This dissertation presents the results and outcomes of an effort to design educational tools and curriculum to improve student learning in introductory programming courses. The work was conducted at the University of California, Merced (UC Merced), situated in the Central Valley of California, and home to a diverse student population. The findings…

Background: Acute physical activity breaks lasting 10--60 min have been related to positive effects on student focus and academic performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of repeated brief physical activity-infused academic lessons (1-5 min) on student retention and on-task behavior. Methods: One class from each K-2 grade…

Teachers are increasingly integrating mobile digital technology into the classroom. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of incorporating iPads in a secondary-level geometry course on academic achievement, student engagement, self-efficacy, and meta-cognitive self-regulation. Students in the iPad-using classroom experienced lower…

Teaching self-management strategies to students with emotional behavior disorders is important in improving on-task behavior in the classroom. The problem in teaching students with emotional behavior disorders is that they often have trouble staying on task or staying focused, which causes disruption of the class. The purpose of the study is to…

Focusing on one aspect of a study examining the child-staff ratio in California state-subsidized day care centers, this paper explores the relationship between indicators of quality and the behavior of children in day care centers. In fall 1990, trained observers spent a week in 122 day care classrooms throughout California. During this time they…