This research study explores the gamification of SandBoxModel's Project Team Builder, a project management simulation software. Scope, time and cost are the three constraints of project management with quality being the fourth dimension. The software provides a simulated environment where the students are responsible for handling the aforementioned constraints with the objective of executing a complete project. The software is used to teach project management concepts to students who take the CNIT 480 - Managing Information Technology Projects course at Purdue University. The perception survey was used to analyze whether gamification had a significant effect on student understanding of project execution concepts. The triple constraint survey was used to analyze students' level of comprehension regarding the triple constraints after using the simulation software. Gamification was not a success in enhancing project execution concepts since no significant differences were found in student perceptions on comparing the data of the three semesters. However, simulation independent of gamification was successful in improving students' understanding of triple constraint. <br>

The ubiquity of mobile devices together with their potential to bridge classroom learning to real-world settings has added a new perspective to contextualising mathematics learning, but this needs further exploration. The aim of this thesis is to examine the effects of using mobile technologies on students’ attitudes, engagement and achievement in mathematics. The study starts with a systematic review of maths and mobile learning studies followed by three iterations of data collection. The three studies were mixed-methods studies guided by the micro, meso, macro (M3) Evaluation Framework. The studies included eight mobile learning sessions spread over three months covering topics on geometry and information handling. These sessions were conducted as collaborative learning activities in indoor and outdoor settings. Participants were Primary 6 and 7 students from three different schools in Scotland. In Study 1 (a single-group design, n=24), students had positive evaluations of mobile learning but some technical problems experienced lessened their initially positive views. There was a small effect in student self-confidence (ES=.20) and a significant positive difference between pre and post-test achievement scores. Breakdowns identified via the critical incident analysis in Study 1 informed the activity design of Study 2. In Study 2 (a quasi-experimental design, n=52), students had more positive perceptions about the use of mobile technology. The experimental group had higher gain scores on the maths test than the control group. In Study 3, a randomised controlled trial over six weeks (n=74), students also had positive evaluations of the mobile learning activities but this varied by gender. Analysis of the maths test scores with pre-test as covariate showed both groups had significantly improved their scores, but no significant treatment effect was found. For items relating to common student misconceptions on angles, students in the experimental group had significantly higher gains than the control group. The overall results from the three studies provide some evidence that students can have positive perceptions about the use of mobile technologies and that these can be effective in supporting students’ engagement and performance in mathematics, especially when learning takes place outside the classroom. It also showed that the success of a mobile learning intervention is dependent on various factors, such as student and teacher characteristics, stability of the technology and content compatibility, among other factors. There were several limitations including sample size, length of intervention, and programme fidelity. Implications for practice and future researchers are discussed.

The findings of this study challenge essentialised conceptions of “the student” as a young national, entering higher education directly from school with appropriate school-leaving qualifications, to devote themselves entirely to their studies, undistracted by caring responsibilities or work commitments, unconstrained by disabilities, conforming to an unproblematised binary conception of gender which informs an appropriate choice of study programme, participating in stereotypical student extramural pursuits along the way. The study tracked 23 students from 7 universities who volunteered themselves as ‘non-traditional’ in their own study contexts over the course of a calendar year. Drawing on concepts of ‘diaspora space’, ‘nomadism’, dis/identification and mis/recognition, this study maps out these students’ perceptions of the different aspects of their engagement as these changed over time as well as their self-conceptions and their descriptions of their ‘imagined communities’. The importance of relationships of different kinds (with other people, with their studies, and with their universities and other structures) in their decisions about persistence is noted. Student Engagement (SE) has been widely accepted as contributing positively to the student experience, student success and outcomes, including persistence / retention. ‘Non-traditional’ students, while having the potential to benefit most from SE, are often reported as feeling unengaged or alienated, and constitute ‘at risk’ groups in terms of persistence / retention. This study has established that the construct ‘non-traditional student’ can be considered a ‘chaotic conception’, since students bearing that label may have nothing in common beyond not conforming to ‘traditional’ criteria. Students may consider themselves ‘non-traditional’ in their particular study contexts for many reasons, often presenting with more than one factor from a checklist of what is not traditional in that context. The study also found reported mismatches between resources and services offered by universities for defined groups of ‘non-traditional’ students, and the support sought by students in this study. These mismatches hinge on factors such as fear of stigma, disparities between how target groups are defined and how students self-identify, opacity of systems and processes and perceived differences in priority.

This qualitative exploration takes place within the context of homelessness, oral health and health promotion. The idea for this work was associated with 'An Action Plan for Improving Oral Health and Modernising NHS Dental Services in Scotland', which identified homeless people as a priority group. This led to ‘Something to Smile About’ (STSA), a pilot oral health promotion intervention for homelessness sector practitioners and homeless clients. An evaluation of STSA, which was judged to have failed, highlighted the interplay between intervention design, and the two principal stakeholders: practitioners and homeless clients. The aim of the research was to explore the contextual and experiential elements of homelessness that influence homeless people’s engagement with health promotion. As the research progressed, these two factors were conceptualised as the public and private faces of homelessness. It became apparent that to fully understand the issues surrounding homeless people’s engagement, it would be necessary to explore the private, innermost elements of homelessness. Seventeen homelessness sector practitioners and 34 homeless people took part in a qualitative exploration, in order to examine the engagement process from the perspective of both stakeholders. It emerged that that the homelessness policy context, coupled with work environments and perceptions of clients, shaped practitioners’ interactions and thus influenced client engagement. Practitioners utilised a narrow ‘window of engagement opportunity’ within a wider framework of managing client health problems and preparation for engagement, engaging with clients, and finally, disengaging from clients. From the work with homeless people, a ‘journey’ through homelessness emerged, in the form of a trajectory from ‘deconstruction’ of pre-homeless identity, to ‘construction’ of a homeless identity, and finally, to ‘reconstruction’ of a post-homeless, ‘reclaimed’ life. Appropriate points for engagement on this trajectory were identified. The thesis ends with a set of recommendations to assist practitioners to engage their homeless clients, and from the client perspective, encourage and facilitate engagement with practitioners and health promotion services.

The engagement process in group therapy is a significant step in the treatment of clients in building feelings of safety and inclusion, which becomes challenging when the clientele is attending involuntarily. The following research project monitored the progress of a 20-week batterer intervention program, measuring the perceived effectiveness of the facilitator in engaging the clients, and the congruency of the facilitator’s and the participants perceived level of engagement. The observations of groups and the facilitator’s interview proved helpful in determining that group members and the facilitator did have likeminded perceptions of group engagement, but perception of the level at which the participants were presumably engaged in the therapeutic process was different. This study could impact social work practice by encouraging modification of the criteria for group members, and diversifying the therapeutic techniques used by facilitators.

As various stakeholders examine the value and quality of higher education, a greater emphasis is being put on educational outcomes. There is constant focus on improving the quality of undergraduate education and one of the keys to this is understanding what makes a good instructor. Effective instructors rely on a variety of tools and techniques to engage their students and help them learn. One common tool that instructors in higher education rely on in the classroom is humor. The primary research question this study is attempting to answer is: In what ways, if any, does humor infused instruction promote high levels of affective, cognitive, and participant perceptions of behavioral engagement among college students? The researcher's hypothesis is that college students who view video clips of humor infused instruction will be significantly more affectively, cognitively, and behaviorally engaged than students who view video clips of the same instructional content without humor. In order to test whether instructor use of humor in class increases student engagement, students were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group watched a lecture on fallacies that includes humorous illustrations and examples while the other group watched a lecture that does not include these humorous illustrations and examples. Immediately after watching the lecture students were asked to complete an 18-item questionnaire that measured their engagement.

En los últimos años, la evolución de los medios online ha ocasionado gran impacto en las tendencias de compra. Esto afecta principalmente a las marcas que buscan crecer a través del mundo digital, por lo que cada vez son más las marcas que trasladan sus negocios a redes sociales o páginas web, buscando dar al consumidor una mejor experiencia de compra. El objetivo principal, en muchos casos, es tener un valor diferencial que haga que sus marcas conecten con sus clientes, es ahí donde entra el término engagement, también conocido como consumer Brand engagement (CBE) que trata de la relación entre el consumidor y la marca, creando un vínculo social y emocional que lleva al consumidor a interactuar con la marca en el ámbito tanto online como offline. La presente investigación considera dos de las principales estrategias de promoción basadas en precio (reducción directa y reducción en el propio producto) como principal fuente de engagement para las marcas en Instagram y se pretende descubrir si la relación entre ambas es positiva o negativa. Para ello, se utilizaron técnicas de recolección de datos cuantitativos y cualitativos que luego de ser analizados dan resultados favorables a la investigación. / In the las years, the evolution of online media has caused a big impact on buying trends. The mainly effects brands that seek to grow through the digital world, so that more and more brands that move their business to social networks or web pages, seeking to give the consumer a better shopping experience. The main objective, in many cases, is to have a differential value that makes their brands connect with their costumers, that’s where the engagement term comes in, also known as consumer brand engagement (CBE) that deals with the relationship between the costumer and the brand, creating social and emotional link that leads the costumer to interact with the brand, both online and offline. This research considers two of the main strategies of promotion based in price (direct reduction and reduction in the product itself) as the main source of engagement for the brands in Instagram and it is intended to discover if the relationship between both is positive or negative. To reach this objective, quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques were used, after being analyzed, they give favorable results to the investigation. / Trabajo de investigación

Business leaders in the accounting/auditing profession have limited knowledge of how employee engagement, employee job satisfaction, and organizational commitment relate to each other. The role of engaged, satisfied, and committed employees is important as globalization allows for unprecedented talent mobility. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between employee engagement, employee job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. The theoretical framework incorporated Emerson's social exchange theory and Bakker and Demerouti's job demands-resource theory. The sample included 82 out of 295 members of the Northeast Chapter of the New York State Society of CPAs who work in Albany County, New York. The sample was recruited through a nonrandom purposive sampling method. There is significant association measured between employee engagement and employee job satisfaction (r = .717, p < .001). Additionally, there is a significant association between employee engagement and organizational commitment (r = .702, p < .001). Based on the analysis, there is a significant association between employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment (r = .853, p < .001). The regression model showed that employee engagement and employee job satisfaction, when taken together, were significant predictors of organizational commitment (F(2, 79) = 115.112, p < .0005, R2 = .745). The implications for positive social change include strategies geared towards increasing engagement and job satisfaction, which in turn influences organizational commitment, resulting in a highly productive workforce and increased profitability.

Sixty-five percent of small business leaders indicated a lack of workforce engagement practices as an administrative strategy to mitigate the adverse effects of employee disengagement. Guided by Weber's organizational theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies some leaders used to increase employee engagement. Five small business leaders in the southwestern United States participated in semistructured interviews. The participants employed successful strategies to increase employee engagement. Data collection included the review of company documents, face-to-face interviews, and member checking to explore successful strategies to increase employee engagement. Data analysis included coding and organizing data and information according to Yin's 5-step process. Using topic coding, data were arranged into nodes grounded in the context of organizational theory. The study results revealed 3 principal themes: effective and honest communication, supportive leadership behavior, and implementation of employee engagement practices into the business culture and practices. The implications of this study for positive social change include that leaders can apply employee engagement strategies for emerging leaders and develop mentoring and leadership opportunities and programs to maximize the sustainability of the organization.

Die Entwicklung von Jugendlichen ist ein Resultat individueller und kontextueller Charakteristika (Lerner & Lerner, 2011). Unter dieser Perspektive sind Wirkungen eines gemeinnützigen Engagements sowohl auf Eigenschaften des Individuums (dem Engagierten) als auch des Kontextes (das gemeinnützige Engagement) zurückzuführen. Diese Arbeit betrachtet sowohl individuelle als auch kontextuelle Faktoren, die im Zusammenhang mit unterschiedlichen Engagementerfahrungen und Veränderungen in verschiedenen Entwicklungsbereichen des Engagierten stehen. Vorangegangene Forschungsarbeiten konnten bereits darstellen, dass positive Effekte eines gemeinnützigen Engagements durch die Erfahrungen im Engagement mediiert werden (Youniss & Yates, 1997, Reinders & Youniss, 2006). Demnach fühlen sich Jugendliche durch ihr gemeinnütziges Engagement verstärkt als effektiv Handelnde (agency-Erfahrung) und erleben häufiger, dass sich die Sicht auf die eigene Person (ideology-Erfahrung) in Folge der eigenen Aktivität im Engagement verändert. In dieser Studie werden zwei Hauptaspekte betrachtet: Zum einen werden Wirkungen kontextueller Faktoren fokussiert, indem zwischen verschiedenen Arten gemeinnützigen Engagements differenziert wird. Gemeinnützige Engagements unterscheiden sich demnach nach dem Ausmaß, a) in dem Engagierte direkte soziale Kontakte zu den Adressaten im Engagement haben und b) in dem Engagierte und Engagementadressaten einen unterschiedlichen sozialen Status aufweisen. Zum anderen betrachtet diese Studie Effekte der role identity des Engagierten als einen individuellen Faktor. Die role identity beschreibt das Ausmaß, in dem die Rolle des Engagierten ein Teil des eigenen Selbstkonzeptes ist, wobei sich Engagierte im Ausmaß ihrer role identity voneinander unterscheiden können (Grube & Piliavin, 2000). Es wird geprüft, in welchem Ausmaß sowohl die Art des Engagements als auch der Grad der Internalisierung der Engagiertenrolle (role identity) die jugendliche Entwicklung beeinflussen. Zur Untersuchung der Rolle kontextueller Faktoren wurde angenommen, dass die Art des Engagements das Ausmaß der Reflexionshäufigkeit der Jugendlichen indirekt über die ideology-Erfahrung beeinflusst (Mediation). Zusätzlich wurde vermutet, dass sich die von den Engagementerfahrungen (agency-Erfahrung) ausgehenden Effekte auf die Reflexion zwischen den Engagierten mit und ohne direkte Kontakte zu statusungleichen Personen/Gruppen unterscheiden (Moderation). Für die individuellen Faktoren wurde erwartet, dass das Ausmaß an role identity die Bereitschaft zum prosozialen Handeln sowie die Häufigkeit, mit der die Engagierten über Intergruppenbeziehungen nachdenken (Reflexion), indirekt beeinflusst. Die Vermittlung des Effektes erfolgt hierbei durch die agency- und ideology-Erfahrung (Mediation). Ebenso wurde angenommen, dass sich der Effekt von den Erfahrungen (agency- und ideology-Erfahrung) auf die Reflexion und auf das prosoziale Handeln zwischen den Engagierten mit unterschiedlicher role identity-Ausprägung unterscheidet (Moderation). Die Datengrundlage bildet eine zwei Messzeitpunkte umfassende Längsschnittstudie von 2400 deutschen Jugendlichen im Alter zwischen 14 und 15 Jahren. Die Förderung des Projektes erfolgte durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Re1569/6-1 und Re1569/6-2). Die Analyse der angenommenen Zusammenhänge basiert auf Grundlage einer Substichprobe von engagierten Jugendlichen (n=682). Die Spezifikation der Mediations- und Moderationsmodelle erfolgte über true change-Modelle im Rahmen latenter Strukturgleichungsmodellierungen. Die Ergebnisse der Mediationsanalysen zeigen, dass Jugendliche, die im Rahmen ihres gemeinnützigen Engagements in direkter Interaktion zu statusungleichen Personen/Gruppen stehen, mehr ideology-Erfahrung erlebten. In Folge der stärkeren ideology-Erfahrungen für Engagierte mit direkten sozialen Kontakten ergibt sich im Vergleich zu Engagierten ohne solche direkten Beziehungen ein höheres Ausmaß an Reflexion von Intergruppenbeziehungen. Des Weiteren kann gezeigt werden, dass ein höheres Ausmaß an role identity zu stärkeren agency- und ideology-Erfahrungen führt. In Folge der stärkeren agency- und ideology-Erfahrung war festzustellen, dass Jugendliche mit einer höheren role identity-Ausprägung verstärkt über Intergruppenbeziehungen nachdenken und eine höhere Bereitschaft zum prosozialen Handeln aufweisen. Die Ergebnisse der Moderationsanalysen verweisen darauf, dass der Effekt von der agency-Erfahrung auf das prosoziale Handeln zwischen engagierten Jugendlichen mit höherer role identity-Ausprägung stärker ausfällt. Zudem ist festzustellen, dass der Effekt von ideology-Erfahrung auf das prosoziale Handeln durch das unterschiedliche Ausmaß an role identity moderiert wird. Zusammengefasst konnte gezeigt werden, dass sowohl die Identifikation mit der Rolle des Engagierten als auch die Art des Engagements wichtige Faktoren für die Erklärung der Wirkungsweise gemeinnützigen Engagements auf die jugendliche Entwicklung sind. / Individual and contextual characteristics shape adolescents’ development (Lerner & Lerner, 2011). In that sense, community service effects involve on the one hand individual (the volunteer) and context (community service activity) contributions. This study investigates how personal and contextual factors are related with experiences made during service as well as with the volunteers’ developmental outcomes. Previous research showed that positive community service effects were mediated through the experiences made during service. Being active in service, adolescents felt efficacious while helping others (agency experiences) and experienced that their views about themselves and the world were challenged (ideology experiences). In the present study, two main aspects are considered. First, contextual characteristics were focused, differentiating two types of voluntary activities. Volunteers’ activities differ in the extent to which a) they work with the receiver of the help directly and b) the social status differs between the volunteer and the receiver of the help. Second, the study investigates effects of the volunteers’ role identity, as an individual characteristic. Role identity describes the extent to which a specific role features as a volunteer becomes a part of a persons’ self-concept. Volunteers typically differ in the degree of personal role identity (Grube & Piliavin, 2000). In this study it was tested how the type of community service and the extent of internalizing the volunteer role affect the personal development of the adolescents. Focusing contextual factors, it was suggested that the type of volunteer work indirectly affected the degree to which volunteers engage in prosocial activities and reflecting on intergroup relations, as mediated through adolescent’ on agency and ideology experiences (mediation). Moreover, the effects of ideology experiences on the volunteers’ intergroup reflections differ between volunteers with and without direct contacts with the receivers of help (moderation). In respect to individual factors, it was expected that the effect of role identity on volunteers’ engagement in prosocial behaviors and intergroup reflections were mediated through adolescents’ agency and ideology experiences (mediation). Further, it was assumed that the effect of service experiences on volunteers’ community service outcomes (prosocial behavior, intergroup reflections) differ depending on the extent the volunteer’s role identity (moderation). The data were collected in a two-wave longitudinal study surveying 2400 German adolescents aged between 14 and 15 years. The project was supported by the German Research Foundation (Re1569/6-1 und Re1569/6-2). Focusing on the subsample of adolescents who were actually engaged in volunteering (n=682). The hypothesized mediation and moderation relations were modeled in true intraindividual change models using latent structural equation modeling techniques. Supporting the mediation hypotheses, the analyses showed that adolescents working within a service context with a direct interaction to people from different social backgrounds made more ideology experience during their volunteer work. In consequence, those volunteers in direct social community service activities reflected more on intergroup relations than volunteers without such direct contacts. Further, adolescents who identified with their volunteer role to a greater extent reported more agency and ideology experiences during community service. Subsequently, those higher rates of service experiences were linked to higher rates of intergroup reflections and prosocial behaviors. The main results of the moderation analysis showed, that the effect of agency experiences on prosocial behaviors differed between volunteers with different rates of role identity. Furthermore, the effect of ideology experience on prosocial behaviors was also moderated by adolescents’ extend of role identity. Overall, volunteers’ role identity as well as the type of volunteers’ activities was shown to be important factors contributing to service effects on adolescents’ development as mediated through the experiences made during service.