Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of West Florida, 2008. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 143 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2009. / Adviser: Pamela McCauley-Bush. Includes bibliographical references (p. 112-118).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2003. / Title from title page screen (viewed Nov. 11, 2003). Thesis advisor: Edward L. Counts. Document formatted into pages (viii, 132 p. : col. ill.). Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 96-103).

I explored the support structures and strategies used by adults to cope with distance learning (DL). The Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) wished to become a world class university of excellence while students struggled to complete programmes. My argument is that education cannot produce the quality of graduate that society expects unless access is accompanied by adequate effective learner support. I studied adults’ experiences with the ZOU support structures and student’s strategies that they used to cope with: administration of the programme, availability of learning materials, library, information communication technology (ICT) needs, studying in isolation, tutorials, assessment and financing the programme. Adults’ strategies for integrating study with employment, family and social commitments, and their suggestions for improving learner support in DL were crucial aspects of my study. I used a mixed-method research design of the phenomenological interview and a questionnaire survey. The design helped in comprehensive coverage and cross-data validity checks. My sample comprised three sets of Bachelor of Education (B. Ed.) students that completed on time, those that delayed completion and others that were on the programme. My epistemological position is that data obtained from interviews reflects participants’ perspectives. I collected data from past and current students. I used phenomenological interviews to understand the subjective world of my participants and the questionnaire to determine relationships among themes and cross-check findings for the sake of generalization. My study revealed that students used ZOU administrative and academic structures to cope with DL. The structures they used include: the regional centre staff and facilities, orientation, modules, the library, ICT, contact tutorials, assignments, examinations and projects. However, some students faced challenges in: orientation, communication, use of modules, supervision of assignments and projects, missing results and funding which contributed to delayed completion of the programme. As adults, my participants also used: social contracts with family and employers, study groups, private extra tutorials, outsourcing ICT services, dedicated study and past examination papers, buying own books, borrowing money, self-help income generating projects and paying fees by instalment as well as good time management to cope with DL. I recommend research into and improvement of: communication between ZOU and students, student support services, preparation and supply of modules and ICT, staff development on supervision of assignments, projects and examinations, and also student funding to enhance the quality and rate of programme completion in DL. Keywords: support structures, strategies, adults, cope and distance learning. / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of KwaZulu, Edgewood, 2011.

This study examined the motivational orientations of 166 graduate students enrolled in distance education courses at a state university. Data were collected utilizing Boshier’s Education Participation Scale A-Form and analyses were completed for overall results, by gender and age, by academic program and by preferred method of distance course delivery. Additional analyses were performed comparing responses from the distance education students and 42 traditional students. The results of the study showed that professional advancement was the overwhelming motivational orientation for participation in education by these graduate students. The second highest rated motivation was reported as cognitive interest, and the motivational orientations rated as least influential were social contact and social stimulation. There were no differences resulting from gender, but the age group 22-30 rated cognitive interest and social contact as more influential than students in the age 31-44 age group and professional advancement significantly higher than in the 45-59 age group. Also, participants in the age group 45-59 rated social stimulation significantly higher than students aged 31-44. Students from academic programs in education, nursing and business were the principal respondents, and there were no significant differences found in their motivational orientations. However, the education students scored the motivational orientations, social contact and social stimulation, significantly lower than participants from the group, other, which consisted of students from nine different fields of study. Other findings revealed no differences in motivational orientations by students’ expressed preferred method of distance education delivery. Lastly, results showed that traditional students rated social contact, communication improvement, and educational preparation as more influential than distance education students. Findings from this study suggest that graduate students in both distance and traditional graduate programs participate in education primarily for professional and cognitive reasons. In addition, analyses revealed that differences in the seven motivational orientations were impacted by age, academic program, and student type. / Department of Educational Studies

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Indiana University of Pennsylvania. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Ball State University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 196-206).

In Zanzibar, in 1995, opportunities for professional development in environmental education were minimal. Yet the demand for professional development was high, especially because of an emphasis on formal qualifications in the country. Credibility was afforded to forms of professional development, aimed at creating more ‘experts’. Ongoing environmental education practice was not achieving its objectives. Into this setting, which was culturally and socio-politically different from the South African context where it was developed, I introduced the Rhodes University Certificate and Gold Fields Participatory Course in Environmental Education (RU/GF); a non-formal, counter-hegemonic course which encouraged critical reflection on the dominant orientations to environmental education practice – including professional development. I used critical ethnographic and action research methods to explore my praxiological interest, the adaptation of the RU/GF curriculum to the Zanzibar context. During the research process, a decision was made to formally accredit the RU/GF course. This decision did not alter the course orientation or the learning process but opened up possibilities for future curriculum development processes. It allowed the students both a formal qualification necessary for status and promotion, and participation in a learning process that challenged the dominant paradigm on professional development and status from within the socio-political context. The research took on a reflexive orientation to research and environmental education. Through a dialectical development of theory, method and results, several important issues emerged. These deal with the ‘distances’ encountered in attempting to address some of the perceived dichotomies in professional development in environmental education through semi-distance learning: the distances between status and learning; the need for career upgrading and the type of learning considered appropriate for professional development in environmental education; the non-quantifiable aims associated with a reflexive orientation to professional development and formal assessment demands for measurable criteria; the democratisation of open-entry courses and the elitism of restricted access; the focus on individual growth and the attainment of a normative grade; theory and practice; and finally distances between learner, text and language. The research supports similar findings emerging from evaluation of the RU/GF course in South Africa and resonates with, and contributes to, issues concerning professional development in environmental education being considered internationally.

Orientador: Heloísa Vieira da Rocha / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T10:16:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dario_Dineide_M.pdf: 3873231 bytes, checksum: 611985fd918b6460c572282b88cfc915 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: Com o crescimento da Educação a Distância online (EaD), cresce também a necessidade de suporte a novos e mais efetivos métodos de avaliação para esta modalidade, como a Avaliação Formativa, que permite monitorar e orientar continuamente a participação dos alunos no desenvolvimento de uma ação de aprendizagem. As ferramentas para suporte a este método de avaliação coletam muitos indicadores de participação, que são gerados na forma de volumosos dados, o que geralmente dificulta a sua análise e consequente uso no processo de acompanhamento pelo avaliador. Por isso, é proposta neste trabalho a aplicação de técnicas de Visualização de Informação sobreas informações geradas por uma ferramenta de Avaliação Formativa para auxiliar na análise dos dados coletados, por meio de representações gráficas interativas que permitam explorar as informações em diferentes níveis de granularidade. Para avaliar a proposta, foi desenvolvido um protótipo da ferramenta de Visualização de Informação integrada à ferramenta de Avaliação Formativa implementada na segunda fase do projeto TIDIA-Ae pelo grupo e-Labora. A avaliação desse protótipo em uma simulação de curso indicou a efetividade da proposta, mostrando que a aplicação de técnicas de Visualização de Informação na análise das informações geradas por uma ferramenta de suporte à Avaliação Formativa auxilia formadores e aprendizes nesse processo, trazendo maior agilidade, dinamismo e praticidade ao acompanhamento da ação de aprendizagem, através de novas e significativas visões acerca das participações / Abstract: The growth of online Distance Education (e-learning) causes growth of the need to support new and more effective methods of assessment, as the Formative Assessment, which allows continuous monitoring and guidance of students participation in the development of a learning action. The tools to support this assessment method collect many indicators of participation, which are generated in the form of huge amounts of data, often complicating the analysis and consequent use of this information in the monitoring process by the assessor. Therefore this work proposes the application of techniques of Information Visualization on the information generated by a Formative Assessment Tool to assist in analyzing the data collected through interactive graphical representations to exploit the information at different levels of granularity. In order to evaluate the proposal, a prototype for an Information Visualization Tool has been developed integrated with Formative Assessment Tool implemented in the second phase of theproject TIDIA-Ae by the e-Labora group. The evaluation of this prototype in a simulated course demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposal, indicating that the application of Information Visualization techniques to analyze the information generated by a support tool for Formative Assessment helps teachers and learners in this process. The monitoring of a learning action gained greater agility, dynamism and practicality, through new and significant visions about the participation / Mestrado / Visualização de Informação / Mestre em Ciência da Computação

Orientador: Sergio Ferreira do Amaral / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-09T00:40:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sa_RicardoAntunesde_D.pdf: 2565734 bytes, checksum: 35f3a506e9e0ea99bb899a424f9a0b3c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: A pesquisa explora, historia e analisa criticamente os aspectos teórico-práticos do processo de concepção, elaboração, planejamento, organização, implantação e avaliação da licenciatura em Pedagogia ¿ Séries Iniciais do Ensino Fundamental na modalidade de educação a distância no período de 1999 a 2002 da Universidade Federal do Paraná. Essa pesquisa tem a intenção de trazer à lume as reais e concretas características e propriedades sistêmicas de um curso de graduação em nível superior na área de formação de professores na modalidade de educação a distância, revelando a relação das partes e suas particularidades com o todo (curso) e deste em relação aos seus componentes (partes) com vistas a demonstrar, sob um olhar sistêmico-organizacional, a qualidade (formal e política) do curso. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida por meio de levantamento e análise de fontes documentais (Atas da Comissão de EaD, Atas do Colegiado de Curso, Ofícios, Relatórios, Cronogramas, Informativos, Artigos etc.) e das análises das entrevistas semi-estruturadas realizadas com os orientadores acadêmicos e com os professores especialistas e dos questionários (fechados) aplicados aos estudantes / Abstract: The research explores, describes and criticizely analyzes the theoretician-practical aspects of the conception process, elaboration, planning, organization, implantation and evaluation of the licenciatura in Pedagogia - Initial Series of Basic Ensino in the modality of education in the distance in the period of 1999 the 2002 of the Federal University of the Paraná. This research has the intention in the distance to bring to the fire reals and concrete characteristics and systemics properties of a course of graduation in superior level in the area of formation of professors in the modality of education, disclosing to the relation of the parts and its particularitities with all (course) and of this in relation to its components (parts) with sights to demonstrate, under a sistemic-organizacional look, quality (formal and politics) of the course. The research was developed by means of survey and analysis of documentary sources (Acts of the Commission of distance education, Acts of the Collegiate one of course, crafts, reports, calendary, news, articles etc.) and of the analyses of the interviews half-structuralized carried through with the academic people who orientates and the professors specialists and of the questionnaires (closed) applied the students / Doutorado / Educação, Ciencia e Tecnologia / Doutor em Educação