Reading achievement scores in the United States are low and educators need more strategies to support young students in literacy. It is important to identify the technologies and implementation strategies that educators find beneficial for literacy instruction. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate perspectives on instructional technology and literacy strategies intended to promote student-centered learning opportunities. The conceptual framework was Bloom's mastery learning, Bransford's anchored instruction, and Piaget's constructivist theory. Each theorist encouraged exploration and hands-on interactive learning opportunities. The research questions addressed how teachers perceive the implementation of technology tools to enhance literary performance and engagement in kindergarten and first grade. A purposeful sample of 8 teachers and 4 administrators with 3+ years' experience that implemented the core reading curriculum and had access to literary technologies participated in interviews and teachers' classrooms were observed. A combination of a priori and open coding was used to identify patterns and themes. Participants identified technology as a positive influence on reading instruction, student performance, and engagement. They identified problems including weak technical support and insufficient time for peer support and sharing related to working with the various technologies. Further research is recommended into integration of developmentally appropriate instructional technology. This study may contribute to positive social change by providing a tool that can be used by school districts to better improve the adoption of current and future technological innovations based on teacher experience and perceptions.

Many community colleges struggle to find the best strategy to help incoming at-risk students prepare for the placement test. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study, was to answer the question as to which of 2 programs, a 2-week, face-to-face mathematics refresher program, Math Boost-Up, or an online-only program, might increase the ACCUPLACER posttest scores of incoming community college students. The study used archival data for 136 students who self-selected to either participate in the Math Boost-Up program (the experiment group), or in the online-only program (the comparison group). Knowles's theory of adult learning, andragogy, served as the theoretical framework. Spearman, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, and chi-square tests were used to measure the effect of 4 moderator variables (age, high school GPA, number of minutes spent in MyFoundationsLab, and number of days spent in face-to-face sessions) on the pre- and posttest scores of students in each group. The results indicated that students in the Math Boost-Up program experienced statistically significant gains in arithmetic and elementary algebra than did those students in the online-only program. The results also indicated that the 4 moderator variables affected gains in posttest scores. Additionally, the results disproved the andragogical premise that students would be self-directed and would self-select to participate in the intervention. A recommendation was that participation in the face-to-face refresher program should be mandatory. The study contributes to social change by providing evidence that short-term refresher programs could increase the scores of students on placement tests.

Flipped classrooms are implemented in more schools each year, particularly in courses requiring increased teacher guidance for mastery. While a foundation of research related to pedagogy and academic outcomes exists, research is limited surrounding student perceptions of the social and learning culture during flipped learning. The purpose of this study was to explore high school math students' lived experiences of flipped learning related to content and instruction, critical thinking, and collaboration and interactions. A phenomenological design was employed using a conceptual framework combining cognitive load theory, sociocultural learning theory, and schema theory. Students from two public high schools in the Midwest participated. Seven students participated in interviews, and nine students participated in two focus group discussions. Data analysis involved in vivo coding of transcribed interviews and focus groups. Key results included students' perceptions of increased engagement and interactions, as well as more in-depth learning in flipped environments. Increased critical thinking was related to both instructional strategies employed and students' ability to self-regulate learning. Concepts of peer collaboration shifted as students viewed learning environments and sources of expertise as more extensive in the flipped environment. This study contributes to positive social change by providing educators and researchers with a deeper understanding of the importance of ensuring students are competent in using social technology tools that encourage students to interact both socially and academically in order to help them become more self-directed learners.

Edutainment refers to curriculum and instruction designed with a clear educational purpose, including multi-faceted virtual learning game design. Tools such as the Jacob's Ladder pre-production design tactic have been developed to ensure that voices of both engineers and educators are heard. However, it is unclear how development team members experience and perceive their collaborative work while designing a virtual game using such tactics. This phenomenological study examined the experiences of agile software team members using Jacob's Ladder pre-production design as an interdisciplinary collaboration tool while designing a virtual learning game. Seven design team members (3 educators and 4 engineers) participated in semi-structured interviews and transcripts were analyzed via an inductive coding process that led to the development of key themes. Findings indicated that using Jacob's Ladder design tactic influenced the experience of the team by keeping the team focused on common goals and learner needs, organizing the team work, supporting interdisciplinary collaboration, and promoting shared understandings of the software platform limitations. Individuals played various roles, appreciated diverse views, recognized prior experience and idea sharing, and felt the design tactic supported flexibility for interdisciplinary collaboration. By linking integration strategies to interdisciplinary collaboration, findings from this study may be used by organizational leaders to consider best practices in team building for virtual learning game design, which will further support the development of effective games and growth of the edutainment industry.

This qualitative bounded case study was designed to understand how technology integration in schools could be addressed in a first-wave country. The integration of educational technology in São Tomé and Príncipe (STP), a first-wave agricultural civilization, can narrow the divide between STP and third-wave information age societies. The conceptual framework was based on theories of change, learning, and context. Toffler’s wave theory described how societies changed while Fullan’s change theory examined how the people might change. Roger’s diffusion of innovations addressed how processes change. Bandura, Vygotsky, and Siemen provided the framework for the learning within the model of change. Finally, the context theories of Tessmer and Richey’s instructional design, Lave and Wenger’s situated learning, and Sticht’s functional context theory were applied. Twenty five individuals from 5 schools, including teachers, school directors, key educational stakeholders, and the minister of education were involved in a pilot project to integrate technology into the science curriculum. The data were collected via interviews, reflective summaries, and confidential narratives. The resulting data were analyzed to find emerging patterns. The results of this analysis showed that a first-wave civilization can adopt a third-wave civilization’s features in terms of technology integration, when there is the support of opinion leaders and most of the necessary contextual requirements are in place. The study contributes to social change by providing access to knowledge through technology integration, which empowers both teachers and students.

Technological advancements continue to increase online accessibility and the virtual population. As students engage with these advancements, their lives and identities will be on a worldwide platform. The realities of online identities present a challenge for educators to teach students how to manage those online identities. Researchers have studied the after-effects of online identities, but there is a gap in understanding the individual's thought process during the creation of online identities. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to understand the perspectives of working high school graduates regarding the creation of online identities. The research questions were designed to elicit recent high school graduates' perceptions or viewpoints about creating online identities. The conceptual framework for this study included social identity theory and computer-mediated communication theory. Data were collected from 9 face-to-face interviews, including the creation of summary sheets, and were analyzed via member checking and extensive manual coding. Eight themes emerged, revealing that online identities were created to support social connections. The participants' responses generated 4 types of online identities: real, desired, enhanced, and deceptive. Participants did not place consideration into the idea that they were creating an identity. Recommendations included an application for educators to model online behavior and to help students manage their online identities. Further studies could include a data gathering tool that uses an anonymous platform. These findings can inform curriculum and expand the landscape of the literature toward the social change goal of helping students grow and thrive in the online world in a safe, effective, and ethical manner.

Online learning, which began in the area of tertiary and adult learning and professional development, has been spreading rapidly as an alternative way for students to pursue learning in the K-12 sector. While adult learners may be expected to be more experienced students and cope with the variations in the implementation of online learning, younger K-12 students need a more structured approach to organize their online learning experiences. Formative assessment has been promoted as a means of enhancing all learning, including online learning. This study explored the use of the formative assessment process in the design and facilitation of an asynchronous discussion among high school students. The community of inquiry model provided a lens for the evaluation of the learners' experiences, and students' cognitive presence was assessed in this quasi experimental study. The study addressed whether implementation of an assessment for learning approach in the design and facilitation of an asynchronous discussion would result in significant differences in cognitive presence messages. Content analysis was used to classify discussants' statements according to levels of cognitive presence. Chi-squared analysis was performed to determine independence among levels of cognitive presence and assessment for learning. The findings indicated that there was a significant relationship between the incidence of different levels of cognitive presence statements and assessment for learning. The findings also suggested a way to empower K-12 online learners to play a more significant role in their learning and make their experiences more impactful. However, study with more diverse populations and incorporating measures of achievement is recommended.

Many teachers report that they rarely engage in reflection. Asynchronous forums have been used to foster reflection among prospective teachers, but there is limited research about the allocation of time for reflection in an asynchronous forum for practicing teachers. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to (a) determine teachers' perceptions about the benefits and drawbacks of the use of an online forum to allocate time for reflection and (b) to classify the levels of the teachers' reflections in the forum. A conceptual framework based on select writings by Dewey, Hatton and Smith, and van Manen was used to guide this study. The research questions addressed teachers' perceptions of the benefits, drawbacks, and use of a forum to allocate time to reflect as well as the levels of reflection achieved by the teachers in the forum. Ten online discussions and 2 sets of questionnaires were analyzed and coded using constant comparative data analysis. Seven elementary mathematics teachers completed the study and 52% and 56% of the discussion postings were coded as critical reflections using Hatton and Smith's framework and a summary of van Manen's framework, respectively. The themes pertaining to the benefits of reflecting online were convenience, sharing, and learning. Peer-to-peer interactions, however, were infrequent, and the teachers indicated that time was a factor that limited participation. This study may effect positive social change by advancing knowledge about using online forums to provide teachers with time earmarked for reflection focused on improving mathematics teaching and learning. Furthermore, educators can use information from this study to design online professional development experiences that include opportunities for reflection and reflective practice.

While professional development on the use of technology in the classroom aids educators to implement new teaching strategies, little is known about teachers' concerns with professional development specifically for adopting mobile technologies like iPads in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to discover teachers' attitudes and perceptions toward teacher training for integration of the iPad into their classroom instruction. Using a case study approach and the concerns-based adoption model as a framework, this study examined teachers' concerns about their training for using the iPads in the classroom. Participants were 7 teachers from a small, suburban, Catholic K-8 school who rated their lowest and highest concerns about using iPads in the classroom. Data sources included the Stages of Concern Questionnaire, Levels of Use observation rubric, and one-on-one interviews. Data analysis included open and axial coding for identification of themes and patterns. Results indicated teachers had little concern with gaining extra training on classroom time and organization and with conflicts between their interests and teaching responsibilities when integrating iPads. Results also indicated they had high levels of concern regarding developing working relationships with fellow faculty members to maximize the benefits of iPad training, as well as about receiving additional iPad training. Finally, results indicated teachers' concerns with acquiring more iPads for students, as well as acquiring greater network connectivity within the school. These results will aid administrators and designers with making positive changes to professional development that both improve and increase teachers' successful integration of mobile technology in their classrooms.

The credibility of unsupervised exams, one of the biggest challenges of e-learning, is currently maintained by proctoring. However, little has been done to determine whether expensive and inconvenient proctoring is necessary. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether the use of security mechanisms, based on the taxonomy of cheating reduction techniques rooted in the fraud triangle theory, can be an effective alternative to proctoring. A quasi-experimental 1 group sequential design was used to answer the research questions whether the format, proctored versus unproctored, order in which the exams are administered, course delivery mode, and instructor make a difference in student performance. The archival scores of 850 Californian community college students on 2 sets of equivalent proctored and unproctored web-based exams in face-to-face, hybrid, and online introductory statistics courses taught by 7 instructors were compared. The format effect was tested with repeated-measures ANOVA; the order, course delivery mode and instructor effects were tested with mixed ANOVA. No significant difference in scores in Set 1, and significantly lower scores on unproctored exams in Set 2 indicated that the used security mechanisms allowed for maintaining the credibility of the exams without proctoring. There was no significant difference in scores across the course delivery modes in both sets and instructors in Set 2, but significant order effect was observed. Further research on order effect was recommended. With the use of the utilized security mechanisms education will get an inexpensive and convenient way to increase the credibility of unsupervised web-based exams, and the society will gain more online college graduates with credentials that reflect their knowledge.