This dissertation investigates how benefits derive from information systems (IS). Using theory and research from multiple disciplines, including psychology, strategy, and IS, I investigated the roles of system use, perceived information quality and the context of organizational culture in the realization of IS benefits. The productivity paradox…

In the early 1990s, the educational system in the U.S. began to change with the advent of publicly-operated charter schools. In recent years, there has been a surge in parents opting for this type of alternative educational setting to meet the needs of their students. This increase in enrollment did not preclude students with disabilities. This…

For 30 years, science education researchers and practitioners have waited for the promise of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to be fulfilled. PCK has the potential to shape instruction, teacher professional learning, and instructional materials. When the field speaks about PCK in terms of these benefits, a particular kind of PCK is envisioned.…

Teacher evaluation has been a topic of conversation at the federal, state and local level in recent years. While commonly viewed as a way for administrators to inform their personnel decisions, teacher evaluation is rarely assessed on its ability to support teacher growth. The purpose of this study is to investigate the Connecticut SEED model of…

Interactive learning environments facilitate learning by providing hints to fill the gaps in the understanding of a concept. Studies suggest that hints are not used optimally by learners. Either they are used unnecessarily or not used at all. It has been shown that learning outcomes can be improved by providing hints when needed. An effective…

This study proposes a formal multi-step methodology for qualitative assessment of topic modeling results in the context of online learner motivation to purchase Statements of Participation (SoP). We developed Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) based topic models on open-ended responses of three post-course survey questions from 280 open courses…

Colleges and universities have experienced a decline in enrollments and growing financial instability, creating an uncertain environment throughout the higher education sector. Uncertainty can potentially decrease employee engagement. Disengaged employees typically cost U.S. corporations $350 billion annually (Osborne & Hammoud, 2017). This…

Throughout the years, Mathematical Modeling has gained international attention, not only in research but also in the development of curricula and its applications in the classroom. However, systematic literary surveys are scarce. In this paper, we present some findings from a survey of 485 international publications related to different aspects of…

This dissertation sheds light on some of the representations used in human language production. Language production consists of several distinct stages; in particular, we focus on the stages of lexical retrieval and grammatical encoding. Lexical retrieval involves retrieving the words required to express the intended meaning; grammatical encoding…

The contemporary Extension 4-H program is focused on positive youth development, providing experiences that increase the likelihood of enhanced wellbeing and optimal development for 4-H participants. Despite the longevity, reach, and success of the 4-H program, however, with few notable exceptions, there has been relatively little attention paid…

Mathematical modeling involves using mathematics to represent, analyze, and make predictions or decisions about real- world situations. Garfunkel and Montgomery (2016) elaborate on six components of the mathematical modeling process, including identifying the problem, making assumptions and identifying variables, doing the math, analyzing and…

Higher education is a crucial pathway for socio-economic mobility, particularly for minorities. The events of October 7th in Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza (referred to as "Swords of Iron" in Israeli terminology and "Al-Aqsa Flood" in the Palestinian narrative) exacerbated tensions between the Arab minority and the…

The integration of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has held increasing interest among the community over the last three decades. One paper which has taken stock of this interest and modelled the factors that impact integration has been written by Hong (2010). While Hong's model has significantly contributed to understanding technology…

Listening is a major challenge for many English-as-a-foreign language (EFL) learners. Decoding training, which helps learners develop the ability to recognize words from speech, is frequently used to assist EFL learners. Although recent empirical studies on decoding training have provided positive evidence on its effectiveness in improving EFL…

This study evaluates an innovative, team-based model of organizing teaching staff in elementary and secondary schools called the Next Education Workforce™ (NEW) initiative. The objective of the NEW initiative is to offer a viable and practical alternative to the long-criticized conventional classroom model of individual teachers each with their…