The purpose of study was to investigate the use of technology in schools and the influence of the principal on technology use. The technology activities of principals along with the school technology outcomes perceived by their faculty were described and analyzed to discover if there was a relationship between and among them. This study investigated technology related leadership behavior exhibited by principals in terms of NETS-A technology standards for administrators, and how their leadership behavior affected or predicted the multiple ways that technology was used throughout a school.The population for this study was composed of principals and instructional faculty from public schools in Collier County, Florida. Principals completed the Principal Technology Leadership Assessment Survey to establish leadership behavior according to the NETS-A standards; faculty completed the School Technology Outcomes survey to identify technology use in schools. The numerous uses of technology were structured into three levels: administrative and management tasks (organizational technology outcomes), planning and delivery of instruction (instructional technology outcomes), and use by students for completing assignments (educational technology outcomes). Survey results revealed strong technology leadership behaviors and extensive and variety use of technology in schools. Analysis of the survey results supported the null hypothesis that there was no relationship between the technology behavior of educational leaders and the use of technology by faculty members in their schools.

Through the centuries, institutions of higher education, and the people who labor in those institutions, have helped countless millions to learn—to stretch their boundaries, to think creatively, to find joy in discovery, and to create new knowledge that benefits the world in a myriad of ways. Yet while the knowledge produced through our educational process has transformed the world, the process of teaching and learning within these institutions has remained largely unexplored and unchanged over the centuries (Bass, 2009; Duderstadt, Atkins, & Van Houweling, 2002; Woolsey, 2008). In recent years, the advent and rapid development of information technology has provided us with a previously unimaginable opportunity to rethink how teaching and learning take place in higher education. In order to make the most of potential gains in teaching and learning, academic technology initiatives require both technological and pedagogical expertise. However, while the need for effective collaborations between the groups responsible for these two areas, the Offices of Academic Computing and Centers for Teaching at institutions of higher education has been articulated (Albright & Nworie, 2008; Allison & DeBlois, 2008; Woolsey, 2008), the mechanisms for developing and maintaining such collaborations are not clearly understood (Albright & Nworie, 2008; Ives & Steinbrenner, 2005). In an effort to fill this gap in knowledge, this study focuses on generating a portrait of successful collaborative efforts between academic technology professionals and pedagogical specialists. Using multiple case studies as a methodological approach, this study examines the characteristics of collaboration at three universities, including their history; factors that lead to the successful establishment of collaborations; challenges and barriers and how these are approached; and whether there is evidence that collaborations result in better outcomes in the implementation of academic technology. The study is particularly timely given that information technology is playing an increasingly central role in every aspect of higher education. A better understanding of the characteristics of inter-group collaborations around academic technology, including the barriers to creating effective collaborative relationships, will help institutions respond to the challenge of harnessing technology’s potential to positively transform the process of teaching and learning in contemporary higher education.

This dissertation presents a novel effort to develop ITS technologies that adapt by observing student behavior. In particular, we define an evolving expert knowledge base (EEKB) that structures a domain's information as a set of nodes and the relationships that exist between those nodes. The structure of this model is not the particularly novel aspect of this work, but rather the model's evolving behavior. Past efforts have shown that this model, once created, is useful for providing students with expert feedback as they work within our ITS called Rashi. We present an algorithm that observes groups of students as they work within Rashi, and collects student contributions to form an accurate domain level EEKB. We then present experimentation that simulates more than 15,000 data points of real student interaction and analyzes the quality of the EEKB models that are produced. We discover that EEKB models can be constructed accurately, and with significant efficiency compared to human constructed models of the same form. We are able to make this judgment by comparing our automatically constructed models with similar models that were hand crafted by a small team of domain experts. We also explore several tertiary effects. We focus on the impact that gaming and game mechanics have on various aspects of this model acquisition process. We discuss explicit game mechanics that were implemented in the source ITS from which our data was collected. Students who are given our system with game mechanics contribute higher amounts of data, while also performing higher quality work. Additionally, we define a novel type of game called a knowledge-refinement game (KRG), which motivates subject matter experts (SMEs) to contribute to an already constructed EEKB, but for the purpose of refining the model in areas in which confidence is low. Experimental work with the KRG provides strong evidence that: 1) the quality of the original EEKB was indeed strong, as validated by KRG players, and 2) both the quality and breadth of knowledge within the EEKB are increased when players use the KRG.

This dissertation will document the development of a computerized audio-visual system that uses interactive instructional modules to inform and educate United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees in the fuzzy areas of work force diversity (i.e., soft areas that offer multiple views and options in dealing with a situation). For example, in text, video and auditory modes, the system presents several alternative techniques for dealing with a variety of stereotypes that are generated in the work environment. The user learns a range of techniques that may be applied successfully. This includes the established as well as the more innovative approaches, such as establishing an agency-wide calendar that marks off all religious holidays or the development of discussion groups. The system's operation will be observed in terms of three design features: (1) flexibility to select auditory and/or visual interface, (2) flexibility to select topics and techniques, and (3) appropriateness of the technology for the subject matter. Also, users will be interviewed a few weeks after interacting with the system to assess the degree to which the users' initial requests for instruction (i.e., choices to access particular topics) were satisfied.

The dissertation provides an analysis of how the content and organization of explanations function to achieve communicative goals under potentially conflicting constraints, and applies this analysis to the design of a planner for generation of explanations by computer. An implementation of this planner as a multimedia question answering system is described. The functional analysis has four major subparts: (1) A theory of the kinds of knowledge that can provide the basis for "informatively satisfying" responses to a given question. (2) A theory of context sensitive constraints on the choice between alternate domain models that compete as the basis for answering a given question. (3) A theory of how supplemental explanations aid the comprehension and retention of the primary explanation. (4) A theory of how the sequencing of the parts of an explanation enhances the communicative functionality of those parts. The functional aspects of explanation just outlined imply a variety of explanation planning subtasks having distinct information processing requirements. A planning architecture is presented that matches these planning subtasks to appropriate mechanisms: (1) Top-down goal refinement translates queries into specifications of relevant knowledge on which a response can be based. (2) Prioritized preferences restrict competing domain models to those that are expected to be both informative and comprehensible to the questioner at a given point in the dialogue. (3) Plan critics examine the evolving plan and post new goals to supplement the explanation as needed. (4) A constrained graph traversal mechanism sequences the parts of an explanation in a manner respecting certain functional relationships between the parts. Contributions include: (1) the clarification and integration of a variety of functional aspects of explanatory text, (2) an analysis of the roles and limitations of various explanation planning mechanisms, (3) the design of a flexible explanation planner that applies various constraints on explanation independently of each other, and (4) an approach to selection between multiple domain models that is more general than previous approaches. Together these contributions clarify the correspondence between knowledge about communication, planning tasks, and types of discourse structure and provide improved interactive explanation capabilities.

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of computer-administered instructions on the comprehension of familiar and unfamiliar college-level material. The instructions addressed two majors issues: (a) the effects of domain-specific knowledge and (b) the effects of strategy knowledge (i.e., knowledge about methods for active, purposeful reading). There were 157 university students who were recruited from psychology classes to participate in the study. There were two instructional conditions and two control conditions for the familiar and unfamiliar domain. The first instructional condition presented background information and information on concepts that were central to the topic. The second instructional condition instructed subjects on when and how to generate questions, summarize, and reread portions of the text. The third condition was a control condition in which subjects only read the text before taking the comprehension tests. The fourth condition was a control condition in which subjects were given the domain instructions and the tests without reading the text. The results were examined in terms of performance on each of three comprehension tests. On the sentence verification test, only a main effect for content familiarity was found. Subjects in the unfamiliar content condition performed better than subjects in the familiar content condition. On the summary test, there was a significant interaction of instruction with content familiarity. Contrary to what was expected, the advantage of the strategy condition over the control was not significant for the familiar content condition. For the unfamiliar content condition both the domain and strategy conditions showed a significant advantage over the control condition, but there was no difference between the domain and strategy. For the inference task, no effects of instructions were found for either condition of content familiarity. The findings provide support for the conclusion that strategy knowledge can be useful for comprehension even in the absence of domain knowledge. The evidence for the efficacy of the domain instructions used in the present study was weak, possibly due to methodological problems. The findings also support the use of multiple measures of comprehension in studies that examine the effects of comprehension instructions.

This study tested the effectiveness of an inservice training program for (1) teaching telecommunication skills to teachers who were relatively inexperienced in the use of computers, and (2) assisting teachers in designing and implementing telecommunications activities in their curriculum. Nine elementary teachers participated in an innovative telecommunications project between two local schools. Three of the teachers completed the four session model training program in which they learned the skills necessary for using a telecommunications Bulletin Board System. During the six-week initial implementation phase, a coaching strategy was employed, in which the teachers were observed and assisted while practicing telecommunications. The teachers developed a degree of expertise in using telecommunications and they were able to implement this technological innovation in their curriculum as indicated by the activities and impact upon student learning. During the first cycle of use the teachers were becoming stabilized in the use of telecommunications as they began to refine integration of this media in new areas of their curriculum. The coaching the teachers received was evaluated as being most helpful in assisting teachers in the implementation process. Perceived future barriers to implementation relate to the lack of phone lines and the scarcity of support assistance in the schools. This study has considerable implications for policy makers responsible for the incorporation of technological innovations in school curricula. The results indicate that teachers given an extensive system of training and implementation support are able to effectively integrate telecommunications activities in their curriculum.

The past decade brought dramatic increases in numbers of microcomputers available for use in schools with high expectations for their potential to improve education. Much of the current literature shows little change in spite of the potential. Successful implementation of technological innovations does not just happen. This is a study of the implementation of microcomputer activities for instruction in selected elementary schools in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection, essentially a case study approach with some tabulation, it attempts to describe and analyze how implementation is taking place. A survey of 41 computer using educators and 6 in-depth interviews provided the data. Analysis was based on implementation models defined by Anderson (1989), and Hall's (1989) Concerns Based Adoption Model (C-BAM) concepts to identify evidence of the models, examples of strategies and levels of success of various approaches used to provide sufficient hardware, software, training, technical assistance and time needed to get educators using the technology. The findings describe the roles of the people involved, conditions in their schools, perceptions of support, problems or concerns, suggestions for successful implementation strategies, and criteria for software selection. The data also show that many different staff members shared the responsibilities for computer related tasks. These educators had microcomputer hardware available to use in classrooms and computer labs. The most prevalent model identified is that of the Single Person. The interviews indicate that most schools had more than one model functioning at various times during the growth of the innovation. An analysis of problems or concerns revealed that most people were functioning at the Task Level, concerned with managing the innovation and its consequences for their students. More research needs to be done to understand and utilize the contribution of the Single Person Model and how to make it more effective for schools. Educators need to develop better methods to determine strategies which will move teachers to higher levels of use as well as to spread the innovation to more groups of teachers.

Who were the proponents and what were the circumstances that ultimately led to the adoption of Chapter 560, An Act Creating the Massachusetts Educational Telecommunications Corporation, by the Massachusetts legislature and its signing into law by Governor Edward King on December 23, 1982? To understand the history of Chapter 560, it is necessary to turn first to the Engineering School of the University of Massachusetts where the long process that led to Chapter 560 really began in the 1960's. The School of Engineering recognized the possibilities of the new technologies for offering education at-a-distance. In 1969, it commissioned Genesys Systems, Inc. of Mountain View, California to survey the various technologies available for linking teaching institutions with remote classrooms. The first step had been taken on a road that would eventually lead to Chapter 560. It is the contention of this dissertation that the University of Massachusetts played a sine qua non role in the ultimate passage of the legislation creating an educational telecommunications network for Massachusetts. The process that began with the School of Engineering soon passed on to the Office of the President. In 1973, the first Committee on Telecommunications was created by President Robert Wood. From this time on, all initiatives relative to the establishment of a state-wide telecommunications network employing the latest technologies would be centered in the Office of the President of the University of Massachusetts. The work of the Commissions appointed by President Wood in the Seventies came to an abrupt halt with the resignation of President Wood in 1977. The next stage in the evolution of Chapter 560 would begin with the appointment of David C. Knapp as President of the University of Massachusetts. The Telecommunications Commissions appointed by President Knapp will be the main focus of the dissertation, for it is their work that led directly to Chapter 560. The main sources for the work of the Commissions are the minutes of the meetings, the correspondence that issued from Commission members and Presidential staff and the interviews with key participants. The dissertation will conclude with a careful evaluation of what happened after the signing of Chapter 560.

This study adapted the knowledge engineering process from expert systems research and used it to acquire the combined knowledge of a mathematics student and a mathematics teacher. The knowledge base acquired was used to inform the design of a hypercard learning environment dealing with linear and quadratic functions. The researcher, who is also a mathematics teacher, acted as both knowledge engineer and expert. In the role of knowledge engineer, she conducted sixteen sessions with a student-expert. The purpose of the knowledge engineering sessions was to acquire an explicit representation of the student's expertise. The student's expertise was her view of mathematical concepts as she understood them. The teacher also made explicit her understanding of the same mathematical concepts discussed by the student. A graphical representation of the knowledge of both student and teacher was developed. This knowledge base informed the design of a hypercard learning environment on functions. Three major implications for teaching and learning emerged from the research. First, the teacher as knowledge engineer is a compelling new way to conceptualize the teacher's role. In the role of knowledge engineer, the teacher develops an understanding of the student's knowledge base which can inform curriculum. Second, recognizing the student as expert allows the student to be a more active participant in the learning process. Finally, hypercard is an appropriate and promising application for the development of knowledge based systems which will encourage the active participation of teachers and students in the development of curriculum.