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Title: THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN ADOLESCENT RELATIONSHIPS AND IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT.
Creator: Cyr, Betty-Ann, Berman, Dr. Steven, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Text messaging, e-mail, instant messaging, and social networking sites are changing the way people interact with each other. The popularity of these communication technologies among emerging adults in particular has grown exponentially, with little accompanying research to understand their influences on psychosocial development. This study explores the relationship between communication technology usage (text messaging, e-mail, instant messaging, and social networking) and adolescent...
Show moreText messaging, e-mail, instant messaging, and social networking sites are changing the way people interact with each other. The popularity of these communication technologies among emerging adults in particular has grown exponentially, with little accompanying research to understand their influences on psychosocial development. This study explores the relationship between communication technology usage (text messaging, e-mail, instant messaging, and social networking) and adolescent adjustment among 268 high school students. It was hypothesized that use of communication technology would be related to psychological adjustment, including identity development, relationship attachment and peer conflict. Participants were recruited from three public high schools in central Florida (69% female, 81.9% White). Time spent using communication technology was significantly correlated with psychological symptom severity (i.e. anxiety and depression), identity distress, peer aggression, and existential anxiety. It was also significantly but negatively correlated with relationship avoidance. Degree of usage of communication technology for interpersonal communication was significantly correlated with peer aggression, relationship anxiety, and existential anxiety. Those with a preoccupied style (high in relationship anxiety, low in relationship avoidance) spent significantly more time using communication technology than those in the dismissive (high in avoidance, low in anxiety), fearful (high in both), and secure (low in both) styles. Further analyses and their implications for adolescent development will be discussed.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFH0004213, ucf:44908
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004213

Title: The Gender Gap in Technical Communication: How Women Challenge the Predominant Objectivist Paradigm.
Creator: Bower, Nathan, Jones, Daniel, Jones, Anna, Flammia, Madelyn, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Women are currently underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The purpose of this thesis is to explore how this underrepresentation translates to a gender gap in the field of technical communication and how this gap causes women to challenge the predominant objectivist paradigm in the field. Through an investigation of peer-reviewed journal articles, periodicals, critical theory, and articles published in online magazines such as Slate, I...
Show moreWomen are currently underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The purpose of this thesis is to explore how this underrepresentation translates to a gender gap in the field of technical communication and how this gap causes women to challenge the predominant objectivist paradigm in the field. Through an investigation of peer-reviewed journal articles, periodicals, critical theory, and articles published in online magazines such as Slate, I identify the gendered nature of modern technology and discuss to what extent a shift in the predominant paradigm has occurred in the professional arena. In looking at several theoretical approaches and contemporary examples, I conclude that a significant paradigm shift has not in fact occurred due to an underlying, culturally promoted sexism. Additionally, I conclude that neither new approaches in the technical communication classroom, nor attempts to increasingly include women in the technological fields will result in a significant paradigm change by themselves. I also point to a need for further meaningful research in how sexism influences the professional world as well as a more thorough conversation regarding a fundamental shift in workplace relations between the genders.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004523, ucf:52878
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004523

Title: The Effectiveness of Project-Based Learning Using Digital Storytelling Technology on Improving Second-Grade Students' Performance of Science Standards.
Creator: Dorr, Mariella, Everett, Robert, Gresham, Gina, Ortiz, Enrique, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this study was to find the effectiveness of digital storytelling technology integration through a project-based learning approach using digital stories combined with hands-on guided inquiry science lessons. As a teacher researcher, the focus was on the effectiveness in the performance of second-grade students using higher-order thinking science standards. For a period of ten weeks, the researcher through comparative action research investigated how emergent technology...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to find the effectiveness of digital storytelling technology integration through a project-based learning approach using digital stories combined with hands-on guided inquiry science lessons. As a teacher researcher, the focus was on the effectiveness in the performance of second-grade students using higher-order thinking science standards. For a period of ten weeks, the researcher through comparative action research investigated how emergent technology integration improved the performance of two second-grade classrooms implementing three higher-order thinking life science standards. A total of 27 students from two second-grade classrooms volunteered for this research. For the study, a pretest and posttest from Classroom A and Classroom B were utilized for the quantitative data analysis. A web-based rubric was created to assess the science digital story and student journals. The students also completed a self-assessment progression scale at the end of the study. The data collected showed an improvement in the performance of second-grade students using higher-order thinking science standards with technology integration.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006871, ucf:51753
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006871

Title: Recycled Modernity: Google, Immigration History, and the Limits for H-1B.
Creator: Patten, Neil, Dombrowski, Paul, Mauer, Barry, Grajeda, Anthony, Dziuban, Charles, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Regulation of admission to the United States for technology workers from foreign countries has been a difficult issue, especially during periods of intense development. Following the dot.com bubble, the Google Corporation continued to argue in favor of higher limits under the Immigration and Nationality Act exception referred to as (")H-1B(") for the section of the law where it appears. H-1B authorized temporary admission for highly skilled labor in specialty occupations. Congressional...
Show moreRegulation of admission to the United States for technology workers from foreign countries has been a difficult issue, especially during periods of intense development. Following the dot.com bubble, the Google Corporation continued to argue in favor of higher limits under the Immigration and Nationality Act exception referred to as (")H-1B(") for the section of the law where it appears. H-1B authorized temporary admission for highly skilled labor in specialty occupations. Congressional testimony by Laszlo Bock, Google Vice President for People Operations, provided the most succinct statement of Google's concerns based on maintaining a competitive and diverse workforce. Diversity has been a rhetorical priority for Google, yet diversity did not affect the argument in a substantial and realistic way. Likewise, emphasis on geographically situated competitive capability suggests a limited commitment to the global communities invoked by information technology. The history of American industry produced corporations determined to control and exploit every detail of their affairs. In the process, industrial corporations used immigration as a labor resource. Google portrayed itself, and Google has been portrayed by media from the outside, as representative of new information technology culture, an information community of diverse, inclusive, and democratically transparent technology in the sense of universal availability and benefit with a deliberate concern for avoiding evil. However, emphasis by Google on American supremacy combined with a kind of half-hearted rhetorical advocacy for principles of diversity suggest an inconsistent approach to the argument about H-1B. The Google argument for manageable resources connected to corporate priorities of Industrial Modernity, a habit of control, more than to democratic communities of technology. In this outcome, there are concerns for information technology and the Industry of Knowledge Work. By considering the treatment of immigration as a sign of management attitude, I look at questions posed by Jean Baudrillard, Daniel Headrick, Alan Liu, and others about whether information technology as an industry and as communities of common interests has achieved any democratically universal (")ethical progress(") beyond the preceding system of industrial commerce that demands the absolute power to exploit resources, including human resources. Does Google's performance confirm skeptical questions, or did Google actually achieve something more socially responsible? In the rhetoric of immigration history and the rhetoric of Google as technology, this study finds connections to a recycled corporate-management version of Industrial Modernity that constrains the diffusion of technology.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005685, ucf:50135
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005685

Title: GUIDELINES FOR TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY USE: TECHNOLOGIES' INFLUENCE ON THE BRAIN.
Creator: Gabriel, Jennifer, Flammia, Madelyn, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The increasingly global environment has spurred the economy in the United States as well as the economies in nearly every other nation. Although the U.S. remains the world leader in the global economy, research shows that the United States is at risk of losing its place as the world leader in science and innovation. Policymakers have recognized the need for research addressing global competitiveness. President Bush signed the America Competes Act, which calls for increased investment in...
Show moreThe increasingly global environment has spurred the economy in the United States as well as the economies in nearly every other nation. Although the U.S. remains the world leader in the global economy, research shows that the United States is at risk of losing its place as the world leader in science and innovation. Policymakers have recognized the need for research addressing global competitiveness. President Bush signed the America Competes Act, which calls for increased investment in innovation and education to improve U.S. competitiveness and President Barack Obama has named a platform, "Science, Technology and Innovation for a New Generation" which will extend and prioritize the efforts to improve math and science education. K‐12 U.S. students are graduating from high school unprepared to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in college. Without STEM degrees they will be unable to pursue technology jobs after graduation. Statistics show that the U.S. is failing to produce as many graduates in STEM as other countries. In an increasingly global world, without graduates in STEM courses the U.S. is at risk of losing its position as the economic world leader. Government, industry and academia all agree that the U.S. needs to address education on a K‐12 level to ensure that U.S. students are equipped with twenty‐first century skills to compete in a twenty‐first century global economy. Twenty‐first century students are different from students of previous generations. Researchers argue that changes in the environment, specifically an increased exposure to technology, have changed the brains of twenty‐first century students; twenty‐first century students learn differently. However, twenty‐first century students are being taught with an instructional curriculum that was designed for a previous generation that did not have the same exposure to technology. This is causing a digital‐divide that is hindering the achievement of students. The instructional curriculum needs to be updated to meet the needs of twenty‐first century students. This thesis addresses this need from a technical communication perspective by arguing that the instructional design of twenty‐first century learning materials should be improved by adhering to guidelines for twenty‐first century learning characteristics and twenty‐first century technology use. The guidelines support a national goal to improve K‐12 achievement in order to increase U.S. STEM graduates and increase the U.S.'s ability to compete in a global economy.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002704, ucf:48183
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002704

Title: Disciplinary Mythologies: A Rhetorical-Cultural Analysis of Performance Enhancement Technologies in Sports.
Creator: Lamothe, John, Scott, Blake, Janz, Bruce, Campbell, James, Oliveira, Leonardo, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In sports discourse, the relationship between athletics and technology is often paradoxical. On the one hand, modern sports rely on technology at every level, from training and tracking of players to the equipment and apparel used by athletes to the game strategies and playing fields themselves. Nearly all of these technologies are intended to increase athletic performance on some level. And yet, certain performance enhancement technologies can be criticized for being antithetical to the...
Show moreIn sports discourse, the relationship between athletics and technology is often paradoxical. On the one hand, modern sports rely on technology at every level, from training and tracking of players to the equipment and apparel used by athletes to the game strategies and playing fields themselves. Nearly all of these technologies are intended to increase athletic performance on some level. And yet, certain performance enhancement technologies can be criticized for being antithetical to the spirit of sports, which is framed as being a strictly natural and pure human endeavor. Using a rhetorical-cultural methodological approach, popular sports discourse is analyzed to investigate how arguments in contested spaces between sports and technologies get (re)negotiated and (re)articulated to fit within a sports social language that emphasizes (")pure(") and (")natural(") ideals of sport. This often results in a dichotomy where the sport/technology relationship is either black boxed, thus being subsumed in the sport social language and becoming transparent and the relationships unarticulated, or the technology is regulated out of the sport through rules and bans. The reason for this articulation is attributed in large part to the deep humanism embedded in the sport social language. How a shift to a posthuman perspective would effect sports discourse is explored. These conclusions about underlying values in sports discourse lead to the formation of a new theoretical framework called disciplinary mythologies. Building off of Foucault's disciplinary power, Scott's disciplinary rhetorics, and Barthe's mythologies, disciplinary mythologies are discrete units of persuasion that both construct and constitute claims by drawing upon layered narratives and shifting associations that lose their context when entering the realm of myth. Two specific disciplinary mythologies are discussed(-)the level-playing-field topos and the nostalgia enthymeme(-)and it is shown how sports discourse often draws upon them to shape arguments and actions.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005970, ucf:50773
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005970

Title: Ubiquitous Computing in Public Education: The Effects of One-to-One Computer Initiatives on Student Achievement on Florida Standardized Assessments.
Creator: Lobeto, Fernando, Murray, Kenneth, Baldwin, Lee, Storey, Valerie A., Cintron Delgado, Rosa, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of one-to-one computer initiatives on student achievement in reading and mathematics. This study compared the differences in FCAT 2.0 Reading and Mathematics scores between schools implementing one-to-one computer initiatives and schools implementing traditional modes of instruction. A second purpose of this study was to determine what effects one-to-one computer initiatives had on student FCAT 2.0 scores overall and by grade level, gender,...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine the effects of one-to-one computer initiatives on student achievement in reading and mathematics. This study compared the differences in FCAT 2.0 Reading and Mathematics scores between schools implementing one-to-one computer initiatives and schools implementing traditional modes of instruction. A second purpose of this study was to determine what effects one-to-one computer initiatives had on student FCAT 2.0 scores overall and by grade level, gender, and socio-economic status. The study used an independent-samples t-test, a repeated measures ANOVA, and a factorial ANCOVA to answer four research questions in order to achieve the purpose stated above. An analysis of the results revealed that the first year of one-to-one initiatives had a slightly negative effect on elementary school students, a small but positive effect on middle school students, and no effect on high school students. Further, the study found that students did not score statistically significantly different after one year of one-to-one digital instruction than they had the previous year.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006349, ucf:51573
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006349

Title: "I Play to Beat the Machine": Masculinity and the Video Game Industry in the United States.
Creator: McDivitt, Anne, Foster, Amy, Cassanello, Robert, Solonari, Vladimir, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis examines the video game industry within the United States from the first game that was created in 1958 until the shift to Japanese dominance of the industry in 1985, and how white, middle class masculinity was reflected through the sphere of video gaming. The first section examines the projections of white, middle class masculinity in U.S. culture and how that affected the types of video games that the developers created. The second section examines reflections of this masculine...
Show moreThis thesis examines the video game industry within the United States from the first game that was created in 1958 until the shift to Japanese dominance of the industry in 1985, and how white, middle class masculinity was reflected through the sphere of video gaming. The first section examines the projections of white, middle class masculinity in U.S. culture and how that affected the types of video games that the developers created. The second section examines reflections of this masculine culture that surrounded video gaming in the 1970s and 1980s in the developers, gamers, and the media, while demonstrating how the masculine realm of video gaming was constructed. Lastly, a shift occurred after the 1980 release of Pac-Man, which led to a larger number of women gamers and developers, as well as an industry that embraced a broader audience. It concludes with the crash of the video game industry within the United States in 1983, which allowed Japanese video game companies to gain dominance in video gaming worldwide instead of the U.S. companies, such as Atari.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004889, ucf:49645
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004889

Title: THE EFFECTS OF WEARABLE FITNESS DEVICES ON PEDIATRIC OBESITY: AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW.
Creator: Sabina, Kevin, Decker, Jonathan, Hill, Peggy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Childhood obesity is a foremost concern throughout the health care community. Approximately 17.6% of the pediatric population meet the criteria for obesity, which can lead to health disparities later in life, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. Emerging mobile and wearable lifestyle tracking devices can be a viable solution to the challenging problem of childhood obesity through behavior changes, feasibility, and adherence. The purpose of this literature...
Show moreChildhood obesity is a foremost concern throughout the health care community. Approximately 17.6% of the pediatric population meet the criteria for obesity, which can lead to health disparities later in life, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. Emerging mobile and wearable lifestyle tracking devices can be a viable solution to the challenging problem of childhood obesity through behavior changes, feasibility, and adherence. The purpose of this literature review was to determine the effect that mobile and wearable activity tracking devices have on the obese pediatric population. A centralized review of the literature was conducted using various data basesand resulted in 19 articles. 5 articles were chosen to review in more detail. 13 other articles were hand searched through credible resource citations, rendering 14 articles that met all criteria. The three general themes found in this literature review suggest that wearable activity tracking devices can be designed and effectively used by the pediatric population. Also, wearable activity tracking devices are accurate in conveying information on physical activity, calories, and heart rate. Lastly, wearable activity tracking devices can initiate behavioral changes in children leading to an increase in physical activity, resulting in the prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity.While in a majority of the studies analyzed trails were short. The research suggests wearable activity tracking devices will produce the desired results of increased activity in pediatric populations when they are worn correctly, are adequately engaging, and when they are designed in a feasible manner that is appealing to children.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFH2000375, ucf:45824
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000375

Title: OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE: A PREDICTOR OF TECHNOLOGY USE AT ANY AGE?.
Creator: Ojalvo, Olivia, Chin, Matthew, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Technology is an integral part of both modern culture and day-to-day communication. Older adults' relationships with technology are completely different than younger adults' because of the way they have learned to incorporate it into their lives. Past research has shown that certain personality traits can predict technology use in younger adults. The current research hopes to take that finding and see if it applies to older adults, too. Four hypotheses were generated. Participants took a...
Show moreTechnology is an integral part of both modern culture and day-to-day communication. Older adults' relationships with technology are completely different than younger adults' because of the way they have learned to incorporate it into their lives. Past research has shown that certain personality traits can predict technology use in younger adults. The current research hopes to take that finding and see if it applies to older adults, too. Four hypotheses were generated. Participants took a survey that consisted of five different scales and measures. Participants also were asked to answer demographic questions. Independent-sample t-tests and bivariate correlations were run on the data. Results showed that general technology use was not significantly correlated to a participant's age. There were significant correlations between the two age groups and psychological well-being, feelings of attachment to peers, technology use subscales and sensation seeking subscales. Future studies should examine the possible relationship of technology use subscales amongst the older population and their attitudes towards technology.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFH2000431, ucf:45880
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000431

Title: A RHETORIC OF TECHNOLOGY: THE DISCOURSE IN U.S. ARMY HANDBOOKS AND MANUALS.
Creator: Steward, Sherry Ann, Jones, Dan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This dissertation examines the historical technical publications of the United States Army from 1775-2004. Historical research in Army technical communication reveals the persuasive characteristics of its technical publications. Elements of narrative, storytelling, and anthropomorphism are techniques writers used to help deliver information to readers. Research also reveals the design techniques writers adopted to unite the situated literacies of the troops. Analyses of print, comic, and...
Show moreThis dissertation examines the historical technical publications of the United States Army from 1775-2004. Historical research in Army technical communication reveals the persuasive characteristics of its technical publications. Elements of narrative, storytelling, and anthropomorphism are techniques writers used to help deliver information to readers. Research also reveals the design techniques writers adopted to unite the situated literacies of the troops. Analyses of print, comic, and digital media expose the increasing visualization of information since the eighteenth century. The results of such historical research can be applied to new media designs. Automating processes captured in paper-based technical manuals and adding intelligent functionality to these designs are two of many possible design options. Research also dispels a myth concerning the history of modern technical communication and illustrates the development of many genres and subgenres. Modern technical communication was not born of World War II as many scholars suggest, but was a legitimate field in eighteenth-century America. Finally, historical research in Army technical communication shows the systematic progression of a technological society and our increasing dependence on machine intelligence.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFE0000060, ucf:46088
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000060

Title: MEMORY-CRAFT: THE ROLE OF DOMESTIC TECHNOLOGY IN WOMEN'S JOURNALS.
Creator: Powley, Tammy, Saper, Craig, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The term "memory-craft" refers to arts and crafts media where personal memorabilia and journaling are combined and assembled into book form. Examples of memory-crafts include scrapbooks, art journals, and altered books. Traditionally, women have been the primary assemblers of memory-crafts, using this form as a method of autobiography and genealogical archiving. Memory-crafting is often associated with the amateur home-crafter, and while historians have long understood its cultural...
Show moreThe term "memory-craft" refers to arts and crafts media where personal memorabilia and journaling are combined and assembled into book form. Examples of memory-crafts include scrapbooks, art journals, and altered books. Traditionally, women have been the primary assemblers of memory-crafts, using this form as a method of autobiography and genealogical archiving. Memory-crafting is often associated with the amateur home-crafter, and while historians have long understood its cultural significance, academia has not properly considered memory-craft as a type of alternative discourse. The purpose of this study is to examine the use of memory-crafting as a non-traditional method of writing, especially among women who use it to record personal and familial narratives. Just as women are usually the primary care-takers of the family, through memory-craft they also become responsible for collecting and preserving memories, which would otherwise become lost. These memories of the everyday – birthday parties, family vacations, and wedding anniversaries – grow to be culturally significant over time. Through the use of domestic technology, which today includes both paper scraps and home computer systems, memory-crafts assist in the interpretation of the present and provide insight into the past. To help explore the connection between domestic technology and memory-crafts, I have organized this study into four themes: history and memory-craft; women and domestic technology; feminist literary autobiography and memoir; and feminism and hypermedia. My approach is a mixture of fictionalized personal narrative and analysis loosely modeled after Writing Machines by N. Katherine Halyes and Alias Olympia by Eunice Lipton. Just as I discuss experimental methods of writing in the form of memory-crafting, I also use an experimental writing technique which gathers from personal memories in the form of a persona named Tess and from the life of my Great Aunt Mamie Veach Dudley. Mamie's journals and letter to her sister document the memories of the Dudleys including a tragic double suicide, which still haunts the Dudleys almost 100 years later. As narrator and storyteller, my stories connect to those documented by Mamie and link the past to the present. Along with Mamie's family records, I consider other memory-related works by women during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries including Jane Austen, Anne Bronte, and Emily Dickinson, and I also examine contemporary memory-crafters such as those constructed by altered book artists Tom Phillips and Judith Margolis. Digital memory-craft is another source of support for my argument, and I look at web groups and bloggers. For example, I discuss the Wish Jar Journal, a weblog written by illustrator Keri Smith, where she journals her life and creative process and often mixes textual and visual elements in her blog posts. Writer and blogger Heather Armstrong from Dooce.com is another case study included in this project as her blog is an example of documenting familial events and memoir. Because of their fragmented formats and narrative elements, hardcopy and digitally-based memory-crafts become artifacts which combine text and visual elements to tell a story and pass on knowledge of the everyday through the mixture of text and domestic technology. Memory-craft construction does not follow conventional writing models. Therefore, this provides opportunity for experimentation by those writers who have traditionally been removed from established rhetorical writing methods.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001365, ucf:46992
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001365

Title: THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL PRESENCE ON TEACHER TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE, CONTINUANCE INTENTION, AND PERFORMANCE IN AN ONLINE TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE.
Creator: Smith, Jo, Sivo, Stephen, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this study was to determine if the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) could explain the relationship between teacher's acceptance of an online teacher professional development course and their continuance intentions regarding online teacher professional development (oTPD). This study focused on the perceptions of the teachers as opposed to the design or implementation of oTPD. The participants (N=517) were mostly teachers (88.8%) enrolled in a statewide online course to...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to determine if the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) could explain the relationship between teacher's acceptance of an online teacher professional development course and their continuance intentions regarding online teacher professional development (oTPD). This study focused on the perceptions of the teachers as opposed to the design or implementation of oTPD. The participants (N=517) were mostly teachers (88.8%) enrolled in a statewide online course to provide classroom teachers with the latest knowledge of research-based instructional reading strategies. The course was offered over a 10-14 week period during the Spring 2006 semester through a public state university. Structural equation modeling was used to create a path analytic model extending the TAM to include two additional constructs: sociability and social presence. In addition, gains in instructional reading strategies knowledge (performance) were examined. Using this expanded version of the TAM, the study examined the causal relationships between sociability, social presence, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, continuance intention, and gains. Online distance education research has indicated that social presence can influence post-secondary students' attitude and persistence within a web-based course. However a paucity of research exists on how technology acceptance and social presence impacts teachers within an online teacher professional development setting. Path analysis, univariate analysis of variance, and independent t-tests in SPSS v12.0 for Windows were used to analyze the data. The results suggest that the hypothesized extended model was a good fit. The model did indicate that both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness were determinants of teachers' intent to continue using oTPD for future professional development needs.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001455, ucf:47064
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001455

Title: TEACHING CHARACTERISTICS AND PRACTICES WHICH AFFECT LANGUAGE AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH COMPLEX COMMUNICATION NEEDS.
Creator: King, Laura, Cross, Lee, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study examined teacher characteristics and practices identified as effective through current research for teaching students with complex communication needs. For this population, communication issues are more complex than those typically encountered in other settings. Specifically, the researcher asked: what are the desired characteristics and practices for this population, and are the desired characteristics and practices present in current settings? Working with six teachers in a large...
Show moreThis study examined teacher characteristics and practices identified as effective through current research for teaching students with complex communication needs. For this population, communication issues are more complex than those typically encountered in other settings. Specifically, the researcher asked: what are the desired characteristics and practices for this population, and are the desired characteristics and practices present in current settings? Working with six teachers in a large urban school district, this study utilized a multiple case study design. Criteria for participation included the teacher as the primary reading/language arts instructor for a student who used an augmentative and alternative communication system (AAC). This study builds on prior research and fills a gap in current research through a focus on the teacher. This study was conducted through three phases: a survey of teacher characteristics, observations of teacher practices, and a semi-structured interview. Four instruments were utilized to ensure validity. Results suggest that teachers for this population require knowledge on language and literacy specific to the non-verbal child. AAC training is critical in regard to programming and navigation. The use of other technology supports which offer auditory, visual, and access options are essential. Strong collaborative teams (school and district) are also important. However, one of the most significant findings documents that success may lie with the teacher's 'choice' to embrace challenges with this population. This issue of 'choice' questions the teacher's willingness (personally or professionally) to accept this commitment. This finding also questions the degree to which teachers are willing to pursue opportunities. Recommendations include the need for: training (teachers and paraprofessionals), pursuit of opportunities for supports, addressing parent issues, a district-based liaison between home and school, and to examine issues which prevent the recommended instructional time (90 minutes of reading instruction plus 45 minutes of supplemental instruction). Conclusions indicated that participants ranged from effective to ineffective. The identification of 'highly qualified' teachers through level of education and amount of experience did not correlate with participants' level of effectiveness. Given the limited research available, this study addresses a need in the field and lays the foundation for future research with this population.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001257, ucf:46921
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001257

Title: THE EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS' USAGE OF WEBCT AS A COLLABORATIVE TOOL.
Creator: Yang, Huei-Hsuan, Sivo, Stephen A., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this research study was to use the Technology Acceptance Model (Pan, 2003) for re-examination of the relationships between students' attitude toward the use of WebCT and the relevance of the actual usage in light of social presence and sociability. By using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) developed by F. Davis (1989), this study focused on variables such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, computer self-efficacy, subjective norms, attitude and actual use of...
Show moreThe purpose of this research study was to use the Technology Acceptance Model (Pan, 2003) for re-examination of the relationships between students' attitude toward the use of WebCT and the relevance of the actual usage in light of social presence and sociability. By using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) developed by F. Davis (1989), this study focused on variables such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, computer self-efficacy, subjective norms, attitude and actual use of WebCT to account for the effect towards the achievement in the exam which is an outcome variable. The data were collected over three different time periods during the spring semester of 2007 to find how these results changed over time. The participants were the students who enrolled in the business marketing course (Principle of marketing) at the University of Central Florida in spring, 2007. The course was divided to three sections: on-campus, video-streaming and online classes. Although there were three different delivery methods, there was only one instructor and they used same material for all sections so the results were used to compare the differences from three classes. The study was conducted by using instruments to measure perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, computer self-efficacy, subjective norms, actual use, attitude, sociability, social presence and an additional demographic instrument.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: CFE0001761, ucf:47262
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001761

Title: FROM TEXTBOOKS TO SAFETY BRIEFINGS: HELPING TECHNICAL WRITERS NEGOTIATE COMPLEX RHETORICAL SITUATIONS.
Creator: Blackburne, Brian, Bowdon, Melody, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In this dissertation, I analyze the organizational and political constraints that technical writers encounter when dealing with complex rhetorical situations, particularly within risk-management discourse. I ground my research in case studies of safety briefings that airlines provide to their passengers because these important documents have long been regarded as ineffective, yet they've gone largely unchanged in the last 20 years. Airlines are required to produce these safety briefings,...
Show moreIn this dissertation, I analyze the organizational and political constraints that technical writers encounter when dealing with complex rhetorical situations, particularly within risk-management discourse. I ground my research in case studies of safety briefings that airlines provide to their passengers because these important documents have long been regarded as ineffective, yet they've gone largely unchanged in the last 20 years. Airlines are required to produce these safety briefings, which must satisfy multiple audiences, such as corporate executives, federal safety inspectors, flight attendants, and passengers. Because space and time are limited when presenting safety information to passengers, the technical writers must negotiate constraints related to issues such as format, budget, audience education and language, passenger perceptions/fears, reproducibility, and corporate image/branding – to name a few. The writers have to negotiate these constraints while presenting important (and potentially alarming) information in a way that's as informative, realistic, and tasteful as possible. But such constraints aren't unique to the airline industry. Once they enter the profession, many writing students will experience complex rhetorical situations that constrain their abilities to produce effective documentation; therefore, I am looking at the theories and skills that we're teaching our future technical communicators for coping with such situations. By applying writing-style and visual-cultural analyses to a set of documents, I demonstrate a methodology for analyzing complex rhetorical situations. I conclude by proposing a pedagogy that teachers of technical communication can employ for helping students assess and work within complex rhetorical situations, and I offer suggestions for implementing such practices in the classroom.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: CFE0002465, ucf:47729
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002465

Title: GAME ON: THE IMPACT OF GAME FEATURES IN COMPUTER-BASED TRAINING.
Creator: DeRouin-Jessen, Renee, Fritzsche, Barbara, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The term "serious games" became popularized in 2002 as a result of an initiative to promote the use of games for education, training, and other purposes. Today, many companies are using games for training and development, often with hefty price tags. For example, the development budget for the U.S. Army recruiting game, "America's Army" was estimated at $7 million. Given their increasing use and high costs, it is important to understand whether game-based learning systems perform as...
Show moreThe term "serious games" became popularized in 2002 as a result of an initiative to promote the use of games for education, training, and other purposes. Today, many companies are using games for training and development, often with hefty price tags. For example, the development budget for the U.S. Army recruiting game, "America's Army" was estimated at $7 million. Given their increasing use and high costs, it is important to understand whether game-based learning systems perform as billed. Research suggests that games do not always increase learning outcomes over conventional instruction. However, certain game features (e.g., rules/goals, fantasy, challenge) might be more beneficial for increasing learner motivation and learning outcomes than other game features. This study manipulated two specific game features: multimedia-based fantasy (vs. text-based fantasy) and reward (vs. no reward) in a computer-based training program on employment law. Participants (N=169) were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental conditions or to a traditional computer-based training condition. Contrary to hypotheses, the traditional PowerPoint-like version was found to lead to better declarative knowledge outcomes on the learning test than the most game-like version, although no differences were found between conditions on any of the other dependent variables. Participants in all conditions were equally motivated to learn, were equally satisfied with the learning experience, completed an equal number of practice exercises, performed equally well on the declarative knowledge and skill-based practice, and performed equally well on the skill-based learning test. This suggests that adding the "bells and whistles" of game features to a training program won't necessarily improve learner motivation and training outcomes.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: CFE0002439, ucf:47714
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002439

Title: AN INVESTIGATION OF HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY STUDENTS' PROVING AND LOGICAL THINKING ABILITIES AND THE IMPACT OF DYNAMIC GEOMETRY SOFTWARE ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE.
Creator: Subramanian, Lalitha, Hynes, Michael, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate (a) the role of a yearlong geometry course on high school geometry students' logical thinking and proof construction abilities, (b) the linkage between students' logical thinking and proof construction abilities, and (c) the impact of dynamic geometry software on students' performance. In addition, this study also ventured to determine if the type of geometry course had any impact on students' logical thinking and proof construction achievement....
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate (a) the role of a yearlong geometry course on high school geometry students' logical thinking and proof construction abilities, (b) the linkage between students' logical thinking and proof construction abilities, and (c) the impact of dynamic geometry software on students' performance. In addition, this study also ventured to determine if the type of geometry course had any impact on students' logical thinking and proof construction achievement. The sample for the study consisted of 1,325 high school geometry students enrolled in regular, honors, and mastery courses in four high schools from the school district affiliated with the Local Education Agency (LEA) during the academic year 2004-2005. Geometer's Sketchpadä (GSP) was assumed to represent the dynamic geometry software. Responses of students on two pre-tests and two post-tests, each with one on logical thinking and one on proof, were analyzed to address the research questions. Results of the analyses indicated no significant effect of the yearlong geometry course on the performance of students on proof tests but a fairly significant effect on the tests of logical thinking. Use of GSP was found to have some impact on honors and mastery students' performance on proof post-tests. Honors students showed a higher logical thinking level than their regular and mastery counterparts in both GSP and non-GSP groups. There was a significant positive correlation between students' performance on the tests of logical thinking and proof.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000616, ucf:46546
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000616

Title: CONSTRUCTING EDUCATIONAL CRITICISM OF ONLINE COURSES: A MODEL FOR IMPLEMENTATION BY PRACTITIONERS.
Creator: Thompson, Kelvin, Dziuban, Charles, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Online courses are complex, human-driven contexts for formal learning. Little has been said about the environment emerging from the interaction of instructor(s), learners, and other resources in such courses. Theories that focus on instructional settings and methods that are designed to accommodate inquiry into complex phenomena are essential to the systematic study of online courses. Such a line of research is necessary as the basis for a common language with which we can begin to speak...
Show moreOnline courses are complex, human-driven contexts for formal learning. Little has been said about the environment emerging from the interaction of instructor(s), learners, and other resources in such courses. Theories that focus on instructional settings and methods that are designed to accommodate inquiry into complex phenomena are essential to the systematic study of online courses. Such a line of research is necessary as the basis for a common language with which we can begin to speak holistically about online courses. In this dissertation, I attempt to generate better questions about the nature of online instructional environments. By combining prior works related to educational criticism and qualitative research case study with original innovations, I develop a model for studying the instructional experiences of online courses. I then apply this approach in the study of one specific online course at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000657, ucf:46553
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000657

Title: THE EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE ON POST SECONDARY AFRICAN- AMERICAN STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS:A PATH ANALYTIC INQUIRY.
Creator: Sen, Sulakshana, Sivo, Stephen, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of technology acceptance on post secondary African American students' achievement in Mathematics. The study was conducted in a historically Black four-year college in Daytona Beach, Florida on students using the computer to enhance their mathematics performance in an introductory algebra mathematics course. By using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) developed by F. Davis (1989), this study focused on variables such as perceived...
Show moreThe purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of technology acceptance on post secondary African American students' achievement in Mathematics. The study was conducted in a historically Black four-year college in Daytona Beach, Florida on students using the computer to enhance their mathematics performance in an introductory algebra mathematics course. By using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) developed by F. Davis (1989), this study focused on variables such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, computer self-efficacy, subjective norms, attitude and actual use of the computer to account the effect towards the achievement in the final exam which is an outcome variable. The data were collected over four different time periods during the fall semester of 2004 to find how these results changed over time. The study was conducted by using six instruments to measure perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, computer self-efficacy, subjective norms, actual use of computer (frequency and duration), attitude and an additional demographic instrument. The data were analyzed by path analysis using multiple regressions (SPSS for windows) to find the contribution of each independent variable to the dependent variable that ultimately predicted the final outcome. Computer self-efficacy and subjective norms were determinants of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use which in turn determined the attitude of students using computer for enhancing their math score in the final. The findings of path analysis indicated that the research did not support TAM. The results suggested that perceived usefulness is the most significant predictor of perceived ease of use. The duration of actual use of the computer in a single session contributed significantly towards their final score for achievement in mathematics. The students preferred a face-to-face instruction in mathematics by the instructor than interaction with a computer. Additional research endeavors should be devoted to the measurement of system use in different set up with different ethnic background to further analyze students' acceptance or rejection of technology towards their achievement in mathematics.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000572, ucf:46435
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000572

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