Browsing by Subject "Learning"
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Item A case study of learning styles of Mexican-American college students(Texas Tech University, 1994-12) Johnson, Betty SHispanics are the fastest growing population in the country today, and Mexican-Americans are the fastest growing Hispanic population. While Mexican-American youth are becoming a larger portion of the potential college pool, the percentage of Mexican-Americans actually attending college is decreasing. Even more alarming for those in higher education is the fact that of those Mexican-Americans who attend college, only a few persist to graduation. Institutions of higher education located in the states with a large Mexican-American population are faced with the problem of recruiting Mexican-American students and retaining them through graduation. The first step toward solving the problem may be for educators to gain an understanding of the culturally imposed needs of the Mexican-American learner. Twenty-five years of research on Mexican-American elementary and secondary students clearly establishes that their field-sensitive learning styles are a result of cultural practices. Socialization and child-rearing in the Mexican- American culture lead to a strong need for learning environments that are socially oriented. Although one might predict that this field-sensitive style will follow Mexican- American students into their college years, virtually no research on style has been conducted with Mexican-American college students serving as subjects. The purpose of this case study, therefore, is to identify and describe the learning preferences of a group of Mexican- American college students to determine if there is a commonality in their learning preferences. The assessment instrument used in the study is the Canfield Learning Style Inventory. The three research questions studied are: (1) Is there a commonality among Mexican-American college students in their preferences for conditions of learning? (2) Is there a commonality among Mexican-American college students in their preferences for course content? (3) Is there a commonality among Mexican-American college students in their preferences for mode of learning? The results of the study show a strong trend of the Mexican-American subjects toward a socially oriented style. The subjects show a strong preference for working with people in conditions of learning, strong preference for content that involves people, and a strong preference for listening, an activity that involves other people.Item A comparative analysis of written language from auditorally and visually presented stimuli(Texas Tech University, 1969-08) Calhoun, Janna KayNot availableItem A comparative study in simple one-trial oddity and dimension abstracted oddity learning(Texas Tech University, 1965-05) Hedges, Ramon MonnieNot availableItem A comparative study of learning styles of Hispanic and Anglo chemistry students(Texas Tech University, 1995-08) Flores-Feist, M. CeliaThe purpose of this study was to compare the learning styles of Hispanic and Anglo students enrolled in chemistry. Eight hypotheses were tested using routines available in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSSX).Item A comparison of mastery and nonmastery learning approaches to teaching reading comprehension to Title I reading students in grades two through six(Texas Tech University, 1985-05) Bacon, Ann HawkinsThis study sought to determine if a mastery learning approach to teaching reading in a supplemental reading program was more effective in promoting reading achievement than a conventional approach. It followed an experimental pretest, posttest design. The treatment group received supplemental instruction in reading with a mastery learning approach using the composite objectives found on the third and fifth grade Texas Assessment of Basic Skills (TABS) test. The control group received supplemental reading instruction using a nonmastery commercial reading phonics skills approach. The subjects were 240 Title I reading students from three elementary schools in Lubbock, The students in grades 2 through 6 were randomly selected from a pool of 384 Title I youngsters who qualified to participate in the Title I remedial reading program. Teachers in the treatment group received training in mastery learning and in the use of the selected materials. Bloom's (1976) cues, participation, reinforcement, and feedback/corrective strategies were used with the treatment group. Mastery was demonstrated by scoring 80 percent or better on each mastery test. Both the treatment and the control groups received reading instruction in the regular classroom. No mastery learning strategies were practiced in these classrooms. The researcher sought to answer the following questions: (1) Is a mastery learning supplemental reading program more effective than a conventional supplemental reading program in promoting achievement in reading comprehension among Title I students? (2) Will a mastery learning approach taught in a supplemental reading program be more effective for boys or for girls than a nonmastery supplemental reading program in promoting reading achievement? (3) Will there be any statistically significant interaction between sex and approach at each grade level? Significance of differences was tested by an ANCOVA inasmuch as t_ test results indicated significant group difference on the pretest. Results of the ANCOVA revealed no significant differences in the reading achievement of students taught by a mastery approach and those taught by a conventional approach. There were no significant differences between sex and approach, and there was no significant interaction between sex and approach.Item A study of the relationship between place of residence and academic success for male students at Texas Technological College(Texas Tech University, 1965-05) Parrish, Jesse H.The problem of the study was to examine the relationship and correlation between place of residence while in college and academic success for male students at Texas Technological College.Item Addressing the social nature of how students learn and teachers teach : promoting healthy socioemotional development and academic success in the classroom(2009-08) Ice, Charlotte Lee; Schallert, Diane L.; Svinicki, MarillaThis report will illustrate the positive and negative aspects of the social nature of learning through a review of sociocultural related research. In consideration of the billion dollar issues associated with the current state of students’ mental health, and the poor educational experiences of low income students, it seems the current focus on academic achievement in isolation, isn’t working. Socioemotional elements underlie the cognitive processes involved in all higher levels of thinking and problems solving. From a sociocultural perspective, for optimal learning to occur, teachers and students must establish positive affective relationships. Through greater understanding of effective teaching practices that consider the socioemotional elements involved learning, and universal interventions promoting positive child and youth development, schools can promote children’s social and emotional wellbeing while simultaneously improving academic achievement.Item AMPA-receptor mediated plasticity within the rat spinal cord(2009-05-15) Hoy, Kevin CorcoranPrevious research from our laboratory has demonstrated that the spinal cord is capable of a simple form of instrumental learning. In this instrumental learning paradigm, rats typically receive a complete spinal transection at the second thoracic vertebra, and are tested 24 hours after surgery. Subjects that receive shock to a hind leg quickly learn to maintain the leg in a flexed position, reducing net shock exposure whenever that leg is extended (controllable shock). Subjects that receive shock that is independent of leg position do not exhibit an increase in flexion duration (uncontrollable shock). This behavioral deficit can be induced with shock to the leg or tail and as little as 6 minutes of uncontrollable shock impairs learning for up to 48 hours. The present thesis explores how the related ?-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4- isoxazole propionic acid-receptor (AMPAR) ionotropic glutamate receptor affects spinal instrumental learning. Experiment 1 showed that inactivation of the AMPAR by administration of an antagonist blocks the acquisition of instrumental learning in a dose dependant fashion. Experiment 2 demonstrated that blocking the AMPAR after the acquisition of the instrumental response subsequently blocked the maintenance of that response. Experiment 3 revealed that antagonizing the AMPAR during uncontrollable shock blocked the acquisition of the learning deficit. Experiments 4-6 demonstrated that the activation of the AMPAR at high levels could acutely block the acquisition spinal instrumental learning. Understanding how the AMPAR influences learning in the spinal cord will lead us to develop therapeutic strategies for recovery of function after spinal cord injury.Item An examination of learning and application of sustainability principles in a collaborative setting(2013-05) Obeidat, Islam; Amor, Cherif; Pati, Debajyoti; Darwish, Mukaddes; Shin, Su-Jeong HwangABSTRACT In this global era, sustainability has become a wide-ranging term used in local and global scale and applied to almost every facet of life on earth. In academia, finding the appropriate means to learn and apply sustainability principles is a challenging educational task that lead to what is often called ‘sustainability gap’. In this study, students from architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture are taught sustainability principles in a collaboration studio course. The purpose of this study is: 1) to understand the gap between learning and application of sustainability principles in collaborative pedagogic settings, 2) to examine the association between collaborative pedagogic setting and students' predisposition to be environmentally responsible during learning and application of the sustainability principles, and 3) to explore whether the symbiosis between sustainability and collaboration might be associated with the students' perception of innovation in design. The objective of this study is to provide data that will help to bridge the gap between learning and application of sustainability principles. A review of literature relative to sustainability and collaboration was conducted. A qualitative (participants observation) and quantitative (survey/questionnaires) approaches used to collect data in this study. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, open coding, independent T-test, One-way ANOVA, and multiple comparison tests were used to analyze the data. The findings show that collaboration between design and allied disciplines might facilitate learning and application of sustainability principles. Similarly, collaborative settings help students to understand the predisposition of being pro-environmentally responsive and their perception of the innovation in design. Finally, collaborative pedagogy has facilitated the conspicuous the identification of the gaps relative to learning and application of sustainability principles.Item An experimental analysis of the after-effect theory of partial reinforcement(Texas Tech University, 1970-12) Takemura, Ken-IchiNot availableItem An experimental test of auditory memory span for tonal sequences(Texas Tech University, 1969-08) Miller, Patricia AnneNot availableItem An Investigation of Alternative Instructional Strategies for Basic Instrument Flight training in the T-40(Texas Tech University, 1976-08) Tyler, Dolores MariaNot Available.Item An investigation of concept formation in children with learning disabilities(Texas Tech University, 1972-08) Parucka, Mary RobinNot availableItem Causal Network Methods for Integrated Project Portfolio Risk Analysis(2014-08-06) Govan, PaulCorporate portfolio risk analysis is of primary concern for many organizations, as the success of strategic objectives greatly depends on an accurate risk assessment. Current risk analysis methods typically involve statistical models of risk with varying levels of complexity. Though, as risk events are often rare, sufficient data is often not available for statistical models. Other methods are the so-called expert models, which involve subjective estimates of risk based on experience and intuition. However, experience and intuition are often insufficient for expert models as well. Furthermore, neither of these approaches reflects the general information available on projects, both expert opinions and the observed data. The goal of this dissertation is to develop a general corporate portfolio risk analysis methodology that identifies theoretical causal relationships and integrates expert opinions with the observed data. The proposed conceptual framework takes a resource-based view, where risk is identified and measured in terms of the uncertainty associated with project resources. The methodological framework utilizes causal networks to model risk and the associated consequences. This research contributes to the field of risk analysis in two primary ways. First, this research introduces a new general theory of corporate portfolio risk analysis. This theoretical framework supports risk-based decision making whether through a formal analysis or heuristic measures. Second, this research applies the causal network methodology to the problem of project risk analysis. This methodological framework provides the ability to model risk events throughout the project life-cycle. Furthermore, this framework identifies risk-based dependencies given varying levels of information, and promotes organizational learning by identifying which project information is more or less valuable to the organization.Item Central office data use : a focus on district and school goals(2009-05) Moll, Kerry Ann; Wayman, Jeffrey C.This study examined the data use of central office administrators working in the Curriculum and Instruction Department of a school district. The purpose of this work was to broaden the knowledge base of data use and of the integral role the central office plays in the district-wide use of data to improve teaching and learning. Two research questions guided the study: (a) How do central office personnel involved in curriculum and instruction use data to support district goals of improved student achievement, and (b) how do central office personnel involved in curriculum and instruction use data to support campus goals of improved student achievement? A qualitative and quantitative data collection process with a single-case study approach included focus groups, individual interviews, and a survey instrument. The data from these components were coded, analyzed, and translated into themes and findings using a 9-step constant-comparative process. This process provided rich description and a comprehensive evaluation of findings to answer the research questions. Findings regarding the use of data within the department of curriculum and instruction at the central office revealed that administrators most often took on the role of data provider. The central office provided reports both to campuses and to comply with federal and state regulations and funding requirements; provided professional development to principals, teachers, and instructional specialists; provided information about student achievement to parents and the greater community; and encouraged the use of data and highlighted the value of data use to inform instructional choices. Further analysis of the data revealed barriers that inhibit the systemic use of data and the ability of school districts to become truly data informed: lack of a common vision for data use, creation of data silos that reduce the ability to collaborate and make cooperative data-based decisions, too much data for consideration, and fragmented implementation of the goal-setting process. These findings contribute to the current literature by demonstrating the importance of the central office in data use. In conclusion, what central office administrators do with data matters, and how the central office uses data to support teacher and principal quality is critical in a district focused on improving teaching and student learning.Item Civic engagement in a mobile landscape : testing the roles of duration and frequency in learning from news(2015-08) Molyneux, Logan Ken; Poindexter, Paula MaurieConsuming the news is often seen as preparing a person to participate in a democracy by giving them the information they need to make choices and provide input. This relationship has varied depending on the ways in which news is delivered, with different news platforms delivering different results in terms of learning from the news. As society changes and people's news consumption habits shift toward mobile, it is necessary to re-examine this relationship in a mobile age. This dissertation conducts surveys of two samples of U.S. adults one year apart in order to examine civic engagement in a mobile news landscape. Study 1, given to a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults in 2014, tests the Mobile News Dependency Model. The model predicts that reliance on mobile devices for news consumption will lead people to consume news in shorter, inattentive sessions, which should have detrimental effects on news knowledge and therefore civic engagement. Study 2, given in 2015 to a different sample of U.S. adults, refines the tests conducted in Study 1 using updated measures to identify those who snack on the news and compare them with those who get news in larger portions. Results show that news sessions on smartphone are indeed shorter than on other platforms, and that smartphone news use is associated with snacking on the news. But those who get news from smartphones are not significantly less knowledgeable and are in fact slightly more civically engaged than those who do not. Links between smartphone news use and short sessions or snacking are supported, but the overall Mobile News Dependency Model is not supported. The overall relationship between mobile news use and civic engagement appears to take a different path than the one specified. Finally, results show that most people consume news on multiple platforms, perhaps normalizing the effects of any one platform on knowledge. Implications for news consumers, news producers, and democracy in a mobile age are discussed.Item Cognitive Achievement: A Comparison of Three Presentation Modes(Texas Tech University, 1974-05) Bigger, George StewartNot Available.Item Complex systems as lenses on learning and teaching(2007) Hurford, Andrew Charles; Stroup, Walter M.From metaphors to mathematized models, the complexity sciences are changing the ways disciplines view their worlds, and ideas borrowed from complexity are increasingly being used to structure conversations and guide research on teaching and learning. The purpose of this corpus of research is to further those conversations and to extend complex systems ideas, theories, and modeling to curricula and to research on learning and teaching. A review of the literatures of learning and of complexity science and a discussion of the intersections between those disciplines are provided. The work reported represents an evolving model of learning qua complex system and that evolution is the result of iterative cycles of design research. One of the signatures of complex systems is the presence of scale invariance and this line of research furnishes empirical evidence of scale invariant behaviors in the activity of learners engaged in participatory simulations. The offered discussion of possible causes for these behaviors and chaotic phase transitions in human learning favors real-time optimization of decision-making as the means for producing such behaviors. Beyond theoretical development and modeling, this work includes the development of teaching activities intended to introduce pre-service mathematics and science teachers to complex systems. While some of the learning goals for this activity focused on the introduction of complex systems as a content area, we also used complex systems to frame perspectives on learning. Results of scoring rubrics and interview responses from students illustrate attributes of the proposed model of complex systems learning and also how these preservice teachers made sense of the ideas. Correlations between established theories of learning and a complex adaptive systems model of learning are established and made explicit, and a means for using complex systems ideas for designing instruction is offered. It is a fundamental assumption of this research and researcher that complex systems ideas and understandings can be appropriated from more complexity-developed disciplines and put to use modeling and building increasingly productive understandings of learning and teaching.Item Control, learning, and innovation : a syncretic approach(2010-05) Romo de Vivar y Sandoval, Carmen Alejandra; Browning, Larry D.This research focuses on understanding the processes involved in successful innovation---a topic that has appeared in a large body of research, but no conclusive trend has emerged about it. For this reason, I chose a different lens in order to gain a more panoramic view of the events leading up to an innovation. In particular, this research utilized a methodology and ontology that set it apart from previous work. In previous research control/exploitation and learning/exploration are either presented as two categorically separate concepts or as continuum that runs between them. This research supports the idea that innovation operates on a continuum but does not support the idea that it only occurs when the pendulum settles toward the learning/exploration side. Instead, the data shows that innovation could indeed occur at any point along the learning/exploration side of the continuum and even at the central point where learning/exploration and control/exploitation weigh evenly. To conceptualize this middle point, I term this a "syncretism" of two normally opposing forces to account for a significant portion of the interview data.Item Designing a Real-time Strategy Game about Sustainable Energy Use(2011-08-08) Doucet, Lars AndreasThis thesis documents the development of a video game about sustainable energy use that unites fun with learning. Many other educational games do not properly translate knowledge, facts, and lessons into the language of games: mechanics, rules, rewards, and feedback. This approach differs by using game mechanics in new ways to express lessons about energy sustainability. This design is based on the real time strategy (RTS) genre. Players of these types of games must manage economic problems such as extracting, refining, and allocating resources, as well as industrial problems such as producing buildings and military units. These games often use imaginative fantasy elements to connect with their audience, but also made-up economic numbers and fictional resources such as magic crystals which have little to do with the real world. This thesis' approach retains the fantasy elements and gameplay conventions of this popular genre, but uses numbers, resources, and situations based on research about real-world energy production. The intended result is a game in which the player learns about energy use simply by trying to overcome the game's challenges. In addition, a combined quantitative/qualitative study was performed, which shows that players of the game learned new things, enjoyed the game, and became more interested in the topic of energy use.