Appropriate digital citizenship skills are considered essential for modern professionals, including signed language interpreters. However, little is known about the experiences and practices of interpreter educators regarding digital citizenship. This exploratory qualitative interview study was conducted to examine the experiences and practices of interpreter educators related to incorporating opportunities for digital citizenship skill-building in their teaching practice. A conceptual framework based on digital citizenship theory guided development of this study. Data were collected from interviews of 6 interpreter educators in bachelor-degree programs in American Sign Language/English interpreting across the United States. Data sets were analyzed through open and axial coding and assessed for themes and patterns. Findings of the study indicated that interpreter educators were aware of elements of digital citizenship but were not knowledgeable about institutional or other policies, that they prioritized the soft skills of digital citizenship, and that they assumed their students acquired the technical skills of digital citizenship elsewhere. Findings may lead to better informed pedagogical decisions about incorporating digital citizenship into instruction, better prepared new professionals, and can contribute to positive social change for practitioners and the consumers they serve.

Twenty-first-century competencies have been identified as vital thinking and working skills for the 21st century. Students could contribute to social change by using information and communication technology (ICT) while developing 21st-century competencies, but this type of experience is not frequent at schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the experiences of 2 middle-school teachers and their 6th-grade students as they used critical literacy strategies and ICT to promote 21st-century competencies and critical democracy in a Midwestern public school. This case study was guided by the critical democracy, critical pedagogy, and competency-based education theories. The research questions asked what the experiences of the teachers and the students were, what were the reflections of the teachers about their teaching practices, and what were the students’ reflections about their learning experiences. Data were gathered through interviews, students’ online discussion forums, and artifacts. An adapted analytic induction process was used to analyze the data and explain the phenomenon. The key findings generally supported the framework developed by the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21), which is a coalition of businesses, education leaders, and policymakers whose goal is to promote 21st-century competencies in schools. However, the findings indicated that when applying the P21 Framework for social change purposes, an international human rights perspective needs to be added. This study demonstrated how students can develop 21st-century competencies through the implementation of ICT to address injustice and inequity in society and contribute to positive social change.

Student technology literacy is critical for success in today’s world; however, little is understood about how teachers make the decision for students to use technology for learning due to limited empirical research on the topic of teacher decision-making regarding student use of information communication technologies (ICT). The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the decision-making process of kindergarten to Grade 5 (K-5) teachers regarding implementation of ICT for student use at varying levels. The framework for this study comprised the substitution augmentation modification redefinition model and the technology acceptance model. The research questions focused on how teachers have students use technology in the classroom, the influences on teacher decision-making to have students use technology, and how decision-making compared among K-5 teachers whose students use technology at varying levels of implementation. Interview data were collected from 12 teachers at a public-school district in the southern United States that were analyzed using 2 cycles of coding: a priori and emergent. Key findings were that (a) teachers have students use technology primarily at substitution and augmentation levels, (b) teacher decisions were influenced mostly by student technology readiness, and (c) teachers who used technology at redefinition levels had different factors for decision-making. The results of this study may contribute to positive social change by creating a deeper understanding of the decision-making process of teachers, which can positively affect student engagement, academic growth, and lay the foundations for technology literacy for students.

Educators are challenged with meeting the academic needs of students, particularly in the subject area of reading. School districts purchase tools such as Achieve3000 to help students improve their proficiency in reading; however, implementation of such interventions has not been explored from the educators' perspective. This study explored 3rd grade reading teachers' views on Achieve3000 as a tool for improving reading proficiency and preparedness for the Florida State Standards English Language Arts assessment. The conceptual framework included the theory of social validity and current research as it related to differentiated instruction. This study utilized a basic qualitative approach to answer these key research questions. The participants included 6 3rd grade reading teachers from 3 Florida schools. Individual face-to-face interviews and a focus group interview session were conducted to answer the research questions. Data were analyzed via open, axial, and selective coding to generate the themes. The findings revealed the 3rd grade reading teachers believed that Achieve3000 can be considered a reliable method for improving reading and preparing students for the reading portion of the Florida Standards Assessment. The findings of this study can positively affect social change by providing educators with an increased repertoire of instructional tools to assist them in meeting the needs of all learners, as well as to prepare students for a technology driven world.

The increasing awareness of the opportunities and possibilities of digitization in research and industry brings increased demands on graduates. The fact that digital resources are now cumulatively playing a role in the humanities and social sciences also necessitates the networking of various specialist disciplines. Cross-disciplinary project work, however, has its own challenges due to different subject cultures, perspectives and working methods. In order to adequately prepare students for these hurdles, the TU Dresden and the HTW Dresden (University of Applied Sciences) carried out a joint teaching project called “Dresdner Stadtgeschichte 3D”. Potentials and challenges were collected and analysed in a mixed method procedure in order to subsequently formulate didactic-conceptual implications.

Although school systems have made investments in technology with the intention of raising student scores on state and national tests, improvements in student achievement have not always followed. The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher librarians' use of interactive whiteboards to improve student literacy. This qualitative case study was guided by the theory of social constructivism, wherein individuals learn through interaction with peers and knowledgeable others. The research questions were focused on how teacher librarians integrated multi-literacies and technological skills into pedagogical goals. Data were collected from a 4-member focus group interview, a questionnaire delivered to a subset of 3 teacher librarians, and public documents of the school system. All data were color-coded and analyzed for emergent common themes. The findings indicated that although the teacher librarians used interactive whiteboard technology to teach multiple literacies and technological skills to students and fellow teachers, 2 of the 4 participants did not use all of the interactive whiteboard tools. Based upon the findings, a professional development project was designed to improve educators' technological and multi-literacies skills in the school system. Recommendations include creating a repository of technology rich lesson plans, and expanding collaboration among educators. Increasing multi-literacies and technological skills may lead to positive social change through the enhancement of students' literacy and technology skills at school and for future employment.

Prelicensure nursing students experience high anxiety as they enter the clinical setting, which can have a negative impact on learning care performance and critical thinking. Nursing faculty are faced with the challenges of limited time for clinical experiences, meeting the needs of learners who are technologically astute, and engaging students in the clinical environment to meet learning outcomes. The purpose of this pretest posttest quasi-experimental study, guided by the discovery learning theory, was to determine the effect of augmented reality (AR) 360 photosphere on prelicensure nursing students' level of anxiety as they entered a new clinical environment as compared to prelicensure nursing students' level of anxiety who did not experience AR 360 photosphere orientation. Forty-seven students completed the Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory with 17 completing a faculty-led orientation and 30 using the AR 360 photosphere orientation method. An independent t-test revealed no difference between the two methods of orientation in prelicensure nursing students' anxiety levels in the immediate first clinical experience. Though no statistical difference was evident, the technology platform of AR 360 photosphere orientation allowed for autonomous orientation without having to overcome clinical environment variances. The findings of the study contribute to positive social change by indicating that the AR 360 photosphere demonstrated value as a consistent and efficient method of clinical orientation as students' encounter new environments and new evidence-based care that requires orientation.

Abstract U.S. middle schools are increasing offering blended learning curricula that integrates virtual and face-to-face instruction, but the effectiveness of this mode of instruction at the middle school level has not been adequately explored. This investigation provides additional data to the current body of knowledge related to blended learning as a viable option for middle school students. The theoretical framework for this investigation derives from Lev Vygotsky's social development theory and Jean Piaget's constructivist theory of knowledge. The central research question focused on the difference in achievement scores between 6th grade students participating in a virtual course as compared to the 6th grade students participating in a face-to-face course, and the difference between the overall scores of the thirty-five 6th grade students in the two respective courses as compared to the thirty 7th grade students. A causal-comparative research design was used. An ANOVA was conducted and the achievement scores of the total sample size of sixty-five 6th and 7th grade students at a charter school located in the U.S. state of Maryland were analyzed. The 6th grade students scored higher than the 7th grade students in virtual learning. In both grade levels, achievement scores were higher for students who had taken the virtual course, illustrating the merits of virtual learning for middle school students. This study provides data that may influence organizational leaders' decision making regarding whether to use a blended learning model at the middle school. This study supports virtual learning and can contribute to positive social change by supporting the creation of more blended learning middle schools in Prince George's County

With increasing student access to technology and the Internet, Texas school districts have invested in content management systems (CMS), improved technology infrastructure, and professional development with little research available about best practices and current use of class websites. Using the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework, this study investigated how contextual factors predicted the number of website components related to the teacher information, communication, classroom management, and teaching content section of a class website designed by a Texas high school teacher. This quantitative, predictive correlational research design included data collected from a proportional allocation of 191 Texas high school teacher websites representing 20 geographic areas, 5 content areas, 5 grade levels, Title 1 designation, campus enrollment levels, and self-reported teacher technology readiness. Multiple regressions revealed the campus' Title 1 designation was a significant predictor of the number of teacher information and teaching content components included on the class websites of Texas high school teachers. The study revealed that opportunities to access online resources through class websites were reduced for students in Title 1 designated schools. Several possibilities that positively contribute to social change were discovered. Educational decision makers and administrators may use this information to determine where expenditures should be made to ensure development of class websites that meet students' needs. Estimates show a 2-day professional development to create class websites for Texas secondary teachers would cost $93,237,200. Ensuring funds spent results in sites that provide optimal academic support to students could improve learning and bring significant social change.

Researchers have determined that concept maps serve as effective tools in the traditional science classroom. The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate concept mapping as a tool for student knowledge acquisition in 10th grade science for students in distance learning situations. Research questions were designed to investigate the influence of concept mapping on rate and quality of student knowledge acquisition and retention. This study was a pretest-posttest 2-group comparison study, constructivist in nature and based on the theory of cognitive learning. Participants included 36 students in the 10th grade at an inner-city school in the United States. Control and treatment groups participated in completing pre and posttesting to establish standards for initial understanding and knowledge acquired. Pretest scores were used in a 2-tailed t test to establish equivalence between groups at the beginning of the study. ANOVA was used with test gains to determine differences between treatment and control groups. Cronbach's alpha was conducted to test for concept map interrater reliability. A 2-tailed t test for matched groups was used with concept map scores and treatment group test gains to determine any relationship. No statistically significant relationship between the use of concept maps and distance learning was found. Recommendations for future research include a wider age range for participants and investigations of academic areas such as reading, writing, mathematics, and language acquisition, native and foreign. Implications for positive social change include research with altered parameters to identify an existing tool that may be used by students in the traditional classroom as well as in distance-learning scenarios.