(2017). Social Network to Support Parents and Teachers of Students with Multiple Disabilities. Journal of International Special Needs Education, v20 n1 p14-24 Jan. This study aimed to analyze how the Social Software tools could respond to the needs of parents and teachers of students with multiple disabilities in improving their practices, as well as provide information and resources related to the topic of multiple disabilities. The study was implemented in Portugal and involved 45 participants: 25 special education teachers, 5 regular education teachers, and 15 parents of children with multiple disabilities. Using the NING platform, we built a social network, which we set in motion by creating online spaces to share experiences and thoughts. These spaces sought to respond to the needs and difficulties reported by the participants. We adopted a Design-Based Research methodology and used several data collection methods and analysis techniques. The results showed that several dimensions were crucial to create this Social Network, such as the tools, the moderation and the management of the social network and the participation of the teachers and… [Direct]
(2017). Comparing Student Interaction in Asynchronous Online Discussions and in Face-to-Face Settings: A Network Perspective. Information Systems Education Journal, v15 n3 p64-71 May. Online discussions enable peer-learning by allowing students to communicate ideas on what they have learned in and beyond the classroom. Peer-learning through online discussions is fostered when online discussions are interactive. Interactivity occurs when students refer to and use perspectives shared by peers, and elaborate, respond to, or propose alternative views to those shared by others. Open interactions in online discussions require students to choose whom they communicate with in the discussion forums. This study examines the extent to which the patterns of student-to-student interactions in online discussions resemble student interactions with the same peers in face-to-face settings. Online discussion data were collected in six sections of an introductory IS course over three semesters. Each section's dataset contains data from four online discussions among students, as well as the results of two familiarity surveys administered at the beginning and at the end of the… [PDF]
(2017). Can We Use Facebook Groups to Establish Social Presence in Online Courses?. World Journal on Educational Technology: Current Issues, v9 n4 p173-182. In this research, the potential of Facebook groups used in an online course in order to establish social presence was examined. Qualitative research methodology was used in this study. The participants of the study were 12 senior undergraduate students taking the School Experience course online over a period of 12 weeks. A Facebook group where announcements and deep discussions were made and files were shared was used. Facebook group posts as document data; and student interviews as interview data were collected. According to the results, it was found that Facebook groups established social presence. Social presence involves three categories; affective expression, open communication and group cohesion. Paralanguage, emotion, humor and self-disclosure emerged as indicators in the affective expression category. Acknowledgement, agreement, invitation and continuing a thread were found as indicators in the open communication category. Greetings and salutations, vocatives, group… [PDF]
(2022). A Qualitative Examination of Second Grade Teachers' Experiences and Attitudes around Coding and Robotics Education. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Tufts University. In recent years there has been an increased push for K-12 computer science education. A major reason for this push is the growing evidence that introducing young children to coding can enhance their interest and promote their learning of foundational skills needed to thrive in today's technologically rich world. However, little research has focused on early elementary teachers and their diverse experiences and attitudes around teaching coding and robotics. This dissertation addresses this gap by examining a sample of second grade educators (N = 15) from six elementary schools in a large U.S. public school district. The schools were selected to pilot the Coding as Another Language (CAL) — KIBO program, which consisted of a training and curriculum that emphasized the pedagogical overlaps between computer science and literacy using the KIBO educational robotics platform. Teachers attended a full-day professional development training and subsequently implemented the CAL-KIBO curriculum… [Direct]
(2022). Womxn's Leadership Alliance: An Informal Co-Mentoring Network and Its Potential Impact on Second-Generation Gender Bias in Independent School Leadership. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles. This study examined the impact of an informal co-mentoring network on the female mid-level leaders in independent schools. The sample was composed of mid-level female administrators in National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) accredited independent schools. An increased understanding of support for female administrators is needed to overcome second-generation gender bias and pursuing higher leadership roles in independent schools has implications for both NAIS and CAIS. Qualitative phenomenological research design was applied to study ways participants say an informal co-mentoring network impacts perceptions of their leadership trajectory, if an informal mentoring network addresses and overcomes second-generation gender bias, and the processes, materials, and discussions through which mid-level female leaders in independent schools co-mentor each other in an informal co-mentoring network to overcome second-generation… [Direct]
(2024). Cyborg Literacies in an Afterschool "Loophole of Retreat". ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Michigan. In this dissertation I explore the fugitive technology practices of Black high-schoolers in a tech-rich after-school makerspace. To do so, I invoke ontologies from two cyborgs to make sense of these Black teens' practices. First, James and Costa Vargas (2012) offer the Black Cyborg– the rebel intellectual rejecting victimization through self-making– as a figure that can emerge from the antiBlackness that organizes American social and political activity, of which schooling is a vehicle. Second, Haraway's (1985) cyborg is a metaphor and a scientific reality that casts the porous human/machine boundary in relief and helps to articulate how Black youth's imbrication with the digital offers both new ways for them to interpellated into antiBlackness and new ways to refuse it. With a third figure, Harriet Jacobs' (1861) loophole of retreat, I align with the long history of fugitive and liberatory Black literacy and making– and more recent interventions about the need and design of Black… [Direct]
(2019). Comprehensive School Safety: Leading and Advocating for What Works. Communique, v47 n6 p1, 28-29 Mar-Apr. February 14 marked the 1-year anniversary of the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and April 20 marks the 20th anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine. Much progress has been made over the last 20 years in the understanding of threat assessment, crisis preparedness, and the importance of increasing access to comprehensive mental and behavioral health supports. At the core of this understanding is the recognition that there are no single or simple solutions to school safety; rather, ensuring safe schools requires a comprehensive, ongoing effort on the part of the entire school community. It is a way of being, a mode of operation, a culture, and a commitment to evidence-based practices. It also requires acknowledging that there is no way to guarantee that nothing bad will ever happen but that we do everything possible both to prevent unsafe behaviors and actions and to mitigate the negative consequences when safety is compromised. As such, it… [Direct]
(2019). The Impact of a Global Education Program on the Critical Global Awareness Level of Eighth Grade Students in a Rural School in South Carolina. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of South Carolina. Over the past few years of teaching at a school district in a southeastern state, the researcher noticed that her students had become increasingly interested in various global topics. Students wanted to talk about world events and cultures around the world, but they had a limited understanding of their own roles as world citizens. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of global education program on the critical global awareness levels of eighth grade students at East Bridge Middle School. This researcher analyzed the effects of global education program on the critical global awareness level of eighth grade students using action research. This researcher studied the impact of the program on eight participants. Five female and three male participants enrolled in a global education elective class at East Bridge Middle School and met every other day for 90 minutes. The data analysis showed three major themes: the lack of student exposure to global education topics at… [Direct]
(2014). Practice Stories in Natural Resource Management Continuing Professional Education: Springboards for Learning. Studies in Continuing Education, v36 n3 p322-341. The use of stories from professional experience in continuing professional education has been on the rise in many fields, often aimed at bolstering capacity through sharing professional knowledge and/or supporting reflective practice. Practice stories are also suggested to be beneficial in supporting professional learning of new concepts. These uses of practice stories are not evident in public natural resource management (NRM) continuing professional education. In light of greater public involvement in NRM practice over the last 20 years, however, the use of practice stories could now be particularly beneficial to NRM professionals. This study examines the use of practice stories in workshops aimed at deepening public NRM professionals' understanding of social science concepts suggested to be valuable in making sense of the social and political complexity intertwined in public involvement practice. Feedback from workshop participants suggests that practice stories may be able to… [Direct]
(2018). ResearchGate and Academia.edu as Networked Socio-Technical Systems for Scholarly Communication: A Literature Review. Research in Learning Technology, v26. ResearchGate and Academia.edu have been increasingly acknowledged as the most popular academic social network sites (ASNS) for scholarly communication. Along with their benefits for supporting communication and knowledge sharing within academic communities, concerns over quality and credibility remain a pertinent issue. In terms of research investigation, ASNS have attracted strong attention for new scholarly practice and their potential for building, maintaining and enhancing reputation. However, a thorough understanding is still lacking of how these sites operate as networked socio-technical systems reshaping scholarly practices and academic identity. This article analyses 39 empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals with a specific focus on ResearchGate and Academia.edu. The aim is to describe the status of the research and to identify gaps and priorities in the areas of scholarly networked learning and shared knowledge. Results show that the number of studies focusing… [PDF]
(2018). Blog-Mediated Reflection for Professional Development: Exploring Themes and Criticality of L2 Teachers' Reflective Practice. TESL Canada Journal, v35 n2 p26-50. Reflection is a key component of teacher quality assessment and a venue for professional development. Among many tools for teacher reflection, keeping blogs as a user-friendly, technology-enhanced tool has recently come to the forefront in teacher education. To contribute to the body of literature on the potentiality of blogs for teacher professional development, this study sought to investigate the use of blogs by Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers to provide a perspective on the themes in their reflection-on-action and the degree of criticality of their reflection. To this end, 32 male and female in-service EFL teachers, teaching at different language institutes, voluntarily agreed to post their classroom experiences to a blog over a 3-month period. Content analysis of the reflection tags resulted in the identification of three main reflective categories, each including a number of themes: (a) teacher-oriented category (e.g., teachers' sharing emotions, classroom… [PDF]
(2015). A Cross Cultural Perspective on Information Communication Technologies Learning Survey. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, v20 n2 p159-168 Jul. Information behavior has been at the core of researchers' interest for a long time. According to researches attention in the field of information research has shifted over the years from a dominant interest in the use of channels and sources to an emphasis on the encountering and seeking of information and the interpretation of meaning from that information. However, measuring this disposition to seek and its related skills is a challenge. In this study, the "Information Seeking Strategies Scale" was adapted to the Turkish language. The results indicated that (a) the scale could be used in Turkish settings by removing two items, (b) ICT tools are employed for information seeking rather than information sharing by Turkish college students who participated in this study, and (c) no gender or grade differences were observed. Further recommendations are discussed…. [Direct]
(2015). Learning Opportunities in the 'Golden Years' in a Regional City. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, v25 n2 p28-43. Several projects relating to older learners have been conducted over the past decade or so, some involving the University of the Third Age (U3A) Whyalla, as well as other groups composed of older citizens. Some provide examples of engagement with the local university campus; others have this potential. Here a wide range of learning activities, as revealed by survey data, publicly available information, and participant observation, are described. Together with long-running group activities, new activities — a men's shed and a music learning activity — have potential outcomes for participants' health and wellbeing. Such informal and non-formal learning opportunities help meet non-metropolitan lifelong learning needs. Some discussion of possible solutions to unmet needs is included. Maximising information sharing and cooperation can lead to mutual benefits, including for educational institutions. Increasing social inclusion benefits the whole community…. [Direct]
(2014). Factors Influencing Access to Integrated Soil Fertility Management Information and Knowledge and Its Uptake among Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe. Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, v20 n1 p79-93. Purpose: The study evaluated how farmer acquisition, sharing and use patterns of information and knowledge interact with different socioeconomic factors to influence integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technology uptake. Design/methodology/approach: The study was conducted as part of an evaluation of field-based farmer learning approaches introduced by SOFECSA in Zimbabwe. Building on emerging farmer interactive platforms, data were collected using farmer participatory research approaches. Findings: Over 90% of the farmers identified the national extension agents as the farmers' most preferred and reliable sources of information on ISFM, with farmer-to-farmer interactions ranking second. Non-governmental organisations and the print media emerged as the least trusted sources of agricultural technical information. Field-based learning centres, which enabled interactive evaluation of different ISFM options, constituted 50%, indicating that they were major platforms for… [Direct]
(2021). Psychological Applications and Trends 2021. Online Submission This book contains a compilation of papers presented at the International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (InPACT) 2021, organized by the World Institute for Advanced Research and Science (W.I.A.R.S.), that this year has been converted into a fully Virtual Conference as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic. Modern psychology offers a large range of scientific fields where it can be applied. The goal of understanding individuals and groups (mental functions and behavioral standpoints), from this academic and practical scientific discipline, aims ultimately to benefit society. The International Conference seeks to provide some answers and explore the several areas within the Psychology field, new developments in studies and proposals for future scientific projects. The goal is to offer a worldwide connection between psychologists, researchers and lecturers, from a wide range of academic fields, interested in exploring and giving their contribution in… [PDF]