School often has low engagement and frustrating or absent options for the kind of agency the Federal Government's 2016 National Education Technology Plan now recommends educators include in their curriculum. Video games offer opportunities for people to participate in critical problem solving through creative projects. From balancing character statistics, to collaborating with other players, to making ethical and tactical decisions that can change the outcome of the story, successful games draw on the player's interest in learning and analyzing numbers, locations, visual clues, narrative elements, people, and more. One useful example may be found in visual novels (VNs), a medium that pulls from narrative structures found in Choose Your Own Adventure Novels. These interactive narratives are a largely untapped resource (for educational uses) of guided critical thinking. My ongoing research explores the efficacy of implementing VNs into digital pedagogies to encourage the development of "creatigational skills." This term is a response to the problematic wording already in use for skills such as creative thinking and collaborative abilities, skills encouraged by and developed through interactive activities, such as gaming and many of the arts. Current terminology labels them "soft" or "non-cognitive" skills, which are clear misnomers that passively diminish the importance of creative thought. This research explores how gaming, specifically so-called "narrative" gaming, of which VNs are one example, might contribute to the development of creatigational skills in students. Through the creation of VNs for this study, I examine both the ability of this genre to engage and encourage imaginative thought, as well as the practicality of designing and developing VNs for classroom use.

The purpose of this dissertation in practice was to develop and implement a new training program for designers of military intelligence simulation scenarios used to train soldiers. The use of education and design instructional strategies assisted in the ability for designers to gain mastery skills in creating realistic, high-fidelity scenarios that are applied in the training process. The use of simulation scenarios to train adult learners has increased significantly with improvements in technology and its fidelity to engage learners in a realistic way. Despite these advances, the lack of effective design, implementation and analysis of military simulation training programs in the military intelligence community has led to a decrease in simulation utilization, as in the case of the organization examined in this problem of practice. The current training program's increasing difficulties with consistent use by military intelligence simulation scenario designers were discovered in the results of a gap analysis conducted in 2014, prompting this design. This simulation design aimed to examine: (1) a research-based design methodology to match training requirements for the designers, (2) formative assessment of performance and (3) a research-based evaluation framework to determine the effectiveness of the new training program. For the organization's training program, a Simulation-Based Embedded Training (SBET) solution using scenarios was conceived based on research grounded in cognitive theory and instructional design considerations for simulations. As a structured framework for how to design and implement an effective and sustained training program, the educational instructional design model, ADDIE, was used. This model allowed for continual flexibility in each phase to evaluate and implement changes iteratively. The instructional model and its techniques were used with fidelity, specifically for training the designers of the simulation system. Industries will continue to increase the use of simulation as advances in technologies offer more realistic, safe, and complex training environments. A detailed strategy was provided specific to the organization using a research-based instructional approach integrated into program requirements set forth by the government. This proposed solution, supported by research in the application of instructional strategies, is specific to this organization; however, the training program design differs from other high-fidelity military simulator training programs through its use of dispersed training to the simulation scenario designers using realistic scenarios to mimic the tasks that the designers themselves must create. The difference in the solution in this dissertation in practice is: 1) that the simulation scenarios are designed without the help of subject matter experts by using the embedded instructional strategies and 2) the design is to the fidelity of realism required for military intelligence training exercises.

This study investigated mean group differences in composite subjective task values, ability beliefs, and gameplay behaviors between low promotion and high promotion English as a Second Language (ESL) postsecondary students while playing two versions of a grammar-editing computer game. First, students were categorized according to their scores on the General Regulatory Focus Measure. Next, students played two identical versions of the grammar-editing game; in the second game version, an independent variable was added in the form of an in-game punishment. In the middle of each game version, students completed a modified version of the Expectancy-value Questionnaire. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to determine any statistically significant group differences between groups in terms of subjective task values, ability beliefs, and gameplay behaviors. Results indicated no statistically significant differences between groups for any of the composite dependent variables tested. However, two individual items measuring utility and attainment value indicated significant group differences. The findings of this study both supported and contradicted aspects of regulatory orientation theory and previous regulatory orientation research. This research contributed to the need for motivation studies in the field of digital game-based learning utilizing well-established theoretical frameworks. In addition, this study offered researchers, teachers, instructional designers, and video game designers insights into the effects of regulatory orientations in the digital game-based learning context.

This study investigated factors that predict Saudi Arabian faculty members' intentions to adopt and use Web 2.0 tools and to assess faculty's awareness of the educational benefits of Web 2.0 tools to supplement classroom instructions in higher education. One hundred and three faculty members (34 male and 69 female) from a large university in the Western region of Saudi Arabia participated in the web survey. The framework and model for explaining and predicting the contributing factors towards the decision to adopt and use of Web 2.0 tools was the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB). The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was utilized to analyze data collected from the web survey. Results indicate that positive attitudes and perceived usefulness are significant predictors of Saudi Arabian faculty members' intentions to use Web 2.0 tools. Moreover, findings indicate that Saudi Arabian faculty members intend to use Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, and social networking in their future classrooms to improve students' learning, student-student interaction, student-faculty interaction, and students' writing ability. Research implications for administrators and higher educational institutions indicate that professional development programs could be designed based on the significant predictors in the DTPB to support a successful integration of Web 2.0 tools in higher education.

The purpose of this study was to determine what factors influence educators to use the Internet in classroom activities or in their own professional development. A random sample of 325 educators was selected from a population of Tennessee K-12 educators who were identified as having completed Internet training. Surveys were received from 198 educators. The instrument was developed by the researcher for this study. Educators were asked to respond to questions regarding access to computers and the Internet, types of Internet classroom activities, types of professional development activities, types of Internet tools used, and training. Respondents were also asked to respond to 23 item likert-type statements regarding their beliefs about technology, training, and the educational use of the Internet. Data was analyzed using the Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U statistical tests. Findings include the determination that the Internet is being used by educators who have attended Internet workshops or seminars. There is little organized staff development about the Internet available in Tennessee K-12 schools. There is a significant difference between those educators who use the Internet and those who do not use the Internet in relation to their beliefs about Internet training. There is also a significant difference in relation to beliefs about school support for Internet activities. E-mail and gopher are the Internet tools the most often used by Tennessee K-12 educators. Tennessee K-12 educators would like to receive more training on how to use the Internet for both classroom activities and professional development.

No description available.

Old Dominion University's Peninsula Center, in Hampton, Virginia, was the location for an ethnographic case study about the urban "distributed university" centers that provided instruction via video teleconference (VTC). Graduate engineers attended VTC classes at the Peninsula Center originating from five Virginia universities as part of the Commonwealth Graduate Engineering Program.;The purpose of this study was to describe VTC instruction and identify aspects that impacted on student learning, faculty teaching, and the socio-cultural environment. Fifty-one interviews and two months of observations were conducted during the Spring term, 1993.;Benson Snyder's (1971) ethnographic case study at MIT, described in The Hidden Curriculum, provided a model from which to start. Based on a systematic comparative analysis of Snyder's (1971) study at MIT with that of the Peninsula Center, findings showed that socio-cultural characteristics and traditions in the VTC graduate engineering classes followed Snyder's (1971) model and affected student learning. This conclusion was evident, given the variables of elapsed time, different instructional formats such as large lecture hall and VTC, and student characteristics that varied from undergraduate to graduate, full-time to part-time, and traditional-age to adult students. This conclusion reflected higher education's resistance to change due to its "hidden curriculum" that includes its socio-cultural norms, values, and traditions.;Eight socio-cultural "constancies" were described that existed at both MIT and at the Peninsula Center. They included: environmental characteristics; student-faculty communication; the student-faculty relationship; faculty work; dissonance and gamesmanship; methods of student learning; student sub-cultures; and the engineering culture. Additionally, eight "new twists" of VTC instruction were described.;Recommendations include researching and understanding socio-cultural trends when planning for educational reform, and improving student-faculty dialogue, characterized by discussion of truth, that is reduced in VTC instruction. These are challenges for the University of the 21st Century.

With a growing population of culturally and academically diverse student populations in K -12 education, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has the potential to improve the quality of teaching and learning for all students. However, there is a lack of research on UDL teacher in-service training to determine whether teachers are more effective at implementing UDL once they receive adequate training. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine changes in teachers' lesson plans following UDL professional training. Seventeen teachers from 5 school districts in the state of Mississippi participated in the study. Teachers' lesson plans were evaluated at 3 time points using a valid UDL lesson plan rubric from a previous study. Data were collected before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and 2 months after the intervention was administered. A within-subjects MANOVA with repeated measurement was conducted comparing pretreatment and post-treatment scores for each of the 4 dependent variables (total score and representation, expression, and engagement scores) to examine the changes in lesson planning following UDL professional training. The results showed a significant difference in teachers' lesson plans between conditions for each of the 4 dependent variables. The social change objective for this study was to improve the quality of teaching and learning in mixed-ability classrooms.

Students with disabilities are less likely to graduate from high school and tend to score lower on standardized tests than their general education peers. Although use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can improve these outcomes for traditional students, it has been unclear whether its use positively affects learning gains for the inclusion student. The purpose of this study was to determine if the academic test performance of 5th grade ESE inclusion students was enhanced by implementing ICT as a curriculum resource in their classrooms. Two frameworks provided structure for this study: the theory of social constructivism and the capability approach. The study population consisted of all 5th grade ESE inclusion students in 74 school districts in one southern state. Data sources were the state's annual assessment scores for English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Data were analyzed using 2 Mann Whitney U tests to compare ESE inclusion students' assessment scores in the 2nd year of testing as compared to the 1st year of testing (2015-2016 as compared to 2014-2015). The findings of the study revealed no significant difference between the ESE inclusion students' scores in the 1st and 2nd years for ELA and math scores even with ICT used as a resource. This outcome impacts social change by answering a question about whether ICT made a difference as used, and indicates that other studies must be done to better understand why ICT was not successful or how it can be used to significantly improve inclusion student outcomes.

It has become progressively difficult to find suitable clinical placement for nursing students. To help meet this need, local schools of nursing are turning to high-fidelity simulation manikins to substitute for clinical experience. There is a lack of research that explores recently graduated nurses' perceptions about the efficacy of simulation experiences. Guided by the constructivist theory, this qualitative case study identified how recent RN graduates viewed simulation experiences and whether associate's-degree RN program graduates and bachelor's-program RN graduates viewed simulation differently. Nine recent graduates participated in individual face-to-face interviews. The data were coded and grouped into 5 major themes in order of frequency: (a) environmental and technical factors, which included factors such as equipment working and videotaping; (b) preparation for nursing tasks, referred to assessments, procedures, and emergency situations; (c) human factors, such as the importance of the instructor, other students participation, and working in groups; (d) communication, which included communication with doctors and patients among others; and (e) caliber of the equipment, which was referred to by the level of fidelity of the manikin. On comparison of the codes and themes, the perceptions of the bachelor's- degree participants were similar to the perception of the associate's-degree participants. A white paper, that identified the items the recent RN graduates perceived as valuable, was created. This white paper can be used to begin dialogue that may allow schools of nursing to increase the effectiveness of the simulation experience or validate its applicability in the real world setting. This study may contribute to positive social change by inspiring faculty of local schools of nursing to re-evaluate their simulation laboratory experiences for efficacy and applicability to real world nursing.