Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Education, Technology. Education, Adult and Continuing. Gerontology'

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of motivation in the persistence of adults enrolled in online higher education. Since the 1990’s, online courses and programs have proliferated across higher education, with adults (ages 25 and over) currently making up the largest portion of online enrollments. Online courses, however, suffer from a higher rate of student attrition than their hybrid and face-to-face counterparts. Although it is difficult to attribute the high rate of attrition in online education to any one factor, research has identified a lack of motivation as a primary cause of student dropout. Likewise, studies have shown that when motivation is present, learners are more likely to persist in their coursework. In order to develop a deeper understanding of this issue, a phenomenological approach was chosen as the most appropriate method for this study.

Participants for this study were at least 25 years of age and were enrolled in an online class at a large public university in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. In adhering to the phenomenological method, open-ended, in-depth interviews were used to investigate how adult learners experience motivation in online higher education. Transcendental phenomenological analysis was then used to determine the essence of this experience. During the first stage of this process, twelve distinct themes emerged from the data, including Relevance and Applicability, Communication, Flexibility, and Instructor Presence. During the next stage, three additional structural themes were identified: Relation to Self, Relationship with Others, and Time. During the final stage of analysis, the essence of this experience was revealed as the participants’ Goal Commitment and their Need for Guidance.

Key findings from this study include the confirmation of motivation as a critical component in the persistence of adult online learners. In addition, a number of factors were identified as key facilitators and barriers to persistence in adults learning online. In developing an in-depth understanding of the link between motivation and persistence in this particular sample of learners, the results of this study may potentially contribute to addressing the overall larger problem of high rates of attrition in online higher education.

In order to support the 21st century learning initiatives facing California K-12 educational agencies--including the influx of mobile devices, common core standards, online high stakes testing, and student privacy--an educational organization must employ a well-trained, knowledgeable, and effective technology leader. The California Educational Technology Professionals' Association's (CETPA) Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Mentor Program certification provides assurance that the chosen technology leader has been exposed to, is familiar with, has a working knowledge of, and can apply the leadership, educational, and technology skills necessary to be a successful technology leader.

The purpose of this mixed method study was to identify the extent to which differences exist before and after candidates' completion of the CETPA CTO Mentor Program with regard to their perception of effective technology leadership in California K-12 educational organizations. A second purpose of this study was to identify the degree to which CETPA CTO candidates perceive the program's learning activities to be a relevant and effective means of mastering the program's learning objectives. The third purpose of this study was to identify the degree to which CETPA CTO graduates perceive the program's learning activities and objectives are relevant to their on the job performance. This study was conducted through the lens of Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Program Evaluation.

The findings from this study suggest that the CTO Mentor Program provides a course of study that is relevant to the technology leader in K-12 educational agencies, meets the needs of adult learners, and provides a return on investment for the learner, his or her educational agency and the sponsoring organization, CETPA.

Millions of adults have registered for massive open online courses, known as MOOCs, yet little research exists on how effective MOOCs are at meeting the needs of these learners. Critics of MOOCs highlight that their completion rates can average fewer than 5% of those registered. Such low completion rates raise questions about the effectiveness of MOOCs and whether adults enrolling in them have the skills and abilities needed for success. MOOCs have the potential to be powerful change agents for universities and students, but it has previously been unknown whether these online courses serve more than just the most persistent, self-directed learners. This study explored the relationship between self-directed learning readiness and MOOC completion percents among adults taking a single Coursera MOOC. By examining self-directed learning – the ability to take responsibility for one's own educational experiences – and MOOC completion rates, this research may assist in improving the quality of MOOCs.

A statistically significant relationship was found between self-directed learning and MOOC completion percentages. Those stronger in self-directed learning tended to complete a greater percent of the MOOC examined. In addition, English speaking ability demonstrated a mediating effect between self-directed learning and MOOC completion. Learners indicating a strong ability in speaking English were more likely to be ready for self-directed learning and completed a higher percentage of the MOOC. Compared with those that did not complete MOOCs, however, few additional differences in demographics of adult learners that completed MOOCs were found.

To better understand the skills and experiences needed to be successful in a MOOC, additional research on factors that influence MOOC completion is warranted. If only a minority of strongly self-directed learners can successfully complete MOOCs, then more resources should be invested into the design and development of MOOCs to meet the needs of many learners. If this does not occur, then MOOC completion rates could continue to suffer and new open education solutions of higher quality may appear, making MOOCs a short-lived phenomenon.

Individuals and societies have traditionally sought answers to important questions in life through religion. In the 21st century, physical churches with clergy are no longer the sole source of spiritual answers or knowledge. Since the late 1960s, church attendance has been declining. Church leaders have begun to implement new methods such as using the Internet as a resource to support the needs of church members. While digital natives—persons who are conversant with the Internet—view electronic communication as a means to express ideas and feelings, digital immigrants—for whom the Internet is new—lag behind in utilizing the Internet. The purpose of the qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of digital immigrants who used a Computer Supported Collaborative Learning church website to understand how the Internet affects their perceptions of religious identity. The findings revealed that the participants were unfamiliar with sharing knowledge through computer supported collaborative learning. The findings also showed that the benefits of CSCL were recognized by digital immigrants, but Church leaders may need to learn how to provide training and support for digital immigrants by blending face-to-face sermons and reflective CSCL engagement.

Online education has grown into a part of the educational market answering the demand for learning at the learner's choice of time and place. Inquiry skills such as observing, questioning, collecting data, and devising fair experiments are an essential element of 21st-century online science coursework. Virtual immersive worlds such as Second Life are being used as new frontiers in science education. There have been few studies looking specifically at science education in virtual worlds that foster inquiry skills. This quantitative quasi-experimental nonrandomized control group pretest and posttest study explored what affect a virtual world experience had on inquiry skills as measured by the TIPS (Test of Integrated Process Skills) and TIPS II (Integrated Process Skills Test II) instruments. Participants between the ages of 18 and 65 were recruited from educator mailing lists and Second Life discussion boards and then sorted into the experimental group, which received instructions to utilize several displays in Mendelian genetics at the Genome Island location within Second Life, or the control group, which received text-based PDF documents of the same genetics course content. All participants, in the form of avatars, were experienced Second Life residents to reduce any novelty effect. This study found a greater increase in inquiry skills in the experimental group interacting using a virtual world to learn science content (0.90 points) than a control group that is presented only with online text-based content (0.87 points). Using a mixed between-within ANOVA (analysis of variance), with an alpha level of 0.05, there was no significant interaction between the control or experimental groups and inquiry skills, F (1, 58) = .783, p = .380, partial eta squared = .013, at the specified .05 alpha level suggesting no significant difference as a result of the virtual world exercise. However, there is not enough evidence to state that there was no effect because there was a greater increase in scores for the group that experienced a virtual world exercise. This study adds to the increasing body of knowledge about virtual worlds and inquiry skills, particularly with adult learners.

This study investigated the role of the social media niche of micro blogs in workplace learning. Micro blogs consist of messages containing fewer than 140 characters that are sent to a broad audience. Using the #lrnchat group as a case study, a mixed method study was designed. Through a survey followed by in depth interviews, the researcher sought to understand how micro blogs are being used currently to support workplace learning and whether the micro blog group functioned as a community of practice. Once participants discovered #lrnchat, they had a high level of engagement with the group. The information shared in the group is of value in the workplace to participants and is used on a weekly basis. When compared to other sources of professional development, the #lrnchat group ranked high in terms of the timeliness of responses received and the quality of information provided by the group. During the interview, participants were asked about best practices in participating in a micro blog group for the purpose of learning. The responses included being selective on who they follow on the micro blog and avoiding trying to read everything that comes through on the feed. When determining whom to follow on a micro blog, a user is determining what kind and quality of information to add to their individual feed. For this reason it is important to be selective on what streams one chooses to follow. Also, when consuming information from the feed, it is important to take in what is possible and not try to read everything as it becomes overwhelming and loses value. The final finding was that measurements of open communication, shared vocabulary, recalling previous lessons, and learning from one another all indicated at some level that the #lrnchat group functions as a community of practice.

At present, it can be difficult for teachers to teach writing effectively in the formal classroom due to large class sizes and unreasonable standardized testing criteria. As a result, many students are unable to learn how to communicate well in writing. Teachers will need to look outside the traditional methods of writing instruction to find ways to teach writing strategies effectively and efficiently. Informal learning occurs frequently in online spaces. Online communities, such as fan fiction websites, offer an opportunity for experts and novices to work in the same digital space where one can learn from each other through interactions within the community.

This dissertation analyzes the discourse among participants in an online fan fiction website, fanfiction.mugglenet.com, in order to find evidence of writing support and effective writing instruction. Participants in the community contribute to the success of writers as they comment on stories and in the forums. Members of the community interact with one another in three different ways: through comments on stories as they are being updated, through comments in the Beta Forums, and through private interactions between beta readers and authors. Comment feeds and threads from the Beta Forums were coded for evidence of writing support and elements of effective writing instruction. Findings of the study centered on motivation and support for writers as they continue to update their stories.

The study creates theoretical constructs to contribute to existing research on educational technology and writing instruction. Based on the evidence of this study, informal learning in the community can be harnessed to teach writing to novice writers. Technology and new media prove to be a useful tool for educators who are looking to for new ways to teach writing. This grounded theory research plans to provide teachers in the classroom with more effective tools. Online fan fiction communities offer students a chance to interact with other writers about stories they have written. Learning from the community has potential to provide motivation for students to write more often and frequently. Informal learning through the community has the potential to give educators a tool to teach vital writing skills.

This autoethnography uses the personal journey of the author through Fielding Graduate University's doctoral program in Educational Leadership for Change to study the influence of peer advising and peer relationships in distributed learning environments on student success and program satisfaction. The study reveals that peer relationships and peer advisement opportunities may be needed to counter the high risks for dropping out, extra time in the program, or discontentment.

With the rapid growth of technology and a fast pace society, students have discovered tablet computers, a powerful portable useful device for education. Although studies have shown rapid growth of tablet computer adaptation within education, limited research exists regarding how tablet computers are used for classroom performance, communication, and leadership among college students. The purpose of the study was to explore and understand how college students use tablet computers by interviewing undergraduate and graduate students. Interview results of 20 college students are as follows: (a) students reported that tablet computers were more portable, easier to use, and convenient devices over laptop computers; (b) in regard to classroom performance, students expressed that the use of e-text books combined with tablets was a faster method of searching for a specific subject over standard paperback books; (c) in regards to leadership, many students believed that tablets are only a tool for leaders but not an essential tool for leading people; and (d) in regard to communication, students expressed that tablet computers was an essential tool for team projects and communicating with their professors and peers while on the go. The study includes a discussion of future research in leadership’s use of technology in the workplace, college professors’ perceptions of tablet computers in the classroom, and marketing modern tablet computers.

Onboarding ensures learning success through sharing and acquiring knowledge to remain competitive. However, little is known about new Information Technology (IT) hires' learning needs in the absence of onboarding; therefore, the purpose of this case study was to examine, increase, and retain their technical knowledge at the Unified Communications Company (UCC). Following the theoretical model of knowledge management, which holds that knowledge is the key to confirm learning and knowledge sharing, the research questions were used to examine how the company assessed and increased their technical knowledge and how they taught their culture in the absence of onboarding. A qualitative instrumental case study design was employed with a purposeful sample of 4 former employees who were former new IT hires at the UCC. These employees contributed to the study using journals, surveys, and interviews drawn from their experiences as new IT hires at the UCC. Reoccurring themes regarding formal learning were extracted from the data, validated through peer and member checking, and then triangulated with each round of data collection and the themes described in the literature. The themes of culture, onboarding, training, and experience/feedback consistently emerged as areas needing improvement and indicated a need for formalized training. Based on these findings, a job aid was created to provide enhanced performance and learning to offer knowledge throughout training. Companies employing new IT hires can use the results from this study to provide onboarding in addition to their current orientation. The use of these data would positively affect social change by enhancing company competitiveness and job retention while reducing overall unemployment and the skills gap.

The relatively little amount of time that some college students spend reading their textbooks outside of lectures presents a significant threat to their academic success. One possible solution to this problem is the use of digital games as an alternative to outside-of-class textbook reading, but a review of previous research did not reveal much information on their efficacy when compared to traditional textbooks. Using Astin's theory of student engagement as a framework, the purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to determine whether a significant difference in engagement, as indicated by mental effort and time on task, existed for college students who used a digital game-based textbook versus students who used a traditional print-based textbook. The 54 undergraduate college students in this convenience sample were randomly assigned to one of the two textbook types and completed an activity session at an individual workstation. Time on task was measured with a stopwatch and mental effort with the Mental Effort Scale. The results showed a statistically significant difference in engagement between participants in the digital game-based and traditional print-based textbook groups, Hotelling's T²(2, 52) = 25.11, p < .001, D ²=1.86. In the post hoc analyses, the digital game-based group had significantly higher time on task scores than the traditional print-based textbook group (t = 34.61, p < .001). The mental effort difference was not significant, although the mean mental effort score was higher for the digital game-based group. These results provide evidence of a digital game-based textbook's utility, and may inform college educators in their efforts to support a more diverse group of learners.

Workers are remaining in the labor force at older ages and despite their desire to work, those without jobs face unprecedented durations of unemployment. Many of the unemployed lack current skills for jobs in demand and need to either upgrade their skills or be trained for a new occupation to become reemployed. An aging workforce combined with concerns about the long-term viability of social welfare programs has increased the importance of identifying strategies to encourage working at older ages. In recent years there has been increased focus on credential attainment through participation in publicly sponsored employment and training programs. While many older workers benefit from participation in publicly sponsored employment programs, they are less likely than their younger counterparts to receive training services.

This mixed methods research used a combination of multivariate regression, binary logistic regression, and key informant interviews to examine outcomes of older workers who participated in a training program through the Workforce Investment Act’s (WIA) Dislocated Worker Program between April 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009 and/or enrolled in credential programs at community colleges. This involved interviews and site visits at 14 community colleges to gain an understanding of the role community colleges play in linking older students to credential or certificate programs and analysis of secondary data to evaluate the benefits of obtaining a credential. Unemployed workers aged 55 to74 were the focus of the quantitative portion of this research.

Attaining a credential through participation in WIA’s Dislocated Worker Program resulted in improved employment and wage changes as compared to those who were not credentialed. Effective strategies for community college involvement in workforce training were identified and include outreach programs for older students, providing advice for specific programs of study, support during the program to ensure completion, job placement services, and continuing education for skill upgrading. Implementation of programs and policies that encourage work at older ages has the potential to improve economic security and reduce the risk of poverty in retirement. Community colleges and public workforce programs play an important role in meeting the education and training needs of an aging and increasingly diverse population.