The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of light/sound technology to promote sensory integration which facilitates the learning capacity of children with autism by reducing their high state of arousal, increasing time on task and decreasing acting-out behaviors. This research extended the work of A. Jean Ayres and Lorna King who theorized that the autistic individual's brain does not register, modulate or integrate sensations that most people notice; auditory and visual inputs are ignored more than other types of sensory stimuli. This study utilized light/sound technology to stimulate and desensitize these sensory channels to facilitate processing of incoming stimuli. The technology was furnished by Dr. Harold Russell and was programmed with a microchip to control the frequency patterns. Twelve subjects were selected to participate in this eight week study; only five subjects completed. They represented schools in the Tidewater region of Virginia and Illinois. Inattention, Impulsivity, and Hyperactivity were assessed with The Attention Deficit Disorder Evaluation Scale-Home and School Versions. Comparison of the results of these measures and qualitative data were incorporated into case studies. There was improvement noted in social skills, attention and on-task behavior. The results are supportive of research conducted with learning disabled and AH/HD students conducted by Drs. Carter and Russell.

This qualitative grounded theory study explored teachers' instructional decisions around planning and practice for technology integration after participation in professional development. The purpose of this study was to determine how a long-term hybrid professional development experience influenced, if at all, math teachers' instructional decisions to integrate The Geometer's Sketchpad into their planning and classroom practice. There are several components for effective professional development suggested in the research literature. Professional development that is sustained over long periods of time, connected to teachers' practice, and provides active engagement in learning by participating teachers' is more likely to result in effective implementation of new skills and pedagogical practices (Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1995; Polly & Hannafin, 2010). The seven participants in this study all experienced a seven-month hybrid professional development that was designed using these research-recommended components. The study took place ten months after the professional development. Sources of data included classroom observations, one-on-one interviews, and written lesson plans. Data generation occurred over a three-month span of time. Data were analyzed using constant-comparative methods. A theory grounded in the data found four perceived influences on teachers' instructional decisions around planning and practice for technology integration: curriculum and district expectations; professional development; teaching practices; and internal and external factors. These four influences work together, with curriculum and district expectations being the central influence. The findings from this study have implications for educational leaders around their decisions for technology acquisitions, use expectations and design of technology-focused professional development.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether computer assisted instruction of mathematics produces significantly greater improvement in mathematics performance of low achieving ninth grade students than teaching mathematics skills without computer assisted instruction.;The sample consisted of four classes (N = 46) of ninth grade students who had registered for the course "Mathematics Nine," and whose eighth grade ITBS scores fell between the 1st and 30th national percentile. Identified students were randomly assigned to one of four instructors and one of two instructional groups (computer assisted instruction or non computer instruction). Two classes with different instructors were taught the standard 9th grade mathematics curriculum augmented with computer instructed drill and practice, simulation, and games. Two classes with different instructors were taught the standard 9th grade mathematics curriculum with the conventional (teacher directed) instructional technique without computer assisted instruction. The treatment group used 16 Apple IIe microcomputers. Treatment and control groups were taught at alternating periods 3rd through 6th for 50 minutes daily. The Iowa Test for Basic Skills mathematics subtest and the Test of Achievement and Proficiency mathematics subtest were administered to all students as pretest-posttest measures of student performance in mathematics. A system wide standard exam was administered first and second semester to assess student performance in terms of the divisions mathematic program and as multiple indicators of treatment effect.;The major findings of the study were: (1) Significant differences (p {dollar}<{dollar}.05) in total mathematics achievement gains were found between students receiving computer assisted instruction and those not receiving CAI. Students receiving CAI increased mean scores on ITBS/TAP from the 11th percentile to the 30th percentile. (2) No significant differences (p {dollar}<{dollar}.05) in computation, concepts, and problem solving achievement gains were found between students receiving computer assisted instruction and those not receiving CAI. (3) No significant differences (p {dollar}<{dollar}.05) were found in the performance of the non-computer and the computer groups on the division city-wide exams.

Many international higher education students do not study in their native languages. Unlike their peers who would only worry about the content of the course, they also struggle with the difficulties of the language of instruction. Flipped classrooms, providing students with the learning materials prior to the class, may assist in alleviating the academic burden and the language challenge the international students are experiencing. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into how flipped classrooms may help international students with course engagement and their adaptation processes. The conceptual framework was Keller's personalized system of instruction. The research questions in this basic qualitative study focused on understanding the experiences of international students with the flipped classroom. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 international higher education students currently studying at a Polish university in a flipped classroom format. Data from the interviews were coded, and the following themes emerged during the analysis: international experience, flipped versus traditional, flipped classroom experience, and engagement in flipped classes. Results indicated a high approval rate of flipped classrooms among international students, and the PowerPoint presentations were the most preferred learning material during self-study. Hence, faculty members at Polish universities should consider the flipped classroom model to improve the learning experience for international students. Polish universities would benefit from an international student population and allowing them to overcome the initial language barriers and being successful will allow Poland access to potential employees with a global perspective.

One-to-one electronic devices have become commonplace in many educational settings across the globe, but it has been unclear how long-term teaching practices using such devices have evolved and how they relate to recognized best practices for using technology in the classroom. This study examined what a generation of teachers has over time identified as best applications of using these devices; their benefits, drawbacks, and challenges; and whether their use reflected previously identified best application of technologies in the classroom. This case study, conducted in one school system in New England, used the theories of Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition (SAMR) and Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Analysis (TPACK) as a conceptual framework. Participants included two groups, one composed of four teachers who have taught only after implementation of one-on-one laptop use and one composed of four teachers who taught both before and after device implementation, selected to determine whether differences existed in attitudes and practices based on types of teaching experience. Data sources included interviews and observations. Results of inductive analyses indicated both veteran and established teachers embraced the use of one-to-one devices in their teaching, but both groups lacked the knowledge of SAMR and TPACK theories to best apply them in the classroom. This study contributes to the field by including recommendations for stronger teacher technology implementation, including more in-depth training and support with application of TPACK and SAMR theories in classroom pedagogy.

A number of approaches and methods are being used to assess higher cognition within online threaded discussions, as evidenced by the corpus of scholarship. However, a review of the literature suggests that current strategies relating to asynchronous discourse have tended to focus on cognitive processes that are mostly driven by task-oriented communication, thereby failing to assess the quality of interactions that engender meaning-making and knowledge creation. The first goal of this study was to decompose and interpret examples of threaded conversation exhibiting lexical attributes of higher cognition. The second goal was to identify instances of critical thinking and indicators of deep learning contributing to meaningful reflection within diachronic encounters to develop more effective higher-order thinking strategies within discussions. Discourse analysis theory in conjunction with Garrison's stages of critical thinking was used to examine meaning-making within contexts of social interaction. Archival discussion data were examined from 39 participants derived from 2 online undergraduate courses at a small private university in the southeastern United States. The content analysis qualitative design applied computer-mediated discourse analysis (CMDA) to analyze and classify statements in discussion transcripts according to Garrison's stages of critical thinking. Results indicated a pattern of utterances suggesting in-depth learning, with a smaller sample of stanzas indicating surface-level processing. Results of this study can be used by teachers and course designers to create positive change by purposefully engendering critical reflection, thereby preparing learners for the work of the future necessitating well thought-out approaches to grapple with new problems and situations in new ways.

Enrollments in blended learning programs are growing, creating a challenge to find educators who understand blended learning pedagogy. The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the challenges and pedagogical transformations of elementary educators who recently adopted blended learning. The concerns-based adoption model provided a conceptual framework to examine teacher concerns and level of implementation of innovative change. A multiple case study design was used to capture the experiences and perceptions of the participants' transition to a blended learning environment. Two teachers in one school in a California school district that transitioned to a blended learning approach were cases studied. The participants were a 4th and a 6th grade teacher who had taught the same grade level at their current school at least 1 year prior to its transition to a blended learning approach. The data collection process included interviews, classroom observations, and document reviews. The participants were interviewed on their understanding of blended learning and their changes in pedagogy. Classroom observations and documents were analyzed using pattern-matching to provide corroborating evidence. The teachers perceived an increase in student-teacher interactions and indicated a need for more guidance developing their blended learning program and support curating resources during the transition to blended learning. A self-paced online professional development program was designed to provide the training needed to support the teachers in their transition. The project study could lead to positive social change by identifying teacher support needed to transition from a traditional teaching environment to a blended learning environment.

Elementary teachers at a school in the southeastern United States received iPads and iPad training to improve teaching and learning in the content subject areas. Despite the iPad training provided by district technology personnel, teachers expressed a need for more content-specific training. Teachers need adequate and appropriate professional development to assist in preparing integrated computer-based technology instruction to increase student academic achievement. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to explore the descriptions of 10 purposely selected 4th and 5th grade teachers who used iPads in content subjects and 1 instructional technology facilitator who provided district iPad training regarding the district's iPad professional development and implementation in instruction. The theoretical support for this study was the technological pedagogical content knowledge framework that provided an interaction among technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews and lesson plans. Inductive analysis was used with hand coding to discover themes. Teachers recognized the need for ongoing professional development and collaboration with colleagues to create content-specific iPad integrated lessons. Based on these findings, a project was designed to provide teachers with a 3-day professional development to include modeled lessons, collaboration with colleagues, a shared Google Drive folder, and a schedule for ongoing professional development. These endeavors may promote positive social change by providing ongoing content-specific iPad professional development for elementary teachers that could improve computer-based technology instruction and student learning in content subject areas.

This study focused on a middle school that, according to the website of its district, should be classified as Target Tech, which is the highest level of technology integration on the Texas School Technology and Readiness (STaR) chart. The middle school has failed to meet this goal in 3 out of 4 focus areas. This mixed method project study investigated how teachers at the school currently use technology to support their teaching and student learning, situations under which teachers would use more technology, and specific technology trainings teachers have taken. The theoretical framework for this project study, diffusion of innovation, was applied to the adoption of technology at the local campus. The research questions concerned teachers' beliefs in their competence in the technology standards, their self-reported technology integration, technology training needs, and the relationship between technology usage and hours of professional development received. Data for 48 participants were retrieved from the STaR results as well as the International Society for Technology in Education's National Educational Technology Standards (NETS-T) survey. Descriptive analysis of NETS-T data indicated an overall need for additional technology-based professional development. Pearson correlation results indicated a statistically significant relationship between teachers' self-reported technology usage and the amount of professional development taken. Results indicated a need for additional technology-based professional development for campus teachers to increase technology integration. This project study may yield positive social change by providing research data to the local district on teachers' technology competence and needed professional development to ultimately increase the level of technology integration and meet the STaR rating of the district.

Some faculty in higher education are not embracing technology in their face-to-face classes. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and describe faculty members' techniques for improving the technological integration within the curriculum at an urban college. This study investigated the incorporation of professional development activities within the college structure to determine if these mandated requirements resulted in enhanced technology use. Interview and observation data on technology integration practices were collected from 15 faculty members who taught within 5 departments of an urban college for 5 or more years. A combination of open and axial topic and descriptive coding was used to support inferential analysis. Observations revealed faculty were limited in their use of engaging and infused technology. Faculty wanted to use more technology of various kinds to support more active learning activities for students; they were concerned about their lack of skills and limited time for training. They appreciated the professional development offered and learned from the facilitator and from their peers; they became more aware of different technologies available. Needs identified included more release time for training, more differentiated training, and smaller groups when training. This study contributes to positive social change as it adds to the body of knowledge of faculty perception of technology integration into the curriculum. It also provides an analysis of the requirements for professional development training for successful technology integration at the college level. As technology continues to change, society demands that the educational arena produces students who will be active participants in this technological era. Faculty need to become more comfortable and proficient in technology use to enhance student learning.