Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Educational technology'

The purpose of this ethnographic research study was to investigate the effect of a Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) policy on student engagement in a high school setting through classroom observations, cross-sectional surveys, and a focus group of technology teacher leaders. The qualitative and quantitative data gleaned from this study indicated no significant difference in student engagement levels when student-owned technology was used for instructional purposes, but student engagement increased with teacher support and efficacy with technology, student-directed learning, and utilization of Web 2.0 applications. The findings of this study will inform future decision making by school districts considering BYOT policies, assist teachers with technology-based instructional design, and contribute to the literature on student engagement with instructional technology.

The student affairs profession is at a crossroads (Torres & Walbert, 2010) given digital technology’s growth and the academy’s administrative expansion (Bowen, 2013). Student affairs administrators must simultaneously respond to digital technology’s implications in students’ lives (Kirschner & Karpinski, 2010) and to new state and federal compliance mandates connected to their expanding campus roles (Dungy & Gordon, 2010). Student affairs leaders acknowledge that these competing priorities demand more nimble responses (Manning, Kinzie, & Schuh, 2013; McClennan & Stringer, 2009). Significant research (Barr, McClennan, & Sandeen, 2014; Elkins, 2015; Dungy & Gordon, 2010; Junco, 2014; Kuk, 2012; Torres & Walbert, 2010) highlights that student affairs administrator‘s digital technology use can augment traditional in-person co-curricular student experiences; yet, minimal research exists on how student affairs administrators utilize digital technology.

This qualitative, historical, interpretive study analyzed student affairs administrators’ digital technology use from 2005 to 2015. Three research questions and three sub-questions framed the research design, which utilized three data sources. The researcher conducted (N=16) interviews with student affairs professionals and educators. Elite interviews (N=5) were conducted with some of the earlier student affairs digital technology adopters, while (N=11) key informant interviews were conducted with administrators who started their professional careers in 2005. (N=206) documents, including conference presentations and publications, were collected through the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) and College Student Educators International (ACPA)’s websites. Data were analyzed in-case and across cases to highlight overall themes and a progressive timeline of how student affairs professionals used digital technology throughout their work. Using the futurology lens, the researcher envisioned how student affairs should use technology over the next ten years.

Analysis revealed that since 2005, student affairs administrators utilized digital technology to build capacity in their campus work, augment existing engagement efforts with students, faculty, and staff, and inspire change within and outside of their institution. Additionally, a historic timeline described how NASPA and ACPA provided limited, yet progressive, digital technology professional development education.

Student affairs administrators, professional organizations, and academy leaders leading digital technology implementation efforts might utilize the researcher’s recommendations as a starting point to catalyze the academy’s ongoing evolution.

This study was conducted in order to understand the types of music technologies band educators in the state of Arkansas were using, their attitudes towards technology, and the implications training, during undergraduate and through professional development, had on the frequency of use. Arkansas Music Educators (n = 64) completed an online questionnaire containing demographic information, selection of music technologies, agreeability/disagreeability to statements about music technology, frequency of use, descriptions of technologies, and description of how they felt music technology should be used for the purpose of learning. Regarding training in undergraduate professional development for music technology use, there appeared to be no difference between the increase of music technology usage and the increase of more training. Results suggest that participants have an overall “good” attitude towards technology with the stipulation that it should be considered a tool, students and teachers receive appropriate training, and it should be used efficiently.

This correlational-predictive study investigated the relationship between teacher perceptions of technology use and observed classroom technology integration level using the Technology Uses and Perceptions Survey (TUPS) and the Technology Integration Matrix- Observation (TIM-O) instruments, developed by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology (FCIT) at USF. Anonymized data were obtained from FCIT that included 51 teachers from a Florida school district who completed the TUPS and were observed using the TIM-O. Linear regression was used to determine the overall relationship between perceptions and technology integration, as well as the overall predictive value of teacher perceptions on technology integration level. Both were found to be statistically significant; a low-moderate relationship existed between the TUPS and the TIM-O, and the TUPS was found to be a predictor of the TIM-O level. In addition, multiple regression was used to determine the relationship between each of the seven areas of the TUPS and the TIM-O level, as well as the predictive ability of each of the TUPS domains on the TIM-O level. Although none of the domains had a statistically significant relationship or predictive value, several subgroups had significant findings in the domains of confidence and comfort, and skills and usefulness. This study supports previous research in teacher perceptions and beliefs and furthers the research by including predictive relationships. Administrators, professional developers, and support staff can use these findings to target teacher professional learning opportunities in technology integration.

There is a high demand to incorporate technology into schools. Technology has infiltrated our society, and principals must learn to leverage technology to enhance learning while preparing students for a digital world. This case study examined principal leadership during a technology implementation in four public schools. The research was designed to investigate which specific actions principals take to promote technology in a school setting. McRel’s change management process was used as a theoretical framework in which to view the leadership of the participants. Methodology for the study included qualitative interviews and observations. A quantitative survey was used to run a Principal Component Analysis. Findings indicate that principals who strategically create a vision, provide resources, develop strong lines of communication, and systematically manage the change process, develop supportive cultures that promote innovation, and student-centered learning. Factors that support technology included managing change and communicating with stakeholders. This study identified five leadership responsibilities which, when used in conjunction with McRel’s second-order change process, enhanced a principal’s effectiveness. Findings would indicate that strategic leadership, paired with a change management framework, can increase a principal’s efficacy in implementing technology to promote a student-centered learning environment.

This study examined the connection between perceptions of teacher self-efficacy, professional development, and leadership practices and attitudes as it relates to successful implementation of technology for student learning in K-12 schools. As external pressures exhort schools to transform the learning environment and to include more meaningful applications of technology in the learning experiences for all students, issues which create barriers to a successful implementation of new practices must be examined.

This study examined the responses of teachers, school and district administrators, and technology support personnel in a stratified random sample from 37 school districts in the state of Oregon to analyze the combined effects of teacher self-efficacy perceptions, leadership practices, and professional development as they relate to the implementation of classroom educational technology.

The study revealed perceptual differences between staff roles of what teachers know about technology and how they use technology. School contexts, such as percentages of disadvantaged or non-White students, and teacher factors, such as age and gender, affected participant perception of technology implementations and of professional development opportunities.

The researcher proposes a new framework for understanding school contexts and for planning successful technology implementations based upon a review of literature and original research.

Prior research has explored many facets of innovation, provided models of governance maturity, and analyzed the impact of corporate decision-making on innovation. However, there is little research on IT governance maturity in higher education or on IT innovation in organizations outside of the IT industry. Findings from previous research were ambiguous regarding whether a mature IT governance process helps or hinders innovation. This study fills a gap in existing knowledge by reviewing the literature and examining the interaction of IT governance and information technology innovation at five major U.S. universities. It provides insights into the structures and processes necessary for IT governance to facilitate technology innovation and the factors required for effective IT governance in higher education.

Highly effective IT governance processes focused on collaboration and communication were associated with greater integration of radical innovation into institutional processes than effective IT governance processes that focused primarily on the prioritization of large enterprise projects. Incremental technology innovations were pervasive among all schools studied. IT governance was found to be more effective under a delegated model of decision-making authority that empowers IT governance bodies than under a CIO-centric model. The inclusion of a faculty, students and business units in IT governance committees was associated with a stronger innovation culture.

Educational technology can be a powerful tool and the advantages of using it in instruction are abundant. However, it is important that instructors use technology effectively. Recent rapid changes in technology have coincided with rapid growth in online learning. Since the 1990s, learning management systems (LMS) have been adopted in higher education as a means for providing instructors with educational technology tools to manage and facilitate their higher education classes. LMS tools play a significant role in the facilitation of online learning. The changes in educational technology and the growth in online learning have led educators in higher education to examine best practices for integrating technology in online learning. Retention is a major focus of higher education administrators. Thus, student satisfaction in online courses is a concern in order to decrease attrition and improve student persistence in online education. This study examines the relationships between student perception of the usefulness of LMS tools and student online course satisfaction in higher education.

Teachers need training to integrate technology into classroom curriculum, activities, and pedagogy. The adoption of the Common Core State Standards and statewide computer based assessments, coupled with technology’s rapid rate of innovation and change, has only increased the need to help support teachers’ development of these necessary skills. The purpose of this project was to create an online-based e-learning professional development training module for teachers to develop their technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) and skills. The design of the training module incorporated e-learning design principles, adult learning principles, and current research on developing teachers’ TPACK. To provide feedback on the design, teachers from two middle schools in Southern California were invited to use the training module, and were surveyed regarding their experiences. Results of the survey indicate participants gained knowledge and skills for using their school computer lab, integrating technology into their classroom instruction, and overall, were pleased with the e-learning training module.

For over forty years, researchers, policymakers, and educational leaders have promoted computer technology use within schools to enhance teaching and learning (Culp, Honey, & Mandinach, 2003; U.S. Department of Education, 2010). The effective schools literature of the 1980s suggested principals should be the instructional leader of the school building; however, school principals are often tasked with other administrative and managerial responsibilities diverting their attention from instructional technology (Lashway, 2002; Fullan 2014). Filling this gap requires a school leader who understands the importance of engaging learners with the technological advances of today’s society. Partnering with the principal, the instructional technology leader can aid to improve the school’s learning environment by influencing individual and institutional factors to support classroom technology use (Consortium for School Networking, 2009; International Society for Technology in Education, 2011). Unlike the role of the school principal, the instructional technology leader lacks authoritative power and instead relies on the ability to manage one’s own emotions and attitudes as well as the emotions and attitudes of others (teachers), a process explored in emotional intelligence theory.

Using a blend of portraiture and narrative design methodology, this study explored the experiences of instructional technology leaders under the lens of emotional intelligence. The following question framed this study: How do instructional technology leaders perceive their own emotional intelligence (EI) and the role EI plays in the implementation and integration of instructional technology in the schools they serve?

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between six factors of student satisfaction and intent to continue with online education in a sample of older adult learners. Participants were chosen using a stratified random sampling of students enrolled at Mercer University and South University online programs to ensure a proportional mix of qualifying learners. The randomly selected qualifying online students received an email inviting them to participate in the study. An online survey adapted from the technology acceptance model (TAM), the Student e-learning Satisfaction Instrument (SESI), along with demographic questions were used to gather the data. The data were analyzed using logistic regression. This study involved the investigation of the relationships between the perceived satisfaction of older adults with online technologies in an educational setting, as measured by the SESI instrument with the criterion variable of intent to continue online learning. Overall, mean scores for the six predictor variables were somewhat stable across the variables, ranging from the lowest for Personalization (M=3.65, SD=0.61) to the highest for Learner Interface (M=3.81, SD=0.77). Results of binomial logistic regression analysis indicated that the variable of e-learning satisfaction is a statistically significant predictor of the odds that older adult learners intend to continue online learning (β=1.205, p=0.006). None of the perceived satisfaction scores averaged below 3, indicating that a majority of the participants affirmed that they were satisfied with technology. The practical recommendations suggest that to ensure the success of older adult learners in the online environment, learners must be able to adopt new techniques for effective teaching and learning in an online environment. The online teaching instructor should also design the programs based on the needs of the leaners. Future research recommendations include a qualitative analysis of the research problem could produce results that substantiate the findings of the current study.

This qualitative case study was designed to utilize theoretical frameworks based in the field of human performance technology as a means for understanding high school four-year graduation rate improvement. The literature recognizes theories based in the field of human performance technology as effective in improving performance in organizations across different industries. The literature also recognizes that some methods of human performance technology have been used in school improvement processes, but these methods are not yet widely adopted in kindergarten through Grade 12 education. The main research question that this study was designed to answer was, How does a high school principal specifically hired to improve the rate of which students graduate in four years, also called a turnaround principal, influence and manage such improvement? Three subquestions for this study included (a) how does an effective turnaround principal influence the sustainment of improved results? (b) how does an effective turnaround principal manage change during the improvement process? and (c) how do support staff, including vice-principals, school district officials, school counselors, and teachers, view the role of a turnaround principal in improving four-year graduation rates? This study also indirectly functions as a means for documenting a case study in which human performance technology methods were utilized to better understand school improvement. A two-step qualitative methodology was utilized in this case study. First, a qualitative survey was sent out to a school staff with the goal of identifying cases of success within the school. Using an impact model as a screening tool, survey participants were then selected to participate in one-on-one in-person interviews. The survey and interview data were transcribed and analyzed utilizing ATLAS.ti software. The case study sample for the surveys and interviews were inclusive of teachers, support staff, building principals, vice-principals, and district-level leaders in a school located in a rural community in the United States. The results of the study showed that a strong use of data and feedback, relationship building, and interrogation of systems of support within the school were effective processes utilized in the case study. The study results also indicated that the principal is a critical component to managing change throughout school improvement processes and that the staff perceived the principal as a critical part of the school improvement process. The study further indicated that sustaining improved results and future improvement are also careful considerations for principals leading school improvement.