Today's technologies are rapidly impacting how children learn, play, communicate, and interact with others. Popular media and common wisdom often portray children's technology use as detrimental to their growth and wellbeing. However, in recent years, a wealth of research in Child-Computer Interaction (CCI), education, and health informatics…

As children develop the abilities to engage in more sophisticated forms of play, play serves as a context in which children can practice and develop skills in various domains including adaptive behavior and executive functioning. StoryCarnival is a tool designed over 39 sessions at a preschool, working with two groups of 3-5-year-old children,…

The research entitled, "An Exploratory Study of Parental Involvement and Technology: Their place in Early Childhood Education," is an exploratory study of the impact of parental involvement and technology on student readiness for and success in early childhood education. Early home life and parental experiences play a very important role…

Little was known about how online Child Development Associate (CDA) credential recipients developed practical expertise in early childhood education (ECE) without the benefit of an apprenticeship. Learning the practice of teaching from a qualified "more knowledgeable other" (MKO) through an apprenticeship is a feature of teacher…

Childhood cancer changes the lives of all that it touches. The treatment is often as harmful as the disease itself and can impact the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development of the child. Long term effects can manifest years after treatment. This capstone was based on a vision of providing these young cancer survivors an opportunity…

This dissertation investigated the caregiving relationships between infants and nonparental caregivers in early childcare settings through the lens of attachment and language behaviors. This study sought to provide an opportunity to extend our understanding of the socioemotional factors that influence children's development in their daily lives.…

Background: Healthy child development is imperative for future success, parents/caregivers are at the helm of guiding children down a path that supports health and wellbeing for future success. When there is a lack of education, information, and resources readily available to families there is a risk for delayed development and lack of engagement.…

This qualitative, analytical study at an International Baccalaureate school explored third grade teachers' perceptions of three specific innovative teaching strategies: innovation skills needed by third grade students; barriers and challenges that exist when teaching 21st Century skills; and skills needed by teachers to teach innovation skills.…

Pre-service teachers depend on hands-on training to acquire the necessary practical skills to effectively work in the classroom. This is especially true for pre-service teachers in Early Childhood Education (ECE), who often rely on mentoring programs to learn to successfully work with children and influence their developmental outcomes. This study…

The objective of this research was to conduct a meta-analysis to examine existing research studies on video modeling as an effective teaching tool for children and adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Study eligibility criteria included (a) single case research design using multiple baselines, alternating treatment designs,…

This phenomenological multi-case study investigated the influence of women engineers' childhood exposure to engineering concepts on their preparation for an engineering profession. An ecologic model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) was used as the conceptual framework of this research. Twelve professional women engineers from various age and…

The objective of this study was to examine quality of life of children with profound disabilities from the perspective of special education staff. Due to the nature of profound level cognitive disabilities, children with these issues are unable to respond to traditional paper and pencil quality of life assessments. Therefore, the perspectives of…

This dissertation presents the results of three field experiments implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to improve the health or education of children in developing countries. In Guatemala, community health workers at randomly selected clinics were given patient tracking lists to improve their ability to remind parents when their…

A longitudinal study was conducted to examine variations in caregiver input and infant attention in association with children's later lexical and syntactic skills. Fifteen infant-caregiver dyads were videotaped during naturalistic interactions when infants were 9 and 12 months old. Videotapes were coded for caregiver style and modality, and infant…

The educational landscape of higher education is shifting to include more online education courses. This shift has produced successes and struggles for instructors and undergraduates. The purpose of this study was to explore child development instructors' and undergraduates' perspectives and experiences in online education through the…