Digital divide scholars suggest that the speed and scope of the digital precipitates unique catalysts of societal inequity, which public schools have long sought to mitigate by democratizing access to education. This study investigates a one-to-one digital device program in one of the largest public school districts in the United States, and its impact on literacy achievement in varying socioeconomic climates and the attitudes and beliefs of marginalized parent populations. Previous studies on one-to-one programs are largely qualitative, and existing quantitative studies suffer too many variables for reliable conclusions. Through a mixed methods design, this study centers on a highly-standardized implementation across 200,000 students, controlling for variables plaguing existing work, and offering a breadth of comparable data previously unavailable. The quantitative phase analyzed standardized test scores over seven years surrounding the implementation, and the qualitative phase analyzed survey data gathered from parents in varying socioeconomic climates. These analyses found no statistically significant change in the literacy achievement gap between low and high-income communities, and no concerns unique to any particular parent demographic, negating concerns of some scholars that one-to-one programs might exacerbate the digital divide. This study also found that parents—regardless of language, income, or educational background—generally believe this program eased the transition to remote learning when schools closed due to Covid-19 in 2020, and will better prepare students for a digitized workplace. Recommendations are made for existing and future digital learning and one-to-one laptop programs, and suggestions are offered for future research in or tangential to the fields of digital learning and digital inequity.

The core curriculum of interdisciplinary studies undergraduate programs represents interdisciplinarity as a consciously applied process, whether individually or collaboratively, of drawing and integrating insights from various disciplinary perspectives toward complex problem-solving and innovation. At the front-end of these programs students are often introduced to interdisciplinarity through terminology, metaphors, concepts, and context that are intended to familiarize them with the process. This initiation usually precedes what will ultimately entail a limited number of upper-division courses within the several disciplines or areas that will encompass a unique plan of study characterized by its breadth. The philosophy underlying current pedagogy in interdisciplinary studies appears in many ways to mirror the cognitive habitudes and socio-cultural zeitgeist that have emerged with our increasing connectedness with and reliance on digital technology. This dissertation proposes that through a revised front-end core curriculum revisiting both classical and Ramist pedagogy, and perhaps reframing how we think about interdisciplinarity itself, we need not sacrifice depth for breadth. Rather, we may be able to encourage a broadly applicable self-directed goal-centered mindset in our students that places equal emphasis on both breadth and depth in terms of deliberate knowledge acquisition. Through adapting the initial phases of a cognitivist instructional design model provisional week-by-week, curricular content is presented to illustrate how this endeavor might be realized within the context of interdisciplinary studies or like programs. This core curricular model is intended as an alternative well-suited to both the fully online and mixed mode format as well as the diversity of students within the typical undergraduate interdisciplinary studies program.

The purpose of this evaluative study was to review the implementation of a Webcam Test-Proctoring Program (WTPP) implemented in a Kindergarten through 12th grade public virtual school. Results of the evaluative study will be used to determine if the secure Webcam proctoring method would be a viable solution to a problem of practice—requiring full-time virtual school students to participate in the multitude of required state and Florida school district assessments. At the core of virtual education lies the appeal of flexibility in each student's individual learning path. The rigid nature of secure assessments conflict with the intentions of a K-12 virtual school. Natale and Cook (2012) identified this as a problem of practice as well, stating, "Digital learning de-standardizes and decentralizes educational delivery, so it presents challenges in applying quality control systems and metrics that were developed for more traditional school structures" (p. 541). A formal evaluation included an electronic survey and one-on-one phone interviews. The sample population for this study included 6th-12th grade students (n = 27) who were enrolled in Hurricane County Virtual School during the 2014-2015 school year. The HCVS population was 165 at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year, therefore the population for this study was N=165. The WTPP evaluated for this study took place over two test sessions, the first in October of 2014 and the second in January 2015. Students were asked to complete the electronic survey and to volunteer to complete phone interviews to provide feedback about their experience completing their benchmark assessments. In this mixed-methods study, an electronic survey created by the evaluator and research chair gathered quantitative data that were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. In order to determine if there was any relationship between specific demographic sub-groups and their experiences and preferences regarding Webcam proctoring, the researcher used the Kruskal-Walis and Mann-Whitney inferential statistics. Additionally, qualitative data were collected through one-on-one phone interviews with six students who participated in the WTPP. Data from these interviews yielded supporting statements for the quantitative data analyzed. Results yielded from this study indicated that the majority of students who participated in the WTPP were satisfied or very satisfied with this method of proctoring for secure testing overall. Future studies should further evaluate the effectiveness of Webcam proctoring for secure testing and determine the impact of allowing students more flexibility (which Webcam proctoring inherently does) while testing has on their test scores.

While technology continues to advance, so do methods of learning. In post-secondary education during the twentieth century, the traditional classroom setting was geared toward auditory instruction and face-to-face peer interaction. Not only was this the most efficient means of instruction for the time period but the only means. Along with the advent of communication technology came the concept of Web courses. Web courses have expanded the means by which students can experience course lectures and have beckoned the use of updated media by which such lectures can take place. Such media include threaded discussions, chat rooms and e-mail. At the University of Central Florida, the gradual change from WebCT to Webcourses offered students more direct contact with updated threaded discussions and more centralized communication on the whole. The quality of such communication measures has been in question, though, and the effectiveness of such online communication methods is the focus of my research.

The study involved a total of 60 students with 30 in each of 2 introduction to keyboarding classes, 1 online and 1 face-toace class. The students’ t-test scores were used to determine if statistical differences existed between the two groups at the p < .05 level of significance. This research examined the impact of the mode of instruction: online versus face-toace in keyboarding and its relationship to keyboarding achievement with reference to speed, technique and accuracy. A causal comparative design was used for this study. Data for the research were collected using the skill and technique evaluations of the participants. The techniques of the students were observed by the same teacher and a score was given according to a technique rubric. The instrument used to measure speed and accuracy was a timed writing of 5-minute duration. The beginning speed for the online and face-toace classes did not show any significant difference. The ending speed was higher for the face-toace students than the ending speed for online students. Both the online group and the face-toace group increased their speeds significantly by the end of the study. The beginning technique scores for the face-toace class were significantly higher than the online class. At the end of the study, there was no difference in the technique scores of the online and face-toace class. It appears that technique can be taught in both environments with appropriate instructional materials, media, and teacher direction. The face-toace group made significantly fewer errors than the online group at both the beginning and end of the study. There was a meaningful relationship between technique and accuracy found in this study and a meaningful relationship between technique and speed. This shows that proper technique is indicative of both higher speed and fewer errors. Also, there was a meaningful relationship between GPA and speed and accuracy. It is recommended that schools offer keyboarding online because offering the class online will be meeting the needs of so many.

Colleges and universities have a modern-day platform to convey their curricula and courses. The advent of online learning ignited a boom of eager learners who were enthusiastic to obtain degrees from their homes. This provided them the opportunity to seek self-betterment and study their interests while assuming other major roles. College administrators began to view distance education as an avenue to educate broader populations and extend the college mission, which, as a result, increased tuition dollars captured by the school. But, just as the distance student differs in how she or he accesses campus, the distance student needs different support and information. Many distance learning programs offer an orientation to online learning for their newlymitted students as a way to introduce them to campus, campus resources, and campus policies. The purpose of this study, which was guided by the theory of social constructivism, was to examine the impact of participation in an orientation to online learning on grade point average (GPA), the number of courses withdrawn from, and the number of courses completed with a C or higher. The study consists of a review of relevant literature on the topics of online learning and student support. This qualitative study utilized data gathered from the university’s Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE) for all students who were enrolled in the online master or doctoral level education degree programs from 2013-2015. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to determine if the mean differences in GPA, course withdrawal, and courses completed with a C or higher were significant between the control group (i.e., students who did not complete an orientation program) and the experimental group (i.e., students who completed an orientation program). The findings of this study did not indicate that having participated in an orientation to online learning program yielded a significant impact on GPA, course withdrawal, or course completed. However, because research on distance education (with an emphasis on support for distance students) is in its infancy, the researcher concludes that a change in orientation material and topics based upon best practices in online orientation may produce differing outcomes.

Informal caregiving is a growing phenomenon, but many family members and friends fall into the role unequipped with the necessary knowledge and skills. Informal caregivers often experience high levels of burden and are vulnerable to developing negative health outcomes. Effective and easily accessible interventions are needed for this group. This research evaluates the effectiveness of the Caregiving Essentials pilot course offerings and their online delivery. The objectives of the course are to increase the following in terms of the caregiver experience: 1) Knowledge, ability, skills, confidence, and self-efficacy in caregiving, 2) Self-reported sense of personal health and well-being, 3) Perceptions of health and well-being of older adults in their care, and 4) Understanding and access of the health and social service system. The evaluation study determines whether these four objectives were met, and to what extent. Additionally, the research explores the ways in which the online delivery of the course contributes to its overall effectiveness, and specifically, whether aspects of the web-based modality enhance or hinder participants’ learning experience. The methodology includes pre/post-course surveys (n=111/n=39), participant interviews (n=26), stakeholder interviews (n=6), and a focus group (n=5). Caregiving Essentials met many of the proposed research objectives. Increasing knowledge, understanding, and confidence was a stronger outcome than increasing the health and well-being of the caregivers and their care recipients. Overall, most of the participants reported positive experiences with the course, including a perceived positive future impact. Furthermore, the online delivery of the course enabled greater accessibility for participants and the discussion boards provided the opportunity for social interaction and a sense of community. The findings from this evaluation have been applied to future course offerings and may also inform other interventions for informal caregivers with similar objectives. In addition, this work provides contributions to policy decisions surrounding informal caregiving in Ontario, Canada. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

This study was a descriptive examination of the likelihood that adolescents would utilize online counseling to address their school counseling needs as compared to face-to-face counseling. Ninth to twelfth grade students at a suburban high school with proximity to a large metropolitan city were chosen for this study. This convenience sample was chosen due to the high academic profile of the students, the integration of computers into the school curriculum, the strong utilization of the counseling program, and the high counselor/student ratio. The research questions were explored using a two-part questionnaire with a sample size of 300. Individual Internet frequency and type of use as well as knowledge of the services that were available to them at their school were assessed. Counseling style preference for either online or face-to-face counseling was compared for specific school related issues. Frequency tables and cross tabulations were used to analyze the data. As would be expected, analyses showed that students were frequent users of the Internet as well as frequent users of email and instant messaging. They were mostly unaware of the counseling services that were offered at their school and completely unaware that there were counseling services available online. Students said they would not go to a school counselor either online or in person for any of the specified issues. However, more students reacted positively about having access to a school counselor at times of the day and night that went beyond the traditional school hours. / Ph. D.

Many consumers seem to be uncomfortable or unwilling in making online transactions. This lack of trust stems in part from the online exchange process itself where consumers are deprived of many traditional cues that they would use to evaluate this process. This research focuses on consumer perceptions of regulatory governance in online exchanges and how signals of governance might act to increase consumer trust in online transac-tions. An experimental methodology was used to examine the effects of different types of structures on consumer perceptions and to provide direction for public policy makers as well as online businesses and private regulatory entities. / Ph. D.

Cheating in video games has been prevalent ever since the days of Pong. Games have evolved much since then and the ways in which people play together have changed as well. Older systems required people to play together in the same room, but with the advent of the internet, gaming consoles allow us to play games together with people located all over the globe. Cheating has evolved as well, since gamers no longer have the luxury of monitoring the person sitting next to them; anti-cheating mechanisms are built into most online systems and suspicious behavior is monitored by gaming companies. Most of the current research has surrounded ways in which players cheat and their reasoning for doing so. This is only half of the equation however, what happens after a gamer is caught cheating? What are the repercussions for being caught cheating and how does being caught influence future decisions to cheat? By putting gamers in a situation where they are caught cheating, three different responses were revealed: those who are determined to cheat no matter what, those who scale back their cheating in the hopes of remaining undetected, and those who stopped cheating altogether. / Master of Science