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- Title
- Specific and non-specific cognitive operations as language options for memory questions: AnfMRI study.
- Creator
- Jantzen, McNeel Gordon., Florida Atlantic University, Ashworth, Sara
- Abstract/Description
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In order for memory questions to accomplish the goals of questions, teachers need to determine specific content and cognitive goals for each question so that questions can direct learners' attention and reinforce an organizational structure for the encoding of information. The purpose of this study was to examine the language used in memory questions for assessment purposes and to examine whether different language options used when formulating memory questions engaged brain areas related to...
Show moreIn order for memory questions to accomplish the goals of questions, teachers need to determine specific content and cognitive goals for each question so that questions can direct learners' attention and reinforce an organizational structure for the encoding of information. The purpose of this study was to examine the language used in memory questions for assessment purposes and to examine whether different language options used when formulating memory questions engaged brain areas related to memory and cognition. The language of the questions can affect the cognitive process by which the answer is derived. The two language options that affect cognitive processes are non-specific and specific. This study supplements teachers' working knowledge of the methods and techniques for questioning by providing a basic understanding of cognitive processes that different questions can evoke. This study used techniques from neuroscience to test hypotheses derived directly from education-based theories of cognition in order to validate educational theory. Neuroscience provides knowledge about how the brain senses, processes, stores, and retrieves information. It also provides findings that can be translated into practical applications for the classroom. Therefore, the relationship between education and neuroscience contributes to effective planning, practices, and assessment; it allows a more comprehensive understanding of the difficulties and apprehensions associated with learning. The following study utilized fMRI to answer the general question of the relationship between the memory processes associated with specific and non-specific questions. Seventeen undergraduate and graduate students from a university in South Florida served as subjects. Subjects were presented with a stimulus consisting of specific questions, non-specific questions, and control statements. All questions/statements followed the design of 8 seconds to read the question/statement, 10 seconds to "think" about the answer to the question or the material presented in the statement, 4 seconds for response using a "yes" or "no" button, and a 12 second rest period. Images collected were analyzed using AFNI. Specific cognitive operations improved efficiency for the retrieval of information from memory. Results elucidate differences in neural activity associated with encoding processes and the retrieval of information from memory based on the language used in specific and non-specific questions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT12115
- Subject Headings
- Cognitive learning, Education--Effect of technological innovations on, Experiential learning, Brain--Psychophysiology, Learning--Physiological aspects, Recollection (Psychology), Memory
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The elementary principal's role in promoting reading improvement.
- Creator
- Hillard, Lurana Case., Florida Atlantic University, Guglielmino, Lucy M.
- Abstract/Description
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The primary purpose of this study was to determine if there were commonalities in the approaches of ten elementary school principals in the state of Florida identified as "success stories" in leading reading improvement in their schools in 2002 shortly after enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act at the national level and the Just Read, Florida! initiative at the state level. A secondary purpose of the study was to determine if a relationship existed between the elementary school...
Show moreThe primary purpose of this study was to determine if there were commonalities in the approaches of ten elementary school principals in the state of Florida identified as "success stories" in leading reading improvement in their schools in 2002 shortly after enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act at the national level and the Just Read, Florida! initiative at the state level. A secondary purpose of the study was to determine if a relationship existed between the elementary school principals' reported success in leading reading improvement at their schools and reported level of agreement with the Survey Form for Elementary Principals , (Hillard, 2005), the Instructional Leadership Behavior Checklist (McEwen, 1997), and the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (Guglielmino, 1977/78). In a qualitative analysis of selected interview questions, five major themes emerged: Philosophical Framework, Human Resources, Programs/Strategies, Use of Data, and Use of Federal and State Initiatives and Information. The principals had initiated reading improvement before the Just Read, Florida! initiative had begun. When analyzing the Survey Form for Elementary Principals and the Instructional Leadership Behavior Checklist (McEwen, 1997), a pattern of high agreement emerged with a majority of the statements that earned average scores in the range of 4.0 to 5.0. On the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (Guglielmino, 1977/78), the principals' scores were exceptionally high, comparable with those of the top entrepreneurs in the United States. The overarching conclusion of the study centers on the identification of these exemplar principals as "educational entrepreneurs" who employ innovation, teacher empowerment, shared leadership, and reliance upon data to lead reading improvement in their schools.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12156
- Subject Headings
- Reading (Elementary), Reading (Elementary)--Florida, Educational innovations--Florida, School improvement programs--Florida, School principals--Florida, Elementary school administration--Florida--Evaluation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- An examination of the implementation of the Intel Essentials project-based learning model on middle and secondary reading and language arts FCAT student achievement and engagement.
- Creator
- Wright, Jeremy R., College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
- Abstract/Description
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The purpose of this study was to identify (1) the effectiveness of the Intel Essentials model of project-based learning based on student Florida Comprehensive Assessment test (FCAT) reading scores; (2) the differences in student engagement between students in classes with teachers trained in the Intel Essentials model of project-based learning and teachers not trained in the model as measured by the Beliefs about Classroom Structures Survey; (3) the level of implementation (high, average, or...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to identify (1) the effectiveness of the Intel Essentials model of project-based learning based on student Florida Comprehensive Assessment test (FCAT) reading scores; (2) the differences in student engagement between students in classes with teachers trained in the Intel Essentials model of project-based learning and teachers not trained in the model as measured by the Beliefs about Classroom Structures Survey; (3) the level of implementation (high, average, or low) of teachers trained in the Intel Essentials model of project-based learning; and (4) any correlation between the level of implementation and the level of student engagement. A total of 32 teachers participated in the study. The teachers were split into 2 groups: the experimental group (N = 16) that participated in the Intel Essentials Training, and the control group (N = 16) that did not participate in the training. The results for this study were mixed. The students of the experimental group teachers (N = 780) had significantly higher (p < .05) FCAT scores than that of the control group students (N = 643). The control group with the exception of Motivating Tasks subscale had significantly higher levels of engagement. The correlation between level of implementation and student engagement produced a moderate negative correlation, meaning that the Intel trained teachers with the highest levels of implementation had the lowest levels of engagement.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/369395
- Subject Headings
- School improvement programs, Project method in teaching, Mobile communication systems in education, Academic achievement, Methodology, Education, Secondary, Computer-assisted instruction, Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, Education, Effect of technological innovations on
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The relationship of full-time laptop computer access to student achievement and student attitudes in middle school.
- Creator
- Lewis, Sheila K., Florida Atlantic University, Maslin-Ostrowski, Patricia
- Abstract/Description
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The purpose of this quasi-experimental longitudinal study was to investigate the relationship of full-time laptop computer access to student achievement and student attitudes in middle school from the academic years of 1998--1999 through 2000--2001. Two sets of variables were identified in the study. The independent variable was the instructional method having full-time access to laptops or not. The dependent variables were student achievement, and student attitudes. ANOVAs were employed to...
Show moreThe purpose of this quasi-experimental longitudinal study was to investigate the relationship of full-time laptop computer access to student achievement and student attitudes in middle school from the academic years of 1998--1999 through 2000--2001. Two sets of variables were identified in the study. The independent variable was the instructional method having full-time access to laptops or not. The dependent variables were student achievement, and student attitudes. ANOVAs were employed to test the difference between the experimental group and the comparison group. Measures of reading comprehension and math application were determined through scores on the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) for sixth-grade students and the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) for eighth-grade students. A teacher-made pretest/posttest writing assessment score for sixth grade was assessed with the criteria determined in the Florida Writes Program rubric. In addition, students and parents in the experimental group at the end of sixth-grade responded to a survey. As a result of the analysis, the following major findings were identified: (1) Although students in the sixth-grade were provided with full-time laptop computer access during the school year, it did not create a significant impact on student achievement in subject areas of reading comprehension, math application, and writing. (2) Data from the survey suggested that students with full-time laptop computer access during the school year had several advantages regarding student attitudes, motivation, applications of technology for school work, and improved organizational skills. Two conclusions were revealed from this study. First, laptop access did not prove to be the better learning technique over not having laptop access in improving student achievement. There was no significant difference as explained in analysis which found the power was low. Second, the study concludes that laptop access may improve student attitudes. When surveying students regarding the use of laptops, overall, students indicated that when compared to not having laptop access they felt more successful in school, more motivated to learn, their organizational skills were better, and their perceptions toward their test scores had improved. The study recommended that future research be conducted to: (1) Examine principals' participation in professional development activities related to educational technology. (2) Provide teachers with instructional design, delivery, staff development, on-going technical support, and opportunities in the classroom to integrate technology resources daily into the curriculum. (3) Study the effect of instructional uses of laptops and student achievement.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT12091
- Subject Headings
- Educational technology--United States, Computer-assisted instruction, Middle school education--United States--Philosophy, Laptop computers--Public opinion, Computers and children, Education--Effect of technological innovations on--United States
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Approaching Authentic Assessment: Using Virtual School Teachers’ Expertise to Develop an Understanding of Full Time K-8 Virtual School Teacher Practices.
- Creator
- Seamster, Christina Lambert, Weber, Roberta K., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
- Abstract/Description
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According to Molnar (2014), full time virtual school education lacks a measurement tool that accurately measures effective virtual teacher practice. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the current study sought to understand the common practices among full time K-8 virtual school teachers, the extent to which teachers believed such practices impacted student learning, as well as the methods in which current standards, recommendations and practices were implemented in the full time...
Show moreAccording to Molnar (2014), full time virtual school education lacks a measurement tool that accurately measures effective virtual teacher practice. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the current study sought to understand the common practices among full time K-8 virtual school teachers, the extent to which teachers believed such practices impacted student learning, as well as the methods in which current standards, recommendations and practices were implemented in the full time K-8 virtual school setting. The relationship between virtual school teacher practices and their Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) was also explored. Using the standards, practices and recommendations developed for online learning from International Association for K–12 Online Learning (iNACOL), National Education Association (NEA), Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) a team of focus group members gave input on the common practices for teaching students in the full time K-8 virtual school environment. The results included 11 general virtual school teacher practices, 12 teacher practices relating to evaluation and three practices relating to special needs and diverse learners. Qualitative and quantitative findings indicated that teachers most frequently meet the established practices through the following strategies: phone conferences, live sessions with students, feedback on assessments, webmail communication, professional development, collaborating with peers/teacher collaboration, professional learning communities, curriculum based assessments on the phone, communicating with family stakeholders, and determining students in the bottom quartile. A framework for K-8 full time virtual school pedagogy which includes evaluating student learning and individualizing instruction through technology tools and collaborative methods was developed. Finally, the quantitative findings indicated that of the three virtual school teacher practice categories (teacher practice, evaluation and special needs and diverse learners), evaluation was the leading predictor of teacher TPACK scores. Specifically, collaboration, having an online voice and presence, and using data from assessments to modify instruction were found to significantly predict a teacher’s Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge. Using virtual school teachers’ expertise on the practices which most impact student learning and the methods for implementing virtual school teacher practices, the researcher created a draft full time K-8 virtual school teacher evaluation rubric.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004741, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004741
- Subject Headings
- Teachers--Training of--Evaluation., Teachers--Rating of., Public schools--Effect of technological innovations on., Educational change--United States--Evaluation., Educational technology--United States--Evaluation., Pedagogical content knowledge., Computer-assisted instruction.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Enhancing Independent Task Performance of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities Through the Use of an iPad Application.
- Creator
- Morse, Kerri, Dukes, Charles, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Exceptional Student Education
- Abstract/Description
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There has been a dramatic increase in the utilization of technology within the fields of education and rehabilitation in the past two decades. Two studies focused on technology intended to assist a total of seven young adults with developmental disabilities to increase independence, decrease the need for paid supports, and improve task performance. Participants completed food preparation tasks in an employee break room, adhering to an industry specific protocol, while using a task application...
Show moreThere has been a dramatic increase in the utilization of technology within the fields of education and rehabilitation in the past two decades. Two studies focused on technology intended to assist a total of seven young adults with developmental disabilities to increase independence, decrease the need for paid supports, and improve task performance. Participants completed food preparation tasks in an employee break room, adhering to an industry specific protocol, while using a task application on an iPad that provided audio and video prompts. A multiple baseline across participants was used to show effects of the intervention on task performance and reliance on prompts. Results indicated that using an application on an iPad to video model tasks was effective in improving and maintaining accurate skill performance, while reducing the need for prompts. Participants in both study one and study two demonstrated mastery of task performance using the iPad application. In study one, three of the four participants faded the use of prompts, whereas only one of the three participants demonstrated independence in study two. Implications for future research are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004615, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004615
- Subject Headings
- Students with disabilities--Services for., Learning disabled teenagers.--Education., Tablet computers., Computer-assisted instruction., Human-computer interaction., Education--Effect of technological innovations on., Visual programming (Computer science)
- Format
- Document (PDF)