Tesi sul tema "Education, Adult and Continuing|Education, Technology of|Education, Higher"

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

For decades, the cohort model has been utilized to bring graduate degrees to working adults who cannot put their family lives and careers on hold to attend a university in the more traditional way. With the growing access to reliable digital tools, some cohorts have taken advantage of the ability to meet online with live-streaming applications such as Skype, GoToMeeting, and Adobe Connect. The blending of online instruction and face-to-face interaction has given birth to blended learning, a hybrid of synchronous and asynchronous learning. With this evolution of curriculum and instruction delivery, questions arise regarding the quality of graduate programs. Are the students who are investing time and money into these graduate degrees receiving the high-level of quality that they would expect if they were attending the university in a traditional way? How are they interacting with their peers in a scholarly fashion? How are the professors engaging the students in meaningful and scholarly ways? How do students and institutions know what is working for the success of the student and what needs to be improved? This study sought to uncover answers to some of these questions as it researched 16 doctoral students in one blended cohort in central California. With primarily qualitative methods, the study attempted to describe the phenomenon that is the blended doctoral cohort, specifically researching the participants’ perspective of themselves and the blended cohort model at the beginning of their program and, again, at the end of their program.

This quantitative study explored the leadership styles of mentors for retained first-year adult students to analyze whether the prevalent style had a higher impact on first-year adult student retention. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) 5x was used to collect data on the mentors' leadership styles from the perspective of retained first-year adult students and from the perspective of their mentors at a private Midwestern, urban, University to compare the prevalent style from both perspectives. The convenience sampling method was used to identify the study participants. Descriptive statistics were conducted to check the normalcy of those data. Histograms revealed that the data was not normally distributed. Those data were further analyzed using the Wilcoxon test, which revealed no significant difference from mentor self-ratings and student ratings for the two leadership styles under consideration. The Spearman Correlation Coefficient was utilized to test the null hypothesis. The results indicated no statistically significant relationship existed between transformational or transactional leadership and retained first-year adult students, thus the researcher did not reject the null hypothesis. Further data testing using Simple Linear Regressions was conducted to investigate transformational and transactional leadership styles based on mentor demographics and tenure. The results of the analyses indicated that mentor demographics or tenure is not a significant predictor of a particular leadership style for this study. It is evident from the results that a significant position of the retained first-year adult students in this study considers their mentors' leadership style did not provided the means for their retention.

Retaining novice teachers in a Northeast Florida county public school is an ongoing challenge. Research indicates that 14% of new teachers will leave the field within 5 years. The purpose of this case study was to investigate the major factors that contributed to this unique group of novice teachers’ decisions to continue to teach at the school during their first 5 years in the field. The societal model served as the conceptual framework for this study of factors affecting teacher turnover, with emphasis on teacher and school characteristics in relation to teacher attrition. Data collected from 9 interviews and an observation and analyzed inductively were used to answer the key research question about what factors contributed to new teachers’ retention. The findings of this study indicated that teacher preparation, administrative support, school environment, working conditions, and student characteristics influenced teacher retention at the local site. Recommendations that stemmed from the findings were formulated into a proposal for a new teacher professional development series that the participating school can use to improve new teacher retention rates. This study promotes positive social change by implementing measures to stabilize new teacher retention rates, which will improve student learning and promote academic success by creating stability in the learning environment.

Even though proprietary colleges and universities continue to gain market share in the higher education landscape, negative perceptions about proprietary institutions remain including reliance on contingent faculty to meet fluctuating student enrollments. Little research about the experiences of contingent faculty teaching in proprietary settings exists, and even less research exists about the unwritten expectations, or psychological contracts, contingent faculty bring with them to the employment relationship with an institution. As heavy use of contingent faculty continues, campus administrators need a more comprehensive understanding of how to best manage the expectations, benefits, challenges, and resources of this type of employment relationship.

This qualitative inquiry study collected data using open, semi-structured interviews, then analyzed data using phenomenological research methods to better understand what contingent faculty teaching at urban, proprietary institutions experience. This study also used the organizing framework of psychological contracts in order to apply the findings into recommendations for campus administrators working with contingent faculty.

The results of this study indicate that a contingent faculty member's early experiences with an institution significantly determined the way the psychological contracts with the institution were formed and maintained in later experiences. For most, once the initial relationship was formed, little experienced afterwards changed the relationship with the exception of major changes regarding institutional focus and/ or position within the institution.

Consistent with the literature, contingent faculty perceiving their overall experiences and relationship with the institution as positive had longer tenure with the institution, identified more with the institution, and exhibited more organizational commitment behaviors. Contingent faculty perceiving their experiences as negative tended to have shorter tenures with their institutions, did not identify with the institution, and exhibited less organizational commitment behaviors. However, even though organizational practices and experiences varied greatly, two types of experiences and perceptions remained consistent. First, participants were surprised and disappointed in student level of preparation for college academic work yet expressed commitment to their students' success as greater than their commitment to institutional expectations. Second, participants expressed overall satisfaction with teaching experiences, and began to identify themselves as teachers, regardless of prior professional affiliation or relationship with the institution.

Students in the United States are obtaining more college degrees than ever before. In 1975, 21.9% of Americans held bachelor’s degrees, and in 2012, 33.5% of Americans held bachelor’s degrees (Rampell, 2013). A study in 2011 indicated that Americans possessing a bachelor’s degree earn approximately $2.27 million, those with master’s degrees earn $2.67 million and those with doctoral degrees earn $3.65 million over their adult lifetime, dwarfing those with some college, who earn $1.55 million, or no college, who earn $1.30 million (Burnsed, 2011).

Unfortunately, the increase in college degree attainment in the United States does not include all Americans. Among low-income students, degree attainment has been fairly flat for several decades (Mortenson, 2016). Although education can be a great equalizer and opportunity generator, among lower income students it is often times an insurmountable challenge to obtain a bachelor’s or post baccalaureate degree. College students can have challenges in obtaining learning opportunities due to factors beyond their control, such as geography and access to quality instruction.

In order to provide equity and opportunity for nontraditional students who either working, have family responsibilities, or are low income or first generation college attenders, it is important to make every effort to connect these students with meaningful and attainable opportunities to obtain a college degree. One such delivery model of curriculum is online learning. Online learning in higher education—in which students are obtaining bachelors, masters, or doctoral degrees—takes place either partially or fully in a virtual environment accessible from e-learning devices such as laptops, tablets, or smartphones.

The goal of this study was a greater understanding the best practices in adult online education. The participants in the study were asked to help identify both the challenges and successes experienced in their online learning environments. While success in both teaching and learning is subjective, the data revealed a number of common themes, which indicated similar elements that lead to success in an online environment in areas of curriculum design, classroom management, and use of technology.

The first year of college is a critical period of transition for incoming college students. Learning communities have been identified as an approach to link students together in courses that are intentionally integrated and designed with first-year students' needs in mind. Yet, learning community teaching teams are often not provided with data prior to the start of the semester about their students in order to target interventions. Also, it remains unclear as to which students are most benefitted by participating in learning communities. One question then becomes, what variables known on or before the first day of classes are predictive of first-year student success, in terms of retention and probation status, for first-year college students in learning communities?

The correlational study employed univariate and multivariate analyses on pre-college data about three consecutive cohorts of first-year students in learning communities at a regional public university in South Texas. Logistic regression models were developed to predict retention and probation status without respect to learning community membership, as well as for each learning community category.

Results indicated that group differences were not statistically significant based on either first-generation status or age for retention, while group differences were statistically significant for probation status on the basis of all of the pre-college variables except age. Although statistically significant differences were found among the learning community categories for each of the pre-college variables, there were no statistically significant group differences in their retention or probation rates.

The model to predict retention regardless of learning community membership included five variables, while the model to predict probation status included eight variables. The models for each learning community contained different sets of predictor variables; the most common predictors of retention or probation status were high school percentile and orientation date.

The study has practical implications for admissions officers, orientation planners, student support services, and learning community practitioners. It is recommended to replicate the study with more recent learning community cohorts and additional pre-college variables, as well as in programs across the nation, to contribute to the literature about the potential for learning communities to enhance first-year student success.