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- All Subjects: distance learning
- Creators: Bush, Jeffrey
- Creators: Royster, Christina Innice
Description
This study examines the experiences of participants enrolled in an online community college jazz history course. I surveyed the participants before the course began and observed them in the online space through the duration of the course. Six students also participated in interviews during and after the course. Coded data from the interviews, surveys, and recorded discussion posts and journal entries provided evidence about the nature of interaction and engagement in learning in an online environment. I looked for evidence either supporting or detracting from a democratic online learning environment, concentrating on the categories of student engagement, freedom of expression, and accessibility. The data suggested that the participants' behaviors in and abilities to navigate the online class were influenced by their pre-existing native media habits. Participants' reasons for enrolling in the online course, which included convenience and schedule flexibility, informed their actions and behaviors in the class. Analysis revealed that perceived positive student engagement did not contribute to a democratic learning environment but rather to an easy, convenient experience in the online class. Finally, the data indicated that participants' behaviors in their future lives would not be affected by the online class in that their learning experiences were not potent enough to alter or inform their behavior in society. As online classes gain popularity, the ability of these classes to provide meaningful learning experiences must be questioned. Students in this online jazz history class presented, at times, a façade of participation and community building but demonstrated a lack of sincerity and interest in the course. The learning environment supported accessibility and freedom of expression to an extent, but students' engagement with their peers was limited. Overall, this study found a need for more research into the quality of online classes as learning platforms that support democracy, student-to-student interaction, and community building.
ContributorsHunter, Robert W. (Author) / Stauffer, Sandra L (Thesis advisor) / Tobias, Evan (Thesis advisor) / Bush, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Kocour, Michael (Committee member) / Pilafian, Sam (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
The purpose of this action research study is to examine the effect of an innovation that includes staff coaching, curriculum adaptation, and researcher reflection on increasing staff effectiveness in supporting students with complex communication needs. This study included four participants (two special educators and two speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in Preschool Special Education (PSE) classrooms within a public school district. The study was conducted while navigating a global pandemic and emergency remote learning. Through the use of curricular noticing and an approach inspired by a Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge Framework (TPACK) framework, an innovation of a staff coaching model combined with adapted curriculum resources was designed to support staff members using the Big Day for PreK curriculum. Analysis of the data indicates that supporting staff through staff coaching and adapted curriculum materials increased their use and own adaptation of the curriculum. In addition, providing a staff coach with the opportunity to document and reflect on experiences can increase the use of curricula and coaching effectiveness.
ContributorsRoyster, Christina Innice (Author) / Graves Wolf, Leigh (Thesis advisor) / Zellner, Andrea (Committee member) / Boozer, April (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020