The education of students on existing and emerging technologies in higher education environments requires access to complex software. The rise of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) phenomenon in many postsecondary educational institutions, along with the increasing complexity of technological coursework, creates challenges for students needing…

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…

The overarching objective of this dissertation is helping people to make a better use of digital information. This dissertation studies the cognitive abilities that are important for positive eLearner experience with digital devices and virtual environments. Institutions of higher education are increasingly incorporating new technology into their…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore communication barriers using social media between eighth-grade middle school teachers and parents who reside in rural communities. The history of social media, current use of social media with the general population and educational facilities, and the link between current studies to social…

With the large demand for technology workers all around the world, more people are learning programming. Studies show that human tutoring is the most effective way to learn for novice programmers. However, problems such as the inaccessibility to physical classes, prohibitive costs, and the lack of educators may limit students' opportunities to…

This study examined how Chief Information Officers (CIOs), also known as Information Technology leaders, understand the use of technology as a strategy for reducing academic costs in small, private, liberal arts colleges in New England. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight CIOs throughout small, private, liberal arts colleges in…

With funding cuts, reduced enrollments, and meeting a presidential initiative, Michigan community colleges need to find ways in which they can continue to provide quality education at an affordable price. Consumerization of information technology (IT) has been proposed to meet the technological needs of the community college. There is little…

Research in team science suggests strategies for addressing difficulties that groups face when working together. This dissertation examines how student teams work in project based learning (PBL) environments, with the goal of creating strategies and technology to improve collaboration. The challenge of working in such a group is that the members…

Through econometric analysis of data from multiple surveys, this study explores factors that affect ICT adoption and evaluates the extent to which ICT in schools affect the ICT adoption of surrounding communities, in order to provide a perspective that can help narrow the gap of digital divide. Understanding factors affecting ICT adoption may…

Prior computer experience with information technology has been identified as a key variable (Lee, Kozar, & Larsen, 2003) that can influence an individual's future use of newer computer technology. The lack of a theory driven approach to measuring prior experience has however led to conceptually different factors being used interchangeably in…

Social bookmarking has gained popularity since the advent of Web 2.0. Keywords known as tags are created to annotate web content, and the resulting tag space composed of the tags, the resources, and the users arises as a new platform for web content discovery. Useful and interesting web resources can be located through searching and browsing based…

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…

Since the 1980s, personal computer ownership has become ubiquitous, and people are increasingly using household technologies for a wide variety of purposes. Extensive research has resulted in useful models to explain workplace technology acceptance and household technology adoption. Studies have also found that the determinants underlying…

This work comprises studies on the effects of broadband Internet in schools at three different levels: student performance, household Internet adoption, and individual computer and Internet use patterns and skill acquisition. I focus in the case of Portugal, where by 2006 the Portuguese government had completed a major initiative that upgraded the…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the Working with Others Scale from the American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) Interactive Computer Interview System (ICIS) was a valid predictor of practicing teachers' interpersonal skills and abilities to work well with colleagues. Participants in the study were all employed…