Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Instructional Technology (Education)

It is not uncommon for teachers to feel neglected when leaving a traditional one-and- done professional development workshop. Too often teachers are left to fend for themselves as they begin to implement new strategies into their teaching. Teachers need and deserve continued support as they attempt to carry out the lessons learned in these workshops. This requires more time from the teachers, a resource that is in short supply. To address this issue, this research study sought to design a technology-themed professional development design guide that focused on sustained support, efficiency, and teacher needs when delivered through social media. The design capitalized on a teacher's cognitive surplus (Shirky, 2010), which is the free time typically used to scroll, swipe, and click through social media feeds. Through a process of diffusion, new teaching strategies that focused on the innovative use of technology were introduced to K-12 teachers in a rural district in Southeast Ohio. The diffusion and subsequent adoption of this innovation were achieved through a design that focused on the relative advantage of the new teaching strategy, its compatibility, and its complexity as perceived by the participating teachers. Communication channels and social systems were intentionally utilized in social media in a way that would increase the likelihood of adoption (Rogers, 1998). These strategies perpetuated the ideals of participatory culture, where users make a social connection, mentor each other through shared experiences online, and are valued for their contributions to the social media feed. Two separate iterations of this design-based research study featured a traditional workshop experience followed by the delivery of continued support through a Facebook group focused on learning how to integrate innovative technology teaching practices. Data collected via design critiques, observations, the Facebook stream, and my design journals informed the design of a Worksho (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Greg Kessler (Committee Chair); Sara Helfrich (Committee Member); Krisanna Lou Machtmes (Committee Member); Jesse Strycker (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2017, English (Rhetoric and Writing) PhD

My dissertation study fills current gaps in scholarship by analyzing the feedback preferences of students enrolled in two sections of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) 1010: Academic Composition II courses at Bowling Green State University during the Fall 2015 semester and whether or not those preferences match the students' individual learning styles as measured by a learning style inventory. Additionally, the study examines how providing feedback in different modalities (audio, video, and written) impacts student comfort levels and their perceptions of the writing classroom. Finally, the study examines the impact each feedback modality had on the students' academic performance as measured by the grades students received on essay assignments when utilizing the differing feedback modalities throughout the semester. The learning style inventory and initial feedback preference survey were provided during week 1 of the semester, and a follow-up feedback preferences survey was given during week 15. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze, code, and categorize the students' survey responses. Through classroom observation, student surveys, and grade analyses, it was clear that despite showing a preference for written feedback at the onset of the semester, the majority of students identified as visual learners, preferred video feedback, and performed better academically when they received video feedback.

Committee: Lee Nickoson (Advisor); Neal Jesse (Other); Kristine Blair (Committee Member); Sheri Wells-Jensen (Committee Member) Subjects: Curriculum Development; Educational Technology; English As A Second Language; Foreign Language; Higher Education; Instructional Design; Language; Language Arts; Multilingual Education; Pedagogy; Rhetoric; Teacher Education; Teaching; Technology

Master of Education (MEd), Bowling Green State University, 2007, Career and Technology Education/Technology

The problem of this study was to develop and evaluate an educational role-playing game aimed at the instruction of fourth-grade Ohio State Mathematics Standards. The program Realmcrafter was used to create the virtual environment in the study. For this study, a combination of Educational Research and Development or (R & D) and iterative design was selected for the research design. Educational (R & D) “… consists of a cycle in which a version of the product is developed, field-tested, and revised on the basis of field-test data …” (Borg & Gall, 1983, p. 771). Alternatively, the method of iterative design as detailed in Salen and Zimmerman's Rules of Play Game Design Fundamentals is defined as “… a cyclic process that alternates between prototyping, play testing, evaluation and refinement …” (2004, p. 11). A hybrid of these methods was chosen to supplement the general research model described by Borg and Gall in 1983 for educational product design with the specific techniques for game design found in Salen and Zimmerman (2004). Dickey (2007) states that MMORPGs, “… may be of great relevance in the design of interactive learning environments …” (p. 254) and the bottom line is that the program created in the study can be used by educators to help enhance the learning that goes on in and out of their classrooms. What, in summary, was developed by a teacher practitioner was a prototype mathematics educational game using a simple but powerful gaming engine. The study used the R & D refinements from Borg and Gall (1983). While the R & D process was shorter than in a commercial applications development, its purpose was fulfilled in creating a potentially viable educational gaming prototype.

Committee: Larry Hatch (Advisor) Subjects: