<p> The purpose of this dissertation is to describe and understand how teachers describe the changes in their practices as a result of ten years participation in a one-to-one environment. This research study focuses on one successful middle school&rsquo;s adoption of laptops to support teaching and learning. A qualitative study using interviews of key participants was undertaken with teachers and administrators. The Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework was used in conjunction with Rogers&rsquo; Diffusion of Innovation framework to understand from the participants&rsquo; perspective changes to their practice. The results indicate teachers underwent changes in their use of technology to support teaching and learning, showing increasing overlap between the domains of technological and pedagogical knowledge. The changes resulted in an increase in the transparency of the teaching and learning process for other teachers, students, administrators, and parent. These changes were supported by four school-wide factors; the adoption of a common software suite, robust social networks, modeling by leadership and the professional development model used. The findings were discussed in relation to participants&rsquo; position on the adoption spectrum of Rogers&rsquo; Diffusion of Innovation theory.</p>

<p> This study was designed to investigate an accredited dental assisting educational program at a Midwest community college. The Bureau of Labor of Statistics (2015) claimed the profession of dental assisting is one of the fastest growing occupation, along with ongoing research that good oral health is linked to overall general health, thereby increasing the need for more dental assistants in the workforce. The aim of this study was to determine if dental assisting students taking courses in a face-to-face traditional format performed differently from students taking courses in a hybrid (a combination of face-to-face and online) format. The researcher invited a total of 92 students from cohorts in 2012, 2013, and 2014 to participate. Of the students who elected to participate, 62% were from the traditional cohort, and 39% were from the hybrid cohort. Data collected from a cross-sectional survey focused on the tenets of the theory of Communities of Practice. De-identified data were collected to compare students&rsquo; progress between the traditional and hybrid cohorts with retention rates and national examination scores using a t-test for data analysis. The results confirmed no statistically significant performance differences were apparent between the two groups of students. The hybrid delivery format was as effective in educating dental assisting students as the traditional educational format.</p>

No description available.

<p> Technology usage in educational setting has gained ground in African countries, especially in Nigeria. Although technology resources in education are financed by the Nigerian government, the teachers required to use and implement such technology are not always accepting of technology use. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research was to examine any if there was a relationship between teachers&rsquo; perceptions of technology integration, level of technology integration, teachers&rsquo; age, educational level, grade level taught, years of experience, and content areas taught. The theoretical framework of the study was Bem&rsquo;s self-perception theory. Participants included 374 teachers from the Oyo State teaching service commission (TESCOM) drafted from two zonal offices in the Ibadan metropolis. Participants completed the Teacher Technology Integration Survey (TTIS) which was adapted from the Technology Integration Survey (TIS). Data analyses included both descriptive and correlational Spearman&rsquo;s rank. The results indicated there is a positive relationship in teachers&rsquo; gender, grade level taught, years of experience, or content areas taught and technology integration. A moderate positive linear relationship was found between technology integration between teachers aged 30 and below and 50 and above; whereas there was a weak positive linear relationship between teachers of age 30 and below and 31&ndash;40. A statistically weak negative relationship was found in levels of education; between a doctoral degree and Nigerian certificate of education (NCE), and also between a doctorate and bachelor&rsquo;s and master&rsquo;s. Recommendations include increased technology orientation and training for teachers.</p>

<p> This integrative research review aims to examine the application of Kolb&rsquo;s theory of experiential learning through the use of simulations within virtual learning environments. It will first cover the framework of experiential learning as stated by Kolb, a learning theory that is finding new life within the context of simulations, role-playing games (RPGs), massive multiplayer role playing games (MMORPGs) and virtual environments. This analysis was conducted by making use of combined research strategies that focused specifically on both qualitative and quantitative reviews that utilized Kolb&rsquo;s experiential theory of learning (ELT) within the context of the application of computer based simulations in virtual environments used to facilitate learning. The review was guided by three principle questions: From the year 2000 to 2016, which research studies that examine the use of simulations to facilitate learning, use experiential learning theory as its foundational theoretical approach? Of the works that were selected, which studies were computer based simulations in virtual environments and demonstrated firm connections between Kolb&rsquo;s ELT and the results of the study? And lastly, within the final group of studies identified what patterns emerge through the application of Kolb&rsquo;s ELT within the context of computer based simulations in virtual environments? </p>

<p> Institutions of higher education seeking to stay relevant and accountable in today&rsquo;s fast-paced, shortened-focused, digital technology age, realize that the time has arrived to apply a variety of newer technology-based pedagogical strategies (Bergmann &amp; Sams, 2012; Bonilla, 2011; Gerstein, 2012; Mazur, 1996). A <i>flipped classroom</i> &ldquo;uses technology to move lectures outside the classroom and uses learning activities to move practice with concepts inside the classroom&rdquo; (Strayer, 2012, p. 171). Technology use is often dictated by faculty attitudes and perceptions rather than by course content (Davis, 2011; Parker, Bianchi, &amp; Cheah, 2008). </p><p> This mixed methods study was guided by two research questions:</p><p> 1. To what extent do age, gender, years of teaching experience, and faculty rank relate to attitudes toward instructional technology usage and usage via flipped teaching strategies?</p><p> 2. How do faculty perceive the use of instructional technology with regard to flipped classroom teaching strategies?</p><p> Using a multiphase mixed methods design, this study examined and explored faculty perceptions of instructional technology used in experiential flipped classroom settings. Phase I data collection surveyed faculty members <i> N</i>=<i>118</i> on four campuses of a private academic institution; Phase II data collection involved <i>N</i>=<i>13</i> focus groups and <i>N</i>=<i>6</i> depth interview participants who consented as part of the survey phase; Phase III comprised elite interviews with campus information technology staff <i>N</i>=<i>4</i>, who then participated in Phase IV reflective questionnaires.</p><p> No statistically significant relationship was found between age, gender, faculty rank, or years of teaching experience and attitudes toward instructional technology or usage via flipped teaching strategies. Analysis of the qualitative data resulted in the emergence of six themes: a) early adopters, b) comfort, c) time, d) tools, e) training, and f) recognition. Results of connected quantitative and qualitative findings suggested that those who identify with the very principles of technology, such as innovation, progress, and change, adopted instructional technology for reasons that were highly personal factors versus external or job-related influences or factors.</p><p> This study may provide higher education stakeholders with a richer understanding of the relationship between faculty, flipped classroom, and best practices with regard to instructional technology use.</p><p>

<p> Research has demonstrated that well into their undergraduate and even graduate education, learners often struggle to understand basic statistical concepts, fail to see their relevance in their personal and professional lives, and often treat them as little more than mere mathematics exercises. Undergraduate learners often see statistical concepts as means to passing exams, completing required courses, and moving on with their degree, and not as <i>instruments of inquiry</i> that can illuminate their world in new and useful ways. </p><p> This study explored ways help learners in an undergraduate learning context to treat statistical inquiry as mattering in a practical research context, by inviting them to ask questions about and analyze large, real, messy datasets that they have collected about their own personal lives (i.e., <i>self </i>-data). This study examined the conditions under which such an intervention might (and might not) successfully lead to a greater sense of the relevance of statistics to undergraduate learners. The goal is to place learners in a context where their relationship with data analysis can more closely mimic that of disciplinary professionals than that of students with homework; that is, where they are illuminating something about their world that concerns them for reasons beyond the limited concerns of the classroom.</p><p> The study revealed five themes in the experiences of learners working with self-data that highlight contexts in which data-analysis can be made to matter to learners (and how self-data can make that more likely): learners must be able to form expectations of the data, whether based on their own experiences or external benchmarks; the data should have variation to account for; the learners should treat the ups and downs of the data as more or less preferable in some way; the data should address or related to ongoing projects or concerns of the learner; and finally, learners should be able to investigate quantitative or qualitative covariates of their data. In addition, narrative analysis revealed that learners using self-data treated data analysis as more than a mere classroom exercise, but as exercises in inquiry and with an invested engagement that mimicked (in some ways) that of a disciplinary professional. </p>

<p> Nurses need sharp, clinical reasoning skills to respond to critical situations and to be successful at work in a complex and challenging healthcare system. While past research has focused on using virtual learning environments to teach clinical reasoning, there has been limited research on the experiences of nursing faculty and there is a need for research to include a clearer understanding of potentially significant insights that nurse educators may gain from teaching clinical reasoning skills with virtual learning tools. This qualitative study identified and described nursing faculty experiences with teaching clinical reasoning skills when using virtual learning environments. The researcher interviewed eight nursing faculty and content analyzed the data from those interviews. Findings from this qualitative study supported past research and added to the body of knowledge regarding faculty members&rsquo; use of virtual learning environments. For example, faculty experiences indicated that virtual learning environments included patient situations that offered faculty a way to better assess students. It was found that assessing a student in the clinical setting could be very subjective, while the virtual environment is finite. Faculty experiences indicated that one of the challenges to teaching clinical reasoning skills with virtual learning environments was that students found that virtual communication was difficult and faculty claimed that using virtual environments increased faculty workload. The findings of this study provided deeper understanding into experiences reported by nursing faculty on the teaching of clinical reasoning skills when using a virtual learning environment. Recommendations for further research include using a larger sample size, a specified education level population, traditional, face-to-face classes as compared to classes from an online, or blended program, and investigating use of a specific virtual learning environment, in new research.</p>

<p> This study examined the role of social media in the lives of Saudi female international college students as they faced issues related to adjusting to living and studying in a culture vastly different from their own. Social media is an increasingly important consideration in literature on self-identity, education, and community. This study employed qualitative interview methods to explore this topic. Fourteen Saudi female international college students living in the United States for three to nine years answered questions about their personal identities in Saudi Arabia and in the United States, their social media use in Saudi Arabia and in the United States, their experiences with online communities, and their experiences with educational social media. Of the 14 participants, nine were married and five were unmarried, nine were graduate students and five were undergraduate students, and all ranged in age from 18 to 40. Major themes that emerged were identity as a Saudi, female, Muslim, and student; identity changes after arriving in the United States; social media and the expression of identity; the role of communities in the lives of Saudi female international college students; and educational social media and Saudi female international students. Recommendations developed from this study&rsquo;s findings aimed to help U.S. professors better understand their male and female Saudi students, how Saudi cultural and religious factors impacted these males and females differently, and how to effectively use educational social media in a way that acknowledged Saudi culture but still encouraged participation by all Saudi students. Limitations of this study, recommendations for future research topics, and a conclusion are also provided. The findings of this research further point the need for educators to understand how to implement social media in the classroom in a way that serves students of all cultural backgrounds as the U.S. educational system continues to receive large numbers of Saudi international students each year. Overall, this study found the experiences of Saudi female international college students studying in the United States impacted their identities, their use of social media to connect with their communities, and how they interacted in a culturally diverse classroom through educational social media.</p>

<p> Considerable research provides clear evidence for the relationship between student achievement and the engagement of parents and community members with their local schools through meaningful involvement of parents, families, and members of the community. The purpose of this mixed-methods research study is to find evidence supporting building principals in communication efforts which engage students&rsquo; families thus contributing to student learning and achievement. The growing expectation that educational leaders use digital communications and social media to engage others has been met with some success by some building administrators and school district leaders. </p><p> This study focuses on the communication skills and behaviors of principals and the resulting effects on public perception and engagement. Qualitative, focus-group interviews were conducted with principals at both the elementary and secondary levels. Survey data was gathered from parents and community members measuring attitude and perspective. Results suggest effective principals are aware of the impact of digital communications and social media and are becoming more strategic in their use of such tools. Participants report increased involvement in school activities as a result of their efforts. Survey results indicate most parents and community members (83%) rank their local school most favorably. Principals effectively using digital communications and social media meaningfully engage a variety of parents and community members knowing their involvement can lead to improved student achievement.</p>