Albert D. Ritzhaupt

Differences in Student Information and Communication Technology Literacy Based on Socio-Economic Status, Ethnicity, and Gender: Evidence of a Digital Divide in Florida Schools.

Abstract This research examines student information and communication technology (ICT) literacy and its relationships to a student’s socio-economic status (SES), gender, and ethnicity of middle school students. We recruited 5,990 students from 13 school districts across the state of Florida. Student participants completed the Student Tool for Technology Literacy (ST2L), a performance-based assessment of ICT literacy skills based on the 2008 National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS.S). Results show a digital divide between low and high SES, white and non-white, and female and male students on all measures of the ST2L. Specifically, high-SES, white, and female students outperformed their counterparts. The results provide compelling evidence of a digital divide within Florida schools. The article discusses the implications of the findings for practice and future research.

Development of the Electronic Portfolio Student Perspective Instrument: An ePortfolio integration initiative

WITH THE PROLIFERATION OF EPORTFOLIOS and their organizational uses in higher education, it is important for educators and other relevant stakeholders to understand the student perspective. The way students view and use ePortfolios are revealing elements to aid educators in the successful integration of ePortfolio systems. This research describes the development of the Electronic Portfolio Student Perspective Instrument (EPSPI) and initial validation (N=204) efforts in the context of an ePortfolio initiative in a College of Education. The EPSPI incorporates four domains from a student perspective: employment, visibility, assessment, and learning; and connects those domains with four relevant stakeholders: students, administrators, faculty, and employers. Descriptive analyses, exploratory factor analysis, and a qualitative analysis using grounded theory were used. Results indicate that student perspectives towards ePortfolios are multidimensional with three distinct, internally consistent underlying constructs: learning, assessment, and visibility. Qualitative analysis revealed four interrelated themes from a student perspective: system characteristics, support structure, purpose, and personal impact.

An Evaluation of the Conditions, Processes, and Consequences of Laptop Computing in K-12 Classrooms

This article examines how laptop computing technology, teacher professional development, and systematic support resulted in changed teaching practices and increased student achievement in 47 K-12 schools in 11 Florida school districts. The overview of a large-scale study documents the type and magnitude of change in student-centered teaching, technology tool-based teaching, and student learning that were observed in 440 classrooms over the course of a school year. By employing multiple observations in all schools, document analysis, interviews, and teacher inquiry, an account of the conditions, processes, and consequences (Hall, 1995) of laptop computing was generated. Based on the analysis of data, laptop computing had a positive impact across districts, particularly in regard to changes in teaching practices. Increases in student achievement were also demonstrated across districts. This study calls attention to systemic issues associated with successful laptop implementation and provides implications for statewide laptop programs.

The effects of time-compressed audio and verbal redundancy on learner performance and satisfaction

Digital audio is becoming increasingly popular in higher education with faculty digitally recording and broadcasting lectures for students to learn-on-demand. Students have discovered accelerated playback features in popular computer software and use it to reduce the amount of time spent listening to audio-enhanced instruction. In the current study, 183 undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of three audio-enhanced multimedia presentations that were recorded at three speeds (1.0, 1.4, and 1.8). Results show no significant difference on performance across treatments and a significant difference on satisfaction in favor of 1.4 times the normal audio speed. The results also indicate statistical differences in favor of verbal redundancy, in which the same verbal information was presented on both an auditory and visual channel.

Learning Object Systems and Strategy: A Description and Discussion

This paper provides a rich discussion on the history, definition, application, and evolution of learning object systems. A learning object is “any digital resource that can be reused to support learning” (Wiley, 2000). Learning object systems are based on the notion that multiple educational institutions could share the use and cost of the creation and management of the learning objects. The theoretical result of sharing learning objects leads to a much lower cost per educational institution. Learning objects are based on the generative and constructive learning theories that assert that learning is an active process of constructing rather than acquiring knowledge, and instruction is a process of supporting that construction rather than communicating knowledge. Learning objects are also based on sound design principles of the object-oriented paradigm. These combined theories provide a framework for learning object systems as: accessible, reusable, interoperable, adaptable, granular, versionable, cohesive, and loosely coupled. This paper will expand on these topics and provide two cases of learning object systems implemented as eLearning strategies. Closing remarks and implications are provided.

Qualitative Analysis of Student Perceptions of E-Portfolios in a Teacher Education Program

Abstract In the last decade, e-portfolios have moved to the forefront of teacher preparation programs across the United States. With its widespread use, faculty and administrators need to understand teacher candidates’ perspectives to meet their needs. In the present study, the researchers gathered in-depth information from 244 students who were required to create e-portfolios for their academic program. The researchers asked students, using open-ended survey items, about the advantages, disadvantages, and obstacles they faced when creating and disseminating their e-portfolios. Additionally, each student described his or her most significant e-portfolio learning experience and how to make the process more meaningful. Overall, there were seven themes: increased scope, guidance, timing, alignment with standards, reflection and growth, organization of work, and the inaccessibility of the e-portfolio system to persons outside of the university. This article discusses findings as well as practical recommendations for e-portfolio integration and ideas for future research.

Creating a Game Development Course with Limited Resources: An Evaluation Study

This article provides an overview of the challenges in implementing a game development course with limited resources in computing curricula. An approach to a holistic game development course is outlined in terms of its organization, software, and instructional methods. The course had 23 students enrolled in its first offering and was systematically evaluated in light of the approach using multiple sources of data. Descriptive statistics and measures of internal consistency reliability are provided. Three important findings resulted from this research: 1) a game development course can be implemented with limited institutional monetary support for a reasonable cost per student, 2) cooperation and competition can be effectively integrated into a game development course as instructional strategies, and 3) integrated lecture and computer lab sessions with cooperative learning is an effective instructional method for a game development course. Finally, insights and lessons learned are provided to assist educators in creating their own game development courses.

Effects of Time-Compressed Narration and Representational Adjunct Images on Cued-Recall, Content Recognition, and Learner Satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of time-compressed narration and representational adjunct images on a learners ability to recall and recognize information. The experiment was a 4 Audio Speeds (1.0 = normal vs. 1.5 = moderate vs. 2.0 = fast vs. 2.5 = fastest rate) × Adjunct Image (Image Present vs. Image Absent) factorial design. Three-hundred five research participants were recruited from a public, southeastern university in the United States. Results showed statistically significant differences at 2.5 times the normal audio speed, in which performance on cued-recall and content recognition tasks was significantly lower than other audio speeds. Furthermore, representational adjunct images had a significant positive effect on cued-recall, but not content recognition. Participants in the normal audio speed and image present groups were significantly more satisfied than those in other treatments. Recommendations to various stakeholders are provided.

Adapting the Community of Inquiry Survey for an Online Graduate Program: Implications for Online Programs

A cohort-based online professional doctorate program that consisted of both online coursework and research activities was designed using Garrison et als community of inquiry (CoI) framework. The evaluation of the program proved a challenge because all existing CoI assessment methods in the past have dealt with online courses, not with online programs. In the absence of a validated instrument for measuring the success of the community of inquiry design at a program level, the CoI survey for online courses was adapted and used with the second cohort of online students (n = 18). This article presents (a) an extension of the constructs cognitive, teaching, and social presence for online programs, and (b) an instrument to measure student perceptions of a CoI that encompasses asynchronous and synchronous interactions, as well as course-specific and non-course-specific interactions in different learning spaces.

Student perspectives of ePortfolios in computing education

This paper presents the preliminary findings of the Electronic Portfolio Student Perspective Instrument (EPSPI) developed to ascertain student attitudes and intended uses of ePortfolios integrated in computing education. A student-centered stakeholder interaction model is presented to discuss the benefits of ePortfolio integration. We identified four constructs related to ePortfolios from a student perspective: employment, visibility, assessment, and learning. The instrument development process is discussed and the preliminary results of 22 students in a computing science program. Reliability and descriptive statistical information is provided. The authors advocate the integration of ePortfolios in computing education.