<p> Traditional journal analysis for the identification of diciplines is limited in developing areas of study due to the lack of journals specific to that area of study. Identifying knowledge domains worthy of study for the identification of developing disciplines has been difficult. </p><p> Conferences are at the forefront of building knowledge in scientific communities, particularly in technology related sectors, but less than 10% of conference proceedings are available in conventional knowledge databases. As a result, conference proceedings as a previously unconsidered knowledge domain, may provide the knowledge domain worthy of analysis to identify developmental and incremental change within developing areas of study. </p><p> This study proposed a bibliometric analysis of the Conference Proceedings of the Association of Educational and Communications Technology (AECT) from 1979 through 2009 as a knowledge domain that represented Instructional/Educational Technology. Bibliometric indicators were extracted and collected into custom databases for citation and cocitation analyses. Gephi 0.9.2 software was used to create multidimensional graphs to identify developmental and incremental change within the knowledge domain with the purpose of understanding the developmental pattern of Educational/Instructional Technology as a discipline.</p><p>

<p> Despite the continued research into Career and Technical Education (CTE) program expansion in public schools and the relationships surrounding student success, educational leaders are in growing need of empirical evidence to justify the continued funding of such programs and to support reform movements associated with educational policies. The main hypotheses included testing for statistical significance in the predictive relationships between final high school cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) and both, &ldquo;Instructional&rdquo; and &ldquo;Non-Instructional&rdquo; factors related to Science-based CTE courses completed while enrolled in high school. The study population was comprised of high school graduates in the years of 2013 -2017 from a single participating school district in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The quantitative research method included a predictive correlational design using Likert-type survey instrument, administered through SurveyMonkey, to collect numeric data from 97 participating subjects. The results of the study showed that a moderately negative predictive relationship exists between graduates&rsquo; perception of instructional factors related to Science-based CTE courses and their final cumulative high school GPA. A predictability of 4.1% between the criterion and the predictor variable, identified as the &ldquo;Instructional Factor&rdquo;, while no statistically significant relationship was found to exist between the criterion and the predictor variable, identified as the &ldquo;Non-Instructional Factor&rdquo;. Implications from the findings of the study suggested that educational leaders should pay more attention to promoting a positive perception among students towards CTE course instruction, rather than non-instructional factors related to their educational experience.</p><p>

The present study assessed the views of students on school-related determinants with respect to liking or disliking technology. In determining students' views, two self-report instruments, the Classroom Learning Environment Survey (CLES) and Attitudes Toward Science Scale (ATSS) were used. Also, an interview schedule was arranged with a selected group. Participants were 200 first years registered for Diplomas in Primary -, Secondary -, and Technology Education. Results indicated a positive relationship between attitudes towards technology and each of teacher characteristics, student characteristics and the classroom environment. Regression analysis showed that attitudes toward technology were predicted by the three study variables. On the other hand, no statistically significant gender differences were established. Recommendations and suggestions for further research are also advanced. / Mathematics, Science and Technology Education / M. Sc. (Technology Education)

<p> An education benefit available to all corporate and franchisee employees of the large quick service restaurant (QSR) under study is an opportunity to achieve a high school diploma at no cost by enrolling in online high school (OHS). The purpose of this research was to explore the role of Thomas Gilbert&rsquo;s behavior engineering model factors&mdash;information/data, resources, incentives, knowledge/skills, capacity, and motives&mdash;in helping 15 QSR employees to graduate from an OHS program. This study was warranted because in order to improve employee OHS graduation rates, the QSR under study needed to better understand and cultivate the success factors for OHS program completion. A basic qualitative methodology was used for this study and semistructured telephone interviews were conducted as the primary form of data collection. Thirty online learner success themes were synthesized from the data during the analysis process. Technology, and study skills were the only factors identified by all 15 study participants as being factors in their program success. The most influential online learning success factors reported by study participants were design of instruction, program policies, the role of the academic coach, program accessibility, and student characteristic of persistence/determination. Lack of time to complete OHS lessons was the top challenge to success shared by study participants. The online learning success factors that are currently in place at OHS and the QSR under study and are recommended to continue include 24/7 availability of the program, accepting transfer credits, the role the academic coach, the ability to retake tests, and the QSR under study covering the cost of the program. Recommendations to improve QSR restaurant environmental success factors include increased OHS program follow-up by QSR corporate and franchise leadership, scheduling OHS lesson completion time on restaurant schedules, and providing a reliable computer/tablet.</p><p>

<p> The present study aimed to describe 21st century literacy skills learning during a master&rsquo;s program focused on Linked Learning that sought to provide career readiness to students. Two research questions guided this study: (1) How do university professors in a Linked Learning graduate program describe their use of 21st century learning Skills in technology? and (2) How do secondary teachers in a Linked Learning graduate program describe their use of 21st century learning skills in technology in their classrooms? This mixed-methods study analyzed data from faculty members and graduate students, all of whom were part of a master&rsquo;s program focused on Linked Learning for in-service teachers.</p><p> The findings showed how faculty members implemented and modeled strategies that promoted the acquisition and improvement of technological 21st century literacy skills in the areas of information literacy, media literacy, and information, communication, and technology literacy. There is evidence that the program helps graduate students acquire and develop the technology skills their future high school students will need to become fluent global citizens. </p><p>

<p> Computer algebra systems (CAS) have been available for over 20 years and yet minimal CAS-rich opportunities present themselves formally to high school students. CAS tools have become readily accessible through free or inexpensive versions. Educators are emboldened to integrate essential mathematical tools in the reasoning and sense making of mathematical knowledge for students. It is the teacher that is at the heart of technology instruction, creating authentic environments for all learners. </p><p> This study investigated two secondary teachers pedagogy in classes that exploited CAS in the development of mathematical knowledge. A qualitative within-site case study design was used to explore each teacher&rsquo;s instructional practices. Teachers that exemplified qualities of CAS-infused instruction were purposively selected. Rich descriptive lesson vignettes as captured from classroom observations, written reflections, and interviews revealed participants&rsquo; pedagogy. The pedagogical map framework guided the identification of participant pedagogical affordances of the utilization of CAS. Eight opportunities were observed as exploited by the participants that included subject level adjustments; classroom interpersonal dynamics with students; and mathematical tasks. Data revealed several emergent themes in operation as the teacher participants oriented their mathematics instruction: viewing CAS as a mathematical consultant, verifying answers, applying multiple representations, regulating access, providing guidance, and outsourcing procedures. The components interlock with one another to form a cohesive depiction of pedagogical decisions in the presence of CAS-rich classroom instruction. The schema of CAS-oriented instruction serves as a methodology for educators to create opportunities that enrich the development of mathematical content knowledge. </p><p>

<p> There is a long history of calls to &ldquo;personalize&rdquo; education &ndash; (by which will be meant, in this study, to adaptively generate goals and plans for individual students, based on various kinds of information about those students). Calls for such personalization have perhaps increased with the rise of personalizing information technologies. However, planning and managing a schools&rsquo; worth of personalized learning plans is a demanding, novel task. As many scholars have pointed out, it is a task which requires changes to the very design of the school organization itself. Despite recognition of the need for innovative designs to support personalized education, there is little concrete design guidance for would-be designers of personalized educational programs. Indeed, the literature lacks detailed, descriptive examples of extant functioning designs in personalizing schools&mdash;much less any guidance about which types of designs work better than others. This qualitative multiple-case study investigates three high schools, each having several nontraditional processes and systems for creating and carrying out personalized plans for learning. With a conceptual framework informed by Sharp and McDermott&rsquo;s concept of an organizational process, and Alter&rsquo;s taxonomy of entities in organizational &ldquo;work systems,&rdquo; this study attempts to discover and describe patterns in nontraditional organizational designs in three American public high schools. These descriptions aim, ultimately, at establishing a basis for future productive comparison among such designs for personalizing education.</p><p>

<p> Technology in the classroom is becoming an additional part of the school day in many classrooms amongst the United States. 21st century skills surround us through schools, future careers, and communication. The goal of this study is to determine the advantages and disadvantages of one-to-one technology in the classroom. In addition, the experiences students go through while using a device is important. The findings of this study were based on one sixth grade classroom in a suburban community through observations, surveys, and interviews.</p><p>

abstract: In today's data-driven world, every datum is connected to a large amount of data. Relational databases have been proving itself a pioneer in the field of data storage and manipulation since 1970s. But more recently they have been challenged by NoSQL graph databases in handling data models which have an inherent graphical representation. Graph databases with the ability to store physical relationships between two nodes and native graph processing technique have been doing exceptionally well in graph data storage and management for applications like recommendation engines, biological modeling, network modeling, social media applications, etc. Instructional Module Development System (IMODS) is a web-based software system that guides STEM instructors through the complex task of curriculum design, ensures tight alignment between various components of a course (i.e., learning objectives, content, assessments), and provides relevant information about research-based pedagogical and assessment strategies. The data model of IMODS is highly connected and has an inherent graphical representation between all its entities with numerous relationships between them. This thesis focuses on developing an algorithm to determine completeness of course design developed using IMODS. As part of this research objective, the study also analyzes the data model for best fit database to run these algorithms. As part of this thesis, two separate applications abstracting the data model of IMODS have been developed - one with Neo4j (graph database) and another with PostgreSQL (relational database). The research objectives of the thesis are as follows: (i) evaluate the performance of Neo4j and PostgreSQL in handling complex queries that will be fired throughout the life cycle of the course design process; (ii) devise an algorithm to determine the completeness of a course design developed using IMODS. This thesis presents the process of creating data model for PostgreSQL and converting it into a graph data model to be abstracted by Neo4j, creating SQL and CYPHER scripts for undertaking experiments on both platforms, testing and elaborate analysis of the results and evaluation of the databases in the context of IMODS. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Computer Science 2017

<p> This qualitative phenomenological study examines the experiences of six successful educational technology leaders in co-creating value among various district stakeholders to reduce the contradictions encountered in teacher adoption of technology enhanced learning. The primary data collection method was through semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed using a hybrid approach, first examining the interview data for emergent themes, and then an a priori analysis was conducted based upon a value framework, motivational values, and relative advantage. Contradictions were identified and mapped on activity system diagrams for each participant. The value propositions were also identified that addressed contradictions. The primary stakeholders and their salience characteristics were also identified. This research revealed that although value co-creation was not explicitly mentioned by the study participants, the most successful implementers involved teachers and other stakeholders early and often in their implementation, used flipped, job-embedded, and collaborative professional learning to increase teacher capacity, and worked to establish community partnerships and student showcases that illustrated the modern, relevant, education from which students were benefiting in the educational technology leader&rsquo;s district. The compatibility of the emergent and a priori analysis in this study suggests value co-creation and value propositions are principal factors in the adoption of technology enhanced learning. An important implication of this study is that a more in-depth understanding of value co-creation and value-propositions could work to improve implementation and adoption of technology enhanced learning. The study also revealed that analysis through activity theory is a useful means of examining teacher context and effectively empathizing with teachers, the end-user of most educational initiatives.</p><p>