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This dissertation rationalizes the best use of Web-based instruction (WBI) for teaching music theory to private piano students in the later primary grades. It uses an integrative research methodology for defining, designing, and implementing a curriculum that includes WBI. Research from the fields of music education, educational technology, educational psychology, and interaction design and children receive primary consideration. A synthesis of these sources outlines several research-based principles that instructional designers can use to design a complete blended learning environment for use within the piano studio. In addition to the research-based principles, the precise methods of determining instructional tasks and implementing the program online are described in detail. A full implementation is then deployed, and piano teachers evaluate the extent to which the online program fulfills the research-based principles. This dissertation does not argue for the complete migration of theory instruction from traditional workbook approaches to an entirely Web-based medium but rather outlines the best use of face-to-face instruction, collaboration amongst students, teachers, and parents, and interaction with a Web-based program. This formative research provides a complete model of integrating WBI within the piano studio that can guide instructional designers and music educators.

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This dissertation presents the essence of the experience of instructional designers and instructors who have used alternate reality games (ARGs) and transmedia storytelling (TS) for teaching and learning. The use of game-like narratives, such as ARGs and TS, is slowly increasing. However, we know little about the lived experiences of those who have implemented such transmedia experiences in formal or informal learning. The data consists of written transcripts from interviews with 11 co-researchers in the United States and Europe. Phenomenology was the guiding methodology. The study begins by reviewing storytelling and the use of games in learning, leading up to exploring the tradition of using ARGs and TS in learning contexts. The analysis was one of reduction leading to codes, summary stories, themes, and the essence of the experience. Co-researchers used many techniques to enlighten their learners including problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, encouragement, disruption, and connection-making. When successful, connection-making facilitates learner agency development by providing learners with the power to act by their own initiative. Action came through the communicated narratives and games that closely tied to real-world problems. In the context of these efforts, this study's co-researchers emerged as educational life-world learning-coaches, "sensei", who were each using strategies and techniques to move students toward meaningful real-world learning and the ability to make a difference in the world. The dissertation closes by exploring implications of this study for instructional designers and instructors interested in using alternate reality games and transmedia storytelling for teaching and learning purposes.

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In order to serve its nontraditional students, a university piloted a competency-based program as alternative method for its students to earn college credit. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to conduct a summative program evaluation to determine if the program was successful in order to make decisions about program revision and expansion. The conceptual framework for the study was grounded in Knowles's adult learning theory and Bandura's social learning theory as they relate to adult learners being self-directed and self-motivated to complete their educational goals. The pilot program involved 60 students taking 12 different courses over 3 semesters. Quantitative research questions focused on student completion and pass rates, pacing of assignment submissions, and achievement of course competencies. Qualitative research questions explored perceptions of students, faculty, and advisors regarding the program through individual interviews and student surveys. Transcribed interviews were analyzed and summarized using structural and pattern coding methodology. Quantitative findings show an 83% completion rate, 60% passing rate, 32% of students falling 2 weeks or more behind, and differences in competency achievement between pilot students and traditional students. Qualitative findings revealed 5 themes: good for some but not for all, student success factors are self-motivation and professional experience, attainment of competencies, student support by faculty, and peer-to-peer interaction. This study has potential to add to the growing research on competency-based education, which can ultimately affect social change by moving higher education to more innovative alternative delivery models that can better serve the needs of nontraditional students.

Learning design competency frameworks published by professional organizations, exist for typical instructional design efforts. However, a review of literature revealed a lack of frameworks available for the creation of complex learning designs (CLDs). The goal of this research was to develop a competency framework for the creation of CLDs. Quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in the four phases of the design and development research approach In phase one, a survey based on the Educational Technology Multimedia Competency Survey (ETMCS) was sent to instructional designers who self-reported as having experience creating CLDs. The purpose of phase one was to identify competencies that instructional designers felt were most important to the creation of complex, technology-mediated learning designs. The preliminary CLD framework was constructed during phase two, based on analysis of the ETMCS survey results. Measures of central tendency were used to identify competencies considered essential and desirable. Additionally, competencies were categorized into seven domains In phase three, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subset of survey participants. The purpose was to gain deeper insight into the participant’s perception of the design complexities involved with each of the competencies included in the preliminary framework. In phase four, the preliminary framework was internally validated using an expert panel employing the Delphi method to build consensus. Three rounds were required to achieve consensus on all competencies within the framework. This consensus resulted in 79 competencies including 30 essential and 49 desirable competencies from the set identified as the preliminary framework during phase two. Several conclusions emerged from the creation of this framework. Though technology is often a trigger for many types of CLDs, specific technologies are certainly desirable, but not essential. The research also revealed that communication and collaboration competencies are almost universally essential due to the complexity of the designs which typically necessitates the formation of multi-discipline teams. Without these competencies, the team’s cross-profession effectiveness is often hindered due to differences in terminology, processes, and team member geographic location.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the use of a course management system in relation to faculty characteristics and instructional environments at a rural community college in California. The use of the course management system, Blackboard, was the technology studied. This study used a nonexperimental quantitative ex post facto research design to analyze the use of Blackboard at all classes in fall semester 2008. This study used 10 faculty characteristics and five instructional environment conditions as the independent variables and the basis for analyses. The 10 faculty characteristics were age, gender, highest degree earned, discipline, number of faculty teaching in the discipline, number of courses teaching by an individual faculty member, average class size, number of years teaching, employment status, and hourly pay rate. The five instructional environmental conditions were teaching location, course delivery method, course type, career technical education status and course duration. The dependent variable was the use of a course management system. Elements of the course management system were placed into four general categories—activated, static, interactive and multimedia. Pearson's correlation analyses were calculated to identify any significant relationships between faculty characteristics and use of a course management system and between instructional environmental conditions and the use of a course management system. Cramer's V was used to determine the strength of those relationships. Faculty who were female, had more formal education, were tenured, earned more money, taught on campus, taught online or taught for the fill semester were more likely to use a course management system. There were moderate to strong relationships for faculty who were female, had more formal education, were tenured, earned more money, taught on campus, or taught online. Institutions of higher education are investing fiscal, human and technological resources in the purchase and deployment of course management systems. This study can be replicated by any college that has the ability to gather information about faculty and their use of a technology. Once the method by which the data is collected is determined, it can be repeated at regular intervals in order to track the progress of the adoption of the technology. This data can then be used by college leaders as an evaluative tool within the college's planning processes.

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