Soldiers face complex challenges, issues, and decisions when pursuing distance learning while deployed. These challenges are encountered frequently while completing undergraduate and graduate degree programs on active duty overseas. Many learning programs and benefits are available and utilized by military online learners in a war zone. Education programs and benefits, such as, GoArmyEd, and the Post-9/11 GI Bill, have had major impacts on deployed military learners. The dissertation reviews impacts on academic enrollment, utilization of military education benefits, and course completion of soldier-students affected by military deployment. A literature review, survey, and research based on soldiers deployed from 2009-2010 identified several impacts on military learners from the time of the deployment through a two year period following return. Issues include application and utilization of benefits, beginning studies, halting studies, or transitioning from traditional to distance learning programs. In addition, challenges with soldier awareness and use of military education benefits and distance learning programs are presented.

Taking an action research approach, this study explores the experiences of three intakes of undergraduate students who worked in a cohort-based learning environment where team work and classroom participation was expected. This educational setting required students from diverse backgrounds to work closely together on campus during the intense one-year program. To facilitate in the development of a face-to-face learning community, where individual differences could be celebrated and problems could be solved in an open, trusting environment, an online bridging course was developed. Aimed at decreasing the incidence of minority group marginalization and reduce feelings of isolation, the bridging course provided activities directed towards encouraging students to begin to develop an inclusive learning community prior to their arrival on campus. Exploring how online transitional activities had contributed to the development of a face-to-face learning community, as well as perceived disadvantages to that model, key stakeholders' perceptions were obtained through focus groups, interviews, and surveys. Findings include: (a) an enhanced understanding of the ways in which an online course can be used to aid in the development of a learning community for oncampus students; (b) a heightened awareness of challenges faced by those working in a learning community; (c) a systematic approach to the development of learning communities. This research suggests that an online bridging course can be an effective way for on-campus students to start developing a learning community.

This submission sets out a narrative of how a practitioner in the field of education identified and implemented the changes required, both in research methodology and in practice, in order to answer the question ‘how do I improve my practice?’ (Whitehead and McNiff, 2004) while remaining true to a personal value system by not teaching or researching in ‘a living contradiction’ (Ibid: 5) where a value system and a practice are not working in harmony. This submission chronicles a self-study journey to improve practice by identifying and reflecting on the changes required to improve that practice when ‘teaching’ ten-year-old pupils historical enquiry online. The narrative demonstrates how a practice can be reconceptualised and illustrates the outcomes of that re-conceptualisation. The particular practice in question was set within the context of technological advances in the Internet over the last half decade: in the early research the pupils used the Internet as an online encyclopaedia while in the later stages of the research they used the Internet as a means to access online authoring sites on the read-write resource Web 2.0. The journey of change follows the practitioner from teaching historical enquiry within a classroom setting to that of teaching historical enquiry within an online authoring site, called a wiki. To achieve those changes many key concepts (that had informed teaching practices at the beginning of the research journey) had to be deconstructed and subsequently restructured using an alternative design. The learning process was one of the key concepts teased apart and reconstructed using Wenger’s ‘communities of practice’ approach as a template for designing a small community of practices. It was the emerging small community of practices on the wiki that developed into a new perspective on how to promote the learning process most effectively in an online context. The submission also narrates the ontological dimension to the journey where the practitioner’s key personal values were used in the change process to create a living theory. This value driven methodology created living standards of judgement. The submission identifies, then critically reflects on, the two voices representing the significance of the developing perspectives of the writer as researcher and as practitioner. It then uses journal entries, articles and interviews to follow the practitioner journey from perspective point one to perspective point two. It reflects critically on the change process being experienced and the growing confidence that emerged as the practitioner and researcher voices began, in combination, to challenge accepted practice and develop a new single voice that impacts upon both the professional context and the field of educational theory. It leads to the acceptance of some of Wenger’s assertions that underpin his notion that meaning is negotiated in communities of practice and examines the changes in thinking that eventually led to this model being interpreted as a reference point only and to the suggestion of a new perspective on the learning process. The contribution to knowledge is, then, to be found in this new perspective of what is meant by a community of practices and the learning processes it generates with reference to teaching historical enquiry skills to ten-year-old pupils on an online authoring site called a wiki.

Changes in the field of education require teachers’ acquisition of specific knowledge of technology and the skills of its effective use in the classroom. With the expansion of the traditional classroom to include virtual learning environments, concern still exists regarding characteristics necessary for quality teaching and learning.<br> This research is an examination of pre-service teachers’ needs relevant to integrating technology in an online learning environment. It is a first step toward acknowledging the responsibility teacher preparation programs have in the formation of educators equipped to instruct in dual learning environments, thus providing pre-service teachers with opportunities and experiences to become fluent in the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) required for online learning environments as well as the traditional face-to-face instruction. <br> The purpose of this study was to determine if active engagement with content of an online instruction module would affect the attitudes, knowledge and skills, and instructional centeredness of pre-service teachers’ towards technology integration in an online learning environment. A mixed-methods concurrent triangulation design procedure was utilized to measure characteristics of pre-service teachers in a teacher preparation program. A two-way within-subjects analysis of variance was conducted to evaluate the effect of engagement with the content of the online instruction module for all three domains. Participants began the intervention with limited knowledge and skills of technology integration and online learning environments; however, they made statistically significant gains upon completion of the intervention. The implementation of an intervention such as this online instruction module may support other teacher preparation programs in identifying strengths and weaknesses of their pre-service teachers and provide valuable information necessary to guide program goals. / School of Education; / Instructional Technology (EdDIT) / EdD; / Dissertation;

Many classification algorithms are designed on the assumption that the population of interest is stationary, i.e. it does not change over time. However, there are many real-world problems where this assumption is not appropriate. In this thesis, we develop a classifier for non-stationary populations which is based on a multiple logistic model for the conditional class probabilities and incorporates a linear combination of the outputs of a number of pre-determined component classifiers. The final classifier is able to adjust to changes in the population by sequential updating of the coefficients of the linear combination, which are the parameters of the model. The model we use is motivated by the relatively good classification performance which has been achieved by classification rules based on combining classifier outputs. However, in some cases such classifiers can also perform relatively poorly, and in general the mechanisms behind such results are little understood. For the model we propose, which is a generalisation of several existing models for stationary classification problems, we show there exists a simple relationship between the component classifiers which are used, the sign of the parameters and the decision boundaries of the final classifier. This relationship can be used to guide the choice of component classifiers, and helps with understanding the conditions necessary for the classifier to perform well. We compare several "on-line" algorithms for implementing the classification model, where the classifier is updated as new labelled observations become available. The predictive approach to classification is adopted, so each algorithm is based on updating the posterior distribution of the parameters as new information is received. Specifically, we compare a method which assumes the posterior distribution is Gaussian, a more general method developed for the class of Dynamic Generalised Linear Models, and a method based on a sequential Monte Carlo approximation of the posterior. The relationship between the model used for parameter evolution, the bias of the parameter estimates and the error of the classifier is explored.

High schools in the United States are facing increased scrutiny to increase the number of students graduating with a diploma in four years. This pressure comes from many sources. First, the No Child Left Behind Act instituted graduation as a measure of a high school’s success at the federal level. States soon followed by increasing accountability in this area. Differences in how graduation rates were measured and advancements in data tracking technology led to many states measuring cohort groups of students who enter high school in the ninth grade and tracking them to see how many graduate in four years. This measure became known as an on-time graduation rate and, in many states, became a measure used to determine high schools’ accreditation. School districts responded to these changes in accountability by instituting new programs designed to increase graduation rates and decrease the number of students dropping out. One type of program that has increased in popularity across the country is the online credit recovery program. Online credit recovery programs utilize an asynchronous online learning platform that is designed for students who are repeating a course they failed in a traditional classroom setting. Features of an online credit recovery program include a one-to-one learning environment where students interact with digital curriculum that includes text, audio, video, and graphic information. Online credit recovery courses are designed so that students can demonstrate mastery of known content quickly and focus on material they did not master the first time they took the course. This instructional approach, along with the asynchronous design that allows students to work through course content at their own pace, enables students to earn a course credit in a reduced period of time. The purpose of the current study was to capture the perceptions of students who are enrolled in an online credit recovery program. The goal of the study to document what factors they believed contributed to their success. The study was driven by research questions which sought to analyze the (1) factors students attributed to their success in the online credit recovery program, (2) perceived chances of graduating from high school on-time after successfully completing the course, (3) relationship between the credit recovery course and the one-to-one laptop computing initiative supported by the school district, and (4) online learning environment of the credit recovery program, as compared to a traditional classroom setting. A qualitative, phenomenological, design was used to explore the research questions. Twenty retained ninth grade students were interviewed. Ten came from each of the two schools that first implemented the online credit recovery program in the school district. The researcher inductively coded these interviews which allowed themes to emerge through the voices of these students. These themes included a sense of control of the learning environment in the online credit recovery program that students did not feel in a regular classroom. This control was manifested by the self-paced, distraction-free, learning environment that was enhanced by the district’s one-to-one laptop computing initiative. Also, increased and varied opportunities to demonstrate mastery fostered this sense of control. Another major theme that emerged is that students believed that their chances to graduate on-time were improved because they were able to earn a credit in a course quickly that they had previously failed. The ability to recovery this credit allowed students to avoid traditional credit recovery options in which they felt they would not be successful. Students also perceived that they would continue to experience success if they were allowed to take other courses through the online credit recovery program.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction / Rosemary Talab / The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore concerns and professional development needs of faculty at the University Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) on the adoption of online learning (OL). This study was also in response to Title 24 of the Alaska Statute’s Recommendation #3, which required sufficient faculty training in distance education technologies for teaching UAF distance courses. This study utilized the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) as its theoretical framework. A mixed methods design was used to address the research questions. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect and analyze data. A non-experimental, cross-sectional survey design was used, incorporating the Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ). Quantitative measures included surveys were sent out to 253 UAF faculty. Ninety-six surveys were returned and usable, with a final response rate of 39%. MANOVA analyses were used to identify potential variables predictive of faculty member’s concerns and professional development needs regarding the implementation of OL. Qualitative measures included three open-ended questions and sixteen faculty interviews, chosen through stratified sampling. The Stages of Concern Questionnaire indicated that the majority of UAF faculty members displayed a typical SoCQ “nonuser” profile in adopting OL. Faculty’s highest concerns were unrelated, self, and task concerns, with a slight tailing-up of impact-refocusing concerns, indicating resistance to OL. Individual variables found to potentially be predictive of faculty members’ concerns included years of teaching experience, administrative support of technology and academic rank. Qualitative measures revealed that overall themes were administrative support, including workload consideration and tenure recognition. Professional development needs included current technology and LMS (Blackboard) workshops. At the same time, faculty voiced their concerns about OL through the themes of instructional quality and support (technical assistance and equipment) concerns. Several faculty members also stated that they needed no support and their resistance of OL. Recommendations for UAF included holistic approach to administrative support, proper recognition of achievements OL achievements, promotion of learner-centered methodology in the transition to OL, professional development that lead to a more collaborative community, an enhanced role for centralized support for staff engaged in OL and LMS training. Recommendations for future studies included further qualitative studies to elucidate faculty concerns within the University of Alaska system. A national study was recommended to help faculty and administrators create better university OL policies and discover mutual expectations of how teaching and developing OL courses could be viewed as part of a new approach to workload considerations in a changing university climate, including the tenure and promotion process.

Master of Science / Department of Hospitality Management and Dietetics / Kevin Roberts / Distance programs in higher education have become commonplace in the United States because of developments in technology. Despite these advancements, hospitality programs have been reluctant to create fully online offerings for undergraduate students. This study wanted to focus on understanding the attitudes of undergraduate hospitality students about online learning. Specifically, the objectives of this study were to determine the attitudes of hospitality students about online learning, to analyze which technologies they have used during their academic careers, and to analyze which technologies are perceived as most useful to facilitate learning. Focus groups were conducted with a select group of students to better understand their attitudes and experiences with online learning and learning technologies. An online survey was distributed to undergraduate hospitality management students at five Midwestern universities. Means and standard deviations were used to measure overall student attitudes about online learning and to measure ratings of effectiveness and past use of selected technologies for online learning. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the relationships between educational levels of students and perceptions of online technologies, as well as the relationship between experience with online courses and attitudes towards online learning. A t-test was used to determine if a relationship existed between gender and attitudes towards online learning. Results from this study revealed that respondents preferred to use more familiar technologies such as slideshow presentations and email for online learning. Students reported that they would miss the interaction with their professors if they took an online course and would receive less help. Females and males differed in their attitudes about online learning. Results from this study will assist hospitality curriculum developers to better understand the attitudes and needs of undergraduate hospitality management students in the online learning environment.

The enormous growth of online learning creates the need to develop a set of standards and guidelines for fully online programs. While many guidelines do exist, web-based programs still fall short in the recognition, adoption, or the implementation of these standards. One consequence is the high attrition rates associated with web-based distance learning programs. This poor outcome has a negative impact on the perceived quality of these programs which in turn limits the resources that are made available to academic institutions for implementation. Faculty plays a significant role in this dilemma. While academic administrators strive to enhance their online offerings for a number of reasons, faculty are faced with a number of barriers that deter them from adapting to this mode of delivery. This report outlines how an in-depth analysis of these barriers was carried out. A mixed research synthesis design approach known as metasummary was used to synthesize the quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research studies that address the issue. The outcome of the synthesis was a set of solutions and recommendations that can be used to increase faculty buy-in and ownership of online learning. Regulatory bodies responsible for accrediting distance programs can benefit from these recommendations by including specific guidelines that explicitly consider the level of faculty satisfaction as a measurement of effectiveness when evaluating fully online programs.

Internet-based distance education (IDE) continues to grow in popularity and ubiquity. Acceptance of IDE among Christian higher education institutions has also increased. However, these institutions seek assistance. Such was the case with the nineteen institutions endorsed by the Assemblies of God (AG). The AG's oversight organization (The Alliance for Assemblies of God Higher Education, Alliance) was asked by member institutions for IDE aid, resources, and direction. To understand the current environment of IDE within AG higher education, an organizational discovery case study reviewed the historical IDE trends within AG higher education, surveyed institutional faculty members and administrators as to their IDE beliefs and situations, and analyzed the data collected. From the research findings, the Alliance gained a better understanding of the needs and intentions of its member institutions. It also realized the aid and resources to offer its endorsed institutions, what endorsement requirements were needed for spiritual development in an online distance education setting, and an overall IDE direction that the organization could provide or facilitate. To aid the organizational discovery, a research framework was created that the Alliance could reuse and share with similar organizations for their own internal discovery.