Thesis (Ed. D.)--Boise State University, 2006. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-144). Also available online via the ProQuest Digital Dissertations database.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, June, 2006. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 154-160)

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-159). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-159). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S. in Information Technology Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Thomas Housel, Tony Ciavarelli, Steven Pilnick. Includes bibliographical references (p. 123-126). Also available online.

<p> The Study Island computer program is one of many highly used instructional programs in school districts nationwide; however, there is little independent research available that provides information about its impact on student achievement performance. This study used a descriptive comparative research design to compare the mean gain scores of the semester that students received math instruction with Study Island to mean gain scores of the semester that students did not receive math instruction with the program to determine if a significant difference exists between the two semesters. The test scores from a sample of 124 ninth-grade math students from an economically disadvantaged suburban school district in a southeastern state were used. The results concluded that the mean gain scores from pretest to posttest of the semester that students used the Study Island program were significantly higher than that of the semester that students did not use the program.</p>

<p> Autobiographical digital storytelling (DST) is a burgeoning multiliteracy practice in in- and out-of-school spaces. Recently, education researchers have explored DST's potential as a robust critical literacy tool for non-dominant youth to tell agentic counter narratives. A less explored area of youth DST practices relates to how authors account for audience (local and macro discourse) when composing digital autobiographies. Using feminist poststructural theory as a heuristic and analytical tool, I investigated the varying discourses youth authors engaged throughout their processes and products related to autobiographical DST. </p><p> The ethnographic data for this dissertation were collected in an English Language Arts high school classroom, African American Literature, over the course of four months across fall semester 2012. The three case study findings chapters illustrate three non-dominant students' approaches to negotiating their subjectivity within the school context across multiple school spaces. The findings from this study complicate notions of agency; namely the case studies demonstrate how diverse youth of color negotiated multiple and competing discourses when narrating stories of the self in relation to a perceived peer audience. More specifically, each case provides a detailed analysis of how Darius, Malcolm, and Gabriel, negotiated local and macro discourses related to Black masculinity, salient intersecting subjectivities for each. </p><p> This study holds theoretical implications in establishing the importance of using poststructural feminist theories in combination with Critical Discourse Analysis of student processes and produced related to autobiographical storytelling by way of detecting the complex power relations youth navigate within the school context. Moreover, this study reports important implications regarding the utility of digital storytelling as a culturally responsive, multimodal, critical literacy practice that affords youth opportunities to draw on personally and culturally meaningful discourses (e.g., hip-hip music) as they compose digital representations in relation to local and macro discourse. Additionally, implications for English Language Arts practice encourage future examination of how youth author's attentiveness to peer audience discourse demonstrate students' facilities in composing narratives in relation to audience.</p>

<p> Assistive technology is used in education to support and increase students&rsquo; learning. Many of these are math and science virtual manipulative applications, studies of which are well documented. Studies documenting the effects of social studies software on special education students, however, are scarce due to the small number of applications and the difficulty of gathering consistent data. This is because students often suffer from mental, emotional, behavioral and physical instability. This study was intended to determine whether assistive technology is beneficial in this regard. The study used Study Island software, which provides students and teachers self-adjusting, customizable social studies coursework. The study examined the suitability of the software in increasing the academic performance of middle school special education students at Pandale School, a public separate school. This quantitative, experimental study compared two sets of randomly assigned students who used identical learning materials, presented in either print or software form. The demographics of the school dictated the participant pool, which consisted of 11-20-year-old African American males. Using two mixed model ANOVAs, the pretest and posttest scores and test completion times of each group were compared to determine the software's efficacy. Every experimental group participant saw an increase in test scores from pretest to posttest. After controlling for preexisting conditions, it was observed that the type of instruction variable explained 18% of the test score variance between groups, as represented by partial <i>&eta;²</i>, <i>p</i> &lt; .0001, indicating a rejection of the null hypothesis and a finding that the software had a positive effect on the participants' test scores. An analysis of test completion times for the pretest (<i>M</i> = 43.64) and posttest (<i>M</i> = 33.23) showed that the mean test scores differed significantly, <i> F</i>(1.000, 38.0000 = 90.184, <i>p</i> = 0.001) from pretest to posttest and amongst both groups, and suggested that the null hypothesis should not be rejected and that the Study Island virtual manipulative had neither positive nor negative effect on test completion times. Study results indicated the usefulness of Study Island as one tool of many in the classroom. Future studies targeting specific demographics and student needs are indicated. </p>

<p> Teachers need training to integrate technology into classroom curriculum, activities, and pedagogy. The adoption of the Common Core State Standards and statewide computer based assessments, coupled with technology&rsquo;s rapid rate of innovation and change, has only increased the need to help support teachers&rsquo; development of these necessary skills. The purpose of this project was to create an online-based e-learning professional development training module for teachers to develop their technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) and skills. The design of the training module incorporated e-learning design principles, adult learning principles, and current research on developing teachers&rsquo; TPACK. To provide feedback on the design, teachers from two middle schools in Southern California were invited to use the training module, and were surveyed regarding their experiences. Results of the survey indicate participants gained knowledge and skills for using their school computer lab, integrating technology into their classroom instruction, and overall, were pleased with the e-learning training module.</p>

<p> Online professional development (online PD), the acquisition of new skills and knowledge related to the teaching profession via the Internet, is an emerging field for teachers. This mixed- methods research explored the impact of an online PD program on high school teachers&rsquo; self-efficacy levels, classroom instruction, and the role that school culture played on teachers accepting or rejecting the online PD. Within a social cognitive theory lens, this study helped frame teacher attitudes and adult learning in the context of school culture. </p><p> Phase 1 of this study used quantitative data from two surveys called PRE and POST, which were taken before and after the online PD program, respectively. Qualitative data were collected in Phase 2, using the International Society for Technology in Education Classroom Observation Tool (ICOT), participants&rsquo; journal reflections, and interviews. Findings indicated statistically significant changes in self-efficacy levels for eight of the 21 survey items and minimal changes in technology use during instruction. Furthermore, various aspects of school culture independently affected teachers&rsquo; inclination to accept or reject the online PD. Findings supported the concept of designing personalized professional development programs tailored to the individual&rsquo;s specific learning styles, attitudes, and experiences of school culture.</p>