The purpose of this case study was to evaluate how community college IT students interact with and succeed in virtual labs to determine the impact of these digital environments on learning outcomes. The research employed a comprehensive range of data collection methods, including pre-interview questionnaires, interviews, and observations, to…

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…

This interpretative phenomenological study used semi-structured interviews of 10 participants to gain a deeper understanding of the experience for virtual team members using collaborative technology. The participants were knowledge workers from global software companies working on cross-functional project teams at a distance. There were no…

This dissertation examined the influence of action process dimensions on team decision performance, and attitudes toward team work environment and procedures given different degrees of collaborative technology affordance. Process models were used to provide context for understanding team behavior in the experimental task, and clarify understanding…

Ubiquitous technology and agile organizational structures have enabled a strategic response to increasingly competitive, complex, and unpredictable challenges faced by many organizations. Using cyberinfrastructure, which is primarily the network of information, computers, communication technologies, and people, traditional organizations have…

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…

Virtual teams are a burgeoning presence in the corporate environment today. Research shows that virtual teams have begun to surpass conventional teams in meeting the demands of organizations that are increasingly called on to apply and respond to new technologies that support, and in some cases, require a virtual teamwork approach. In order to…

This thesis reports findings from a study (N = 60) of the impact of three communication modalities (voice only, text only, and voice and text simultaneously) on cognitive load, as measured by subjective reports of mental effort; on learning, as measured by tests of recall and retention; and on perceptions of presence as measured by a Presence…

A recent phenomenon in higher education is the emergence of the virtual university. Some observers have attributed its emergence to globalization and technological innovation. This dissertation study is about one particular instance of the virtual university phenomenon, the African Virtual University (AVU). The AVU initiative was launched with…

This dissertation presents evidence that the production of Free and Open Source Software (FLOSS) is far more alone than together; it is far more often individual work done "in company" than it is teamwork. When tasks appear too large for an individual they are more likely to be deferred until they are easier rather than be undertaken through…