<p> This applied dissertation responded to two public problems: digital divides and unequal access to educational opportunities via the growth of virtual schooling in kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) in the United States. A qualitative instrumental case study approach was used to explore the relative advantages and disadvantages of public K-12 virtual schools in Florida through the experiences and perspectives of 5 virtual school leaders. This research also evaluated the virtual school leaders&rsquo; level of innovativeness in relation to the innovativeness/needs paradox (INP) in Rogers&rsquo;s theory of diffusion of innovations (DOI). The INP suggests that innovativeness plays a role in social stratification issues between the higher and lower socioeconomic individuals in a system. </p><p> A demographic survey and interviews were used to gather descriptive details for the case analysis. The Innovativeness Scale collected empirical evidence on virtual school leaders&rsquo; level of innovativeness. Results participants were in the early majority category of DOI. Demographics suggested upward social mobility, high educational attainment, and tendencies toward innovativeness. Six themes emerged from the interviews: educational optimism, proinnovation bias, strategies of least resistance, fidelity to old-school norms, virtual schools are a public but private schooling niche, and the counterintuitive gauntlet of innovativeness: the legitimacy of virtual schools and stakeholder divides. </p><p> Findings suggested innovativeness in relation to the INP does have the potential to fuel underlying divides between advantaged and disadvantaged students in public K-12 virtual schools in Florida. The interviews suggested additional factors may play a role in divides in association with innovativeness, specifically, individualistic and systemic epistemologies and cultural relativism.</p><p>

<p> As we become more advanced technologically in our online educational courses, it is imperative that we also incorporate effective research-based practices such as the use of formative assessment. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of formative self-assessment to academic achievement and self-efficacy in online graduate courses. The research included a review of online education, formative assessment, self-efficacy, and associated learning theories. </p><p> A mixed methods study was used that included quantitative and qualitative data for triangulation of the study results. A correlational research design was used for the quantitative approach and a phenomenological research design was used for the qualitative approach. The correlational research design was chosen to examine the relationships between variables and to describe the current state. The phenomenological research design was chosen because the study was focused on the relationship of a particular phenomenon to the participant&rsquo;s cognitive and dispositional experiences. The subjects included students that were enrolled in Master&rsquo;s in Education or Doctor of Education courses from three universities located in Southern California. The methodology included student self-assessment through a project rubric, a survey to operationalize academic achievement, and a survey and interviews to operationalize student self-efficacy. While the statistical findings did not reflect strong correlations, the non-statistical findings reflected a positive relationship between formative self-assessment as it related to academic achievement and student self-efficacy in online graduate programs. Formative self-assessment provides online educators with a tool to enhance the course effectiveness and the overall learning process.</p><p>

<p> Preparing students for 21st-century learning is a great responsibility and a challenge for many school districts across the country. A large body of research suggests that a school district&rsquo;s level of awareness with regards to education technology and particularly those technologies that are on a positive trend correlates with a successful technology implementation program. District Administrators that lead the charge of developing technology policies and oversee the various aspect of the technology implementation must possess a solid awareness of modern education technologies and their interplays with curriculum and pedagogy. In addition, district Administrators must have the technological skill to overcome network infrastructure capabilities constraints as well as the leadership skill to prioritize technology. </p><p> This study used a survey as its main method of data collection; the survey was guided by three research questions that helped gain valuable insight about California K12 school district Administrators&rsquo; familiarity with most relevant modern technologies and strategies for educating students in the 21st-century, knowledge of intermediation between (technology, pedagogy, curriculum), as well as what Administrators perceive as constraints that impede effective technology implementation. The data shows that majority of district Administrators reported to having insufficient knowledge of modern and emerging technologies or digital strategies that are most reliant on technology, in addition, the data suggest that district Administrators are finding funding, training, and infrastructure as main factors that impede implementation of technology appropriate for a 21st-century education. The results of this study propose recommendations that have implications for K12 school districts&rsquo; technology awareness, knowledge acquisition for technology preparedness, district technology plan, and minimum technology readiness requirement for school district Administrator positions for the 21st-century.</p><p>

<p> Every year billions of dollars are spent on development aid and training around the world. However, only 10% of this training results in the transfer of knowledge, skills, or behaviors learned in the training to the work place. Ideally, learning transfer produces effective and continued application by learners of the knowledge and skills they gained through their learning activities. Some studies suggest that technology usage can serve as an effective post-learning intervention to enhance the transfer of learning. </p><p> Currently, there is a limited body of research examining the factors that hinder and promote learning transfer in professional development, particularly the professional development of school leaders in developing countries. This qualitative exploratory study sought to address the gap in the literature by examining 6 schools, 3 in Burkina Faso and 3 in Ghana, West Africa. This investigation explored: (a) if and how learning transfer took place after the leadership training; (b) what promoted and hindered learning transfer in both countries; and (c) if the use of a text message intervention after the training enhanced learning transfer. The sample consisted of 13 West African school leaders (6 in Burkina Faso and 7 in Ghana) who attended a 3-day leadership training workshop. Data collection included in-depth interviews, document analysis, post-training site visits, and text messages to ascertain whether this mobile technology intervention enhanced learning transfer. </p><p> The findings demonstrate that learning transfer occurred in both countries in all six schools. Data indicate that most of the transfer of learning happened in areas not requiring mindset and behavioral changes. Data suggest that the facilities in which the trainings took place, the facilitators&rsquo; dispositions and knowledge as well as the adequacy of the materials and the follow-up of the mobile text messaging intervention assisted the participants in transferring knowledge to their schools following the training. Participants also indicated some inhibitors to the transfer of learning such as financial, cultural, and human behavior constraints. This study helps increase our understanding of what promotes and inhibits learning transfer in educational settings in developing countries and provides suggestions for trainers and teachers who facilitate trainings.</p><p>

<p> This exploratory dissertation investigates and describes 1) the habits of U.S. college students&rsquo; use of mobile devices in the classroom, and 2) U.S. college students&rsquo; perceptions on policy which bans mobile device usage in the classroom. The study also examines how students&rsquo; demographics influence their usage of mobile devices in the classroom and perceptions on the banning policy. The purpose of this study was to determine how frequently college students self-reported the use of mobile devices in the classroom whether for communication or for activities unrelated to class content and how college students feel about policies banning the use of such devices during class. </p><p> The following research questions framed this quantitative methods study: 1. To what extent do college students use their personal mobile device(s) during class for activities that are not related to class content? 2. Which mobile device activities not related to class content do college student access most often during class time? 3. To what extent do college students feel that mobile devices are a distraction from learning during class time? 4. How do college students perceive banning of mobile device use during class time? 5. To what extent are student demographics related to attitude about mobile devices in college classrooms? </p><p> This study utilized descriptive statistical analysis to summarize and analyze the survey results that were collected from 584 randomly selected U.S. college students. A questionnaire with 13 questions was distributed and collected through SurveyMonkey to the target audience who are: 1) 18&ndash;39 years old, 2) college students, and 3) studying in U.S. The survey results indicated a majority of college students don&rsquo;t perceive using a personal mobile device during class as a substantial distraction nor did the students who completed the survey prefer their instructors implement a policy banning the use of mobile devices for personal reasons in the classroom. In addition, the study found that most students use their personal mobile devices in the classroom for text messaging, social networking, and checking e-mail as those activities not related to the class content.</p><p>

<p> Negative public school perception is a problem for all stakeholders. Negative public school perception leads to lack of support, which leads to lack of funding. Research shows that people outside of the school community are the most critical. Mass media, political leaders, and education reformist have perpetuated the problem. School leaders are not doing enough to combat the negative stereotype of the failing school. This exploratory mixed methods study on the impact of school websites on perception of public schools was an exploration of how websites design can affect perception and addresses one way that the negative perception can be changed. Three school websites were chosen based on their level of information communication technology (ICT) integration. The principals and webmasters of each school were interviewed and the data were coded and analyzed to create a survey instrument which was distributed to a purposive sample of 58 parents of school-aged children. The results of the analysis and comparison of the data collected from the principals, webmasters, and parents revealed that school websites have an effect on the perception that parents form about the school. The data also show that information or lack of information on the website was the number one reason for the ratings given to each statement on the parents&rsquo; survey. In addition, the signals sent through the website, whether intentional or not, had an effect on the parents&rsquo; perception.</p><p>

<p> Adult online learners represent the largest demographic in higher education. Academic leaders increasingly use non-designer instructors (NDIs) to meet demands. NDIs have little control over course design, part of teaching presence valued by learners. This quantitative, predictive correlational study investigated 1) to what frequency online learners&rsquo; perceptions of their NDIs&rsquo; teaching presence predicted learners&rsquo; cognitive presence; and 2) to what frequency did learners&rsquo; use of instructional media resources moderate that predictive relationship, while enrolled in online courses in a private, non-profit university in the western United States. Using The Community of Inquiry (COI) survey, this study measured learners&rsquo; perceptions of presence as they related to online students&rsquo; learning and use of instructional media. Multiple regression analyses tested both hypotheses (<i>n</i> = 128). The first null hypothesis was rejected revealing NDIs&rsquo; teaching presence significantly predicted 52% of the variance of learners&rsquo; cognitive presence, <i>R</i>² = .524, <i>p</i> &lt; .001, <i>f</i>² = 1.08. These findings expand scientific knowledge to the instructional context of NDIs and confirm prior research that found a similar role for teaching presence on cognitive presence. The study failed to reject the null hypothesis for research question two. Frequencies of instructional media use showed a nonsignificant effect on the predictive role of teaching presence on cognitive presence. Further research could examine the unique contributions of the course design sub-factor of teaching presence in the context of courses taught by NDIs. </p><p>

<p> This correlational-predictive study investigated the relationship between teacher perceptions of technology use and observed classroom technology integration level using the <i>Technology Uses and Perceptions Survey</i> (TUPS) and the <i>Technology Integration Matrix- Observation</i> (TIM-O) instruments, developed by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology (FCIT) at USF. Anonymized data were obtained from FCIT that included 51 teachers from a Florida school district who completed the TUPS and were observed using the TIM-O. Linear regression was used to determine the overall relationship between perceptions and technology integration, as well as the overall predictive value of teacher perceptions on technology integration level. Both were found to be statistically significant; a low-moderate relationship existed between the TUPS and the TIM-O, and the TUPS was found to be a predictor of the TIM-O level. In addition, multiple regression was used to determine the relationship between each of the seven areas of the TUPS and the TIM-O level, as well as the predictive ability of each of the TUPS domains on the TIM-O level. Although none of the domains had a statistically significant relationship or predictive value, several subgroups had significant findings in the domains of confidence and comfort, and skills and usefulness. This study supports previous research in teacher perceptions and beliefs and furthers the research by including predictive relationships. Administrators, professional developers, and support staff can use these findings to target teacher professional learning opportunities in technology integration.</p><p>

<p> Teaching at an online school is so different from classroom teaching that traditional training includes few of the skills necessary to be a successful online teacher. New teachers to an online environment face a steep learning curve in how they&rsquo;ll use the instructional technology, prioritize their time, and establish relationships with their students. The literature has advice for these teachers about effective online practices, but there has been little research to establish which strategies are most effective in motivating students. This pre-experimental study, conducted at an online 6th-12th grade hybrid school, investigated the practices used more often by the most effective teachers. Teacher effectiveness was measured by the number of assignments their students had not completed on time. Recognizing that the effectiveness of different practices will vary from student to student, the research analysis included two covariates, measured by surveys: the academic identity and motivational resilience of the students, and the students&rsquo; self-reported preferences for motivational strategies. More effective teachers were found to make videos more frequently, both of the teacher for motivational purposes and recorded by the teacher to help students move through the curriculum. Quick grading turnaround and updating a blog were also more common with all effective teachers. Distinct differences between middle and high school students came out during data analysis, which then became a major point of study: according to the data, more effective middle school teachers emphasized individual contact with students, but the less effective high school teachers spent more time on individualized contact. The surveys used in this study could be modified and implemented at any online school to help teachers discover and then prioritize the most effective strategies for keeping students engaged.</p><p>

<p> The blended learning model, which combines the traditional face-to-face learning method with an online application such as a learning management system (LMS), became popular and more practical for both teachers and learners in foreign and second language education because of its effective methodology for course delivery and socialization opportunities with technology-enhanced learning activities in both online and offline environments. Although the effectiveness of blended language learning models and benefits of student achievement and autonomous learning with an LMS have been explored, prior research resulted in conflicting data on blended instruction identifying the inconsistent findings in student achievement. Some researchers found that students in blended learning improved their language skills and had higher achievement than participants in exclusively face-to-face or online learning, while some researchers found there to be no statistically important differences in achievement when the blended model was used compared to a face-to-face setting. The specific problem is that the low language achievement of students seems to be related to lack of autonomous language learning skills, but their perceptions of the blended language courses regarding language achievement and autonomous learning skill have not been previously identified and analyzed. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to investigate student perceptions of course effectiveness factors for language proficiency as well as learner autonomy in a blended Korean language course to improve language achievement, especially in listening and reading comprehension skills. American students who attended intermediate and advanced blended Korean language courses applied with the LMS, <i>SAKAI</i> in 2014, 2015, and 2016 at the Osan Language Training Detachment (LTD), Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Korea, were invited to participate in the anonymous, open-ended online survey. Data from 10 of the participants were analyzed and evaluated. This study found the blended Korean language course was effective for language learning and achievement, but only 50% of participants stated it was effective for the improvement of autonomous learning skills. The other responses said those skills were dependent on various elements of the blended course such as activities, curriculum, teacher, and student&rsquo;s motivation and learning styles. The factors students found to be effective and ineffective as well as suggestions offered to improve the blended language course were discussed. Although the focus was on one Osan LTD teaching Korean language courses at DLIFLC, the findings could be able to improve language achievement and autonomous learning for future learner success as well as curriculum design in other foreign language courses in DLIFLC or other institutions.</p><p>