Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, EDU Physical Activity and Educational Services

Using an exploratory case study approach, this study explored the impact on identity women presidents of for-profit companies, one-million dollars or larger, experienced as a participant within a community of practice. While the individual women's lived experiences within the group varied, the findings produced four themes that revealed characteristics of a women president's identity that is influenced by her participation in an all-women, all-president community of practice; a) sisterhood, b) skills, c) role negotiation and 4) self-assurance. The three main conclusions presented as the outcome of this study in review are: 1.) Deep and meaningful relationships are integral to the formation of a community of practice; 2.) Membership composition in a professional role identity development community of practice has an impact on the topics that are raised and discussed within the community; and 3.) Professional Role Identity development within a community of practice is the result of the interaction and interconnection of multiple identities which are socially constructed through participation. The overall primary learning from this study is the understanding that professional role identity development within a community of practice is a progressive process that formulates overtime and is dependent upon other facets of a member's identity.

Committee: David Stein (Advisor); Wendy Smooth (Committee Member); Raymond Noe (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Business Education; Continuing Education; Educational Leadership; Gender

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2023, English: Composition and Rhetoric

We in writing studies have much to learn and gain from the communities and cultures of making created in makerspaces. My dissertation contributes to writing theory and pedagogy by examining and connecting the communities and communities of practice in makerspaces to the composition classroom. I present a frame that focuses inclusivity, equity, and diversity in functional access and sustainability, material access and sustainability, and social access and sustainability. Chapter 1 introduces and maps makerspaces and examines the practices that makerspaces employ to build their space, including cultural community making spaces. In chapter 2, I contextualize makerspaces further by putting them in conversation with discussions on space, place, community, and communities of practice. However, makerspaces and other communities of practice often exclude cultural practices of community from underrepresented and marginalized communities. For this reason, I work to include concepts of community from across cultural rhetorics and social justice scholarship to help bring cultural community knowledge into our understanding of makerspaces. Chapter 3 moves from the theoretical practices of community to show how the material, functional, and social aspects of the community are built and work together to sustain the community through practice. Drawing from interviews with administrators, staff, and makers from two makerspaces, I show how they enact practices across the material, functional, and social to provide access and sustain their making communities. Chapter 4 examines the integration of makerspaces and making practices into the classroom, specifically my fall 2021 sections of technical writing, drawing with IRB approval and student consent from student coursework, my instructor reflections, and interviews with students after the semester was over. Students shared how the material, functional, and social aspects of the community as well as their own dispositions and feelings a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Heidi McKee (Committee Chair); Timothy Lockridge (Committee Member); Michael Bailey-Van Kuren (Committee Member); Adam Strantz (Committee Member); Emily Legg (Committee Member) Subjects: Composition; Rhetoric; Technical Communication

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2022, Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to build upon existing research that explored teachers' professional learning expectations and how teachers can utilize social media platforms or social learning environments to aid their professional learning. This information may be used to support thinking differently about time and space for both student and adult learning. Understanding to what extent and why teachers engaged in professional learning experiences in a social media environment can inform future learning options in utilizing these asynchronous platforms. Data generated may aid in the design of engaging professional learning experiences, through social media, that give teachers a venue for rapid, focused, personalized, and asynchronous learning. This qualitative study was limited to a non-random sample of interview participants, which ensured participants had a guaranteed proficiency in using social media environments for professional learning experiences. A survey was conducted to identify individuals who actively engaged in using social media platforms for professional learning, and six qualifying educators were invited to expand upon their experiences through their participation in semi-structured interviews. The open-ended questions inspired a dialogue about their lived experiences, resources located on social media platforms, and interests regarding professional learning during the 2020 pandemic time frame. Responses to the interview questions were coded to examine how and to what extent the teacher participated in a social media platform as a venue for professional learning during the pandemic. A theoretical, thematic analysis was used to identify how teachers participated in a social media environment for professional learning. The responses were coded based on CHAT's Four C's of Participation Taxonomy: Contemplator, Curator, Crowdsourcer, or Contributor (Trust, 2017). Additionally, the responses were coded to identify the type of informal learning experience th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Joel Malin (Committee Co-Chair); Ann Haley Mackenzie (Committee Member); Bryan Duarte (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Educational Technology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2022, Educational Leadership

This narrative study explored the experiences of pre-service teacher trainees in a TEFL Certificate program for migrants and returnees to Mexico. The study used the analytical lens of Wenger's (1998) communities of practice framework to trace ways in which participants formed their language teacher identities during participation, especially considering their life trajectories and binational, bicultural experiences. Recommendations for program developers in relation to curriculum and potential activities, which seek include and build upon these counter-stories of migrant experience, are included.

Committee: Colleen Gallagher (Committee Chair); Michele Welkener (Committee Member); Miranda Hallett (Committee Member); Treavor Bogard (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; English As A Second Language; Teacher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Engineering Education

What it means to “think like an engineer” and what “counts” as engineering knowledge is a foundational part of engineering culture. What engineers value as knowledge and how they act on that knowledge impacts nearly every aspect of engineering design and practice as well as who enters and persists in engineering. Researchers have shown that within engineering, there is a socially constructed epistemic hierarchy; technical knowledge and analytical or rational ways of knowing are consistently constructed as superior. This hierarchy is problematic because it 1) functions in ways that devalue social considerations from engineering work, and 2) has been constructed by the dominant social groups in engineering (i.e., White, cisgender, men) and works to maintain the exclusivity of engineering. In this interpretive study informed by feminist theories, I explore the beliefs, reported practices, and identities of engineers to interrogate how the epistemic hierarchy of engineering is reproduced within a professional engineering community of practice. I found that the epistemic hierarchy of engineering was indeed pervasive, and it was reproduced via beliefs about the definition of engineering and the role of objectivity in engineering. The most pervasive shared beliefs used to resist the epistemic hierarchy of engineering were rooted in capitalistic or neoliberal ideology, which is troublesome because it is often at odds with social justice and equity initiatives. I also found that the engineers who identified as women or gender non-binary were more likely to strongly identify with normative ways of knowing in engineering (i.e., analytical thinking) than their majority counterparts, which provides insight into the role of privilege in how engineering identity is negotiated in terms of the epistemic hierarchy. Ultimately, this work implies that we need to "make space” for students and professionals to critically reflect on what it means to think like an engineer to promote a mor (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Emily Dringenberg (Advisor); Julie Martin (Committee Member); David Delaine (Committee Member) Subjects: Engineering; Epistemology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2021, Music Education

The COVID-19 global pandemic altered PK-12 school music instruction in 2020-2021. The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine teaching and learning practices in high school band classrooms that were modified due to COVID-19. The research questions included (a) How do high school band teachers approach, construct, and adapt to coronavirus-era music teaching? (b) How do high school band students receive, describe, and adapt to coronavirus-era music learning? (c) How do high school band teachers and students work collaboratively toward building social and musical connections in the coronavirus-era music classroom? (d) What aspects of coronavirus-era band education do participants believe will shape future music classrooms? The research questions and analysis were developed using the theoretical framework of Communities of Practice Theory (Wenger, 1998). Participants included high school band teachers and students. Three high school band director participants were selected based on pre-determined criteria: that they had taught for 3 or more years at their current school with at least 5 total years of band teaching experience. The band students at the same three high schools were eligible to participate. Data was collected remotely and included interviews, observations, and journal entries. Data was analyzed within each case to describe the specific experiences of each band teacher and student participant. Cross-case analysis was then completed to determine similarities, differences, and unique qualities between the three cases. Themes from individual cases regarded band teacher strategies in remote and hybrid learning formats and how band teachers and students engaged in band camaraderie during COVID-19. Cross-case analysis produced overarching themes; including Responding to Student Needs, Self-Motivated vs. Group-Motivated, Hybrid Band Community, and Predictions for the Future. The data yielded four assertions regarding the experience of high school (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Nathan Kruse (Committee Chair); Lisa Koops (Committee Member); Ryan Scherber (Committee Member); Gary Deimling (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Music; Music Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Kinesiology

The United States has become increasingly aware of the prevalence of childhood trauma and adverse experiences which can have long-lasting negative consequences on health and school achievement. It is possible to recover from trauma with the right support and schools are ideally placed to support many children in the United States. One method schools can use is social and emotional learning (SEL). Ohio recently released K-12 SEL standards for use in the 2019-2020 school year that apply in all subjects and grade levels. Teachers need ongoing professional development (PD) support as they make changes but this was lacking for SEL standards on the systemic level. There was a need for quality PD for teachers as they transitioned to include SEL in their teaching. This project created PD for elementary physical education teachers through a community of practice (CoP) focused on the new SEL standards. Three elementary physical education teachers from one district participated. Data was gathered through interviews, journals, lesson observations, CoP meeting recordings, and artefacts. All three teachers' understanding of SEL changed as seen through new lesson implementation and articulation of SEL to others. The three teachers faced problems of a lack of school-wide support, time, assessment, and challenges with older students. Teachers were able to incorporate SEL into physical education lessons though stories, discussion, questions, and informal assessments. Students mostly responded with the expected behaviors during the lesson, but student behavior was not always consistent. The three teachers saw students improve in behavior and coping skills and hoped that these benefits might occur for all their students. This study had implications for physical education teachers, PETE and PD providers. SEL and physical education content can be taught together. Physical education teachers should seek out CoPs for PD and support as they make changes to their practice. PETE should includ (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sue Sutherland PhD (Advisor); Jacqueline Goodway PhD (Committee Member); Phillip Ward PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Kinesiology; Physical Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2019, English

This project argues that writing instruction must attend to students' conceptions about writing to promote deeper, transformative learning. Complementing recent work in writing studies and threshold conceptions, transfer, and writing in the disciplines / writing across the curriculum, misconceptions scholarship offers another theoretical tool for unpacking students' experiences learning to write. I bring this scholarship into conversation with theories of situated learning to explore how conceptions form and change and how they may influence student learning and engagement. Through a qualitative study of 55 students in professional writing, geology, political science, and a writing center, I demonstrate how students' generic, acontextual misconceptions of writing may limit their understanding of the writing they do in courses and their ability to recognize how their knowledge may apply in the future. Activity theory analyses of two of these sites suggests that situated writing experiences with shared activity and connections to students' future communities and activity systems challenges such misconceptions and encourage students to engage their learning to write more deeply. Providing students with these kinds of writing experiences and addressing conceptions explicitly in classrooms will provide more opportunities for transformative learning around writing. To explore misconceptions scholarship and demonstrate its contribution in my study, I begin in Chapter 1 by reviewing this scholarship and how situated writing experiences may respond to the need for conceptual change. Chapter 2 describes the methods of data collection used to study students' conceptions of writing and their learning about writing in college. I report on students' conceptions surrounding the term “writer” in Chapter 3. These results suggests a need for deeper analysis of the Geology and Professional Writing major. In chapter 4, I perform an activity analysis of the Geology major to demonstra (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elizabeth Wardle Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Jason Palmeri Ph.D. (Committee Member); Tim Lockridge Ph.D. (Committee Member); Michael Brudzinski Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Composition

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2018, Organizational Behavior

Social Inclusion is an emerging term, used most prominently by the United Nations to encompass ideas of equity, social, economic and civic participation, and the proactive protection of human rights. Posited as an antidote to the global phenomena of social exclusion, social inclusion is also increasingly understood as a process and outcome, rather than just an outcome. In the United States, one potential vehicle for the process of social inclusion is the development of mixed-income communities. Using a process perspective, this study explores the design and practice of social inclusion in the context of mixed income communities, by conducting a qualitative analysis of the federal Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, which funds mixed-income community development across the United States. Utilizing a combined content analysis and grounded theory analysis of archival grant reports and conducted interviews, this study aims to answer the question: How do mixed-income communities design and practice social inclusion? Within that question, what are the conditions for the practice of social inclusion? How do organizational structures, programs, and processes, enable the individual and collective practice of social inclusion? How is social inclusion designed and practiced at the structural, social, and individual levels? The content analysis focused on 55 Choice Neighborhoods planning grant Transformation Plans and 18 implementation grant narratives. This study also conducted and analyzed through grounded theory an additional 60 semi-structured interviews. The study generated an integrated process theory of social inclusion, through this analysis that identified 545 first order codes, 123 second order codes, and 24 aggregate dimensions. This study also presents the underlying dynamics that enable and limit social inclusion. In addition to this contribution to theory, this study will also contribute toward those working in the mixed-inco (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Diana Bilimoria Ph.D. (Advisor); Mark Joseph Ph.D. (Committee Member); David Cooperrider Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ron Fry Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior; Social Psychology; Sociology; Urban Planning

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, Arts Administration, Education and Policy

The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze ways to expand the educational role of art museums in terms of their relationship with schools. Recently, art museums in South Korea began to emphasize their educational role and provide school programs. However, so far, these programs have only targeted to visual art education and art teachers, instead of all classroom teachers. After a yearlong internship at the Wexner Center for the Arts, located in Columbus, Ohio, I conducted a study of Pages, a yearlong collaborative art museum-school program between a contemporary art museum and school teachers who do not teach visual art. During my participation in Pages, I discovered several aspects with the potential to benefit collaborative art museum-school programs both in Korea and the U.S. Thus, overarching research question of the study was formulated as follows: What are the unique and essential components and practices of Pages that can inform collaborative art museum-school programs in Korea and the U.S.? To delve into the Pages program, I grounded this qualitative case study in constructivism. Specifically, I utilized the communities of practice framework, a contemporary version of social constructivism. This framework helped me explain the collaborative learning process of adult educators. In addition, constructivist learning theories helped me place art museums as legitimate learning institutions and to describe the practices of the educators which target meaningful student learning through connecting art museum education and school education. Finally, constructivism was used as an interpretive framework for the study: I co-created knowledge with the research participants and aimed to show their diverse perspectives. I utilized qualitative case study research as a methodology. Like Pages, several ongoing education programs at U.S. art museums require involvement of core classroom teachers. However, I chose Pages because it has several unique characteris (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Joni Acuff (Advisor); Karen Hutzel (Committee Member); Jennifer Richardson (Committee Member) Subjects: Art Education; Museum Studies; Museums

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2016, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Curriculum and Instruction

A challenge for public schools is to successfully support and professionally develop early career teachers and thereby prepare them for long and successful careers in education. Multiple studies have indicated high levels of turnover in the profession of teaching, especially during the beginning years in a teacher's career. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to describe how eight early career secondary mathematics and science teachers perceived and made sense of their experiences navigating multiple professional communities and interacting with mentors designed to improve retention. Topics examined included the contextual elements that influenced the early career teachers' interactions with mentors and professional communities; how they positioned themselves within multiple professional communities; and how they perceived these experiences influenced the development of their teaching practice. An extensive semi-structured interview of the early career teachers generated data that were analyzed to identify emergent themes and patterns. The findings of this study indicated navigating professional communities and interacting with mentors influenced the early career teachers' decisions to adopt important components of a learner-centered approach to teaching such as engaging students in active learning processes, utilizing formative assessment, promoting cooperative work, and interacting with students on an individual level. Also, access to professional communities and mentors afforded the early career teachers a level of relief of their anxieties related to being a new teacher, a boost of confidence in their teaching abilities and judgments, and an outlet to share stories and experiences, which decreased their feelings of professional and social isolation.

Committee: Helen Meyer Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Prentice Chandler Ph.D. (Committee Member); Susan Gregson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Marshella (Shelly) Harkness Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2016, Educational Leadership

This study revealed the complexities of curriculum leadership experienced by district central office curriculum administrators and how collaborations with each other led to unique, timely, and vetted resources. The study examined district central office curriculum administrators in a four county region of a Midwestern state and sought to answer three questions: How do central office curriculum administrators characterize and enact curriculum leadership? How do central office curriculum administrators collaborate with colleagues from other districts in similar positions? And, How does collaboration influence curriculum leadership? Through a conceptual lens focused on social structures of networks and communities of practice; social relationships including brokers and boundary spanners; and social interactions rooted in collaboration, this mixed methods study revealed three sets of findings. First, curriculum administrators' ubiquitous and complex curriculum leadership tended to three interrelated dimensions: student and teacher learning; curriculum artifacts and practices; and leadership grounded in systemic thinking, process development, relationship building, and leadership cultivation. The second set of findings uncovered that curriculum administrators collaborated in several types of settings (incidental, small group, and large group) while also revealing that depths of collaboration primarily included networking, partnering, and cooperating. The third set of findings established that curriculum administrators accessed and developed professional capital (human, social, and decisional) with other curriculum administrators to bolster their curriculum leadership to navigate a complex educational landscape by way of situational collaboration.

Committee: Michael Evans (Committee Chair); Laurence Boggess (Committee Member); Thomas Poetter (Committee Member); Sarah Woodruff (Committee Member) Subjects: Curriculum Development; Education; Educational Leadership; School Administration

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2015, College of Education

This study explores whether teacher leaders within a professional development school will take on leadership responsibilities while they are in the midst of learning new district and state change initiatives through the documentation of the formation and implementation of a professional learning community (PLC) within a professional development school (PDS). An ethnographic case study was used to gather information about how 20 teachers within a school worked through change initiatives and collaborative practices. Teachers presented book study topics to colleagues on PLCs and implemented the studied work in their collaborative practices. A Lead Teacher Questionnaire gave teachers an opportunity to express their understanding around PLCs, collaborative practices, and professional development. Teachers completed a SWOT analysis to measure the effectiveness of the book study and presentations. This study reveals that too many initiatives presented to staff leads to issues around district initiatives and changes. District leadership teams are responsible for establishing trust with staff, offering immediate feedback around instructional practices, ensuring that initiatives are streamlined, and that the goals of the initiatives are clearly articulated to staff. Clearly articulated goals helps staff members to know and master expectations. The study participants reflected on their collaborative practices and realized that they need to trust one another to engage in collaborative practices that promote optimal growth and learning for all individuals.

Committee: Judy Alston PhD (Committee Chair); Ann Shelly PhD (Committee Member); James Olive PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Teacher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2015, College of Education and Human Services

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the competencies and skill sets of participating K-12 online teachers in Ohio through an online survey based on relevant standards issued by specialized organizations, such as the North American Council for online Learning (NACOL), National Education Association, and Southern Regional Educational Board. The survey items helped identify the self-reported competencies and skill sets of ninety-eight participating K-12 online teachers in Ohio. The findings of this study indicated that the subjects in this research project need technical support systems in place to work effectively in the online environment. Additionally, the participants required further training in using technology in terms of assistive technologies for special needs students. Moreover, these virtual environment instructors would benefit from having more hours of both face-to-face and hybrid professional development customized to their specific online teaching needs, designed to form collaborative communities of practice.

Committee: Marius Boboc PhD (Committee Chair); Joanne Goodell PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Jeremy Genovese PhD (Committee Member); Brian Harper PhD (Committee Member); Adam Sonstegard PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Education; Educational Technology

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2015, Linguistics (Arts and Sciences)

This thesis examines the role that imagined communities play in the language learning process for learners of English immersed in the United States. Research regarding the imagined communities of English language learners has not focused on students enrolled in an intensive English language program in the United States. Moreover, the majority of such research concentrates on adolescent learners of English after they have become immersed within the target language and target language culture. This study focuses on the imagined communities of 15 female learners of English enrolled in an intensive English program in the United States. The participants represent cultural groups from Brazil, China, and Saudi Arabia. Data was collected via questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and a semi-structured focus group interview. The results suggest that attitudes and perceptions regarding the target language and target language culture are critical to the learners' conceptions of imagined communities.

Committee: Peter Githinji Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Linguistics

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, EDU Teaching and Learning

Over the last decade, service-learning researchers have documented a lack of attention paid to the dynamic nature of student learning in service-learning projects (Butin, 2003/2010) and a lack of attention paid to learning over time (Melchior & Bailis, 2002; Yamauchi, et al., 2006). In light of these gaps in the literature, this dissertation study used New Literacy Studies (e.g., Barton & Hamilton, 1998; Street, 1984) and communities of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991) to explore situated literacies and learning of four focal students participating in two critical service-learning projects at a traditional urban public high school in a mid-size city. Specifically, I explored the following three research questions: 1. What happens when students and their teacher participate in a critical service-learning project; 2. What learning opportunities and forms of participation emerge in a critical service-learning project and how are they taken up by the students; and 3. What is the role of literacy in these learning opportunities and forms of participation? Using an ethnographic case study design, I collected data over the course of an academic school year to include fieldnotes, artifacts, and transcripts. I analyzed these data using an iterative data analysis process. I concluded the study by offering implications for classroom practice, education policy, and service-learning research.

Committee: Valerie Kinloch (Advisor); Caroline Clark (Advisor); Mollie Blackburn (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Theory; Literacy

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus)

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) suggest that a high proficiency in the language is essential for all Spanish teachers. No matter what level of Spanish (SPN) a teacher teaches, the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines declare that the minimum level of proficiency for Spanish teachers should be advanced low, which sets the standards high. Most teacher preparation programs do not have a system in place to help non-native language instructors maintain and improve their language proficiency. With the growth of the Spanish speaking population in the U.S and the diversity of the Spanish Culture, teacher education programs need to ensure that teacher candidates are better equipped to face the increased demands of language proficiency. This two-phase (survey + case studies) study investigated both native and non-native high school Spanish teachers language practices outside and inside of the school setting such as their level of involvement in target language activities. Results suggest that NSTs and NNSTs had different needs in the areas of teacher education and professional development. While native teachers preferred to focus on improving their pedagogical knowledge, most non-native teachers sought additional classes and professional development opportunities designed to enhance their language proficiency. Survey results suggested that NNSTs had considerably less experience teaching upper level classes than NSTs. Many NNSTs felt that teaching only lower level Spanish classes affected their confidence and proficiency in the language. Several important implications for teacher educators and Spanish teachers emerged from this study, including the development of a fluent communication channel between foreign language and teacher education departments to ensure that Spanish teachers' proficiency development does not stop when they enter a teacher preparation program, the establi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Samimy Keiko PhD (Advisor); Robert Hite PhD (Committee Member); Karen Newman PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Language

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, Art Education

This dissertation presents a Critical Content Meta Analysis of published literature related to using the Internet to develop critical thinking skills in students and to build online communities of teachers. An underlying goal of the research was to work toward the development of stronger connections between museums and public schools. Through analyzing the literature, I developed suggestions for museum personnel to implement when creating educational museum web sites. The analysis of the literature on critical thinking shows that there is no agreement among the authors as to the meaning of the term “critical thinking.” The literature largely endorses the view that thinking critically about the Internet involves accepting information because it is represented in multiple sites on the Internet and rejecting information that is not congruent with dominant cultural beliefs. Utilizing the concept of hyper-connective thinking, museum educators can build educational web sites that highlight objects that are the subject of controversy. The use of these web sites will enable students to access multiple perspectives relating to the objects, thus allowing them to learn about divergent interpretations and understandings. The literature on building online communities of teachers also has little agreement with regard to the use of the term “community.” Through online interactions, teachers may be able to overcome the often-cited feelings of separation from peers and find ways to improve their teaching practice. There are many power issues that must be considered when building an online community ranging from the ability of the community members to change the social interactions to the relative parity of the members of the community. Additionally, through online communities, museums have the opportunity to develop interactions among interested visitors relating to the objects in the collections. I argue that insufficient research has been conducted on using the Internet in K-12 cl (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Michael Parsons (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2010, Communication Studies (Communication)

This study embarks on the theory of structuration as a meta-theoretical framework to position communication at the center of the stage in understanding online communities of practice on three aspects: 1) digital communication, enabled and constrained by digital technologies, is both the medium and outcome of daily, interactive activities engaged in by participants of online communities of practice; 2) communities of practice, as an organizing structure with unique structural elements, defines and, at the same time, is defined by digital communication practices; and, 3) learning is social and knowledge is co-constructed through ongoing and situated dialogues. This research project is an exploratory case study using multiple methods to learn the communicative processes and evaluate the strength of the research site—The Communication Initiative. An electronic survey, follow-up interviews with survey respondents, in-depth interviews with core team members, and narrative analysis of web site comments are the instruments used. The results and findings of this research add insights in understanding the duality of structure and enabling and constraining capacities of digital communication in the context of online communities of practice.

Committee: Anita James PhD (Advisor); Scott Titsworth PhD (Committee Member); Don Flournoy PhD (Committee Member); Andrew Ledbetter PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication

Master of Education (MEd), Bowling Green State University, 2011, Career and Technology Education/Technology

Working in collaboration with panels of Ableton Live professionals and scholarly experts in fields related to the study the researcher developed a model for an online music community of practice for users of the music production and performance software Ableton Live. The model for an online music community of practice that this study developed proposes the design of a virtual community that provides its members with an improved learning, communication and collaboration experience over currently available alternatives. This is achieved through an all-inclusive, simple, clean user interface that provides members with all the communication and collaboration tools necessary to successfully collaborate online. The model's design also stresses the importance of providing new members of the community with adequate scaffolding in the form of tutorials. These tutorials teach members how to successfully use all the communication and collaboration tools provided by the site. This scaffolding support system is a key component of any community of practices' success. It helps facilitate the new members' transition from new, and inexperienced user to expert. Facilitating this transition is also beneficial to the community as a whole because it helps raise the communal knowledge base. The more experts available in the community, the more knowledge can be transferred between community members.

Committee: Terry Herman PhD (Committee Chair); Larry Hatch PhD (Committee Member); Gary Benjamin PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Technology; Instructional Design; Music Education