018. / April 2, 2018. / Annotation Strategies, Chinese, Computerized Annotation, Second Language Reading / Includes bibliographical references. / Valerie Shute, Professor Directing Dissertation; Feng Lan, University Representative; Vanessa Dennen, Committee Member; Fengfeng Ke, Committee Member.

Education researchers are exploring how well-designed video games can be used to improve knowledge, skills, and abilities known as game-based learning (GBL). Current American students are not receiving adequate exposure to authentic ill-structured problem-solving scenarios in their classrooms, and schools need to address the acquisition of problem-solving skills for students in the 21st century (Shute & Wang, 2016). The present study investigated the impact of two distinct types of video gameplay, one roleplaying (Warcraft) and one brain training game (CogniFit) on students’ problem-solving skills over the course of two semesters. Students playing Warcraft significantly improved the rule application component of problem-solving skill on the posttest compared to students playing CogniFit. Implications for future studies on GBL are discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2017. / September 20, 2017. / Includes bibliographical references. / Valerie Shute, Professor Directing Dissertation; Walter Richard Boot, University Representative; Vanessa P. Dennen, Committee Member; Fengfeng Ke, Committee Member.

This study explored the potential benefits and barriers of using quick response (QR) codes as a means by which to provide audio materials to middle-school students learning Spanish as a foreign language. Eleven teachers of Spanish to middle-school students created transmedia materials containing QR codes linking to audio resources. Students accessed the audio tracks by scanning the QR code with an application on a smartphone while completing a homework task. The teachers assigned two tasks in a systems approach model: first a formative, and then a revised summative trial. After each attempt, the Spanish teachers shared their experiences of creating and using the transmedia materials by participating in interviews. Data was collected by means of a needs analysis survey, recordings and transcription of the two interviews, and by obtaining copies of the transmedia materials. The data analysis included a content analysis of the coded interviews, the results of which were triangulated with the responses collected in the needs analysis survey and an examination of the teacher-created materials. Several benefits to using audio QR codes were identified as a result of the analyses. These include the minimal amount of time and expertise required for teachers to create the transmedia materials, an increased student exposure to audio-only materials to aid listening comprehension, and the way in which the use of this technique allowed for transformative learning activities and a conservation of instructional minutes in the classroom. Some barriers were also noted, the largest being that device ownership and Internet access were not universal among students. Additionally, parental restrictions on smartphone use and some school administration polices regarding personal devices made the practice of using mobile technology for homework tasks difficult in certain cases. Implications include the possibility that training pre-service and in-service teachers in the use of transmedia materials that link to audio-only content may help decrease students’ cognitive load and lead to an increase in foreign language learners’ listening comprehension skills. Further study in the use of transmedia materials and mobile technology to support foreign language learning is recommended.

abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of immersion on knowledge, cognitive load, and presence in a simulation designed to deliver a lesson on science lab safety training. 108 participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: high immersion (played an interactive simulation about lab safety in a VR headset), medium immersion (played the same interactive simulation on the computer), or low immersion (watched a video and read about lab safety procedures). Participants completed a pretest, a science lab safety training, a posttest (same as the pretest), a questionnaire with subjective presence questions, and a questionnaire with subjective cognitive load questions. Participants were again asked to complete a follow-up test (same as the pretest and posttest) a week later. The results revealed three significant findings: (a) Participants in the high and medium immersion conditions had significantly higher knowledge scores at posttest and follow-up than their peers in the low immersion condition, (b) Participants in the high and medium immersion conditions reported higher presence scores than participants in the low immersion conditions. (c) Correlation coefficients suggested that the higher the immersion and presence, the higher the knowledge scores are at posttest and follow-up. In addition, multiple hierarchical linear regression models were conducted out of which one was significant. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Technology 2018

Globally, a phenomenon has transpired involving the fast-paced growth of mobile technology and the rapid adoption of smart technology. As technology continues to become more mobile, it could be beneficial for educational systems to begin to evaluate how mobile applications impact family, school, and community relationships; however, little research exists on this specific topic. The purpose of this qualitative study was to uncover the experiences of district-level administrators during the implementation of mobile applications for a number of school districts. The diffusion of innovation theory, the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, and various school, family, and community partnership frameworks informed this study. Administrators who oversaw the implementation of district mobile apps participated in this study. Data were collected using electronic questionnaires and phone interviews, with supportive information from archival documents. The resulting data were analyzed to uncover the unique experiences of each study participant and compared and contrasted to explore emerging themes. Families were identified as the target stakeholder group intended to be reached through mobile apps and participants recommended engaging diverse stakeholder groups when planning to implement apps. Focusing on the integration of new mobile apps with existing systems and supplying the apps with content emerged as themes. Communicating the availability of mobile apps to families and participant responsibilities associated with the implementation of mobile apps were areas of concern. This study potentially informs school districts regarding how to reach more diverse families.