<p> Within some areas of traditional legal education there has been discussion of and advocacy for greater acceptance and integration of online technology. This study addresses the enormous gap in the legal literature concerning perceptions of online legal education and adds to the robust body of literature concerning perceptions of online education in general, with a focus on a specific type of institution: law school. This qualitative exploratory study involved the collection and analysis of perceptions among 15 recently retired full-time faculty members from traditional brick-and-mortar law schools regarding online legal education. Through a process of examination and coding, this research identified and clarified topics and patterns in the data. Perceived benefits of online learning in law school included its facilitation of a diversity of learning styles, improved accessibility, and a reduction of fear and pressure. Critical perceptions included worries over the loss of physical face-to-face presence, reduction of fear and pressure, and possible incompatibility with clinical legal education. Other concerns involved engagement/discipline in online (and live) education, the approach of some for-profit institutions, technological issues, cheating, and class size (in live and online settings). The findings suggest a relationship between exposure to and appreciation of online learning and an anomalous relationship (with caveats) between faculty gender and appreciation of online learning. Future studies should examine the effectiveness of all forms of delivery of legal education, with emphasis on whether online education is used to replicate traditional law school education or to accommodate different learning styles through distinct pedagogies.</p><p>

The focus of this study is to examine the factors that comprise convenience for distance education students. The prevailing assumption regarding student selection of distance education is that the choice is directly related to convenience and the ability to control the time and place of their learning. Students are selecting and repeatedly taking distance education courses; this research sought to understand the reasons behind this selection. The premise of this study is there are many bundles that underlie the convenience in distance education and they are related to factors other than anywhere, anytime learning. Previous studies have relied on the use of survey data regarding students' preferences regarding distance education. This study utilized a qualitative approach to allow the students to tell their own stories. Nine distance students attending community college were interviewed for this research. The student stories and experiences provide the data and basis for the findings of this study. Implications for future research are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that influence the persistence of adult students in online undergraduate courses at the community college level. Quantitative analysis of survey results from 476 students enrolled in on-line courses at two community colleges indicate that desire to complete the degree, previous experience in on-line courses and assignment completion are the strongest predictors of course completion. The findings from this research also provide the basis for making recommendations for future research and improving policy and practice. Finally, the results of this study suggest the basis for developing new models for understanding persistence in on-line courses.

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.

<p> A student&rsquo;s ability to achieve his or her goal in an online course depends on the quality of the material presented by the instructor, and the motivational aspect of the student before committing to an online course. However, neither of these can be reached to their maximum if the dominant learning styles of students are not uncovered prior to enrolling in an online course. With the quick expansion of online learning in higher education, proper protocol has not been taken in order to help millennials reach their full potential, by allowing instructors to help identify methods to communicate with the students through an online platform. To maximize the impact of these two aspects, the dominant learning styles of millennials must be uncovered. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the dominant learning styles of millennials enrolled in an online business course, on order to provide instructors with insight of how to present course material to students in an online platform. The population consisted of 37 millennials enrolled in three separate online business courses at a California State University. Data were collected using one research instrument, the Building Excellence (BE) Learning Style Survey, consisting of approximately 120 questions. The survey instrument was used to measure the dominant learning styles of the participants among 28 different elements among six categories (perceptual, psychological, environmental, physiological, emotional, and sociological). The study looked into the perceptual category to reveal a strong necessity of millennials preferring to learn material by having it presented using visual images, and/or visual text. By improving the method of instruction in an online business course to incorporate with these learning styles, instructors can maximize their ability to teach students.</p>

<p> There is an increasing demand for more baccalaureate- and graduate-prepared registered nurses in the United States, to face the healthcare challenges of the 21st century. As a strategy to meet this need, educational institutions are expanding electronic learning in nursing education; however, technology acceptance in education continues to be a concern for educational institutions. In this context, the goal of the study was to investigate factors that potentially influence registered nurses&rsquo; intentions to adopt e-learning systems. A theoretical model was used to determine whether perceived value, attitude toward e-learning systems, and resistance to change influence registered nurses&rsquo; intentions to use e-learning systems. </p><p> A web-based survey was used to assess the effect of the aforementioned constructs on registered nurses&rsquo; intentions to use e-learning systems. The web-survey instrument was developed as a multi-item questionnaire using Likert-type scales. A 35-item survey instrument was developed using previously validated measurable items. The target population of this study was registered nurses in South Florida. The sample for this study was 323 (over 21% response rate) registered nurses at two hospitals in South Florida. </p><p> Multivariate analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling and robust standard errors with the Satorra-Bentler adjustment. The results revealed that perceived value, attitude toward e-learning systems, and resistance to change influence registered nurses&rsquo; intentions to use e-learning systems. Findings from this investigation may be of interest to educational institutions preparing to make investments in e-learning systems. The information provided in the study will allow administrators in higher educational institutions to make decisions on ways to address the challenges that may be affecting e-learning acceptance by registered nurses.</p>

<p> Corporations seek Master of Business Administration (MBA) students who are ready to perform upon hiring. Business schools need to align instructional practices and technology with student, accreditation, and marketplace demands. Complex simulation use has increased exponentially to provide MBA students with business experience in the classroom. Methods to assess the effectiveness of complex simulations to achieve learning outcomes is limited to student perceptions of learning, satisfaction, and direct assessment separately. The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto comparative study was to examine MBA students&rsquo; perception of learning to real performance in integrative courses with complex simulation. Archival MBA student Peregrine COMP&trade; pretest, posttest, and SIRII&trade; scores were analyzed using independent t-test, paired sample t-test, and Pearson <i>r</i> coefficient. MBA students perceived higher levels of learning in courses with complex simulation based on the statistically significant increase in SIRII&trade; scores over courses without simulation. Another key finding from the quantitative study was the statistically significant negative correlation of students&rsquo; perception of learning to actual performance. Positive student perceptions of learning could hide a complex simulation&rsquo;s inability to meet student learning outcomes, according to the statistically significant decrease between pretest, and posttest Peregrine COMP&trade; scores. Based on the quantitative correlation analysis of student perceptions of learning to actual performance, MBA administrators and faculty need to evaluate the use of instructional technology from multiple data points to avoid applications that offer minimal value to achieving learning outcomes. Future research opportunities could include a larger MBA population from multiple regions of the United States. Additional studies could investigate undergraduate perceptions of learning to actual performance to assess any benefit from complex simulations.</p>

<p> This dissertation explored how Korean students from a Midwestern university use social media when they come to the United States for the first time to start graduate school. In order to do so, I conducted a netnography which examines their virtual communities to observe language use (both English and Korean) within the their virtual circle of friends. I did so for a period of one semester, with archival data dating back to when they first found out they were coming to the US. This thesis is based on the argument that Korean graduate students go through a shift in linguistic, cultural, and social identity, and that social media can provide those in the field of literacy, culture, and language education a glimpse into the literacy and language practices of international students outside of the classroom. This dissertation also explains the theoretical framework behind virtual communities, analyzes current literature about virtual communities in language education, uses Kozinets&rsquo; (2009) netnography as a methodology to conduct the research, and analyzes semi-structured interviews, social media, and questionnaire data through Creswell&rsquo;s (2008) notion of thematic analysis. I conclude that the use of social media generally provides a means of identity expression for Korean graduate students, and that their linguistic, cultural, and social identities are not shaped by social media itself, but social media provides an outlet where we can see negotiation of identity from when they apply to the school and through their first semester of study; by using Korean as a language of social and cultural expression and English as a means of sharing information about their programs.</p>

<p> The purpose of this case study was to document stakeholders&rsquo; perceptions of adopting and integrating OER materials in higher education. Specifically, this study sought to understand the perceptions of institutional faculty, librarians, instructional designers, and students with the adoption and use of OER at a state college in east Florida. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with institutional faculty, librarians, and instructional designers. A survey was distributed to students enrolled in OER integrated courses during the Spring semester. Theoretical perspectives on the adoption and diffusion of OER as an innovation were grounded in Roger&rsquo;s Diffusion of Innovation theory. </p><p> An analysis of the data revealed that stakeholder perceptions are a key factor in the rate of adoption and diffusion within the institution. Faculty perceptions of resource quality and time involved to curate the resources proved challenging for OER adoption and integration. Instructional designers perceived the resources as time consuming yet highly accessible. Librarians perceived the resources as beneficial, but a lack of awareness and understanding of licensing rules made adoption and integration challenging. Students perceived the resources as advantageous, above average in quality, and just as effective as traditional textbooks. Despite the challenges presented, stakeholders agreed that access to the resources and the cost savings for students were significant enough to outweigh the time involved to locate, adapt, implement, and utilize the resources.</p><p>

<p> The virtual 3D world of Second Life continues to grow as an educational platform for higher education. Instructional designers and faculty designers by assignment in this multi-case study described the constructivist instructional strategies, design models, and processes, utilized to create constructivist collaborative-learning environments in Second Life. A gap was identified in the literature surrounding the use of constructivist design and the effects on various alternative-learning environments, such as Second Life. Ten participants from higher education were purposively chosen to participate in the study. All of the 10 participants met the criteria that included five years experience in instructional design and two years experience designing in Second Life. Five participants were instructional designers and the other five were faculty designers by assignment. Data were collected from four sources that included in-depth semi-structured participant interviews, an observational protocol guide, and documents. The same observation protocol guide was used to examine Second Life sites while the participants were present. The study identified the instructional design models, processes, strategies, advantages, and challenges for instructional design in Second Life. Included in the findings is an instructional design model for use in virtual worlds such as Second Life. .</p>