The primary objective of this study was to implement a project that utilizes telecommunications as a tool to enhance the grade eight science curriculum. The process of becoming prepared to undertake this study was examined and documentd so that teachers in all subject areas at all grade levels could use it as a guide for similar projects. It was proposed to do this by conducting a collaborative project in which the students would use the scientific method to develop research questions that could be used to discover why the incidence of asthma is so high in Central Alberta. These questions would be sent out to schools across Canada and then the data would be analyzed and interpreted. The results would be shared with all participants as well as asthma researchers. The study met with many barriers whcih impeded the progress as well as made it impossible to fulfil the original goal of having the students collaborate with the experts and contribute their own research to the field. Whe embarking on a new project using technology it is inevitable that there will be barriers. Through repeated reconnaissance we were able to adjust our goals and still pursue very worthwile, but very different computer and telecommunications projects. The students attitudes towards learning science, science in society and computers were measured by pre and post surveys. The findings showed that the students were aware of the importance of all these factors in their lives. Without completing the asthma study, it is impossible to know how much of a difference there would have been in the results. The qualitative results showed very clearly that computers are a motivator for students. They enjoy working on them and the challenge they present. Many of them will do extra homework so that they can take advantage of every opportunity to work on the computer. Unfortunately, many teachers do not have the time or support to learn enough about the Internet/Schoolnet and what is available to take full advantage of what is has to offer our students and ourselves. For the most part, there are few teachers in each disrict becoming involved. This will change over time only if there is a support system in place and the pioneers share what they have learned. We cannot run the risk of the forerunners becoming discouraged and giving up. The Internet is a global community. For that community to grow and flourish we must share what we have learned and provide the means to make the path smoother for those who follow. Through this study, the projects have been documented and resources have been prepared that are intended to help others get online and access a wide variety of resources that are sure to enhance all programs and professional development. / xiii, 228 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.

The present technological focus in education is requiring teachers to become computer-literate so that they are better able to integrate computer technology into their teaching. This thesis examines teachers' leves of computer self-efficacy (one's belief in one's ability to use computers) to see if there is a correlation with computer self-efficacy and classroom practice. Current research suggest that one can use computer self-efficacy as a way of determing teachers' levels of willingness to use computers. Based on the distribution of a computer self-efficacy scale and a questionnaire designed to identify computer technology integration into teaching, this study shows the correlation between computer self-efficacy and classroom practice in a selection of schools in southern Alberta. The finding of the research show that there is a weak correlation (r=0.405) between CSE and classroom practice; while there is a moderate to strong correlation (r=0.62) between CSE and instructional practice. Interestingly, the correlations between CSE and each of the specific classroom uses listed in the survey were extremely weak. These correlation coefficients ranged from 0.0777-0.287. Only 14/87 of the teachers surveyed have not attended a computer course. However, out of those 14 teachers only 2 do not use the computer for classroom used. On the other hand, of the 73 teachers who have attended a computer course, 16 do not use the computer in classroom teaching. For this group of teachers, participating in a computer course did not appear to have an impact on classroom practice. Moreover, the reseach found that those teachers with high levels of CSE do not necessarily teach using computers. An exploration of change literature provides a framework for understanding these results, and help place in perspective the need to rethink guidelines for professional development, teacher education and classroom practice as they relate to computers in education. / vii, 68 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.

The Quebec Education Program (QEP) provides educators with detailed descriptions of competencies of learning achievement. However, current approaches used by educators to instruct and assess their students do not target the relevant QEP competencies. The goal of this thesis is to document efforts of one teacher to implement digital portfolios in her grade one and two classroom in order to instruct and assess her students according to the relevant QEP competencies. The study documents the kinds of technology and skills that are needed to implement digital portfolios in order to instruct and to assess and communicate student learning to their parents. Interviews with all participants were used to document the process from multiple perspectives. Overall, digital portfolios were found to be a very useful for instructing and assessing student and communicating with parents.

A problem currently facing South Africa is the large number of poorly educated or uneducated people in many parts of the country. Distance education has proven to be an apt solution to this problem However, one of the numerous constraints associated with studying at a distance is insufficient communication between students and lecturers and the lack of peer interaction. The integration of Computer Mediated Communications (CMC) in the delivery of distance education courses world-wide has proved to be a means of alleviating this communication problem. The study presented in this thesis examines the technical feasibility of implementing CMC in the delivery of South African distance education courses as a solution to the communication problems experienced by distance learners in this country. For this purpose a system was developed and implemented at a South African distance education institution namely, Natal College of Education in Pietermaritzburg. Based on this implementation a technical evaluation of the feasibility of CMC in the instruction of distance education courses within a South African infrastructure was examined. As a result of this study we have been able to: • Determine the technical problems associated with the implementation of a CMC system in a South African distance education environment. • Identify possible solutions to these technical problems • Define a set of criteria, which if met by a CMC system would ensure the technical feasibility of the system as a solution to the communication problems experienced by South African distance learners. • Determine the effects of students' attitudes towards computers on their use of the CMC system. • Determine the effect of CMC on students' attitudes towards computers. • Identify any additional factors, besides technical issues, which need to be taken into account when implementing a CMC system. / Thesis (M.Sc)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

This research is intended for educational policy makers. This is an exploratory study that investigates Quebec's classrooms as a new educational reform is implemented. There are two relevant pieces of legislation in the reform that elicited this study. First, teachers are required to adopt constructivist teaching practices; second, teachers must use ICT in classrooms. The questions being addressed are: (1) What are the current challenges and benefits impacting teachers with the integration of computers in the classroom environment? (2) What do classroom practices look like given (a) in the context of Quebec's constructivist-learning environment and (b) the possibility of ICT support. Case studies with teachers from elementary and high schools show changes in teacher and student role; however, lack of guidelines hinder constructivist teaching practices. Five predominant challenges were identified: lack of personal development, lack of time, technical support, accessibility, and classroom management. The study also identifies five elements as benefits: sharing of information; communication; editing; monitoring; web access.

As teachers and society become more comfortable with various technologies, it is likely that technology will be implemented in all areas of the educational curriculum as well as physical education. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which individual physical education teachers in public schools were using technology as a tool for their students' education. Individuals who were currently teaching physical education in public schools in Indiana completed the Computer Usage Survey on the web (N = 400). To determine types of technology used, potential uses for technology, difference in the implementation of technology by gender and teaching experience, usage of the Internet, and physical educators' attitudes toward technology, statistics including descriptive statistics, Chi-square (X ), and One-way ANOVA were used (p < .05). The results of this study show that physical educators were more likely to use PC computers (both desktop and laptop) over Apple computers. Participant responses demonstrated a high usage of hardware devices such as Printers, hard drives, and CD drives, however, 5.25 floppy drives, external hard drives, Hand-held computers (i.e. Pocket PC or Companion PC), Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and smart boards were rarely used by physical educators. A significant positive relationship resulted between use of technology at school and at home. Significant differences were observed between male and female physical educators in types of technology used and purposes for using technology. Use of technology was significantly lower in the experienced physical educators group. Most of the physical educators use the Internet and they usually use it for research and teaching/assessment ideas. Physical educators in Indiana believed that technology has an important role and can enhance their teaching with implementation of technology. The findings of the present study demonstrated that use of technology among physical educators in Indiana has been changed dramatically within 10 years; however, the result emphasized importance of technology training programs for pre-service and in-service physical educators. / School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science

The purpose of this study was to enlarge the information base that can be used by practitioners in the field of adult education to determine important computer competencies for individual development, training, and staff development programs for administrators of adult basic education programs. The final result of this study was a listing of computer competencies ranked as to their relative importance to each other based on the judgment of State Directors of Adult Education throughout the United States. The study results are presented to not be a rigid listing of prioritized competencies, but instead, to be general and current trends in ABE administrator computer competency needs as determined by State Directors of Adult Education.The general research question that was investigated by this study was: What computer competencies are needed by administrators of adult basic education programs to meet the educational requirements of adults in the twenty-first century? There are two specific research questions that were answered: 1) What are the computer competencies that experts in technology and/or adult basic education judge are important to the successful educational administrator? and 2) How do State Directors of Adult Education rank the importance of these competencies in terms of the needs of local adult basic education administrators in their respective states?These questions are answered by exploring, describing, and comparing information using both the analytical and survey approach to determining competencies. The analytical approach consisted of a review of literature and interview of experts in adult education and/or technology to establish a listing of 77 potential computer competencies for administrators of adult basic education programs. The democratic approach consisted of a national survey of State Directors of Adult Education throughout the United States and including Washington D.C.Eighty percent of the State Directors of Adult Education responded providing their judgment as to the importance of each of the 77 computer competencies. The outcome of the study is a rank-ordered list of important computer competencies for adult basic education administrators along with the survey write-in comments provided by State Directors of Adult Education. / Department of Educational Leadership

This study examined the effect of web-based portfolio assessment strategies on the attitudes and self-perceived growth in music learning of non-music elementary general classroom educators in a basics of music course. The study is based upon research and literature in regards to constructivism, alternative assessment strategies including portfolio assessment, and computer technology.The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research. The study was quasi-experimental and utilized a pretest and posttest survey and a final discussion interview between the student and the researcher. Students participating were enrolled in the Basic Music for Elementary Classroom Teachers course during the Spring 2002 academic semester. There total number of students involved in the study was 88 (n=88). Two classes served as the control group (n=41) and two classes served as the treatment groups (n=47). Students in the control group were evaluated through traditional methods including paper-pencil exams. Students in the treatment group were assessed through alternative assessment strategies including rubrics, reflective thinking, peer review, and the construction of a web-based portfolio. Students in both groups participated in the four main projects of the semester and completed the pre-post survey, Music in My Life.Quantitative data analysis was calculated using SPSS. Information obtained through the data collection from the pre-post survey was analyzed and interpreted with the ANCOVA test at an alpha level of .05. Qualitative data was collected from the individual discussion sessions. These interviews were transcribed and coded.Quantitative analysis found significant differences in two of the questions on the pre-post survey in regards to music as a subject. No significant difference was found regarding the attitudes about music growth between the groups from the pre-post survey. However, qualitative data collected illustrated that students in the treatment groups were better able to use music vocabulary, discuss connections between the projects while viewing the semester as a whole, and discussing their growth over the period of an academic semester. These students were also able to discuss the web-based portfolio in terms of the website showing their growth over the academic semester. / School of Music

The purpose of this study is to explain a management the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend (Indiana). For well over 100 years the Catholic school system in this diocese was =governed by the following principles: (1) each parish was expected to have a parish school; (2) this school was to be financed from the resources of the parish; and (3) the teachers were largely religious sisters. Not until the 1960's was any serious attempt made to centralize a school system which encompassed 54 grade schools, 6 high schools, and enrolled 28,600 pupils in 1965. The late 1960's witnessed a crisis in Catholic education; between 1964 and 1970 enrollment declined in the grade schools 27.3%; during that same period of time the ratio of lay teachers to religious teachers rose 160.5:0 (while the number of sisters dropped 18%); parishes income, in constant dollars, dropped 0.5%. The educational crisis found the parishes without adequate management information for decision making.Two types of information puterized for annual updating.I. Educational Data Analysis. Basic income and expense information, from each parish, is analyzed for the most recent five year period. This analysis brings into one place the necessary data for trend analysis. (Projections are based on the polynomial method of curve fitting.) Most data treated is analyzed for year-to-year rates of change; at the same time an over-all rate of change is developed with 1964 forming the base year. All income data is reduced to a constant dollar (1958= 100) with the Implicit Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Deflator. Educational costs are further analyzed on a per pupil cash cost basis, and on a percent of total educational costs. The contributed services of each teacher is developed (as well as an analysis of degrees, license, grade taught, years of experience, etc.). In this way a total cost, closer to true costs than are the cash costs, are developed. Some use is made of regional median income data to determine the over-all ability of a parish to support the program. This data is intended for the use of the pastors, parish councils, committees on education, etc.II. Educational Situation Indices. These indices were developed to simplify financial explanations for parishioners; at the same time they provide a means of comparing one parish against the rest of the diocese. Thirteen key resources were selected from the data developed by Part I. These resources from each parish are compared with the diocesan average to develop and index number. The "norm=100." Three types of mathematical formulas develop three indices. The Parish Index (I,) merely measures the percent above or below the norm. This information makes it possible to analyze parish resource use, the flow of resources both within the parish and between parishes, and aids greatly in resource allocation. (This latter is aided because for the first time one parish can compare itself to other parishes.) The Variance Index (12) makes use of the Z-value and the standard deviation to develop an "average range" of parishes (± one standard deviation). Therefore, parishes which are using resources in such a manner as to be beyond the middle 68/ are identified, and the "mis-used resource" located. The final index (14) is the result of weilhtin the various resources with the Beta coefficient (by means of a stepwise multiple regression computer formula). This produces a single composite number termed the Educational Situation Index.The use of scatter charts makes it possible to obtain visual pictures of the entire diocese for each resource, or for all resources in a single parish. (The basic scatter charts are developed by a Calcomp plotter.)These computer print-outs are meant to be tools to aid the volunteer members of the many parish committees on education, and the area and diocesan boards of education. The study explains the development and the use of these managerial tools which are developed for broad level use.

Students enter composition classrooms in the twenty-first century with various levels of computer proficiency and comfort with technology and digital media. Instructors often make assumptions that their students’ are familiar with technology, even though students may be hesitant to use technology in the classroom. This dissertation gathers data from one university class and two community college classes to study students’ perceptions of and use of technology, particularly the Blackboard content management system (CMS), in the critical pedagogy classroom. In particular, it studies students’ use of technology to reflect on their own work and engage in dialogue with classmates and the instructor. The evidence suggests that students use technology and media cautiously in the classroom and will revert to more traditional forms of expression (e.g., the linear essay) when they feel uncomfortable using technology or they feel that their grade is in jeopardy. Students tended to use Blackboard more for reflection and dialogue when the CMS was an integral part of in-class and out-of-class activities. Findings indicate that first-year composition instructors should reflect on their use of technology to enhance critical pedagogy and make that pedagogy more reactive to students’ needs. / Description of problem and study -- Literature review -- Methods and methodology -- Critical pedagogy in the laptop classroom at the university -- University students' perceptions and use of technology -- Critical pedagogy in the computer classroom at the community college -- Community college students' perceptions of and use of technology -- Student questioning, dialogue and reflection at the community college. / Description of problem and study -- Literature review -- Methods and methodology -- Critical pedagogy in the laptop classroom at the university -- University students' perceptions and use of technology -- Critical pedagogy in the computer classroom at the community college -- Community college students' perceptions of and use of technology -- Student questioning, dialogue and reflection at the community college. / Department of English