Browsing by Subject "Educational technology"
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Item The 21st century classroom : integrating educational technology with 21st century competencies in support of workforce development(2011-05) Bailie, Christine Marie; Treisman, Philip Uri; King, Christopher T.Information and communication technology demands are increasing across a range of occupations, creating intense global competition for highly-skilled workers. In order to meet the economic needs of the next century, education reform must prioritize student-directed learning that fosters innovation and creativity, enabling the United States to compete internationally in attracting and creating high-quality jobs for its citizens. Our system must strive to create lifelong learners and ensure equity in preparing all students for college- and career-readiness, which increasingly, are considered one in the same. Manor New Technology High School, in Central Texas, has successfully used technology immersion and project-based learning to expand the opportunities for its minority-majority population. Emphasis is placed on teaching students how to learn and in making authentic learning connections with the world through applied, and interdisciplinary coursework. An understanding of how educational technology can be used to create better student outcomes, through investment in teacher peer-to-peer supports to effectively integrate technology into instruction, has led to a sustainable and scalable model of technology immersion at Manor Independent School District. Through its partnerships with local businesses and not-for-profit organizations, Manor New Technology High School is graduating highly skilled and college-bound students, while concurrently promoting sector-based economic development within the high-tech industry. State educational agencies are ill-equipped to meet the challenges of workforce development; therefore, new mechanisms and incentives should be created to encourage and enable school districts to pursue 21st Century competencies (analytic skills, interpersonal skills, ability to execute, information processing, and capacity for change), which are enabled through the “invisible tool” of educational technology in the classroom.Item A developmental study of the use of integrated software for computer-assisted instruction(1989-08) Frisbie, Anthony G.; Johnson, Dee LaMont; Barker, Bruce; Price, Robert; Mehaffie, Shamus; Hildreth, BertinaThe increasing importance of the computer as an educational tool has brought to light certain liabilities in the acquisition of appropriate instructional software. Commercial materials are often too general in scope or do not treat with specific topics. One solution to this problem is teacher-produced software. Unfortunately, most educators have neither the time nor resources to devote to either acquiring appropriate computer programming skills or producing a completed piece of instructional software. One possible solution to this problem lies in the use of integrated software packages that are currently referred to as "personal productivity" software. These software items encompass several different applications (most frequently word processing, database, and spreadsheet) within a single program. All of the contained applications are accessed and utilized with similar commands, thus allowing the user to rapidly become proficient in the use of all of the applications. The features available in these packages present many possibilities as an instructional software development and delivery medium as well as a personal productivity tool. To this end, this study attempts to ascertain how effective instructional software can be designed using this medium (integrated software) and how well the product of this design process performs when judged by impartial evaluators. The study occurred in three stages: a pilot study, an implementation study, and a product evaluation. The pilot study was used to determine what was necessary to design effective software using integrated software. An assessment of the results from the pilot study resulted in the creation of a prototype template-designer's guidebook which was used as the primary design reference for the implementation study. The products of the main study were then evaluated to determine the relative effectiveness of these items as instructional software. Designer and evaluator attitudes and reactions to this design process were sampled throughout the study through the use of various survey and evaluation instruments and indicated a positive response on the pan of all participants to both the concept and the production of template-based, integrated software-implemented instructional materials.Item A modified personalized system of instruction approach to educational computing for preservice teachers(Texas Tech University, 1988-12) Brunson, Gwen DeanNot availableItem Evaluation of effective visuals in distance education(Texas Tech University, 1998-12) Massey, Paula DawnDespite widespread agreement about the need to incorporate visuals into the distance education classroom, there is controversy concerning the most effective color combinations, font type and size, and styles for emphasis. Experts (Rieber, 1994; Lester, 1995; Bankerd, 1997; Cyrs and Conway, 1997; Knupter, 1993) have suggested the best color combinations, fonts, the size and styles to use for effective visuals in the classroom. However, the suggestions have contradictory information. The literature also emphasized the importance of using effective visual components to enhance learning in distance education. The problem of this study was dissenting guidance in the designing of visual components to enhance the dissemination of information in the distance education classroom.Item Examination of web page interests and computer skills of members of a professional association(Texas Tech University, 2002-05) Marquez-Hall, SandraThe purpose of this study was to survey the membership of the Education and Technology (E&T) Division of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) to contribute, in part, to the development of the technology strategic plan for building the E&T Division web page. The profession is recognized as an integrative field of study focused on the well being of individuals, families, and consumers and the reciprocal relations with their environments. Classifications within the AAFCS membership are by divisions, to indicate the member education emphasis, and, sections to represent member employment areas. Eight objectives were established to guide the study. The objectives for the survey focused on the following areas; current visitation to the AAFCS Web Site, interest in four topics and 23 sub-topics to be included at the website, intent to use five communications utilities, level of need for seven website features, current computer use, websites visited most often in professional role, frequency of use of the computer for seven processes, seven computer-related training needs, how decisions should be made about what is included at the web page, and the professional background of respondents. The sample for the research study was drawn from the 1999 membership list of the E&T Division supplied by the headquarters office of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. At the time, there were approximately 3,800 registered members in the E&T Division. A 20% random sample, crossed by each of the six sections of the Association represented within the division was selected. A finding of the study was the disparity in the number of members in the individual sections of the association; eighty-five percent of the division members were in the Elementary, Secondary and Adult Education Sections. Therefore, the sample was combined for data analysis. Using a researcher-developed instrument, the traditional mail survey was sent out in May 1999. An online version of the survey was published on the World Wide Web (WWW) in May 2000. The combined responses to the two surveys (N=371) resulted in a 24% overall return. The surveys generated both qualitative and quantitative data with regard to the questions asked. American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Technology Division members responding to the survey were seasoned educators who were employed in the public school system at the secondary level (64%), the college level (12%), and other positions in the public domain. Members of the E&T Division were looking for practical support for their professional roles. Respondents expressed the highest level of interest for teaching materials and teaching-related information, web sites, and advertisement/online exhibits. There were also high levels of interest in distant education courses, curriculum center links, factual information and critical issues, public affairs/legislation, and a membership directory. Member interest in web site features and communication utilities indicated the highest intent to use electronic mail, links, and networking opportunities. Computer literate, the respondents used E-mail, the Internet, and WWW frequently. The division members wanted training in web page development and applications for integration of the computer into the classroom. Members wanted a recognized authority familiar with the professions interests, making decisions about what is to be accepted at the web page. This study was one portion of a larger effort toward developing a technology strategic plan for the E&T Division. Considerations outside of the parameters of this project such as the ability of the AAFCS organization to implement changes, and to provide staffing to support the recommendations for the E&T Division web pages were unknown.Item Factors affecting faculty use of technology-enhanced instruction at research universities(2011-05) Thomas, Carolyn Dianna; Reyes, Pedro, 1954-; Ashcroft, Judy C.; Ovando, Martha N.; Rice-Lively, Mary Lynn; Sharpe, Jr., Edwin R.In traditional models of university education, students gather in classrooms, listen to instructors lecture on specific topics, and take notes with limited time for interaction. Students are then expected to spend additional time outside of the classroom reading textbooks, completing assignments, and preparing for tests. Instructors are viewed as experts providing information to students in much the same manner that they learned the content as students in college. The advent of the World Wide Web in 1991 allowed a dramatic change in the way students and faculty gather information, conduct research, and publish ideas. Internet-based technologies can transform traditional classroom experiences. Student participation can be increased by promoting group and collaborative learning online, and by the use of tools such as e-mail, discussion boards, and synchronous chat sessions. The objectives of this study were to 1) determine which factors affected faculty members’ use of technology integration in their instruction, and 2) determine what effect the integration of technology had on the role and teaching styles of faculty members. The study employed a mixed-methods research methodology. A survey instrument was developed and sent to faculty members at the five largest, public research institutions. The level of technology integration was calculated on a scale ranging from nonuse to full integration. The scale included practices such as providing online discussion areas, allowing/requiring students to use the Internet for assignments, and using anonymous online surveys to gather student feedback. Faculty members were then asked to elaborate on their answers. After the quantitative and qualitative survey results were analyzed, a select group of faculty members at one campus were interviewed to verify or dispute the findings. The survey results revealed the factors that significantly contributed to the overall level of technology integration were: instructional resources, professional and personal computer use, level of class, gender, title, and type of online teaching experience. One of the most significant factors was the level of instructional resources. Instructors with a facilitative teaching style were most likely to integrate technology into their instruction. This information can inform institutions when creating faculty development programs and budgeting limited resources.Item Identity and participation in social networking sites amongst pre-service elementary school teachers(2012-08) Kimmons, Royce M.; Veletsianos, George; Wetzel, Melissa; Hughes, Joan; French, Karen; Armour, MarilynRecent trends in social networking site (SNS) use amongst teachers have led to some alarming circumstances. Practicing and pre-service teachers have been fired or otherwise punished (e.g. suspension, licensure revocation, etc.) for a variety of offenses related to their SNS use, ranging from sinister to morally ambiguous offenses, and have been encouraged or required by school administrators, professors, and others in positions of power to use SNS in particular ways. Past research on the topic of SNS in education and SNS professionalism has focused on issues of implementation (e.g. how to use SNS to support learning) or utility (e.g. how to use SNS to successfully achieve career goals). Missing from this discussion, however, is an understanding of how teachers (and those preparing to become teachers) naturally come to participate in SNS, why they participate in the ways that they do, and how this use is related to their identity. This study seeks to fill a gap in the literature by understanding pre-service teachers’ uses of SNS in terms of previous experiences, cultural expectations, social benefits, connections to identity construction and maintenance, and how these uses and beliefs regarding SNS begin to change in response to professionalization processes. Grounded theory is employed to generate an explanatory construct, which I refer to as the Acceptable Identity Fragment (AIF). The AIF is then used to understand and illustrate issues surrounding SNS use in education. Major findings suggest that 1) pre-service teachers’ identities in SNS represent a fragment of their authentic identities, 2) pre-service teachers use various SNS differently in conjunction with each SNS’s embedded values and assumptions about identity, 3) SNS use raises various problematic issues surrounding identity and how pre-service teachers are perceived and judged as individuals (e.g. digital persistence, lateral surveillance, etc.), and 4) professionalization processes alter and restrict pre-service teachers’ ability and comfort to express themselves in SNS. These findings lead to discussion, implications, and recommendations on a variety of topics including the following: institutional uses of SNS in education, relationships between fragmented and authentic identities, SNS literacy development, and cultural issues of SNS use.Item Impact analysis of phonecasted lecture summaries(2012-05) Fryer, Wesley A.; Johnson, Peggy; Burley, Hansel E.; Morgan-Fleming, BarbaraConstructivist learning theory postulates the active creation of content by students encourages higher levels of retention and understanding. Phonecasting, a process involving use of a telephone to record an audio message subsequently shared publicly on the World Wide Web, is a potential constructivist use of technology for assessment currently underutilized by university faculty. The primary goal of this exploratory study was to determine whether academic achievement differs between students taught in an introductory, undergraduate health course requiring the creation of lecture summary phonecasts by students, and similar students not required to create phonecasts. Little academic research has been published to date on the impact of phonecasting in the classroom. The dependent variable in the study was defined as final student grades in the health course and the independent variable as the nominal variable of summary lecture phonecasting. Pre-existing differences in student achievement were controlled through the use of a covariate (students’ entering composite ACT scores) in an Analysis of Covariance test. The researcher used an ex post facto quantitative study and utilized a quasi-experimental, posttest-only with nonequivalent groups research design. The proposed research sample for this comparative study had 100 students in the treatment group and 257 students in the control group. Results were analyzed to determine if a significant difference in academic achievement existed between student groups in the study when differences in academic achievement were controlled through the use of a covariate. The researcher did not find statistically significant differences in student grades between those taught in a classroom setting utilizing summary lecture phonecasting assigments and those taught in a traditional setting. When student ACT math scores were used as a covariate instead of ACT composite scores, however, statistical results were very close to statistical significance. Analyses of an instructor end-of-course student survey along with an interview with the instructor suggest multiple ways phonecasting projects and studies could be improved in the future. Summary lecture phonecasting by students is a promising pedagogic intervention and an assignment option which warrants further investigation.Item Interfacing Milton: the supplementation of Paradise lost(2008-05) Bjork, Olin Robert, 1970-; Rumrich, John Peter, 1954-Jacques Derrida argued that a supplement "adds only to replace." Since the blind Milton dictated his epic to amanuenses, the text of Paradise Lost may be conceived as a supplement to an aural performance. This dissertation itself supplements another project, a digital "audiotext" or classroom edition of Paradise Lost on which I am collaborating with Professor John Rumrich and others. In the audiotext, we reassert the duality of the work as both a print text and an oral epic by integrating an audio recording with an electronic text of the poem. This pairing is informed by our own experiences teaching Paradise Lost as well as by cognitive research demonstrating that comprehension increases when students read and hear a text sequentially or simultaneously. As both a wellspring of the audiotext project and a meditation on its aims, this dissertation investigates the actual effects on readers of print and digital supplements putatively designed to enhance their appreciation or study of the work. The first two chapters examine the rationale and influence of the authorial and editorial matter added to early editions. The final two chapters explore the ways in which digital technology is changing how scholars and readers interact with Paradise Lost and other works of literature. I begin by examining why the first edition of Paradise Lost arrived in 1667 bearing no front matter other than a title page. In Chapter Two, I argue that critics have undervalued the interpretive significance of the prose summaries or Arguments that Milton appended to Paradise Lost and Samson Agonistes. Chapter Three relates the current emphasis on electronic textual encoding in editorial theory to the ideological dominance of Richard Bentley's conjectural approach in the early seventeenth century and of Fredson Bowers's copy-text approach in the 1960s and 70s. Chapter Four introduces the audiotext project and contrast its goals with those of other projects in the Digital Humanities. The audiotext's interface offers multiple viewing modes, enabling the user to display the reading text alone or in parallel with annotations and other supplements. Unlike prior editions and archives, therefore, it accommodates both immersive and analytical reading modes.Item Knowledge building using wikis in a computer-supported collaborative writing task(2011-05) Woo, Jeong Won; Resta, Paul E.; Liu, Min; Maloch, Beth; Northcutt, Norvell; French, KarenThe purpose of this study was to investigate how Scardamalia’s (2002) socio-cognitive determinants of knowledge building emerge in a computer-supported collaborative writing task, and to understand students’ perceptions of knowledge building experience and the use of tools, including wikis, to support the collaborative writing process. The setting of this study was a graduate level online course on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), in which all course activities were conducted collaboratively in an online environment. Data sources included: transcripts of online inputs in the wiki areas; interviews with 15 participants; participants’ reflective journals; transcripts of asynchronous online discussions and synchronous chats. Data were analyzed using content analysis for the transcripts of wiki areas and grounded theory approach (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) was used in the analysis of data from the interviews. Results of the data analysis indicated that the three groups in this study participated in the collaborative knowledge building activity in different ways. The three factors that influenced their participation in the activity included: group dynamics, collaborative writing task, and collaborative writing tools. These factors interacted with each another and impacted their knowledge building discourse in the following ways: improvable ideas, constructive use of authoritative sources, epistemic agency, and embedded and transformative assessment. As a result of their engagement in knowledge building discourse, participants successfully completed the collaborative writing project and shared a strong sense of community and co-ownership of the knowledge product. The findings of this study may shed light on the strategies and environmental factors that encourage knowledge building discourse as well as the synergetic combination of technology tools and knowledge building task. In addition, understanding the process of knowledge building in a computer-supported collaborative writing task and the participants perception of knowledge building and the use of tools may help instructor better prepare learners to become collaborative learners and effective knowledge workers.Item Leadership concerns about the implementation of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for technology applications(Texas Tech University, 1999-12) Wells, Galileo GrantAlthough there has been a progression of technological improvements in the tools available for educators to improve instruction, there will always be the need for learners to master fundamental skills and for educators to facilitate that learning. Nevertheless, the implementation of innovative technology programs continues to be a priority of educators in both urban and rural settings. Texas educators are now under new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curricular requirements, a comprehensive document with specific learner outcomes, particularly with technology embedded into every grade level. Because of these external constraints, even small rural school districts have to provide advanced technology capabilities for their learners. This current study investigated personal and professional concerns of change facilitators in a seven-district technology consortium as these requirements are implemented. This consortium was developed with assistance from both the local telephone service provider and the regional Educational Service Center (ESC). These districts range a distance of 70 to 125 miles from their ESC. Two of the participating school districts are considered property-wealthy and provide the bulk of the finding for the other five districts through special legislative rules. This exploratory case study used the Concerns-based Adoption Model (CBAM) for evaluating these concems. Nine informants, three each of superintendents, principals, and technology coordinators, responded to a 35-item Likert scale which placed the informant on a "Stage of Concern," either SELF, TASK, or IMPACT. Informants' concerns were rated largely at the TASK level. In general, an informant's stage of concern increased with a higher status within the school system. These informants were also interviewed on their personal concerns toward technology implementation. Seven general themes emerged through the interview process. Informants articulated concems over attitudes, power, student learning, distance learning, staff training, infrastructure, and finances. These informants consistently expressed concern for the prospects of implementing instructional video and its instructional and disciplinary implications. Each informant expressed optimism over the educational and administrative possibilities modern computer technology brought to their districts.Item Millennial students' and faculty's perceptions of a new generation of learning classrooms(2007-12) García, Linda Lorraine, 1979-; Roueche, John E.Today's higher education institutions are experiencing a different type of student population from previous years. They are known as gadget fanatics, social networkers, Internet enthusiasts, optimists, multitaskers, and inductive learners. Their viewpoints and aptitudes about technology and the Internet differ from others who rarely use it (Oblinger, 2003; Frand 2000). This population will present many challenges to American postsecondary institutions. Facilities, faculty, and curriculum will not be prepared to address their habits and expectations. They are called the Millennials. In an effort to start addressing the educational needs of the Millennial student population, postsecondary institutions must transition from the "old generation of learning" to the "new generation of learning" (Milliron, 2006). The purpose of the study is to explore the Millennial students' and faculty's perceptions of a new generation of learning classrooms. There were five research questions for this study: (1) What are the perceptions of a new generation of learning classrooms by Millennial students? (2) How do Millennial students relate to a new generation of learning classrooms? (3) What are the perceptions of a new generation of learning classrooms by faculty? (4) How do faculty relate to a new generation of learning classrooms? and (5) How Millennial students' and faculty's perceptions on the new generational of learning classrooms compare? Since this was a qualitative study, the Interactive Qualitative Analysis (Northcutt & McCoy, 2004) was the research design utilized to collect and analyze data that answered the research questions. A purposive sample for this study included a total of 47 participants: 26 Millennial students and 21 faculty members. One component of the research design involved focus groups for the Millennial students and faculty. Both groups identified the following themes, which were used to create an interview protocol: technology, appearance, teaching style, learning environment, writing/work space, classroom mood, climate, emotions, group assignments, and social networking. Analysis of the interview text included axial and theoretical coding. This contributed to the development of a mind map for the Millennial students and faculty. Comparisons of these two composite mindmaps reveal their perceptions of the new generation of learning classrooms.Item Multimedia instruction for individual and collaborative interactive learning environments : a cognitive load approach(2011-05) Nihalani, Priya K.; Robinson, Daniel H.This study sought to identify factors that optimize individual and collaborative cognitive processing in complex learning environments. Across two laboratory sessions, the effects of manipulating instructional sequence delivery (high cognitive load vs. low cognitive load) of a simulation-based game and learning condition (individual vs. collaborative) were examined on retention and transfer of instructional content. The instruction was a set of tutorials for preparing novice students to use Aspire, a simulation-based game, developed by Cisco, that teaches entrepreneurial and computer networking skills within the industry of information technology. An instructional sequence by learning condition interaction was found on transfer, but not retention, measures. For delayed transfer performance, individuals who received high load instruction experienced cognitive overload that exceeded their cognitive capacity. Collaborative students were able to collaborate with each other in a way that reduced the high cognitive load imposed by the instructional sequence; thus, they were able to process the instructional content across their collective working memory. Individual students were not able to reduce the cognitive load imposed by the instructional sequence; thus, they had less working memory capacity for processing the instructional content. Collaborative students who received the low load instruction also demonstrated lower motivation than those who received high load instruction. Taken together, these findings support the notions of individual and collective working memory processing differences. This study holds implications for leveraging technology to design learning environments that aid students in attaining collaborative skills and knowledge needed for the 21st century.Item Preservice teachers' perceptions of their values and expectations regarding technology-integrated experiences in a secondary methods course(Texas Tech University, 2001-12) Elwood-Salinas, Susan A.This qualitative study explored secondary level preservice teachers' expectancies and values related to technology-integrated experiences (TIEs) in their preservice education. This study provides insights for higher education curricula planners and teachers to prepare preservice teachers to effectively integrate technology in their own classrooms (Stuhlmann & Taylor, 1999; Maeers, Browne, & Cooper, 1999; Widmer & Amberger, 1994). McCoy (1998) and Fife (2000) reported the need for technologyintegrated experiences within several preservice education courses, as well as more research directly related to preservice teachers' perceptions. Wigfield and Eccles' (2000) expectancy-value theoretical framework in conjunction with a phenomenographical research approach guided the investigation. The expectancy-value theory (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000; Kellenberger, 1996) opened a speciíîc window into the preservice teachers' perceptions of their future actions and various value needs regarding technology integration. The first research question explored participants' expectations and values directly related to their educational TIEs that prompt them to engage in TIEs achievement related choices. The second question revealed the participants' recommendations for TIEs in methods courses, as well as a TIEs approach for effective practice in methods courses. A criterion-based survey, based upon the expectancy-value theoretical framework, revealed eight participants from a purposively sampled pool. These students were enrolled in their fínal semester of curriculum and methods coursework before student teaching. The constant comparison method and QSR NVivo software assisted in the exploration of data obtained from four individual interview sessions, field notes, and four focus group sessions. Emergent themes signified the essence of the preservice teachers' TIEs.Item The role of mathematical aesthetic in network-supported generative design: a case study(2007-05) Mack, André Joseph, 1968-; Stroup, Walter M.Use of a next-generation, classroom-based network technology for mathematics instruction illuminates possible connections between the aesthetic perceptions of mathematics and mathematics teaching practices. Generative activity design makes use of participatory classroom simulations with the technology to allow students to fully engage in the activities from various levels and trajectories of understanding. Moreover, the student engagement with these activities produces artifacts, the projections of which make mathematical aesthetic visible and a substantial topic in the classroom discourse. This investigation entails the study of one secondary mathematics teacher, examining her instructional practices in the context of a networked-supported environment. This case study, conducted within the framework of a design experiment, uncovers the ways in which the teacher's mathematical aesthetic perceptions acted to (1) constrain her process of generative activity design and (2) frame her role in the mathematical discourse during classroom implementation of the network. Findings suggest the need for augmentation of a generative activity design framework to include overt connections to aesthetic.Item A study of communications between subject matter experts and individual students in electronic mail contexts(2001-05) Jones, James Gregory; Harris, JudiThis study examines the nature of exchanges between subject matter experts and individual students when using electronic mail for educational discourse on specific curriculum-related topics. Teams were selected from those that communicated using the Electronic Emissary between February 1993 and December 1999. A team is defined as a group of people who exchanged at least ten messages about a curriculum-related topic, and is comprised of a subject matter expert, a teacher, a student, and an on-line facilitator. A collaborative process based on qualitative analysis of message functions/speech acts was conducted on exchanged electronic mail. Frequency of occurrence of each type of exchange was calculated, and patterns of exchanges by participants, according to their participant roles and over time, were charted. After message function/speech acts were determined, informant-centered, semi-structured interviews of all team members who could be contacted were conducted. This added participants’ perspectives of the process of Emissary-facilitated interchange to the previously identified patterns of flow and functions, thus creating a richer understanding of one-to-one telementoring. Themes that emerged included the effects participants’ schedules can have on their communication habits, how different age groups have different priorities and schedules, how technical circumstances influences communications, and how participants’ roles shifted during discourse. The younger students were more available for open-ended discourse and had the time to sustain the communications. These sustained exchanges evolved into substantial mentoring relationships. The project-based matches remained question-and-answer dialogs and the participants were less satisfied with their experiences. The willingness of participants to shift roles had a major impact on the quality of discourse. When one or more of the primary roles were absent, the match, while still successful, suffered in some form. As the Internet and other telecommunications media become more accessible and affordable in the home, exchanges involving students using electronic mail to communicate with subject matter experts will become more commonplace. It is important to understand this individualized exchange dynamic. These results could be used to enhance communication and learning opportunities by classroom teachers and home schooling parents who want to provide subject matter experts as mentors for individual students.Item Technologies that facilitate the study of advanced mathematics by students who are blind: Teachers’ perspectives(2012-05) Depountis, Vicki; Pogrund, Rona; Griffin-Shirley, Nora; Lan, William; Davidson, Roseanna C.Implicit in the technology boom of the last three decades is the promise of the accessibility necessary to make equal opportunity achievable for all students. It is the role of teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs) to provide the most advantageous tools and instruction on their use, at the proper time to the student and classroom teacher. This research examines TVIs’ perspectives on the current state of high-tech devices purporting to assist students who are blind, in an attempt to appraise the educational value of high-tech tools for practical application in various mathematics subjects. Six research questions guided the design of the survey instrument. The research examined TVI perspectives regarding which high-tech devices were currently used in secondary school advanced mathematics courses to support students who are blind. Furthermore, is there a core set of devices that is perceived by TVIs as beneficial, and do the contents of that set change depending on the subject? The next two research questions looked at perceived effectiveness of the devices for supporting typical lesson-plan steps and where there were gaps in support. Finally, teachers were encouraged to provide additional insight in order to determine if any themes regarding use of technology emerged. A mixed-methods questionnaire that included a multiple rating matrix containing 35 devices was distributed electronically to a convenience sample of TVIs. Survey Monkey was used to collect responses, and data analysis was conducted using spreadsheet software. While 157 surveys were returned, a total of 82 were completed Texas Tech University, Vicki DePountis, May 2012 vii through the device matrix question. Results indicated that 21 of the 35 devices were, in fact, used by TVIs. In addition, there was a core set of 13 devices used by TVIs regardless of specific subject. More than half of the participants listed the same four devices, for three of the five typical lesson-plan tasks. Participants recommended another seven high-tech devices in the open response question. Findings from this study lay a foundation for future research that will ultimately enhance advanced mathematics experiences of students who are blind and interested in going on to post-secondary school.Item The effects of paired client-server architecture on interaction, achievement, and attitude in computer-mediated course delivery(Texas Tech University, 1999-05) Mize, Charles DarrelThis study considers the effects of paired client-server architecture on interaction, achievement, and attitude in computer mediated course delivery. The hypothesis studied proposes that the use of computer mediated technology to dehver instructional content has an effect upon the three variables of student interaction, achievement, and attitude. Through the use of appropriately paired client-server architecture, the technology can be designed to match the instructional task to be accomplished. By finding the best fit between the client-server pair and the instructional task, the effects of the technology can be reduced and therefore will allow students to concentrate on the content. If the technology is not appropriately matched to the instructional task, students must deal with additional cognitive noise that reduces their ability to deal with the content. Variances between student interaction, achievement, and attitude should be reduced when the client-server pair is designed to match the instructional task. This study followed a 2x2 factorial design to investigate the use of a Mud Object Oriented (MOO) client and server for the delivery of instructional content in an on-line environment. A multiple analysis of covariance was used for the statistical analysis in order to evaluate the effects of the technology upon the dependent variables while controlling for variances due to a student's degree of previous computer experience. The results reported in this study indicate that a reciprocal relationship exists between the instructional task required and the technology used. The results further suggest that in order to improve computer mediated course delivery, consideration must be given to matching the characteristics of the technology to the instructional task so that the effect of the technology on student interaction, achievement, and attitude may be minimized.Item The effects of quantification on the administration of higher education(Texas Tech University, 1980-05) Gale, Kenneth StanleyNot availableItem The effects of three teaching models on undergraduate college student achievement in an online self-paced lesson(Texas Tech University, 1998-08) Martindale, Emery SherwoodNon-classroom-based instruction (NCBI) is becoming much more common, particularly due to the growth of computer networks (Harasim, 1995). NCBI is defined in this study as any planned learning environment that is not designed to occur in the traditional classroom. With the rapid expansion of NCBI there is a need to examine its effectiveness in terms of instructional design. A primary method of evaluating various forms of NCBI lies in the examination of the teaching model employed in the instructional design. Many institutions and organizations are providing computer-based instruction for training students and employees. However a large segment of this NCBI remains exclusively in the domain of the behavioral family of teaching models, despite evidence of the effectiveness of other teaching models (Joyce et al., 1992). This is occurring even as the effectiveness of current NCBI is under scrutiny due to high drop-out and failure rates. This quasi-experimental study compared three teaching models from three distinct model classifications for effectiveness in an online self-paced lesson. The models were direct instruction from the behavioral models, concept attainment from the information processing models, and group discussion from the social interaction models. The research questions were: what effect does teaching model have on college students' achievement in a self-paced online lesson?; and what effect does teaching models have on number of test attempts? Participants were a class section of 128 undergraduate college students enrolled in a self-paced campus-based computer literacy course. The study found no significant differences in number of test attempts needed to pass the course instrument. There were also no significant differences in mean test scores or first attempt test scores for participants, regardless of teaching model or prior WWW experience. There was a significant interaction effect between teaching model and WWW experience. This may indicate that certain models are more effective for NCBI environments. Instructors may not have to train for both using the World Wide Web and for the course content. Limitations of the study included the length of time the activities were carried out, and the length, difficulty level, and comprehensiveness of the measurement instmments. Suggestions for further research included: use of other teaching models and combinations of models; increased intervention time with the teaching models; and use of altemative populations and instructional content.