Thesis (M.A.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2008. / "May, 2008." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-51). Online version available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2009. / Title from title screen (site viewed February 25, 2010). PDF text: vii, 127 p. ; 2 Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3386759. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Master of Education (MEd) Research Report University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, 2016 / This study investigates the impact of the Flipped Learning Model (FLM) on the teaching practices of four educators in a private school in Johannesburg. It investigates the pedagogic processes and experiences of these educators’ respective attempts to shift from their standard educator-centered methodologies to the FLM’s highly collaborative and blended methodology. In so doing, the study exposes the educators’ resistance to the primary assumptions of constructivist epistemologically informed pedagogies. It also demonstrates the extent to which epistemological assumptions underpinning the ‘official curriculum’ are imbued within the dominant pedagogic discourse and aligned with educators’ beliefs and professional identities. The study exposes the necessity for transformations in educators’ traditional thinking, epistemological assumptions, perceptions, attitudes and roles to occur before any substantial attempts to introduce the FLM in ‘classrooms’ are made. Furthermore, the FLM takes for granted the ease of embedding technology in the teaching/learning process. This study exposes the relationship between a lack of technological familiarity/ know-how and the strength of resistance to ‘flipping the classroom’. South African educators work in an environment that promotes very strong boundaries between: classroom/home; educator/learner; and schoolwork/homework. Flipping, weakening or altering these, challenges educators’ strongly held notions of what it means to be a professional educator. It is within this context that Bernstein’s work with respect to the development of such seminal concepts as ‘pedagogic device’, ‘classification’ and ‘framing’ provided the language of description and analytical basis for this research study. / MT2017

Thesis (M. Ed.(CIE))-University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.Public Hlth.)--Edith Cowan University, 2006. / Submitted to the Faculty of Computing, Health and Science. Includes bibliographical references.

In twenty-first (21st) century tertiary education, undergraduate study is intended to not only to teach the subject knowledge through direct instruction or lecturing, but also to cultivate and foster students' skills and literacies to suit societal needs. For this reason, it is increasingly important to introduce new teaching and learning (T&L) strategies and web applications (apps) into students' undergraduate study. The introduction of collaborative inquiry learning (CIL) is intended to enhance students' communication and collaboration skills throughout their learning. In addition, by introducing social annotation (SoAn) tools, students are able to bookmark, highlight, annotate, share, discuss, and collaborate on information sources collected by students for their collaborative inquiry learning assignments (CILA). In this study, a self-developed SoAn tool known as the Web Annotation and Sharing Platform (WASP) was introduced to investigate how the SoAn tool can facilitate students' CIL. The study included 377 students (freshmen or sophomores) from three different courses at a Hong Kong University, Hong Kong Christian University. A mixed-method research approach was employed using four data collection methods. Quantitative data were collected from all participating students through a questionnaire survey, WASP log file (students' actions on WASP), and CILA marks. Furthermore, qualitative data were gathered from selected students in individual face-to-face interviews. The study aimed to ascertain how students integrate and use the SoAn tool in their CIL. This study also investigated whether students think a SoAn tool is useful and effective for their CIL. Moreover, this study examined the correlations between students' perceptions of CIL and WASP, usage of WASP, and their CILA mark. Finally, this study examined the challenges students encountered when they integrate and use WASP in their CIL. The results reveal that the integration and usage of a SoAn tool were concentrated in the early stages of students' CIL. Furthermore, the results illustrated how the 'able other (s)' arise in the CIL group to provide information sources that initiate the discussion and collaboration among group members. Based upon the student perceptions collected in this study, the results suggested that students agreed that the WASP functions were useful and effective for CIL in courses that teach elementary Information and Communications Technology knowledge content (ICT-related courses). Moreover, student perceptions on the WASP functions highly correlated with their perceptions of CL before this study and any respective group process experiences. The results also indicated that students' perceptions, SoAn tool usage and learning outcomes (CILA mark) are not correlated, there is a higher chance of reaching correlation between the perceived usefulness of the WASP functions and their CILA mark in ICT-related courses. Lastly, the results suggested that low motivation for learning and using a SoAn tool, the functionality and recognition of a SoAn tool, and methods of processing, discussing, and collaborating on collected information sources were the challenges encountered when students integrate and use a SoAn tool in their CIL. The implications and limitations of this study are discussed in Chapter 8. Directions for future research and suggestions are provided, which includes introducing SoAn tools in ICT-related courses and enhancing the functions of SoAn tools both for better user experiences and research purposes.

Several prominent rhetoric and composition scholars have called for researchers to forefront the activity of an interaction (see Shipka, 2005; Yancey, 2009; Spinuzzi, 2011). This focus is particularly needed in the study of online writing instruction; with its emphasis on the unit of analysis being the action itself, activity theory proves useful to analyze the human-computer and human-human interaction that occurs in the online environment. Drawing from Haas’ (1996) assertion that technology is a site to examine “the relationship between culture and cognition,” this dissertation presents findings from an ethnographic case study that investigates CMS tool use in an online FYC writing course. Using activity theory as a theoretical and methodological frame, findings show how students made CMS tool-use decisions based not only in function, but also on culturally shared beliefs held about interaction in the online instructional environment itself. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, this dissertation discusses two findings: students overwhelmingly use instructor direction when making navigation decisions and when complying with implicit rules. From the findings, this dissertation analyzes how the perceived assumptions that students and instructors in the online writing course make about the intended and unintended motivations of tool use reflect their actual practices. The dissonance that exists within the spaces created between intention and outcome are highlighted by this methodological and theoretical frame. Additionally, analyzing online writing course tool use can have larger programmatic applications in that by understanding what happens in an online writing course and what motivates its users, instructors can better deliver a course and administrators can better assess both a course/instructor and a course management system. / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only. / Department of English

Undergraduate software engineering learners demonstrate a lack of motivation with face-to-face classroom education. Limited access to the Internet via PCs and laptops, hinders effective communication and collaboration. However, the majority of learners enrolled for studies in tertiary education, have cellphones and are proficient in the use of digital technology. A technology-enhanced m-learning solution is indicated. This research project evaluates the usability and user experience of an m-learning environment, custom-designed for a tertiary educational context and delivered by mobile handheld devices, features a synthesized framework of categories and criteria, and determines the nature and scope of an emergent digital divide. A design-based research model suited to the context of the study is implemented, gathering quantitative and qualitative data from experts and learners by survey questionnaires. Analysis of data highlights usability and UX problems, provides insight into an emergent digital divide and suggests guidelines specific to the design of m-learning implementations. / Educational Studies / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

Undergraduate software engineering learners demonstrate a lack of motivation with face-to-face classroom education. Limited access to the Internet via PCs and laptops, hinders effective communication and collaboration. However, the majority of learners enrolled for studies in tertiary education, have cellphones and are proficient in the use of digital technology. A technology-enhanced m-learning solution is indicated. This research project evaluates the usability and user experience of an m-learning environment, custom-designed for a tertiary educational context and delivered by mobile handheld devices, features a synthesized framework of categories and criteria, and determines the nature and scope of an emergent digital divide. A design-based research model suited to the context of the study is implemented, gathering quantitative and qualitative data from experts and learners by survey questionnaires. Analysis of data highlights usability and UX problems, provides insight into an emergent digital divide and suggests guidelines specific to the design of m-learning implementations. / Educational Studies / M. Sc. (Information Systems)