This dissertation was designed to better understand the perceptions of elementary teachers that use a digital platform to implement STEM. There was limited information about how and why elementary teachers lack the pedagogical practice and instructional tools needed to implement STEM in elementary school. In addition, the idea of STEM education is…

As literacy and reading evolve, it is important to identify and describe the strategies and skills used in constructing meaning. This study examines online multimodal reading (OMR) strategies: those used in constructing meaning from multimodal information sources (e.g., images, audio, written words) on the Internet. Participants read online…

The problem addressed in this qualitative narrative inquiry study was that middle school students in Grades 6-8 may lack preparation for the required soft skills to enter college or the workforce. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry study was to closely explore the individual participants' stories through thick, rich descriptions and…

This qualitative embedded single case study explored the teacher competencies and instructional strategies used in classroom one-to-one implementations. The specific problem was that school administrators have spent significant amounts on one-to-one technology without substantial change in teacher practices, causing limited benefits to students…

This dissertation focuses on three manuscripts all related to bolstering science achievement through recommendations from the National Research Council (NRC) regarding the teaching and learning of science. The manuscripts address meeting the NRC's call to incorporate curriculum and assessment that lead to more in-depth knowledge that can be…

School Wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports is a framework by which schools can assess and develop a system of preventative strategies to decrease the likelihood of problematic behaviors. SWPBIS provides for a three tiered system of interventions with increasing supports and complexity to meet students' needs at each level. CICO was…

The overarching objective of this dissertation is helping people to make a better use of digital information. This dissertation studies the cognitive abilities that are important for positive eLearner experience with digital devices and virtual environments. Institutions of higher education are increasingly incorporating new technology into their…

Underdeveloped reading skills can have major implications in students' adult lives, and virtual students' reading comprehension has been steadily declining. This qualitative study explored virtual high school English teachers' perceptions of graphic novels as supplemental tools for improving students' reading comprehension. Through a multiple case…

Traditionally in higher education, online courses have been designed for computer users. However, the advent of mobile learning (m-learning) and the proliferation of smartphones have created two challenges for online students and instructional designers. First, instruction designed for a larger computer screen often loses its effectiveness when…

This study investigated how students in two states, one with and one without a state-wide one-to-one laptop program, performed on measures of online research and learning in science. The study replicated and extended the findings of a recent study using more current and more extensive data. In general, this study adds to the body of research…

This study examines player activity in a game-based virtual learning environment as a means toward evaluating instructional and game design. By determining the goals embedded in project development and the availability and structure of in-game activities, the first part of this research highlights opportunities for players to engage with learning…

1:1 Laptop initiatives continue to grow throughout Nebraska schools. There are many questions regarding their effectiveness in improving student learning, justifications for expenses, and the process to guide such an initiative. The purpose of this case study was to explore students' perceptions of academic self-efficacy and self-regulation while…

A quantitative, correlational prediction study was performed to determine the relationship between English language learner (ELL) use of electronic media and reading proficiency in a large urban middle school in Texas. The predictor variables were viewing television programs in English, viewing television programs in Spanish, using a computer for…

This mixed methods concurrent triangulation study was designed to examine instructional leaders' descriptions of their experience with integrating technology into their teaching. Seminal studies from the 1990s were found to remain true today--that teachers are not ready to incorporate technology into their teaching (Becker, 1999; Ertmer, 1999). In…

Scope and method of study: The purpose of this study was to investigate the determinants of mobile learning acceptance in higher education. Mobile learning is a rapidly growing method of learning that utilizes mobile devices to deliver content. Acceptance of mobile learning theory was derived from technology acceptance theories. The study…