Empathic design involves two social practices -- one is collaboration with users to elicit and make a meaning of user experiences, and another is intrateam collaboration to develop a mutually understood, agreed-upon interpretation of user experiences among team members. This study is focused on the latter phenomenon, conceptualizing this social…

The Human-focused Facilitation (HFF) program was evaluated to provide evidence of the effectiveness of the processes used to build facilitator knowledge, skills, and dispositions. This study used an explanatory sequential, mixed-methods design to analyze data from Human-focused Facilitation participants and a focus group that did not participate…

This study uses a qualitative research design, a phenomenological approach, and a narrative inquiry component to delve into the past and present experiences of six Black women who engaged in the talk, a colloquial expression for conversations that Black parents have with their children about the dangers they face due to racism or unjust treatment.…

Incorporating small-group discussions in classrooms has shown promising benefits in improving 4th grade students' thinking and social skills; however, the practice remains challenging. Although teachers are motivated to try to incorporate small-group discussions, studies examining the shift from teacher-dominated classroom practice towards a more…

In recent decades, a movement in mathematics education has emphasized active learning, real-world connections, and conceptual understanding. Despite this, students often struggle to relate mathematical concepts to real-world scenarios, leading to concerns about their ability to apply knowledge outside the classroom. Moreover, national and local…

The three research papers completed and compiled to make up this dissertation explore the relationship between social presence and social construction of knowledge in asynchronous online discussion forums in higher education courses in the instructional technology field. Paper 1 is a literature review of the interaction analysis model (IAM)…

Online learning is increasingly prevalent in higher education. The current study explores how learning takes place in online discussions; an activity often found in online courses. Activity Theory is used to understand the contributions of individuals to the process of socially constructing knowledge within small groups. The Community of Inquiry…

Formative assessments (FA), which can occur in or out of class, are a way for students to demonstrate their understanding of the material, to see progress, and to receive feedback from instructors related to their learning process. Examples of in-class FAs include clicker questions with peer discussion, while homework assignments are an example of…

Online instruction in higher education continues to gain popularity leading to a rise in demand for online course seats. This increase in enrollments has required universities to develop strategies to maintain quality instruction while accommodating larger numbers of online students. With best practices in online instruction suggesting smaller…

Teacher talk is a powerful pedagogical tool in the science classroom. Educators use their talk to provide information, guide discussions, check for understanding, and develop students' scientific identities. However, few researchers have investigated how teachers use their talk during an integrated science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)…

Having discussions and working together in groups with other learners is the indicator of the collaboration aspect of engagement. Collaborative engagement can be fostered through active learning approaches, since they provide more opportunities for interaction among learners. In Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) classrooms, small…

This qualitative case study examines learners' experiences in the development of written complexities during Discussion Board (DB) assignments in an Advanced university level Chinese class. Discussion Board was chosen as the avenue for written complexity development because it provides learners a supplementary space with additional time and…

With the expansion of higher education and the growth of online course offerings in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is a critical need to support faculty in developing the necessary skills to teach effectively online. The purpose of this qualitative, single-case study was to examine the nature of the discourse in which faculty members engaged within a…

A longstanding aim of education efforts to position students as knowledge constructors so they are engaged in the building and shaping their learning environment. Current education reforms situate student sense making around authentic science inquiries where students are engaged in the practices of science. In the science classroom, this means…

A prevailing challenge in teacher education is the "problem of enactment," a discrepancy in what teacher candidates (TCs) know or say about practice and what they can actually do or enact (Kennedy, 1999). Current practice-based teacher education research focuses on articulating pedagogies of practice and core practices to integrate…