Infants are born highly sensitive to the natural patterns found in languages. They use their perceptual sensitivity to acquire detailed information about the structure of languages in their environment. To date, most studies of infant perception and early language acquisition have investigated spoken/auditory languages and hearing infants (e.g.…

This quasi-experimental research study examined an online program developed to provide advanced training to police officers in recognizing drivers who are impaired by drugs other than alcohol. This training required students to develop both cognitive knowledge and procedural skills. While the online version of the course provided cognitive…

Previous studies (Collins, 2015; Kennan & Meenan, 2014) have shown how variations in text and task factors and individual reader skills affect performance on reading comprehension assessments. The present study examined whether different presentation conditions (silent reading, watching a video) and response formats (open-ended vs.…

Research is not clear on how to address the difficulty students have conceptualizing geologic processes and phenomena. This study investigated how animations coupled with seductive details effect learners' situational interest and emotions. A quantitative quasi-experimental study employing an independent-measures factorial design was used. The…

Theorists agree that adequate knowledge does not guarantee better decisions or performances in the future (Gu, 2007; Dana & Yendol-Hpppery, 2008). Instead, they suggest that in order to comprehend teachers' decision and practices, researchers need to learn about both teachers' belief and knowledge. Meanwhile, in-service teachers were…

Cognitive load theory (CLT) (Sweller 1988, 1998, 2010) provides us a guiding framework for designing instructional materials. CLT differentiates three subtypes of cognitive load: intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load. The three cognitive loads are theorized based on the number of simultaneously processed elements in working memory.…

This study addresses the problem of mathematics teachers' resistance to problem-solving models that align with constructivist perspectives because they feel pressure to utilize more teaching approaches that focus on preparing students for high-stakes tests. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explain how ninth grade mathematics students…

Video has been shown to be an effective tool for synthesizing theory and connecting theory to practice in meaningful ways. This design-based research study examined how localized video of a practicing teacher impacted pre-service teachers' ability to learn culturally responsive teaching (CRT) methods and targeted strategies in an online…

In a recent meta-analysis of online learning, the U.S. Department of Education supported findings to suggest that learners benefit from exposure to blended learning environments when digitally skilled teachers implement technology into traditional classes. Data from these studies support evidence to benefit learners by increasing interest,…

Reading aloud to students is an important topic in educational research. Previous research clearly identified effective components and benefits of reading aloud to elementary students; however, very little data addresses the exact wording of the kinds of questions teachers ask and the responses that students give during a read aloud. This study…

Recasts are one type of corrective feedback that reformulates all or part of a learner's erroneous utterance during communicative interaction without changing the meaning. Categorized as implicit and input-providing corrective feedback, recasts have become the focus of debate in the area of interaction research in recent years. The debate…

This dissertation examines the relationship between an instructional style called Interactive-Engagement (IE) and gains on a measure of conceptual knowledge called the Calculus Concept Inventory (CCI). The data comes from two semesters of introductory calculus courses (Fall 2010 and Spring 2011), consisting of a total of 482 students from the…

The present research study investigated the interaction of graphic design students with different forms of software training materials. Four versions of the procedural task instructions were developed (A) Traditional Textbook with Still Images, (B) Modified Text with Integrated Still Images, (C) Onscreen Modified Text with Silent Onscreen Video…

Building on previous studies of multiple text reading in history, this study aimed to contribute to that body of work by focusing on non-traditional multimodal sources. In an age of rapidly increasing access to and use of multimodal sources and a demand for reading and comprehending increasingly complex and specialized texts, it appeared there was…

Reading comprehension is a multidimensional process and a key component of this process is the activation of prior knowledge in the comprehension of text. This study utilized video clips as a means to anchor instruction and assist struggling middle-level readers in comprehending text. Participants in this study were 17 seventh- and eighth-grade…