This dissertation presents the results and outcomes of an effort to design educational tools and curriculum to improve student learning in introductory programming courses. The work was conducted at the University of California, Merced (UC Merced), situated in the Central Valley of California, and home to a diverse student population. The findings…

In academia, there remains a broad cultural divide between STEM and the humanities that was identified over half a century ago by C.P. Snow. However, the nature of this divide has changed in recent years as a scientific tool, the digital computer, has become ubiquitous in daily life. The humanities must now contend with how to account for this…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine faculty instructional technology use at the EUCOE, as well as faculty and student perceptions of that use on student learning. Researchers also looked for differences between graduate and undergraduate faculty, as well as differences between faculty who taught remote courses and those who…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine faculty instructional technology use at the EUCOE, as well as faculty and student perceptions of that use on student learning. Researchers also looked for differences between graduate and undergraduate faculty, as well as differences between faculty who taught remote courses and those who…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine faculty instructional technology use at the EUCOE, as well as faculty and student perceptions of that use on student learning. Researchers also looked for differences between graduate and undergraduate faculty, as well as differences between faculty who taught remote courses and those who…

This dissertation explores the transformative evolution of online learning, focusing on its role in K-12 online education and the critical issue of student engagement. Tracing its origins from early correspondence courses to today's dynamic, technology-driven platforms, this research examines how online learning has revolutionized educational…

The COVID pandemic was an unprecedented event declared a worldwide pandemic in March 2020, which caused a disruption among the graduate students and faculty instructors of colleges and universities nationwide. The purpose of this instrumental qualitative case study was to explore the challenges brought about by the phenomenon faced by faculty…

Leadership theories have evolved since their inception and leadership development should also evolve in response to the changing needs of their organizations. There is a gap in the literature on the functionality of the various 360-feedback platforms that are mentioned in literature which makes it difficult to understand what reporting…

The problem addressed in this study involved the motivations, the experiences of international students, and how these experiences affect the professional practices and personal lives of Venezuelan professional educators in the pursuit of international higher education studies. Although Venezuelan professionals were pursuing international higher…

Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR), as an educational technology tool, will be influential in the educational ecosystem of the future. Therefore, professional development delivery-strategies need to be identified and developed to prepare teachers for effective IVR classroom implementation. In this study, as an initial step toward IVR classroom use…

This qualitative phenomenological study examines faculty perceptions of generative AI in the social sciences and humanities in the United States. As generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools become more widely available on higher education campuses, concerns have arisen about faculty's preparedness to manage and address the use of these…

The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study was to examine if, and to what extent there was a statistically significant difference in achievement, in social studies and science, as assessed by student achievement (ACH) scores between males and females within a technology-enhanced learning environment in a school district in the Southeast.…

Over the last century agriculture and the world of agricultural scientists have changed dramatically. Established in 2008, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture specifically promotes the advancement in agricultural education and provides guidance on the importance of learning and engagement in our field. This role is of increasing…

Due to college writing instructors' lack of pedagogical digital competence (PDC), they struggled to adapt to emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The problem this study addressed is that while higher education institutions expected undergraduate instructors to use online teaching methods effectively, few studies…

This dissertation addresses the critical issue of student e-readiness for online learning, particularly in developing countries where the challenges and disparities in access to technology and digital literacy are pronounced. Despite the increasing adoption of online education, the readiness of students to effectively engage in e-learning remains…