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Innovative Learning Environments are increasingly built and implemented in schools, but are not necessarily being used according to designers' intentions. The goal of this study was to examine teacher perceptions of the innovative learning spaces they were charged with using and to determine if they were being used effectively and as designed. The research was guided by three basic questions: what were the teachers' perceptions of these spaces, was the teacher pedagogy need to change to accommodate the space, and did the teacher feel support by campus leadership. The fourth research question centered around the goals and vision of the design team that created the innovative learning space. The crux of the issue was that the districts vision for the space came to fruition once the teachers were in the actual space with the students. This qualitative study interviewed seven teachers in the educational setting and separately interviewed the design team. The results indicated that some of the teachers were unaware of the definition of an innovative space and believed that they were utilizing the space in ways that met the designs of the campus leadership. Furthermore, teachers felt the new designs caused a classroom management issue as well as safety and security concerns. The design team felt that teachers needed more training on how to use the innovative spaces and that they were not being used as intended. To inform future school and district policies as well as educational leadership practices, more work is needed around what types of training might be more effective in helping teachers make a pedagogical change if assigned to an innovative learning environment.

In this study I defined the global learning environment (GLE) as it appeared in the Global Seminar Project (GSP) to address the issues of change in higher education under the pressure of globalization. The combination of constructivist theory and a Biggs' (2003) deep learning concept provided a framework for answering the following research questions: (a)what project components make the course global? and (b)in what ways does the Global Seminar contribute to deep learning? For the purposes of this study, I used three forms of data collection, including in-depth, open-ended interviews of 20 GSP's instructors; 11 direct observations of the GSP classroom; and analysis of GSP's written documents and artifacts. I used the open-coding feature of ATLAS.ti software to analyze the interview data and identify the descriptive themes that emerged from the observations and documents. The interview analyses revealed that the GSP's global learning environment included five areas: (a) course structure and academic leadership/management; (b) stakeholder involvement; (c) institutional support; (d) course conducive content; and (e) teaching and learning practices. Within these five major areas I indicated four "global" categories of the learning environment established in the course: innovative, international, interactive, supported by the culture of mutual learning. Evidence of deep learning included observed development of students' generic metacompetencies, identified components of instructors' teaching quality, and recognized value of the relationships among course participants. The research findings brought about two co-dependent understandings of the GLE as a conceptual phenomenon and a practical model. As a conceptual phenomenon, the GLE can be defined as a specific property of an educational structure that occurs when teachers and students are engaged in innovative experiences with the purpose of acquiring understanding of complex global-scale issues by means of cross-cultural interactions and on the basis of mutual learning. Applied to an educational practice, this understanding of the GLE forms a constructive and participatory model that provides possibilities for transforming higher education practices: shifting from mass-production knowledge to genuine quality education based on the values of teachers. These conclusive definitions open a dialogue regarding how the GLE can initiate meaningful changes in educational theory and practices. / Ph. D.

The leadership traits necessary in today's military medicine learning environment involve recognition of the rapid changes in technology, and possession of the ability to ensure continuous transformation and adaptability to that change. Understanding the culture of military medicine is an essential leadership capability, coupled with effective communication and visionary skills (Chambers, 1991). Medical organizations that adopt new technologies in their training can expect better productivity and medical readiness (von Lubitz, Beier, Freer, Levine, Pletcher, Treloar, Wilkerson, & Wolf, 2001). United States medical school programs have recognized the need to introduce new technologies to allow clinicians to stay competent and reduce lethal medical mishaps (Elwyn & Lewis, 1998). The purpose of this study is to examine the adoption of instructional technology by faculty members at a military medical education program (Interservice Physician Assistant Program – IPAP). Within the case study, factors that facilitated or inhibited the adoption of instructional technology were examined. Additionally, IPAP program leadership behaviors were examined to describe its association with faculty member's adoption of instructional technology. Multiple methods were used to gather data including interviews, observations, and document analysis. This research used the grounded theory qualitative method approach to develop a theory deductively from the data. Fifteen faculty members participated in this study, 12 faculty members and three program leaders. The findings suggest that significant efforts and positive attitudes toward the use of instructional technology existed among faculty members. However, the process of instructional technology integration at this military medical training facility faced impediments that affected its adoption rate by faculty members. The impediments included unreliable infrastructure, lack of training and technical support of new technologies, time commitment constraints that hindered training accessibility, compatibility with existing instructional technologies, complexity of the technology, and inadequate technical support. The data analysis was based on Rogers' theory of diffusion and adopter categories (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability). The results of this study indicated that Roger's five variables of adoption of innovations were not effectively met. Moreover, the results identified specific issues from these categories that either influenced or inhibited the adoption rate of technology innovation at this training facility; such as organization factors, personal motivation, and social factors. The following recommendations were made: (1) emphasis on conducting faculty training and professional development on instructional technologies, (2) extending the physician assistant program curricula to accommodate built-in staff development training times, (3) encourage peer-to-peer mentorship training by supporting instructors with limited instructional technology experience, (4) develop a technology personnel qualification standards (PQS) check-in process for new faculty members, (5) provide sufficient infrastructure and technical support to meet the demands of an expanding technology-based curriculum, (6) an establishment of dialogue between organizations responsible for coordinating infrastructure, technical support, and training, and (7) provide competent technicians that are trained to troubleshoot all aspects of technology support. / Ph. D.

Yes / With the advancement of technology, significant changes have been introduced into the learning and teaching environment. The importance of enhancing the interest of learners is an on-going challenge for educators of all levels. In this respect, teaching and learning practices are adapting to students¿ exposure to technological and social trends. In this presentation, a case study of using technology to enhance the learners¿ environment for engineering-based subjects in higher education is presented. The approach consists of delivering interactive materials through a Virtual Learning Environment and integrating web application technologies to enhance the learners¿ experience. Due to the vast subject areas in engineering and the variety of content of each subject, a general methodology is first identified and adopted. This consists of stages that show the progress from initial development to deployment of the materials, followed by evaluation of the module and further improvements carried out on the module based on qualitative evaluation. The evaluation process consists of the application of electronic surveys for feedback on the distance learning module. In addition, monitoring of the students¿ usage of the materials is also carried out. The presentation concludes with the presentation of the initial results from a current e-learning module.

Indoor spaces have become increasingly prevalent in human lives. While scholarship in other fields has studied the relationship between humans and the indoors, it has not been readily investigated in Geography. This study draws from prior research in Building Design, Managerial Science, and Education to examine the relationship between building users and resources in indoor spaces. To better understand how users seek resources in an indoor, academic space, this research asks: (1) what spaces and resources do building users value?; and (2) how are their perceptions of value associated with observed measures of occupancy? This research takes place in Goodwin Hall, on the Blacksburg campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. This research relies on surveys conducted in 2018 as well accelerometer data collected in 2018 to examine the relationship between users' perception and use of resources in informal learning environments. Through quantitative analysis this research tests the ideal free distribution hypothesis. Findings indicate that certain measures of use and value support the ideal free distribution hypothesis. These results help to lay a groundwork for future geographic research in indoor spaces. / Master of Science / Indoor spaces have become increasingly created, used, and occupied by humans. Geography, as a discipline, has traditionally studied the relationship that humans have with their surrounding outdoor environments. This research studies how humans interact with their indoor environments. Other disciplines, such as Building Design, Managerial Science, and Education have examined how indoor spaces can impact human movement, behavior, and choice. Geography is a spatial discipline (observes how variables affect each other over space) and offers a differing lens to view human-indoor relationships. To better understand how users seek resources in an indoor, academic space, this research asks: (1) what spaces and resources do building users value?; and (2) how are their perceptions of value associated with observed measures of occupancy? This research takes place in Goodwin Hall, on the Blacksburg campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. This research relies on surveys conducted in 2018 as well accelerometer data, which observes the amount of acceleration, collected in 2018 to examine the relationship between how users' view and use resources and spaces within an indoor environment. Through quantitative analysis this research tests the ideal free distribution hypothesis. Findings show that certain measures of use and value support the ideal free distribution hypothesis. Findings from this paper help to provide more insight into how humans interact with indoor spaces and lays the groundwork for future indoor geographic research.

To use technology creatively in classroom the instructor needs to have knowledge and skills to use digital technology. Teacher education program including training and workshop in using education technology by university is essential, to improve digital skills of a teacher, which helps to share knowledge, use tools that build collaboration and be a guide for students. Technology changes rapidly where newer education technology replaces the older ones. So, a teacher faces challenges in using technology and need support in using it better. Hence it is important for teachers to update their skills in using technology. As hybrid learning environment became common after pandemic situation, teachers’ preference changed from classroom teaching to a mix of online and classroom forms of teaching. This research is about studying the use of, difficulties and support needed in using education technology in hybrid environment in a Swedish university. The instrument of data collection in this study is a questionnaire sent to the respondents via email. The research findings show that the teachers in a Swedish university, teaching in hybrid learning environment have good digital skills for teaching. However, the results also show the problems faced, support needed to improve digital skills and preference to teach in hybrid environment over online only or classroom only environment. The aim of this study is to investigate from constructivist approach a) what education technology does a teacher use for teaching in hybrid learning environment in a Swedish university b) what support does the teacher need for teaching in hybrid learning environment and c) what are the issues faced by teachers in using education technology in hybrid learning environment. This research shows what education technology is used by teachers for teaching in hybrid teaching and learning environment in a Swedish university, their skills in using technology, what support is needed and what problems are faced in using technology for teaching. The findings of the study conclude that while educational technology offers significant benefits for hybrid teaching, ongoing support and addressing technical challenges are crucial for maximizing its effectiveness.