As online learning increases and classroom use of print textbooks are gradually replaced by web-based instruction, what features of online instruction prove beneficial to student learning? The present study has three purposes; (1) To examine the effects of conversion of textbook content to web-based instruction for an extant Internet search course. The researcher examined performance differences of an online textbook to web tutorial compared to a second version that included interactive features found in classroom instruction. (2) To investigate students perceptions of material that afforded high levels of learner control and compared responses to a more structured instructional module. (3) To document the design process used to convert textbook material to web-based instruction. GagnsÌ? Events of Instruction (1985) differentiated features for comparison and treatment online modules; one featured content-centered, the other learner-centered instructional strategies.

Homeschooling has become a viable educational choice for families; however, limited research has been conducted on the instructional strategies homeschooling parents use to instruct their children and whether these reflect a learner-centered teaching approach. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the learner-centered instructional strategies homeschooling parents use to teach their children mathematics. The conceptual framework for this single-case study was based on Weimer's learner-centered teaching model. Participants included 4 parents who homeschooled students in Grades 6-12 in a Western state and who received instructional support from a private school. Data were collected from interviews with homeschooling parents, online reflective journals maintained by homeschooling parents, and documents related to the homeschooling mathematics program. Data analysis included coding and examining emerging themes and patterns and discrepant data. The results indicated that the homeschooling parents aligned only a small amount of their instructional strategies with Weimer's learner-centered teaching model by trying to make mathematics fun, interesting, and relevant to their children's lives. They also differentiated instruction and chose curriculum that included some critical-thinking problems. The homeschooling parents taught using more traditional methods in which they were the primary instructors and made most of the decisions about the instructional content. The results of this study can contribute to positive social change by aiding curriculum designers and educators in their exploration of learner-centered and other instructional strategies they can use to design curriculum and instruct their students.

This MA project examines the creation, implementation, and effectiveness of the guidebook, Moving Forward: A Learner-Centered and Participatory Approach to Teaching Community Adult ESL, designed to help adult English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers base their classes on the specific needs of community adult education students. This guidebook was created in response to the need for lesson plans and activities that help teachers focus on learner needs. The activities in the guidebook are based on the National Institute for Literacy's (NIFL) adult literacy initiative, Equipped for the Future (EFF) because it focuses on the tasks adults must perform to function successfully on a daily basis. Participatory Curriculum Development (PCD) was used to create the specific activities in the guidebook because its focus is on creating curriculum based on the needs of learners.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to observe the science teaching practices of six primary school teachers in Standards 5 through 7, to learn about their perceptions of teaching science and to examine whether or not their teaching practices were in keeping with what they were taught during teacher preparation as well as Malawi's educational expectations for primary school science based upon MIITEP (Malawi Integrated In-service Teacher Education Program) handbooks. Three research questions were posited: (a) What is the teacher preparation program for primary teachers in Malawi? (b) What were the instructional practices of the six beginning primary school science teachers who were prepared in the teacher training college programs? (c) What connections were evident between what beginning primary school science teachers were expected to learn and what they demonstrated in the classroom? All of the six participants (5 males and 1 female) had completed MIITEP in the past three to five years. The data sources for these science teachers included a self-assessment form, pre-observation interviews, post-observation interviews, and lesson observations. Data were also gathered from MIITEP handbooks and three science teacher educators who were interviewed. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis. The study revealed that there were matches, partial matches, and mismatches between what the six primary school teachers demonstrated in their classroom as compared with the Malawi Ministry of Education science teacher preparation expectations. Of particular interest were that science teachers did not fully engage pupils in most of the process skills for science teaching, nor did they utilize a variety of appropriate teaching and learning strategies and materials for teaching science. In addition, allotted time for teaching science lessons was not fully utilized due to, among other factors, time conflicts with other official and community welfare duties, and mixing English with vernacular during teaching. Implications for practice and for further research have also been suggested. / Ph. D.

This study investigated the use of digital technologies in secondary and post-secondary graphic communication education. Specifically it investigated: 1) the extent to which graphic communication educators utilized digital technologies in conjunction with instruction; 2) how selected factors affected graphic communication teachers' implementation of digital technologies in their instruction; and, 3) how selected factors affected teacher and learner-centered instructional practices. The Levels of Technology Implementation (LoTi) and "Technology Use Survey" instruments were administered to secondary and post-secondary graphic communication educators via the Web to assess: 1) the frequency of use of 17 different digital technologies; 2) the nature and level of digital technology implementation; 3) current instructional practices; and 4) demographic characteristics. Graphic communication educators (n = 191) responding to the survey utilized a wide variety of digital technologies as part of their instruction. The data indicated that most students in graphic communication classes use computers, page layout software, and the Internet (for accessing digital content) "almost daily." Most graphic communication students were creating and/or editing vector and raster graphics "several times a week." Most graphic communication teachers reported student use of digital still cameras, digital instructional tutorials and the Internet (to solve technical problems) was limited to "several times a month," while most students were creating digital multimedia projects only "several times each year." Most respondents chose "never" to describe students' use of: digital video cameras, digital drawing tablets, creating and/or editing Web pages with a WYSIWYG or HTML editors, digital spreadsheets, digital databases, and digital animations. Findings from this study further indicate graphic communication educators demonstrate high to extremely high skill levels using computers for personal use and implement digital technologies in ways that begin to shift the learning environment from teacher-centered to student-centered, but may not be effectively updating their curriculum to reflect current graphic communication industry workforce needs. / Ph. D.

Actively engaging students in the classroom and promoting their interaction, both amongst themselves and with the instructor, is an important aspect to student learning. Research has demonstrated that student learning improves when instructors make use of pedagogical techniques which promote active learning. Equally important is instructor feedback from activities such as in-class assessments. Studies have shown that when instructor feedback is given at the time a new topic is introduced, student performance is improved. The focus of this thesis is the creation of a software program, Virtual Clicker, which addresses the need for active engagement, in-class feedback, and classroom interaction, even in large classrooms. When properly used it will allow for multi-directional feedback; teacher to student, student to teacher, and student to student. It also supports the use of digital ink for Tablet PCs in this interaction environment. / Master of Science

<p>This thesis examines learner-centered animal science education and its relationships with emotion, motivation and performance. Part I focuses on active learning strategies implemented in an introductory animal sciences course. This large-enrollment course had traditionally been taught through traditional, passive learning methods. Instructors added learning activities such as case studies and hands-on laboratory stations to supplement lecture-based instruction. Chapter Two summarizes the impacts of different active learning techniques implemented in the course and characterizes students enrolled in the course based on their interests, past experiences, and demographic information. Building on these findings, Chapter Three describes an experiment quantitatively comparing the effects of three learning strategies (lecture, case study, and laboratory station) on students’ experience of interest and motivation. In both studies, students rated themselves highly interested in animal sciences throughout the semester. More collaborative, problem-based instructional methods (i.e. laboratory stations and case studies) were favored by students and resulted in higher student interest and internalized motivation. Results presented in Part I may inform the creation of instructional techniques to support student motivation, retention, and performance. Part II describes an online learning program contextualizing STEM learning within poultry science and implemented in high school classrooms during the fall 2018 semester. The program was designed to increase students’ knowledge and interest in both poultry and STEM fields to support the development of poultry- and STEM-literacy and meet workforce needs. Chapter Four describes program effects on students’ knowledge, awareness, and interest in the poultry industry. In contrast, Chapter Five focuses on the program’s effects on students’ STEM learning and STEM motivation. In addition, Chapter Five provides background on teacher and contextual factors influencing the program’s implementation. Results from these studies indicate that the program effectively increased students’ STEM and poultry knowledge, and increased motivation for some students. However, other qualitative and quantitative data indicated that some students experienced difficulties relating content to their lives. In addition, the program’s effects on students differed substantially based on teachers and classroom implementation. Both students and teachers also mentioned a need for more hands-on, collaborative elements in the program. Although results from Part II show promise that contextualizing STEM learning within agriculture may effectively increase knowledge and motivation, more research is needed to understand how to select and personalize contexts to maximize their relevance to students, and how to support teachers in effectively implementing these approaches. In conclusion, learner-centered instructional strategies such as problem-based and hands-on learning can be designed to enhance students’ interest, motivation, and performance. However, more research is needed to understand the complex personal and contextual factors moderating the effectiveness of these approaches when implemented in authentic classroom settings. Future studies clarifying these effects can advance the development of theory-based educational resources.</p>

Reconceptualization is needed for English language teaching as a response to English-as-an-international language (EIL) contexts. Correspondingly this will lead to what is called “an ecological approach” that invites accommodation of language-learning instruction to the local needs within discourse communities. In this research, the researcher will investigate the English for specific purposes (ESP) needs of business students to explore how best to address their expressed needs through subsequent tutoring. The ecological approach along with vocabulary teaching approach may look deeply into students’ needs. To assess their needs, a questionnaire was developed and administrated to international students in the College of Business and Public Administration (CBPA) at California State University, San Bernardino to investigate what students feel are their strengths as well as needs, in order to succeed in their business studies.