Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2020, College of Education and Human Services

A review of the literature documents two critical facts regarding the status of online education research. First, there exists minimal research on the instructional impact of online learning in K-12. Second, the focus of this limited K-12 research compares the growth outcomes of online learning to the growth outcomes of traditional face-to-face instruction. Therefore, the research found in this dissertation is unique as it is limited to examining the effect of time-in-school on high school students engaged in blended learning. the findings of this study are based on two years of data from a charter school that utilized a blended learning curriculum. The study compared the academic gains of sixteen treatment groups (students whose in-school attendance met specific percentage of time-in-school) to the academic gains of the corresponding sixteen control groups (students whose in-school attendance did not meet specific time percentages). These findings document that the academic gains of students in the study's sixteen treatment groups were statistically greater (<.001) than the academic gains of students in the sixteen control groups. While it is acknowledged these study's findings must be confirmed or refuted through additional research, this study's importance is the identification of an instructional strategy which has the potential of increasing, through personalized scheduling, the academic achievement for all students enrolled in a blended learning high school. Therefore, this study's findings should be of great interest to both blended learning practitioners and educational policy creators.

Committee: Anne Galletta Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Adam Voight Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Marius Boboc Ph.D. (Committee Member); Brian Harper Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jeffrey Synder Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Technology; Instructional Design; Middle School Education; Secondary Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2016, Instructional Technology (Education)

Critical thinking for profoundly gifted students in a blended learning environment is an area of research that has not been thoroughly explored. While the number of online and blended learning classrooms for gifted students has increased exponentially over the last decade, the scholarly literature in this area is limited, both by the small number of studies being done with gifted students and the limited research on higher order thinking in online blended learning environments. This research used a holistic single case study method to examine critical thinking in the online component of a blended learning environment using the Newman et al. critical thinking content analysis model as a theoretical framework. It is noted here that the categories of Newman's model are listed in italic bold throughout the dissertation in contradiction to APA style. The case study design was appropriate because it allowed the researcher to examine the phenomena of critical thinking taking place in various learning strategies using common asynchronous writing tools, through the lens of profoundly gifted high-school students. Online tools (discussion forums, blogs, Google Docs) did not seem to influence critical thinking in this case study. The data within all three tools (discussion forums, blogs and Google Docs) showed that justification, linking ideas, ambiguities, and outside knowledge were the strongest areas of critical thought. The data examining online strategies (structured, scaffolded, open-ended, debate/argument, role play, peer edits, and literary criticism) also showed that students were most comfortable using justification, linking ideas, ambiguities, and outside knowledge in their writing. It is unclear how much of an impact the lack of teacher presence and social presence had on tools and strategies implemented in this study. However, the poststudy responses from the instructor and students seem to support Garrison's theory of Community of Inquiry in suppor (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David Moore (Committee Chair); Teresa Franklin (Committee Member); Linda Rice (Committee Member); Claudia Gonzalez-Vallejo (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Technology; Educational Theory; Gifted Education; Instructional Design

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2010, ED Policy and Leadership

This dissertation is a comparative study, using a criterion-group design, examining the effectiveness of a blended instructional model and a distance instructional model in the teaching of a learning and motivation strategies class. Course effectiveness was determined based upon changes in student grade point averages over time from prior to course enrollment to one term beyond course completion. In addition to grade point averages, other student characteristics and demographics were examined for commonalities and differences between and among students in the two different instructional methods. Characteristics and demographics considered include: procrastination scores, Preferred Learning Orientation, age, gender, ethnicity and academic ranking. The course used in this study is a college-level, credit-bearing elective course. The data used in this study suggests there is no significant difference between the blended version and the distance version of the course in terms of student GPA. In addition, there appears to be no significant differences in demographics. While students in the distance course are older and further advanced academically (this being consistent with other findings in distance education), the male-female ratio, ethnicity distributions, and scores on self-administered procrastination and learning orientation surveys are all approximately the same in the blended version as in the distance version of the course.

Committee: Bruce Tuckman (Advisor); Anita Woolfolk-Hoy (Committee Member); Leonard Baird (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Psychology; Higher Education

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2023, Education

This mixed-method study examines the impact hybrid learning had on sixth-grade students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under normal circumstances, students complete their coursework in a classroom with their peers under the supervision of a teacher with little disruption. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students were required to alter their learning spaces and begin studying from home until they were able to go back to school in the fall of 2020. Even then, most schools had incorporated a hybrid learning model. With the hybrid approach, not all schools followed the same schedule so there were times when half of the students may have been learning from home while their peers were at school. An examination of how sixth-grade students were affected by the hybrid learning model during the COVID-19 pandemic can help determine what resources, if any, are needed in the event schools are required to incorporate a similar model in the future. Data were collected from 9 sixth-grade teachers from three local school districts in Northwest Ohio using a survey sent by electronic mail. Interviews were also conducted with two of the participants. Based on the findings, recommendations for additional professional development and education for both the teachers and the students are discussed.

Committee: Kerry Teeple Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Jennifer Theriault Ed.D. (Committee Member); Jon Brasfield Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Education; Educational Psychology; Elementary Education; Middle School Education; School Counseling; Teacher Education

MA, Kent State University, 2021, College of the Arts / School of Art

With this study I want to use contemporary technology and a hybrid Flipped approach to teach culturally relevant community-based art education utilizing distance learning in rural Appalachia. “The interchange of information differentiated curricular, and teaching strategies relevant to teaching artistically talented students in rural areas will benefit not only students and teacher, but local communities as well” (Clark & Zimmerman, 1999, p. 95). With this study I will try to do what Clark and Zimmerman indicate. I used contemporary teaching strategies like a hybrid Flipped Classroom to teach students in remote rural areas of Appalachia using local artists and community-based art as a source to create an environment where students learning virtually and students learning in brick-and-mortar classrooms can communicate and connect on a more even ground. Questions that guided this research included: Do these new methods improve the virtual students' educational experience? Do these new methods improve the brick-and-mortar students' education experiences? Do they feel more connected to their community, each other, and their teacher? Is communication improved? Are they more motivated with a hybrid Flipped Classroom compared to their previous art instruction, other online classes, or traditional in-class instruction?

Committee: Linda Hoeptner-Poling PhD (Advisor); Robin Vande Zande PhD (Committee Member); Juliann Dorff MA (Committee Member) Subjects: Art Education

MED, Kent State University, 2021, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

The purpose of this study is to measure, describe, and identify causes of teachers' technostress during the COVID19 pandemic. A sample of 60 public U.S. K-12 educators participated in the anonymous survey, and 6 of these participants also participated in a one-time, virtual follow-up interview. This mixed-methods study combined the quantitative data collected for the survey, as well as the qualitative data collected from the follow-up interviews, to answer the following research questions: a) To what degree are teachers experiencing technostress during the COVID19 pandemic? b) What are the root causes of teachers' technostress during the COVID19 pandemic? c) How do teachers describe their experience with technostress during the COVID19 pandemic? The results of this study conclude that teachers are experiencing a low to moderate level of technostress during the COVID19 pandemic, and that their main identified source of technostress results from a lack of trialability, or time and ability to experiment with technologies prior to implementation. Lastly, teachers describe experiences of their technostress during the COVID19 pandemic as associated with mental and physical exhaustion, lack of structure or accountability, and feelings of lacking self-efficacy, loneliness, and lack of appreciation.

Committee: Enrico Gandolfi Dr. (Committee Chair); Steve Mitchell Dr. (Committee Co-Chair); Ben Hollis Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Technology; Information Systems

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2020, Educational Studies

Current distance education practices can be susceptible to types of content-heavy, top-down instruction often seen in physical classrooms. These practices are similar to the activities of corporations, which use recommendation systems and game theory to mold the public sphere and fragment it. We propose that free knowledge creation through open, multichannel communication needs to be used in distance education to allow both individual and collective agency for students to process knowledge and develop higher order reflectivity. Such frameworks would help students of distance education, and instructors to use critical thinking to discuss concepts as equal stakeholders, and develop varied ideological outcomes that could contribute to creating social change. This conceptual paper places current distance education practices within Habermasian theory, discusses ways in which the Internet, and its educative potential has come to be viewed thus far, and suggests platforms that could open distance learning to new possibilities.

Committee: Michael Glassman (Advisor); Bryan Warnick (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Political Science; Psychology; Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Anatomy

Many undergraduate students enroll in gross anatomy courses to support future academic success. Therefore, gross anatomy education at the undergraduate level is tasked, in part, with preparing students for subsequent graduate and professional anatomy instruction. A current trend in anatomy education at the medical professional level is a reduction of hours allotted to gross anatomy curricula. Alternative pedagogies are becoming increasingly necessary as time devoted to gross anatomy education declines and hours are disproportionately allocated across gross anatomy lecture and laboratory components. Modernizing gross anatomy instruction by adapting alternative pedagogies at the undergraduate level may function to facilitate reduced required curricular hours while maintaining effective anatomy instruction that supports future gross anatomy encounters for students at all levels of experience. The purpose of the current study was to apply the instructional design principles of a blended active learning intervention to the gross anatomy education of undergraduate students. Blended learning models are characterized by a combination of traditional in-person instruction and technology-mediated online learning. The blended learning model implemented in the current study was derived from inverted lecture delivery, flipped classroom, and flipped learning. A flipped classroom typically consists of a pre-recorded lecture delivered online as preparatory work prior to attending class. In the flipped classroom students are restricted to one form of recorded lecture selected by the instructor. This differs from the inverted lecture delivery method, which employs multiple means of lecture transmission self-selected by the student based on their perceived learning style. A multi-modal approach to gross anatomy educational research was utilized in which the ADDIE instructional model and action research stages were integrated for the current study. Action research was of interest for th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kirk McHugh (Advisor); Melissa Quinn (Committee Member); Eileen Kalmar (Committee Member); Tracy Kitchel (Committee Member) Subjects: Anatomy and Physiology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2019, Curriculum and Instruction: Secondary Education

Saudi Arabia has prioritized providing its students and educators with new technology and effective learning methods. Technology use in and out of the classroom has increased over the past 20 years. In both K-12 and collegiate education, classrooms around the world have begun to adopt methods of blended learning such as flipped learning. In this context, flipped learning has been proposed as a blended learning method with the ability to better engage and motivate students, increase academic achievement, and allow students to reach higher levels of learning. Many studies have focused on how flipped learning has been implemented in classrooms in the United States and the United Kingdom. Despite the Saudi government's promotion of blended learning techniques like flipped learning, few data exist as to whether Saudi educators are implementing them. In order to address this gap in knowledge, this mixed methods study investigates Saudi Arabian high school educators' understanding and implementation of flipped learning. In the first, quantitative phase of the study, questionnaires were distributed to a purposive sample of Saudi high school teachers. The questionnaire asked teacher participants general questions about themselves and flipped classroom methods. The second, qualitative two phases employed semi-structure interviews to gain further insight into teachers' methodology and implementation of flipped learning. The semi-structured interviews were qualitative in nature and consisted of open-ended questions. The study's findings indicate that flipped learning is not being adequately taught to teachers in Saudi Arabia. Not only do most teachers not know about flipped learning or the flipped learning pillars, but there is also a low rate of implementation. Teachers who are implementing flipped learning in Saudi Arabia are not receiving the funding, technological services, materials, or educational resources they need. It is recommended that schools consider providing teac (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mark Templin (Committee Chair); Leigh Chiarelott (Committee Member); Susanna Hapgood (Committee Member); Gaby Semaan (Committee Member) Subjects: Secondary Education

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2018, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Curriculum and Instruction

This study used qualitative methods to investigate the impact of blended learning with Khan Academy and Project Based Learning on student motivation and attitudes towards mathematics instruction. The perspectives of 11 students and their teacher in one geometry class of students in a high poverty urban high school were explored. The Station Rotation model of blended learning was implemented over ten class periods. The students rotated daily between three stations: teacher's station, Khan Academy, and project station. The major findings show the students and the teacher perceived the blended learning instructional model as providing increased opportunities for discourse, personal attention, and choice when compared to whole group instruction prior to the study. These additional opportunities positively impacted student motivations and attitudes towards mathematics instruction. Further, the students valued self-paced learning, using mathematical tools, and the novelty of the blended learning environment. All 11 students preferred the instruction they received in the teacher's group and in the project group to the instruction they received prior to the study. Eight of the 11 students perceived Khan Academy's built-in points and badges system as mounting evidence of their mathematical capabilities resulting in increased confidence and inspiration to continue doing mathematics. The students saw personalized discussions with their classmates and the teacher as being integral to learning mathematics. Each of the components of Ryan and Deci's (2000) Self-Determination Theory, learner needs for feelings of competence, relatedness, and autonomy, were addressed during the study.

Committee: Marshella (Shelly) Harkness Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Anna Dejarnette Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kathleen Koenig Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Mathematics Education

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2018, Education

The purpose of this study was to examine factors that affect student success in college algebra; specifically, the number of times a student takes developmental math, the time lapse between when a student completes developmental math before taking college algebra, and the format in which a student completes developmental math and college algebra. Chi-square tests were used to examine the relationship between college algebra grades and number of times students took developmental math before passing the course, time lapse between when a student completed developmental math and college algebra, developmental math delivery modality, and college level math delivery modality. The results of the study indicated that there was substantial difference in the percentage of students who made a grade of A+ to B- and students who made a grade of D+ to F in college algebra, whether the student took developmental math zero times, once, twice, or three or more times. Students who took college algebra within one year of completing developmental math were more likely to obtain a grade of A+ to B- than a grade of D+ to F in college algebra. For students who took developmental math online, there was substantial difference in the percentage of students who made a grade of A+ to A- and students who made a grade of D+ to F in college algebra. There was also a substantial difference between the percentage of students who made a grade of A+ to A- and students who made a grade of D+ to F whether they took college algebra online, face-to-face, or in a hybrid/blended format. Due to the limited research in the area of college algebra success for developmental math students, this study helps to understand factors that affect this area, and also provides a basis for future research.

Committee: Nicole Williams Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Venkata Dinavahi Ph.D. (Committee Member); Natalie Abell Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Mathematics

PHD, Kent State University, 2015, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

Faculty satisfaction with designing online courses matters a great deal, for a number of reasons. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether applying the Quality MattersTM Rubric [QMR] as a foundation for online course design increases faculty's self-reported levels of satisfaction with online courses designed using the QMR, in comparison to faculty's self-reported levels of satisfaction with online courses that were not designed using the QMR. The local and national importance of this study is fully underscored by an increased emphasis from government, employers, and other stakeholders, on the rigor and role faculty play in creating efficacy through the medium of instruction, particularly online instruction. This study explored and answered the question: Does the design mode make a difference to faculty's self-reported levels of satisfaction in terms of online course design? The Online Faculty Satisfaction Survey [OFSS], originally developed by Bolliger & Wasilik (2009), was augmented as the Online Faculty Satisfaction Survey-Revised [OFSS-R], and was distributed throughout private higher education institutions in the state of Ohio. There is a clear link between an increased level of faculty satisfaction and an increased level of student satisfaction in their experiences throughout online course. Therefore, it was important for this researcher to establish whether the QMR provided different levels of satisfaction when compared to other instructional design models, and the hypotheses were established to test these differences. However, analysis found no significant difference in faculty self-reported satisfaction levels between the QMR and other instructional design methods in terms of designing online courses. For this researcher, this shall be a matter of future study.

Committee: Mark, A Kretovics PHD (Committee Chair); Susan, V. Iverson PHD (Committee Member); Victor, L. Berardi PHD (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Technology; Instructional Design

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2003, Education : Curriculum and Instruction

This is an in-depth qualitative case study to gain insight into one instructor's efforts to teach two distinct bodies of students the same curriculum using two different mediums-classroom and online. The relationship between the use and beliefs of instructional strategies in face-to-face and online instruction are described in terms of patterns in the behaviors and beliefs of the instructor. There are three outcomes of this study. The tensions that exist in the instructor's behaviors and beliefs when considering two instructional mediums are identified; the multiple levels of converting instruction from face-to-face to online are identified and described; and strategies for online instruction that can be used for professional training are provided. Tensions include 1) familiarity versus unfamiliarity with students, 2) direct versus indirect instruction, 3) collaborative versus cooperative learning, and 4) synchronous versus asynchronous communications. The tensions were instrumental in understanding and creating the Developmental Levels of Conversion. Training techniques and strategies relate directly to each tension. An outcome of this study is the identification of multiple levels when converting instruction from face-to-face to online; currently five levels have been identified. Each level of conversion requires training for the instructor and students along with more sophisticated technology. Data collected in this study clearly identifies two levels-Level I and Level II. Inferred are three additional levels of conversion.

Committee: Dr. Janet Bohren (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

This research examined, through a qualitative grounded theory approach, perceptions of classified, non-instructional staff, and leaders in business and operations on a best practices professional development framework for operational staff. The study also examined the responsibility of leaders to provide professional development opportunities to their staff and touched on how it affects the workplace culture. In the past, studies have examined the benefits of continuous job-embedded training and professional development opportunities for teachers, the administrators' responsibility to provide such opportunities, and the effect professional development has on school culture; but there is limited research about providing consistent professional development opportunities for classified and non-instructional staff. Classified and non-instructional staff in business and operations have both a direct and indirect impact on student learning and achievement. Providing continuous professional development opportunities to this population, to mirror that of teachers, may help increase the knowledge and skill capacity in a school district. This study was conducted using a survey for classified and non-instructional staff, a semi-structured focus group interview of leaders in business and operations, and document reviews from the same leaders. Results from this research supported the existing literature summarized in Chapter Two about professional development for teachers and the theoretical framework that guided the study. The researcher highly recommends that K-12 districts adopt this best practices framework for the continuous development of non-teaching staff.

Committee: Jane Beese EdD (Advisor); Melissa Mlakar EdD (Committee Member); Richard VanVoorhis EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory; Organizational Behavior; Teacher Education

MAE, Otterbein University, 2019, English

Blended learning is defined as an education program in which a student learns, at least in part, through online delivery of content and instruction and, at least in part, at a supervised brick-andmortar location away from home (Staker & Hom, 2012). It is regarded as an effective learning model in terms of student outcomes; however, there are barriers to the implementation of blended learning. These barriers can be categorized as external or internal. The aim of this study was to determine and understand the barriers or factors that affect the implementation of blended learning. To accomplish this, it was important to understand what teachers who have implemented blended learning perceive as most influential to implementation. Seventy-five teachers that have implemented blended learning were surveyed. A combination of descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze the teachers' perceptions of which factors or barriers were most influential to implementation. Within this study, the least influential factors perceived to influence the implementation of blended learning included preservice experiences, parent support, class size, and previous failures. The most influential factor perceived to influence the implementation of blended learning was access to the internet. Internal factors were perceived to influence the implementation more than external factors. Teacher characteristics of gender, subject taught, education level, perceived computer proficiency, and computer-to-student ratio did not have a significant influence on perceived internal factors affecting implementation. Finally, years of experience and perceived internal factors affecting implementation were found to have a negative correlation.

Committee: Daniel Cho Ph.D. (Advisor); Paul Wendel Ph.D. (Committee Member); Adele Weiss Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Technology; Higher Education

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership Studies, Xavier University, 2020, Leadership Studies and Human Resource Development

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact a sustained rotational blended learning model on the academic achievement on Title I K-8 elementary school students at a Catholic school in the areas of reading comprehension and mathematics as measured with standardized assessments, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. In response to the first question, the difference in aggregate for academic achievement in reading and mathematics for those who have participated in blended learning compared to those in a traditional model of instruction. With regard to the second question, the difference in achievement disaggregated for academic achievement in reading and mathematics for those who have participated in blended learning compared to those in a traditional model of instruction. Lastly, the third question addresses what the impact gender, race and ethnicity has had on any observed difference in academic achievement resulting from a sustained rotational blended learning experience, compared to students who participated in a traditional model of instruction. These findings were supported by the literature and the theoretical framework of the study. The study analyzed student achievement scores over three years and presents the findings of the statistical tests. Finally, implications and recommendations were made for further research into blended learning and the impact on various populations.

Committee: T Michael Flick Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Gail F. Latta Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair); William Shula Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Comparative; Educational Technology; Elementary Education; Middle School Education

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2019, Education

Despite the proliferation of online teaching and learning in physical therapy (PT) education, there is a gap that describes best practices used to teach orthopedic “hands-on” skills. The purpose of this study was to discover the resources used, current and emerging instructional methods, faculty perceptions, and a list of best practices for PT educators. A national survey and personal interviews gathered information. The findings suggest faculty used an assortment of resources and instructional methods in a variety of ways. There were benefits and challenges for faculty and students. The data generated a list of best practices, which consisted of a tangible list of pre-class activities and face-to-face instructional methods. Additional research can help faculty make informed decisions based on evidence, feasibility, and availability of technologies. As blended learning continues to evolve, time and monies allocated for instructional design coursework, mentorship, and peer review can support interested faculty.

Committee: Damon Osborne (Committee Chair); John Gillham (Committee Member); Robert Frampton (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Technology; Health Education; Health Sciences; Higher Education; Physical Therapy; Technology

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2019, Educational Leadership

This case study is a qualitative study of the phenomenon of a blended learning model that includes online curriculum coupled with direct instruction. This study allowed for a deeper understanding of the experiences of two teachers assigned to instruct blended courses in a traditional 9-12 public high school system. Building relationships with students, the role of the teacher as a facilitator, and the integration of technology in this non-traditional teaching model are explored. Research questions considered: What is the experience of high school teachers assigned to instruct in a blended model concerning technology integration and online content? How do high school teachers build rapport with students when instructing within a blended learning model? How is the role of the teacher affected by the experience of teaching blended learning courses with high school students? Findings were that building relationships with students, and teacher efficacy with technology remain vital for teacher satisfaction when instructing in a blended model. Classroom space design, and technology integration, and selection of devices to be used in this teaching model are also critical to the efficiency of the teacher as a facilitator in high school blended learning courses.

Committee: Thomas Poetter (Committee Chair) Subjects: Educational Leadership

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2018, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Literacy and Second Language Studies

For over 20 years, researchers and state boards of education have been emphasizing the importance of incorporating digital literacies into instruction. Based on the perceived potential of digital technologies to create greater educational opportunities, and the push from state governments to empower students to fully participate in our knowledge-based economy, proponents have advocated for the incorporation of increasingly computer dependent, blended learning experiences in the classroom, presenting them as fundamental to academic achievement and career success. As public K-12 school districts in Ohio increase their investment in classroom technology through blended learning initiatives, it is important to understand how students and teachers from varied geographic and socioeconomic settings conceptualize the utility and value of blended learning as a platform for learning and literacy. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to gain insight into the conceptualizations of middle level students and teachers from three socioeconomically and geographically diverse public school settings regarding their experiences with blended learning in order to understand the factors that influence the teaching and learning transaction. To better understand these influences, the study employed metaphor analysis (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980), as well as the critical lenses of Brandt's (2001) theoretical framework of literacy sponsorship and the theory of multiliteracies (New London Group, 1996). Analysis of the transcripts suggests that blended learning initiatives would benefit from enhanced blended learning curricula, emphasizing multimodality, choice, facilitation, and social context in digitally integrative instruction.

Committee: Connie Kendall Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Laura Bauer Ed.D. (Committee Member); Mark Sulzer Ph.D. (Committee Member); Susan Watts Taffe Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Software

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2017, Education

This study determined the teacher-perceived experiences within the blended learning environment to fill a void in previous data. The three research questions defined blended learning, explained strengths and challenges, and provided feedback on teaching programs. This qualitative case study used an ethnographic framework through interviews, check-in meetings, observations, and data collection from four participants. A grounded theory method created themes and codes from the participant's responses. The participants and previous research defined blended learning as face-to-face and online interactions with students that required readiness from all stakeholders. The participants believed their job would be easier with less additional duties and more time with students. The participants would like teachers to have more experiences, observations, and understanding of blended learning.

Committee: Nicole Williams Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Gwynne Rife Ph.D. (Committee Member); Maria Boyarko Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Evaluation; Educational Technology; Teacher Education; Teaching