The knowledge-based economy, advances in information and communication technologies and new pedagogical perspectives all influence the need to improve competencies in the 21st century. Innovative educational ideas and concepts have transformed the roles of teacher educators and their students. Adequate technology training is therefore a prerequisite for the teacher educator to develop prospective teachers who can use new technologies to support and improve their students’ achievement gains. However, many of these efforts fail since they are mostly based on a formal, institutional delivery of instrumental knowledge and skills. Adequate technology training is a major factor that can help to promote the uptake of emerging technologies into the curriculum, which in turn benefits students (Yoon et al, 2007; Collins & Halverson, 2009; Earley & Porritt, 2014). This research seeks to add to current knowledge about teacher educators’ technology professionalisation and to provide an instrument for the purpose of mapping teacher educators’ technology learning preferences in the workplace. The technology learning preferences instrument (TLP-instrument) designed, implemented and evaluated in this research is intended to create a link between teacher-educators’ technology learning needs in the workplace and the way in which professional development programmes should be tailored to meet teacher educators’ evolving learning needs. The investigation employs a design-based research approach which is cyclical and appropriate for addressing complex problems in educational practice for which no clear guidelines for solutions are available. To collect and analyse the data, a mixed methods approach was used. The rationale for mixing both types of research is that qualitative and quantitative methods complement each other (Creswell & Plano-Clark, 2011). Findings in this dissertation and in follow-up research are intended to lead to more effective technology professionalisation programmes through suggestions for better design and development based on teacher educators’ learning needs.

<p> Computational Thinking continues to gain popularity and traction within conversations about curriculum development for the 21^st century, but little exists in the literature to guide the inclusion of Computational Thinking into curriculum outside of K12. This Delphi study seeks to fill part of the gap in the literature and instantiate conversation in the Higher Education community about the importance of CT as a topic, and how it may be approached formally in curriculum development. </p><p> Over 3 rounds of Delphi panel deliberation, several interesting and informative themes emerged related to issues of domain expertise, interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensurance of quality and integrity of computational knowledge, attitudes and practices through curricular initiatives. Additionally, potential solutions and vehicles for delivering strong outcomes are identified and discussed, through the lens of Landscapes of Practice (Wenger, 2014). </p>

Database technology is already recognised and increasingly used in administering and organising large bodies of data and as an aid in developing software. This thesis considers the applicability of this technology in small but potentially expanding application environments with users of varying levels of competence. A database system architecture with the following main characteristics is proposed: Database technology is already recognised and increasingly used in administering and organising large bodies of data and as an aid in developing software. This thesis considers the applicability of this technology in small but potentially expanding application environments with users of varying levels of competence. A database system architecture with the following main characteristics is proposed:Database technology is already recognised and increasingly used in administering and organising large bodies of data and as an aid in developing software. This thesis considers the applicability of this technology in small but potentially expanding application environments with users of varying levels of competence. A database system architecture with the following main characteristics is proposed : 1. It is based on a set of software components that facilitates the implementation and evolution of a software development environment centered on a database. 2. It enables the implementation of different user interfaces to provide adequate perceptions of the information content of the database according to the user's competence, familiarity with the system or the complexity of the processing requirements. 3. it is oriented toward databases that require moderate resources from the computer system to start an application. Personal or small-group databases are likely to benefit most from this approach.

Sustainable development, future studies, informationtechnology, urban land-use and passenger transport. These arethe five concepts upon which this thesis and the eight papersit contains are based. The thesis includes both a developmentof future studies methodology, especially with regard tobackcasting, and analyses of the relationship betweensustainable development, information technology, transport andland-use in future cities Paper I (Gudmundsson&amp;Höjer, 1996) suggests foursustainable development principles and discusses theimplications of these four principles for the transportsystem. Paper II (Höjer&amp;Mattsson, 2000) is amethodological paper where backcasting is discussed in relationto some other future studies approaches. Moreover, the use of anumber of common empirical approaches in such studies iscriticised for being too deterministic. Paper III (Höjer, 1997) presents a study where fourtechnical scenarios of intelligent transport systems weregenerated and evaluated. The evaluation used a Delphi-inspiredbackcasting approach, where a total of some 100 internationalexperts contributed to a two-round survey. Paper IV (Höjer, 1998a) highlights three of thescenarios generated in Paper III and elaborates some resultsfrom the evaluation of them. Paper V (Steen et al., 1999) uses assumptions, based onother studies, regarding global future energy supply as well ason the development of vehicle technology and traffic volumes.Based on these, a scenario of a sustainable transport systemfor Sweden in 2040 is developed. Paper VI (Höjer, 2000b) looks at how the patterns ofcommuting and land-use can change with new organisationalforms. The change can either contribute to reduced trafficvolumes and a more sustainable transport system, or it can leadsociety even further into unsustainability. Paper VII (Höjer, 2000a) reports from a calculation ofpotential effects on commuting from a change towards anode-structured Stockholm region. The calculation is based onorigin-destination matrices generated from a traffic analysismodel. Paper VIII (Höjer, 1996) is a generalising analyticalpaper on the relationship between information technology,especially transport telematics, and sustainabledevelopment. / QC 20100617

This project is concerned with developing an understanding of systems of regional renewal (defined as where a restructuring of regional industries or technologies takes place or where new firms or industries emerge). The framework used for the study was an adapted version of the Holmen-McKelvey analytical tool designed for the systematic study of regional renewal. This included analysing social capital, organisations, and path dependency. As the study was concerned with understanding the operation of regions which by nature are complex systems, the study made use of a qualitative case study method. Four case studies were analysed in depth, two each from Germany and Australia: Dresden, Freiberg, Adelaide, and the Barossa. The conclusions from the research are twofold. The thesis argues that the Holmen and McKelvey framework varies across regions and that that the variation can be explained by the ‘varieties of capitalism’ literature. That is, regional renewal systems work differently in different regions because regions are part of a national political-institutional context (or variety of capitalism). First, the paths to regional renewal vary across regions. There are many and varied contributing factors to regional renewal and a holistic approach is needed in analysing the sources of regional renewal as well as in formulating regional policy. Social capital and path dependency in particular were important across all four cases, suggesting that social capital can enable the mobilisation of regional attributes and that historical and context specific aspects of a region need to be considered in regional direction setting. While some contribution by these factors was consistent across all four cases, their apparent strength and the nature of their contributions varied. The roles of universities, government bodies, multinational corporations, small-and-medium-sized enterprises, technology parks, non-university research bodies, and industry associations displayed even more variation amongst the cases suggesting that there can be no ‘cut and paste’ or one-size-fits-all approach to regional renewal. Before policy is formulated and implemented, there needs to be a systemic analysis of regional assets and deficiencies. Second, the thesis suggests that renewal systems work differently in different regions because regions are part of a national political-institutional context. Different paths to regional renewal can be explained in terms of different institutional capacities for state-led coordination and governance of the regional institutional environment. The thesis puts forward the proposition that we might expect national structures to impact on the functioning of systems of regional renewal. The case analysis suggests that we might expect coordinated attempts at regional renewal involving several actors to be more successful in coordinated market economies than in uncoordinated market economies. The four cases in this research indicate the national business system impacts on the local level. Five key differences between the German and Australian cases were: the approach of the state at a regional level, social capital, the education and training system, policy continuity, and multinational embeddedness. National policies provide a critical role of strategic planning at the local level. How can an uncoordinated market environment at the national level which includes a focus on competition and anti-trust facilitate cooperation between firms and other actors at the local level which is seen as critical for coordinated attempts at regional renewal? Thus a key lesson from this research is that to achieve regional renewal, different regions require locally appropriate policies supported by national directions.

<p> This qualitative design based research study examined the Connected Learning theoretical framework coupled with academic language scaffolds for Long Term English Learners (LTELs) in a secondary public school setting. The participants of this study were students that have been in the United States for more than six years and have yet to be reclassified as fluent in English, thus they are labeled as LTELs. The setting for this design-based research study was one ninth grade sheltered English class and one 12th grade sheltered English class in an urban high school in Northern California. There were two implementations of this design based curriculum and each cycle lasted four days. The first implementation took place in October of 2016 and the second implementation took place during November of 2016. Students created and shared media across digital platforms using paragraph and sentence frames. As a result of this design based curriculum several students were able to create video letters to the next president of the United States on an iPad and share them on a digital platform. The design and implementation of a connected learning environment included three design principles and three learning principles and can be a successful system in other classrooms structured to serve LTELs if enough time is provided to enact all components of the design.</p><p>

<p> Addictive disorders are a public health crisis that affects our society by draining our workforce, health care, judicial, education, and law enforcement, resources. Adolescents are particularly susceptible to social influence&mdash;for better and for worse&mdash;and addiction. Through social media, today&rsquo;s youth experience a whole new way of communicating. Not enough is known about adolescent perceptions of addiction, and messages of addiction they are exposed to on social media. Social Learning Theory and the Learning Theory of Addiction provided the framework for understanding how adolescents are at risk for developing unhealthy practices that create numerous psychological, social and physical problems in adulthood. Concurrent, mixed-methods, were used to explore adolescent perceptions of addiction and Instagram hashtags related to addiction. A content analysis of Instagram hashtags related to addiction and interview data from 11 adolescents aged 16-18 from a Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club in New Jersey was collected and analyzed. The sample for phase one of this study was comprised of 819,155 Instagram posts, hashtagged #addiction, #recovery, #alcohol, and #drugs, collected on 5 dates over a month. Phase 2, adolescent interviews, included open-ended and Addiction Belief Survey (ABS) questions. The study&rsquo;s findings led to the conclusion that the adolescents interviewed have uncertain, and at times prejudicial, understandings of addiction. They see social media as potentially helpful in the fight against addiction and feel protected from negative messages of addiction by a strong circle of friends and family. Addiction related posts on Instagram, though littered with unhealthy messages, reflect the belief that addiction is recoverable and avoidable through social support. Adolescent perceptions of addiction align with those expressed on Instagram in both healthy and unhealthy ways. Beliefs of addiction expressed by adolescents and on Instagram reflect recent findings in the scientific literature on the nature of addiction, stigma, social support, and wellness. Study recommendations include for school and government leadership to take a multi-pronged, community based, approach in supporting adolescents. Future research should focus on social media support for adolescents and adolescent social learning of addiction. Secondary school curricula and interventions that include social media should be created and improved using design-based research because it allows for evidence-based improvement.</p><p>

This study explores the nature of computing-at-home for student learning and examines some ways computer-using teachers are encouraging use of personal computers at home. The study answered two research questions: (1) How do families who have a personal computer at home use them for student learning? (2) To what extent do computer-using teachers encourage their students to use home personal computers for learning? Data were collected from two samples. The first consisted of PC-owners who read A+ Magazine. This sample of self-selected participants described, in 500-words, how they used their Apple II to teach at home. Using content analysis, the investigator documented three patterns of how families used PCs at home for student learning: (1) Parent as Child's Teacher; (2) Child as Teacher; and (3) Child Teaching Self. Data also implied that families considered the PC a valuable educational tool that increased learning and helped improve attitudes toward learning. The second sample consisted of 178 computer-using teachers who attended the Minnesota Educational Computing Conference on November 12-14, 1989. Data collected from a self-administered questionnaire implied 79% of the sample encouraged students to use PCs at home. Seventy-two percent indicated they had talked with students' parents about using PCs at home to promote learning, and 46% indicated they had loaned software to students for use at home to reinforce a concept or skill. The study also uncovered data for future research. A statistically significant relationship existed between teacher PC ownership and (a) teacher encouragement of students use of home PCs to complete school-related assignments, and (b) teachers talking with students' parents about using the home PC to promote learning. Recommendations for practice were proposed. The primary recommendation was to encourage educators and school districts to explore ways to support use of PCs by families, while also being conscious of issues of equity. In order for the home-based PC to be an effective educational tool, educators need to find ways to coordinate with families to maximize its use.

School accountability requires administrators and policymakers to implement sound programs that sustain school improvement. Hundreds of Louisiana teachers participate in Louisiana Integration of Technology (INTECH) professional development as a strategy to change instructional practice and improve student achievement. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to investigate the Louisiana INTECH professional development model as an impetus for school change and increased student achievement. The study employed a survey and an ex-post facto, causal-comparative design to address the questions: 1) Do middle school administrators perceive the Louisiana INTECH professional development model as an impetus for school change? 2) Does the Louisiana INTECH professional development model contribute to increased achievement of sixth and seventh grade students as demonstrated by gains in total mathematics, reading, and language Standard Scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills? Fifty-two middle school administrators completed a Likert-type, 18-item survey entitled Perceptions of Louisiana INTECH Professional Development Survey (Dunham et al., 1989; Klecker & Loadman, 1999). Eight mathematics and ten English Language Arts (ELA)/reading Louisiana INTECH certified teachers were matched with a similar group of non-INTECH certified teachers according the variables of years teaching experience, educational attainment, and school mean achievement as defined by the 2004 Louisiana baseline School Performance Score (SPS). Over two thousand student test scores of the 36 total mathematics, ELA/reading INTECH and non-INTECH teachers were compared for achievement gains. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used to calculate descriptive statistics for the survey and student achievement gains from 2004 to 2005. Cronbach's Alpha, Pearson's r, and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the survey data according to three constructs. Independent samples t-tests were used to verify equality of INTECH and non-INTECH groups. Crosstabs were utilized to show similarities and differences between the degrees earned by the teachers of each student group. The results of this study suggest administrators who exhibit openness to Louisiana INTECH as an impetus for change are more likely to support implementation of Louisiana INTECH technology integration strategies in the classroom. Furthermore, the achievement data showed increased gains of students in Louisiana INTECH certified teachers’ classrooms.

Each year, hundreds of Louisiana's teachers participate in state-sponsored Integration of Technology (INTECH) training. Although INTECH training and certification is acknowledged by the Louisiana Department of Education as the standard for technology-trained teachers, no research has been conducted to determine its impact on student achievement (Picard, 2000). The study's purposes were to examine perceptions of school leaders about Louisiana INTECH professional development as a change agent in schools and to determine the impact of this training on third grade mathematics and reading achievement. This study addressed the questions: Do elementary school leaders perceive INTECH professional development as a catalyst for change in schools? Does this professional development impact student achievement in mathematics and reading? This quantitative study was an ex-post facto, causal-comparative design. Seventy-three elementary administrators were asked to respond to an 18-item Likert-type survey measuring openness to change prompted by the Louisiana INTECH professional development model. Results from the survey were reported as descriptive statistics. Additionally, the study attempted to determine if there was a significant difference in third grade student mathematics and reading achievement in the INTECH certified teachers and non-INTECH certified teachers' classes. The ITBS mathematics and reading standard scores were used for comparison. Nonrandom convenience sampling was used to identify the students of INTECH certified teachers and the students of non-INTECH certified teachers with similar years of experience, education level, and school demographics. The dependent variable was student performance on the ITBS. The independent variable was INTECH professional development. Using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, test data were analyzed using ANOVA to determine if there was a difference in the means of the gain scores in mathematics and reading of students in the classrooms of INTECH trained teachers (experimental group) and non-INTECH trained teachers (control group). Distributions of student pretest scores were examined to compare mean achievement. In a time when instructional strategies, tools and resources must be aligned to meet state and local accountability expectations, this state-sponsored technology integration professional development model must be examined. Significant resources are expended supporting INTECH training across the state. Louisiana's educational leaders need data to support decisions concerning INTECH professional development.