Formalized mentoring programs have found a place as both a preventative measure and as a direct intervention in the lives of youth. Previous literature and studies of mentoring programs show mixed support for positive outcomes for participants. Literature also suggests that positive outcomes are most likely to occur in relationships that foster…

The primary purpose of the present study was to develop an online self-help treatment program for Social Anxiety Disorder, focused on cognitive restructuring. It can be difficult getting socially anxious individuals to commit to treatment since therapy is typically a face to face social interaction (the feared stimulus). Recent research suggests…

Models of user generated content (UGC) creation such as Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube are facing robust growth accelerated by the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies and standards. These business models offer a fascinating avenue for exploring the role of social influence online. This dissertation is motivated by the success of YouTube, which is…

For-profit organizations are constantly evaluating new technologies to gain competitive advantage. One such technology, application software, has changed significantly over the past 25 years with the introduction of Open Source Software (OSS). In contrast to commercial software that is developed by private companies and sold to organizations, OSS…

Item pool quality has been regarded as one important factor to help realize enhanced measurement quality for the computerized adaptive test (CAT) (e.g., Flaugher, 2000; Jensema, 1977; McBride & Wise, 1976; Reckase, 1976; 2003; van der Linden, Ariel, & Veldkamp, 2006; Veldkamp & van der Linden, 2000; Xing & Hambleton, 2004). However, studies are…

This is a comprehensive study of the many facets of an entirely online organic chemistry course. Online homework with structure-drawing capabilities was found to be more effective than written homework. Online lecture was found to be just as effective as in-person lecture, and students prefer an online lecture format with shorter Webcasts. Online…

A researcher-developed questionnaire regarding the importance and developmental appropriateness of 12 specific elements of the nature of science (Alshamrani, 2008) for early elementary (kindergarten through fourth grade [K-4]) science instruction was mailed to a random sample of U.S. K-4 teachers. At least half (N = 377) of the respondents…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how communication preferences, learning preferences, and perceptions about online learning affect nontraditional African American students' participation in online world literature courses at a historically Black university (HBCU) in the southeastern United States. An instrumental case study was…

Little research has been done on faculty attitudes on their advising experience. The current study examined the attitudes of instructional faculty towards their role, responsibility, and competence levels regarding faculty advising in a small, urban university in the southeast United States. The purpose of this research was to investigate and…

As more people seek the benefits of going online, more people are exposed to privacy risks from their time online. With a largely unregulated Internet, self-determination about privacy risks must be feasible for people from all walks of life. Yet in many cases decisions are either not obvious or not accessible. As one example, privacy policies are…

This study examines factors that contribute to migrant student success while navigating a post-secondary community college setting. While the majority of studies dealing with migrant education use a deficit approach--concentrating on the factors that inhibit student success--this study asks why certain migrant students at South Texas College in…

Many high schools are encouraging teachers to enhance the level of student engagement by having teachers interact more productively with students. Effective questioning, efficient use of wait time, use of high-quality examples, a clear goal, equitable distribution, and a balance of open and closed questions correlate with higher levels of student…

This report details the work defined by a doctoral team looking at the literacy and implementation of formative assessment in classrooms in Southwest Missouri. The mission of this project was to identify the formative assessment literacy levels and the degree of classroom implementation of these strategies in districts and the resulting…

Health literacy involves basic reading and numeracy, which allow a person to function as a health care consumer, by reading, understanding, evaluating and using information in health documents. For thirty years, the gap between the reading level of most of the public, eighth grade, and the reading level of most written health information, above…

This study is about the lives of three low-socioeconomic Hispanic students who dropped out of high school and felt compelled to return to the school setting to earn their high school diploma. This research focused on one research question: What are the life experiences of low socio-economic Hispanic students who successfully graduated from high…