<p> The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore student engagement in higher education by evaluating training provided by experienced faculty members for those faculty desiring to implement a flipped classroom. A case study was utilized; data were collected in the form of online observation, in-class observation, student focus group interviews, faculty individual interviews, and artifacts. The researcher used the utilization-focused evaluation (Patton, 2008) as an implementation evaluation framework for the study. Data were analyzed using deductive analysis that depended on five implementation evaluation elements as general components (effort, monitoring, process, component, and treatment specification). The participants in this study included three trained faculty members from three different disciplines (anthropology, sociology, and business) and 14 students from these three faculty participants&rsquo; classes. The findings indicated faculty experiences of successful implementation of a flipped classroom were related to whether these faculty members fully provided the main flipped classroom elements for the lesson or only tested a partial implementation. Faculty and student perceptions of student engagement were positive and supportive of the idea that the flipped classroom enhanced student engagement. Students who experienced all the elements of the flipped classroom in the lesson extended their engagement from just inclass activities to embedded online activities. The findings also provided valuable recommendations from faculty and student participants related to improving student engagement in the flipped classroom. The study presented limitations of the study and recommendations for future research. Generally, this qualitative study with all the resources used to collect the data reflected successful practices and components of flipped classroom examples that could benefit educators in terms of enhanced student engagement.</p>

<p> Adding technology to the classroom has been an instructional strategy used by many higher-education institutions to increase student success, but merely adding computers, multimedia devices, and other technology to the classroom with pedagogical arbitrariness has proven to have little effect. The purpose of this study was to determine if using the adaptive learning technology (ALT) tool, LearnSmart, in seated introductory business courses would result in a statistically significant difference in unit exam scores, to analyze changes in exam performance through different time increments used of the ALT, and to investigate correlations between the student&rsquo;s metacognition in the ALT module and his or her performance on the unit exam. The population of this study consisted of students in nine sections of introductory business courses at three large community colleges in the Midwest. The first group of students did not use LearnSmart before the exam, the second group of students completed a 20-minute LearnSmart module for each chapter before the exam, and the third group of students completed a 40-minute LearnSmart module for each chapter before the exam. From the data collected and analyzed in this study, there was a statistically significant positive difference in exam scores of students in an introductory business course who completed the 40-minute LearnSmart modules prior to the exam compared to students who did not use LearnSmart. There was also a statistically significant correlation between a student&rsquo;s metacognitive score and his or her exam score.</p>

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A thesis submitted to the School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy January 2017. / This research study focused on exploring prospective teachers’ knowledge of geometric reasoning in teacher preparation. Premised on the claims that learning mathematics is profoundly influenced by the tasks, by the learning context and by the tools that are used in mathematics instruction, mathematics prospective teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge was examined. The technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework was employed to study the prospective teacher’s knowledge of circle geometry as proposed by Mishra & Koehler (2006). The main focus of the research was on investigating the empirical and theoretical questions of what characterizes aspects of prospective teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge. These aspects were geometry content knowledge (CK), geometry pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and geometry technological content knowledge (TCK). This exploratory multiple case study explores the TPACK of six mathematics prospective teachers enrolled in a second-year undergraduate mandatory mathematics methodology course in an urban South African university. Data was collected through prospective teachers’ (PTs) responses to circle geometry tasks, interviews and screen cast recordings. Rubrics were employed as analytical tools. Duval’s (1995) cognitive apprehensions and processes were engaged as interpretative tools to understand how the PTs responded to the CK, TCK and PCK tasks. The results suggest that prospective teachers’ circle geometry technological pedagogical content knowledge constructed in a GeoGebra-based environment is characterized as weak emanating from weak geometry content knowledge (CK), weak technological content knowledge (TCK) and weak pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The study has shown that a weak geometry CK was evidenced from the participating PTs’ weak display of cognitive apprehensions and geometry reasoning processes. This study contributes to the current debates on teacher professional knowledge and on an understanding of frameworks for which teacher knowledge can be premised in South Africa. A model was developed for classifying and describing forms of mathematics connections in geometry knowledge at teacher preparation level / LG2018

The study explored the development of a valid assessment tool for job negotiation competencies using the Evidence Centered Design framework. It involved the creation of a competency model, evidence models, and task models that guided the development of a branching simulation tool to quickly diagnose college students' knowledge and skills in job negotiation. The online tool utilized three scenarios where students play the role of job seekers negotiating with their potential future employers. This study focused on two key behaviors in negotiation – making counteroffers and making reasonable concessions. A preliminary competency model was first developed based on a literature review of negotiation research. This model was then validated by a panel of experts. The experts also validated the evidence model (how to score performance on the simulation) and the task model (what tasks should be performed to elicit evidence of performance). These activities and the experts' feedback for improving the prototype simulation provided content validity for the tool. A total of 86 undergraduate and 51 graduate students participated in the study. The students completed an online tutorial, the scenarios in the simulation, a demographics survey, and two other survey instruments that provided alternative measures of negotiation abilities. Their performance on the assessment simulation was determined by their overall competency score and value of the negotiated outcome. Students were classified as experts or novices based on their negotiation experience and knowledge of negotiation strategies. Results from the study indicated that experts performed better than novices in terms of overall competency and negotiated outcome. The study also compared the outcomes of the assessment tool with outcomes from the alternative measures of negotiation ability (a survey on preference for competing, collaborating, compromising, and accommodating negotiation strategies and a survey to determine self-confidence in using distributive and integrative negotiation tactics). I hypothesized that students with a high preference for competing and collaborating strategies would also have higher scores from the assessment tool. On the other hand, students who indicated a high preference for accommodating and compromising strategies would have lower scores. The results from the Preferred Negotiation Strategies survey supported my hypothesis that students who highly prefer accommodating and compromising strategies would have lower scores on overall competency and negotiated outcome. But the mixed findings for competing and collaborating preferences only partially supported my hypotheses. I also hypothesized that students who were highly confident in the use of distributive and integrative negotiation tactics would have higher scores on the assessment compared to those who have low self-confidence. The results did not support my hypotheses because there were no significant relationships between confidence and the assessment outcomes. Finally, the study also found that gender, expertise, and negotiation training have an effect on overall competency score and the negotiated outcome. This dissertation provided a case study on how to develop an assessment tool that diagnoses negotiation competencies using the ECD framework. It also provided evidence of validity for the tool by demonstrating its ability to distinguish different levels of performance by expert and novice negotiators. / 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 2015. / October 30, 2015. / Includes bibliographical references. / Valerie Shute, Professor Directing Dissertation; Paul Marty, University Representative; Robert Reiser, Committee Member; James Klein, Committee Member.

This experimental study was intended to examine whether game-based learning (GBL) that encompasses four particular game characteristics (challenges, a storyline, rewards, and the integration of game-play with learning content) in the OpenSimulator-supported virtual reality (VR) learning environment can improve mathematical achievement and motivation for elementary school students toward math learning. In this pre- and post-test experimental comparison study, data were collected from 132 fourth graders through an achievement test, and a Short Instructional Materials Motivational Survey (SIMMS). The same tasks were provided to the experimental and control groups. Tasks for the experimental group involved the following four game characteristics: (1) challenges, (2) a storyline, (3) rewards, and (4) the integration of game-play with learning content. The control group was given the same tasks and learning environment setting (OpenSimulator-supported VR) that was used for the experimental group. The exception was that the control group tasks did not include the game characteristics: (1) challenges, (2) a storyline, (3) rewards, and (4) the integration of game-play with learning content. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) using a treatment (treatment vs. control) on the achievement indicated a significant effect of GBL in the VR environment on math knowledge test performance. For motivation, the results indicated that there was no significant difference on the post-test scores for the perceived motivational quality of the learning activity (MQLA) between the experimental group and the control group. / 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 2015. / September 15, 2015. / fractions, Game-Based Learning, math performance, OpenSim, Real-life application skills, Virtual Reality / Includes bibliographical references. / Fengfeng Ke, Professor Directing Dissertation; Young-Suk Kim, University Representative; Allan Jeong, Committee Member; Insu Paek, Committee Member.

The growing prevalence of computers, tablets, and educational apps in academic settings has prompted many researchers to investigate the potential benefits and drawbacks of this technology. One of the ways that this technology can influence learning in the classroom is through note-taking. Note-taking in the classroom is intended to facilitate learning through deeper processing/encoding of information and providing external storage. The incorporation of technology in the classroom has offered students the ability to take notes beyond the use of traditional pen and paper (e.g., via laptop, tablet, etc.). This change in the classroom has led researchers to question both the benefits and drawbacks of note-taking with technology versus with traditional methods, such as pen and paper. This dissertation will investigate whether note-taking using a computer may impair learning relative to taking notes in a handwritten fashion across three experiments. Experiments 1 and 2 asked students to take notes on 20 arithmetic facts. These facts were either presented in the same format across the study and assessment phases (Experiment 1) or in a different format (Experiment 2). Learning was measured at two points in time (i.e., an immediate and delayed post-test, one week later). The results of these Experiments 1 and 2 indicate that taking notes with pen and paper and typing both led to a comparable performance for factual information when controlling for two factors known to impact learning (i.e., word count and verbatim note-taking). Given these results, the goal of the prospective experiment (Experiment 3) is to contrast these findings using conceptual and factual questions after participants have taken notes on a series of Ted Talks about mathematical information. Furthermore, this experiment will require participants to complete a post-assessment questionnaire to evaluate the note-taking strategies that they used. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Psychology in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2017. / April 10, 2017. / Implicit, Learning, Note-taking, Technology / Includes bibliographical references. / Gretchen L. Sunderman, University Representative; Wally R. Boot, Committee Member; Colleen M. Kelley, Committee Member; Arielle Borovsky, Committee Member.

The global diffusion of the Internet and the rise in affordable digital electronic devices has exponentially increased the access to culturally authentic materials (Hadley, 2001). Foreign language educators can take advantage of this wealth of resources to design activities that encourage students to explore a foreign culture online (Bush, 2007). For example, social media users often share snapshots of their daily life and discuss topics related to their home culture. This content can be used to provide students with a regular and frequent exposure to authentic and timely cultural information and to promote intercultural analysis and reflections. The last two decades have seen a growing concern of the role intercultural competence plays in contemporary foreign language education. However, despite the rising awareness that “the study of another language is synonymous with the study of another culture” (Cutshall, 2012, p. 32), integrating cultures into instruction is still not a priority for many language instructors, especially because of the challenges the process may entail. This study aims to address this gap in practice and research by introducing a model that foreign language instructors can use to design pedagogically-structured learning opportunities that guide students’ intercultural explorations and reflections for the development of intercultural competence. Specifically, the study introduces a sequence of Instagram-based activities and aims to explore how completing these activities helps foreign language students to develop intercultural competence through the development of cultural and intercultural awareness of cultural products, behavioral practices, and philosophical perspectives. The study has an explanatory single-case study design where the collective experience of the class with the instructional activity represents one case. Participants are 18 students enrolled in one section of a third-level Italian language course at a large research university in the United States. Students used Instagram to explore posts shared by Italian users and to share with their classmates their cultural and intercultural observations. Moreover, they completed a set of individual reflective online assignments aimed at developing their knowledge and skills for the development of intercultural competence. The general conclusion of this study is that using Instagram for intercultural explorations and reflections can help students to acquire knowledge and develop skills for the development of intercultural competence. Students engaged in the Instagram chat in a process of knowledge sharing and knowledge building that helped them to develop their skills of interpreting and relating and their cultural knowledge of products and practices, especially of the most unfamiliar themes. By completing the individual reflective assignments, students also developed intercultural awareness of products and practices and used their developing skills of discovery to develop awareness and understanding of foreign perspectives. Even if students completed these assignments individually, they agreed on what the core perspectives of Italians are. Some students were also successful in establishing cross-cultural relationships and showed instances of intercultural awareness development of perspectives. Some other students, instead, were hardly able to advance from the surface culture of products and practices and to reflect on the significance that specific products and practices have in different cultures. Students could benefit from more guidance and opportunities for feedback throughout the whole sequence of activities. While detailed instructions and the initial instructional support can help to scaffold students’ observations and analysis, they may not be sufficient to properly sustain the development of knowledge and intercultural competence in a process that becomes increasingly sophisticated. A continuous instructional support can facilitate the development of students’ autonomy for the development of intercultural competence. The study also presents two individual student cases and an overview of students’ reactions to the sequence of activities, which, in general, were positive. The study concludes by addressing its main limits and by discussing its implications for future practice and research. / 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 4, 2018. / Computer-assisted language learning, Culture, Instagram, Intercultural competence, Italian, Social media / Includes bibliographical references. / Vanessa P. Dennen, Professor Directing Dissertation; Michael Leeser, University Representative; Fengfeng Ke, Committee Member; James D. Klein, Committee Member.

The purposes of this study were to investigate the structural relationships among the factors that affect online learners’ satisfaction with the learning experience, and to develop a structural model that explains online learners’ satisfaction. For these purposes, a research model was developed based on the principles of social cognitive theory and the Macro Model of Motivation and Performance, and the findings reported in past research. The study investigated the effects of self-regulation, self-efficacy, task value, and learning design on perceived learning and satisfaction, and the effect of perceived learning on satisfaction. Participants consisted of higher education students who were enrolled in fully online courses in the Spring 2017 semester at a public university in the Southeastern United States. Data analyses were conducted on a dataset that included 1115 responses. Majority of the participants were female (810 students, 72.6%), and pursued an undergraduate degree (838 students, 75.2%). Participants’ age ranged between 18 and 62 with a mean of 24.14 and a standard deviation of 7.99. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to answer the research questions and test the research hypotheses. Assessment of the measurement model revealed that the six-factor model showed a good fit to the data. Assessment of the structural model revealed that eight out of the nine research hypotheses were supported. The results showed that self-regulation, self-efficacy, task value, and learning design had significant direct effects on perceived learning. These four factors explained 66.7% of the total variance in perceived learning. Furthermore, self-regulation, self-efficacy, task value, learning design, and perceived learning had significant direct effects on satisfaction. Contrary to the research hypothesis, the effect of self-regulation on satisfaction was negative. Five factors explained 81.4% of the total variance in satisfaction with the online learning experience. Finally, perceived learning had a mediation effect for the relationships between self-efficacy, task value, learning design, and satisfaction. The results suggested that metacognitive self-regulation, self-efficacy beliefs for interacting with the instructor and peers, task value beliefs, learning design, and perceived learning are important factors to consider in online learning settings in terms of learners’ satisfaction with the learning experience. The results are interpreted and discussed in the light of theory and past research findings. Implications of the research results are shared for instructional designers and online instructors. / 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. / November 3, 2017. / learning design, motivation, online courses, satisfaction, social cognitive theory, structural equation modeling / Includes bibliographical references. / Vanessa P. Dennen, Professor Directing Dissertation; Jonathan L. Adams, University Representative; James D. Klein, Committee Member; Yanyun Yang, Committee Member.

<p> Nurse education leaders have a fiduciary responsibility of keep nursing curricula current with the latest technologies in healthcare. Nurse educators and nursing students are the end users who can provide the necessary feedback about the use of technology in nursing academia and clinical settings. This single case study with embedded units of analysis (the end users) was about the lived experience of the end users&rsquo; use of personal mobile devices and associated technology in the pursuit of their academic objectives. This qualitative study investigated what issues, if any, were related to the use (or non-use) of personal mobile devices (PMDs) in the nursing classroom and clinical settings. Other research questions for the end users were if institutional policies, protocols, and practices supported the technological aspects of nursing academia as well as any recommendations for improvements. The small, purposive sample population came from the Upstate Region of South Carolina. The researcher facilitated semi-structured interviews with nurse educators and focus group discussions with nursing students to identify any unforeseen and/or unanticipated concerns in the use of PMDs in nursing academia and clinical practices. The Model Measurement Questionnaire (MMQ) was incorporated into the data collection process which had multiple uses. Data analysis was framed around the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and based on a triangulation of data collected from the end users through field notes, MMQ results, and observations. The most significant outcome of this study was the identification of a psychosocial phenomenon not found in current literature. A secondary objective of this case study was to suggest a basic and repeatable process for qualitative assessment of current technology from the lived experiences of nurse educators and nursing students.</p><p>