Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Instructional Systems Technology, and Dept. of Higher Education and Student Affairs, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Jul 15, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-12, Section: A, page: 4594. Adviser: James A. Pershing.

Thesis (M.A.)--Indiana University, 2010. / Title from screen (viewed on July 19, 2010). Department of English, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Thomas A. Upton, Julie A. Belz, M. Catherine Beck. Includes vitae. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-106).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1971. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

<p> The researcher explored the lived experience of adult online college honor students (AOCHS) with the goal of describing critical factors that support academic success. The study addressed a gap in the literature concerning how the technology and virtual context of adult online college education are perceived, interpreted, and employed by the most successful students in undergraduate online college degree programs. Participants described how they perceived their online learning experience, what meaning they attribute to this experience, and what strategies they employ to achieve academic success in the online learning environment. The study was based on Deming&rsquo;s total quality management philosophy, Nonaka&rsquo;s theoretical context for knowledge generation, and the community of inquiry (CoI), a conceptual framework for online education. An online questionnaire and individual telephone interviews were used to gather qualitative data, which were analyzed using thematic coding and analytic induction to address the study&rsquo;s purpose and answer the research questions. Follow-up interview subjects were purposefully selected to provide a heterogeneous sample based on self-reported demographics, priorities, and motivations. Results showed that honor students&rsquo; expect that the technologies and user interfaces in online college classes should be as engaging and effective as social media, online entertainment, and Internet commerce technologies that they use in their nonacademic lives. That online instructors should be active and encouraging participants in the learning process. And that students&rsquo; personal, academic success is supported by a mature self-image and work ethic, effective time management and workload planning, clear and timely communication with faculty members, positive collaboration with classmates, and fluent use of learning technology.</p>

<p> The present study aimed to describe 21st century literacy skills learning during a master&rsquo;s program focused on Linked Learning that sought to provide career readiness to students. Two research questions guided this study: (1) How do university professors in a Linked Learning graduate program describe their use of 21st century learning Skills in technology? and (2) How do secondary teachers in a Linked Learning graduate program describe their use of 21st century learning skills in technology in their classrooms? This mixed-methods study analyzed data from faculty members and graduate students, all of whom were part of a master&rsquo;s program focused on Linked Learning for in-service teachers.</p><p> The findings showed how faculty members implemented and modeled strategies that promoted the acquisition and improvement of technological 21st century literacy skills in the areas of information literacy, media literacy, and information, communication, and technology literacy. There is evidence that the program helps graduate students acquire and develop the technology skills their future high school students will need to become fluent global citizens. </p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine if a Structured Online Intercultural Learning (SOIL) experience represented a viable form of global experiential learning (GEL) that can yield beneficial effects in student transformation of the kind that are reported to result from &ldquo;traditional&rdquo; GEL (involving mobility). Specifically, this study investigated the influence of a sustained cross-cultural learning experience, made possible by online communications technologies, on preservice teachers&rsquo; global citizen identity development (their self-in-the world). </p><p> The research approach was inspired by design-based research and employed a parallel mixed-methods design, incorporating two quantitative assessment instruments (the Global Perspectives Inventory [GPI] and the Beliefs, Events, and Values Inventory [BEVI]) and a plethora of student-generated artifacts (the qualitative data). Twenty-six preservice teachers from the US and Macedonia learned together in a globally networked learning environment (GLNE) for 8 weeks. The findings showed that, although the participants were, in most cases, not able to articulate with certainty any perceived changes to their sense of self-in-the-world, both the qualitative and the quantitative data indicated that the experience did indeed result in at least modest positive changes for most of the participants. </p><p> The primary themes that emerged from the qualitative data related to self-in-the-world, were &ldquo;knowledge acquisition,&rdquo; &ldquo;intercultural sensitivity development,&rdquo; and &ldquo;personal growth/self-improvement.&rdquo; The quantitative data showed that U.S. students&rsquo; ideas of the attributes of a global citizen shifted positively following the intervention and that students in both groups strengthened their agreement with the statement &ldquo;I see myself as a global citizen&rdquo; at Time 2. Further, students reported that the real-time, small group cross-cultural conversations (via video conference), which were required by the course that served as the intervention in the study, were the most meaningful aspect of the experience. Finally, nearly half of the participants indicated that, as a result of their experiences in this course, they planned to incorporate global citizen education in their future teaching practice. </p><p> These results suggest that teacher educators should consider embedding globally networked learning experiences into teacher education curriculum and that preservice teachers should not only experience globally networked learning as students, but should also be encouraged to develop lesson plans involving globally networked learning for their future classrooms.</p><p>

<p> Learning environments in higher education are changing rapidly, with increased attention surrounding active learning, educational technologies, and their impact on teaching and learning. Companies are creating and introducing innovative technologies at breakneck speeds, often overwhelming academic leaders charged with meeting the needs of the institution, faculty, students, and community. This whirlwind of change creates new challenges and opportunities for leaders to address as they guide their institutions toward adopting new educational technologies, specifically Learning Management Systems (LMS). Academic leaders must strive to build a strong vision for the future and seek support frameworks that encourage acceptance by faculty of the LMS as a fundamental design and delivery tool for instruction. As with any change, perception is at the heart of acceptance regarding innovation. This study explores the perceived impact of nine faculty members&rsquo; experiences regarding the change process during an LMS transition on a Midwestern United States urban campus. To do so, a conceptual framework has been developed, combining individual and group-oriented approaches to leading organizational change. Using a case study approach with the lens of the conceptual framework, the study creates a rich exploration of the phenomenon of leading organizational change in higher education. Emergent themes lead to recommendations that will benefit leaders as they navigate innovative educational technology transitions in higher education. </p><p>

<p> Limited research exists on the factors that influence an instructor&rsquo;s choice to use a learning management system. The purpose of the current study is to explore how task technology fit constructs relate to the other constructs that comprise Davis&rsquo; Technology Acceptance mode. The technology acceptance model is widely used as an indicator of actual use of a technology system. A sample of 284 instructors completed a survey consisting of demographic questions, open ended questions about their reasons for choosing to choose to utilize a learning management system, and Likert scale questions about six constructs of the research model including task technology fit, ease of use, usefulness, attitude, intent to use, and actual use. The relationships between TAM model constructs and Task Technology Fit were analyzed using a partial least squares structural equation model method with SMART- PLS. The relationship between task technology fit and actual use was mediated by ease of use, usefulness, attitude, and intent to use. To evaluate the constructs in the model, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted and the factor structure for online and face-to-face instructors were different. Two models were developed, one for face-to-face instructors, and one for online instructors to account for this difference. The research models were evaluated for face-to-face instructors and online instructors. The study found significant relationships between all the TAM constructs and Task Technology Fit for face-to-face instructors. The relationship between attitude and intent to use was not significant for online instructors. This research supports the need for more research into the differences between online and face-to-face instructor&rsquo;s perceptions of technology use. The differing instructional needs of face-to-face and online instructors have implications on the training and support an institution should provide to increase usage of learning management systems.</p><p>

<p> Information technology is not new to academia. Numerous educators and research scholars studying the usefulness of digital technologies in the classroom seek to determine whether the underlying pedagogies effectively bridge the gap between quality of instruction, student engagement, and eventual acceptance of the technology tool in use. With the increase and sophistication in the delivery of online courses in colleges across the country, we now see the recent emergence of an online course structure called Massive Open Online Courses, MOOCs (Sandeen, 2014). MOOCs have intensified the interest and desire for students and universities to become engaged in educational opportunities by thinking of new and advanced systems for content delivery. The purpose of this study was (1) to explore student perceptions of the MOOC Virtual Learning Environment Scale or MVLE, characteristics including general systems, pedagogy, social presence, individual characteristics and satisfaction, (2) to examine the interrelationships between theorized MOOC virtual learning environment technology constructs, (3) to develop a conceptual model of the MVLE to create and validate a MOOC Virtual Learning scale, and (4) to understand administrator&rsquo;s perceptions of the characteristics of MOOCs and their futuristic views of MOOCs. The major findings for this study are: (1) the MVLE model is an appropriate scale to measure MOOC design, implementation and evaluation, (2) the creation of a more &ldquo;learner focused&rdquo; approach to MOOCs that includes a definition of the MOOC learner is important to understanding MOOC course designs and their impact within a virtual learning environment, and (3) the characteristics of higher education leaders as it relates to MOOC development must be transformational with a shared vision among university stakeholders, staff, faculty, and the community that must be sustained through ongoing support both academically and financially.</p><p>

<p> <b>Purpose.</b> This purpose of this correlational study using Joo&rsquo;s (2008) financial wellness framework was to determine the impact of an online financial literacy workshop on student subjective knowledge, dependent on indicators of stress, behavior, and objective knowledge, when controlling for demographic differences at a large public university. </p><p> <b>Methodology</b>. A quantitative correlational research design was used to interpret how student indicators of financial wellness explain subjective knowledge gained as a result of participating in the financial workshop when controlling for demographic and background characteristics. The sample population for this archival study included 2,550 university undergraduate students who participated in the Financial Literacy 101 online financial education system as a pilot program from November 2012 to January 2017. </p><p> <b>Findings.</b> All variables were run as a single model hierarchical multiple linear regression to control for variables and closely look at the relationships of the independent variables of interest in this study&mdash;financial stress, credit card behavior, and objective knowledge&mdash;and students&rsquo; subjective financial knowledge. Analyses of the research questions revealed mixed results. There were significant individual contributions to the model for the independent variables of gender-female, Hispanic/Latino, financial stress, and objective knowledge. Credit card behavior was not a significant predictor of students&rsquo; subjective financial knowledge. </p><p> <b>Conclusions.</b> The Financial Literacy 101 online education program was effective in increasing student subjective knowledge. Students who had higher financial stress levels before the workshop or who scored higher on the objective knowledge quiz scores were more likely to rate their subjective knowledge gained from the financial workshop positively after controlling for all other variables; there were no significant differences in students&rsquo; subjective knowledge dependent on credit card behaviors before the workshop. </p><p> <b>Recommendations.</b> Redesigning the instrument to better capture measures of financial wellness and to allow institutions to design data-informed customized interventions for their specific populations will magnify the program&rsquo;s impact. The possibilities for informing the financial education community with large scale research could be significant because the product is used by over 100,000 students annually.</p><p>