Computational risk detection holds promise for shielding particularly vulnerable groups from online harm. A thorough literature review on real-time computational risk detection methods revealed that most research defined 'real-time' as approaches that analyze content retrospectively as early as possible or as preventive approaches to prevent risks…

Although the body of research about social media marketing in higher education is growing, little is known about how social media content influences social media engagement in the higher education sector. Researchers studying social media use in higher education often emphasize the importance of utilizing social media marketing to influence…

The purpose of this study is to begin describing the variety of social spaces that have been created on Twitter to support teachers and to describe the specific ways in which they vary. In particular, I have focused on Regional Educational Twitter Hashtags (RETHs)--hashtags that group tweets related to education within particular geographic…

This dissertation study investigates the mathematics education communities participating Twitter conversation using #MTBoS and #iteachmath hashtags. The mixed methods study answers following two research questions by using social network analysis and content analysis: "Who are the people fostering mathematics education conversation on Twitter…

While knowledge is one of an organization's greatest assets, it remains a challenge to facilitate knowledge transfer between people within an organization. Social influence has been studied in its role of facilitating information diffusion, which is necessary for knowledge transfer to occur. Among this research, tie strength, a quantifiable…

The United States is the second leading destination country for sex trafficking in the world. Increased effort to understand patterns of sex trafficking within the U.S. is imperative to combatting this issue. Covert networks are increasingly using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to extend their operations. Due to the increase in…

This qualitative study explores the case of an elementary school known for its high levels of collaboration. The participants included two classroom teachers, a literacy interventionist, and a literacy coach. The purpose of this collective case study was to examine the influences of mediation on decision-making and determine how this influenced…

In 2015, a university in rural Maryland offered an undergraduate service-learning leadership course, which collaborated with a service-learning community of practice. This interdisciplinary leadership course initiated and sustained personal and critical reflection and social interactions by integrating Computer-Medicated Communication (CMC)…

A number of approaches and methods are being used to assess higher cognition within online threaded discussions, as evidenced by the corpus of scholarship. However, a review of the literature suggests that current strategies relating to asynchronous discourse have tended to focus on cognitive processes that are mostly driven by task-oriented…

Cyberbullying is a pervasive problem in schools, negatively impacting children's wellbeing, even having disastrous outcomes such as suicide. An absence of studies was noted on parents' communication needs and preferences with their child's school regarding cyberbullying. This study attempts to gain insight on the communication between home and…

This basic qualitative study, using interviews and document analysis, examined reflections from a Work Based Learning (WBL) program to understand how utilizing digital collaborative communication tools influence the educational experience. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework was used as a theoretical frame promoting the examination of the…

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is implementing a large scale exploration of digital pedagogies, including connected learning and open education, in an effort to promote digital fluency and integrative thinking among students. The purpose of this study was to develop a classroom assessment toolkit for faculty who wish to document student…

The focus of this study was to answer the following overarching question: How does a Twitter discussion format compare to a Facebook discussion format in terms of promoting collaborative argumentative discourse? Data analysis focused on the difference in amount of arguments, counter-arguments, reasons, and elaborations generated by participants…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has steadily increased in prevalence in recent years, with a current estimate of 1 in every 68 children eligible for such a diagnosis. Prevalence within the general population is reflected in the growing number of college and university students with ASD, with more students registering for services than ever before;…

Colleges and universities throughout this world are realizing the importance of engaging in and building mutually-beneficial relationships with their key publics through social media. The introduction of the microblogging tool known as Twitter extends the use of social media in higher education, beyond the classroom, and into the realm of public…