As mobile technologies have increasingly become a part of personal and work environments, mobile learning is emerging as a viable alternative for training and education needs. Faced with the need for innovative and cost-efficient ways for training government employees, agencies and departments are considering the use of mobile learning. The availability of a wide range of mobile technology provides many options. Other than the Department of Defense, little is known about implementing mobile learning in United States government cabinet level agencies and departments. A concurrent, mixed methods case study was used to examine how organizations decide to use, implement and evaluate mobile learning efforts. The framework and context were established through a thorough review of recent, related research literature. A purposive sampling strategy was used with the goal of targeting participants that have the greatest potential of using or considering the use of mobile learning. Three research questions guided the study and concentrated on the influences on the decision to implement mobile learning, the approaches organizations take and the methods used to evaluate implementations. A self-administered online questionnaire, using both structured and semi-structured questions and a review of publicly available documents were used to build a picture of the evidence that described the current state of mobile learning in cabinet-level agencies and departments. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected, integrated, interpreted and compared. Connections and relationships were made between mobile technology use, mobile learning environments, mobile learning content, educators and trainers, mobile learners and mobile learning evaluations. The results revealed that cabinet-level agencies and departments have begun to make use of mobile technology to support the delivery of business service. To a lesser extent, perceptions are forming, and the role of mobile learning continues being defined, as organizations are cautiously adopting its use. Policies and guidelines are in the early stages of development. The results contribute to the growing body of work on the use of mobile learning.

This study examined the relationship between credit recovery outcomes and select causal factors. In this study, credit recovery was defined as the extent to which students successfully complete the following courses: coordinate algebra, biology, physical science, and analytic geometry. Independent variables explored in this research were student motivation, student engagement, self-regulation, blended learning models, and formative assessments. A mixed method design was used to triangulate the quantitative data with the teachers’ perceptions data collected from the qualitative data. The qualitative data examined how teachers used formative assessments to improve student learning, the perception of the effectiveness of the program, and how credit recovery helped students to graduate from high school. The quantitative data found that there was no significant relationship between the independent variables in the study and credit recovery outcomes. Additionally, the data revealed that there was no significant relationship between teacher perceptions and credit recovery outcomes. Although there was no significant relationship between the dependent and independent variables in the study, the data did indicate there was a significant relationship between gender and credit recovery outcomes. The study found there was a highly significant relationship between formative assessments and student motivation, validating what research has already demonstrated about the effectiveness of formative assessments and its potential to engage and motivate students. The research also found that there was a highly significant relationship between blended learning and student motivation, suggesting implications for how blended learning can be used to engage and motivate students in credit recovery programs.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether variations in student achievement in college courses exist between high school students who took the courses as dual enrollment (DE) courses and academically comparable high school students (AIMS scholars) who took the courses upon matriculation to college. Additionally, the researcher explored whether differences exist in DE course grade for students by course environment (online, face-to-face at a high school, or face-to-face at a college.) The researcher used final course grades as determinants of student achievement. The study focused on DE student and AIMS scholar grades in English 111, Biology 101, Math 163, and History 101 courses that were taken between the 2009-2010 and 2013-2014 school years at a community college in Southwest Virginia. The population consisted of 429 AIMS scholars and 2,015 DE students. For this study 3,639 DE student grades and 706 AIMS student grades were used in calculations. The dependent variables in this study were final course grades; the independent variables were DE participation and course delivery environment. Welch’s t tests were used to examine the variations in final grades for DE and non-DE students; ANOVA procedures were used to examine variations in final course grades for DE courses based on delivery environment. The quantitative findings revealed that students who took English 111, Biology 101, Math 163, and History 101 as DE courses performed significantly better than academically comparable peers who had not taken the courses as DE. Additionally, findings indicated that students who took English 111 as a DE course on a college campus performed significantly lower than students who took English 111 as a DE course either online or face-to-face at high school. Similarly, students who took Math 163 as a DE course on a college campus performed significantly lower than students who took the DE course online or face-to-face at a high school. History 101 students who took the course online performed better than students who took the same course face-to-face at a high school. There were no significant differences in student achievement in Biology 101 based on DE course environment.

The purpose of this study was to investigate student satisfaction in hybrid education courses as compared to the traditional face-to-face courses. This was done by focusing on 2 main factors involved in student satisfaction: student-instructor connection and student-faculty connection. Other factors such as the students’ level of technical experience and influence of outside forces such as jobs and families were also studied. Students at one community college in Appalachia were involved in this study. Forty-four students participated in this student. They survey included a Likert-type scale and had additional questions on the student’s prior experience in online and hybrid education as well as two open-ended questions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of online learning. The survey contained 67 questions. Statistical analyses of the data revealed: (1) Students who felt more connected with their instructors were more likely to express satisfaction in their online or hybrid courses. (2) Students who felt more connected with other students were more likely to express satisfaction in their online or hybrid courses. (3) No significance in students’ opinions regarding having an in-person component in their hybrid courses. (4) Students who were more technologically experienced were more likely to express satisfaction with their online or hybrid courses. (5) A significant difference between the mean and students’ overall satisfaction with their hybrid courses showing that overall, students are not satisfied with their experiences. (6) A significant difference from the mean student instructor connectivity score showed that students do not feel connected with their instructors. (7) No significance between the mean and the student-student connectivity score. (8) A significant difference between the mean and the technology score showed that students were not experienced with the technology used in their hybrid courses. (9) A significant difference between the mean score and the students’ opinions of the course design showed that students do not feel that the course design helped them learn.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant relationship between the academic achievement, disciplinary referrals, and attendance of at-risk students in rural Bedford County, TN, prior to and after participation in online coursework. The independent variables were the academic achievement towards successful course completions, disciplinary referrals, and attendance rates of at-risk students. The dependent variable was the participation in online coursework in Bedford County Schools (BCS) Online On-track (OLOT) program. A series of ttests and a chi-square analyses was performed to examine the differences in the mean course completion rates, discipline referrals, attendance rates, and postsecondary plans of graduates. There was a significant difference in disciplinary referral rates and attendance rates prior to and after participation. Based on these findings there was a positive impact on discipline rates and inversely a negative impact on the attendance rate. Additionally, there was a negative impact on academic achievement rates prior to and after participation in online coursework in the BCS OLOT program. Also, the difference in the proportions of graduates continuing their education and other plans was significantly different from the responses given by all graduates in Tennessee.

The purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to determine whether a significantly statistical relationship exists between student participation and final grade performance within an online environment at Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT) Regents Online Degree Program (RODP). The study used data retrieved from the Desire2Learn (D2L) course management system and the Student Information System (SIS) for the 2013-2014 academic year. The stratified sample consisted of 360 individual students enrolled in either one or more of the 43 TCAT RODP course sections randomly selected from a total of 217 course sections offered during 3 semesters. The courses were offered in an online setting and are representative of the following academic programs: academic areas of Business Systems Technology (BST), Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), and Computer Information Systems (CIS). The sample included 261 students from the BST program, 42 students from the CAD program, and 57 students from the CIS program. The gender demographics sample includes 273 females and 87 male students. The hypotheses in this study were tested through data analysis using the Spearman’s rho correlations test. The findings of the study revealed that no statistically significant relationships exist between discussion activity, course login activity, and course content interaction and final grade. The findings of the study indicated statistically significant relationships among course content interaction and final grade for students enrolled in the BST program, course login activity and final grade for students enrolled in the CAD program, and course login activity and final grade for female students.

As part of a nationwide effort to increase the postsecondary educational attainment levels of citizens, colleges and universities have expanded offerings of courses and programs to more effectively meet the needs of students. Online courses offer convenience and flexibility that traditional face-to-face classes do not. These features appeal to students with family and work responsibilities that typically make attending classes on campus difficult. However, many of the students who tend to take courses in this instructional format have characteristics that place them at high-risk for academic failure. Because of the traditional mission of community colleges, they generally serve more students who fit this high-risk profile. The purpose of this study was to determine if significant differences existed in student success at the community college level in online courses as compared to face-to-face courses. In addition, the researcher investigated the relationship between selected demographic, academic, enrollment, and external environmental factors and student success in online courses. Success was demonstrated by the final course letter grades earned by students. The identification of factors associated with student success in distance education could help improve online course development, evaluation, instruction, student advisement, and support services. The study involved secondary data analysis of quantitative data relevant to students enrolled in course sections taught by instructors who taught both online and face-to-face sections of the same course within the same semester from fall 2012 through spring 2015 (excluding summer sessions). The target population included 4,604 students enrolled at a public 2-year community college located in southern Middle Tennessee. Results indicated there was a significant difference in success between students taking a course online and students taking a course face-to-face. Also, there was a significant difference in success based on instructional method when the following factors were considered: age group, gender, composite ACT score, student load, student classification, Pell Grant eligibility status, and marital status. There was no significant difference in success based on instructional method when first-generation college student status or dependent child status were considered.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether differences in student course outcomes as defined by final course grades existed between three content delivery methods in career and technical education courses: Traditional (face to face), hybrid, and online. Final course grades in career and technical education courses at one community college for the Fall 2011 through the Fall 2015 semesters were used in this study to compare the success of students in courses employing the three content delivery methods. The outcomes for male and female students and the outcomes for traditional and nontraditional students in career and technical education programs were compared as well. The method of delivery was found to have an impact. Withdrawal rates for career and technical education courses were also impacted by course delivery method. Seven research questions were included in this study, and the data was analyzed using one-sample chi-square tests for the seven research questions in the study. Results indicated that students had significantly higher student learning outcomes in traditional courses in career and technical education programs than in either hybrid or online courses. Withdrawal rates were higher for hybrid and online courses than traditional courses. Student gender and age were related to student final course outcomes with both male and female students more likely to earn transferable final course grades in traditional courses than in hybrid or online courses. Traditional age and nontraditional age students were also more likely to earn transferable final course grades in traditional courses than in hybrid or online courses. Nontraditional age students were significantly more likely than traditional age students to earn a transferable final course grade regardless of delivery method. Overall findings suggest that delivery method may impact student outcomes in career and technical education courses. The study is significant in that it provides insight into specific differences in student outcomes by the three different delivery methods currently used in higher education and may be used for comparison with other institutions’ student outcomes.

Dedication -- Acknowledgments -- About the manual -- Getting started -- A world on curriculum audit and redesign -- Curriculum audit : the process -- Assessment -- What is needs analysis -- How it aids design and planning -- Addressing stakeholders needs -- Involving students -- What should be considered -- Using model and templates -- SWOT -- Profiling -- Curriculum redesign -- Matching learning methods to needs -- Program and course redesign checklist -- References and other resources -- Appendices 1 -- Appendices 2 -- About the author -- About the E-Learning Solutions Center -- About our services -- About our products -- Thank you. This training manual serves as a valuable tool to enhance curriculum audit, instructional redesign, and the development of face-to-face (F2F) courses and materials into e-learning and mobile learning for colleges and universities. It is designed for aspiring e-learning and mobile learning course developers who are desirous of developing, implementing and sustaining e-learning and m-learning platforms to promote teaching, learning, service and community. / https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu_books/1090/thumbnail.jpg

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) is an institution with 2 residential campuses: 1 in Daytona Beach, Florida and one in Prescott, Arizona. ERAU also has a Worldwide presence through 125 campuses located on military bases and within the private business sector. The ERAU Worldwide Campus doesn’t stop with physical locations, however. It encompasses an online campus with virtual learning opportunities. The degrees offered through all of our campuses range from certificate programs through doctoral studies. The Scholarly Communication Team is located on the Daytona Beach campus. One of our challenges is to bring the intellectual output of all of our talented faculty from around the world into the ERAU institutional repository, called Scholarly Commons. In order to do this, we need an outreach plan which will capture the attention of our faculty members on our distance learning campuses and explain the benefits of participating in Scholarly Commons. To this end, we’ve begun to promote Scholarly Commons using a multi-format outreach strategy. We seek partners from within the distance learning faculty communities to help us show why faculty should participate in Scholarly Commons. This presentation will describe the processes we have tried and others we will be putting into place to educate our faculty on how they can use Scholarly Commons to organize and pursue research, tenure, and promotional activities.