The purpose of this ethnographic study was to examine the relationship between focused keyboarding instruction and the required standardized assessments mandated by Federal and State authorities. Initial mandates required that the first assessment to be administered online would be the Writing Assessment by year 2014. The assessment given in…

In the era of technology and digital standardized testing, one might question the practicality of teaching cursive handwriting to early learners. The problem addressed in this study is that due to the increased use of technology in the Montessori classroom, teachers may not value cursive handwriting instruction as an important skill for early…

Despite the established importance of writing, many students have difficulty writing proficiently (Ann Rogers & Graham, 2008; Graham & Perin, 2007). This study was designed to assess whether the provision of argumentative writing goals focusing on revision affected the quality of college students' first drafts and revised essays. In…

This study will utilize a quantitative method to the explore the association between third grade students' home computer access and their ability to attain a proficient score on the Fall 2019 English Language Arts standardized state assessment. The secondary focus will explore the association between third grade students' home computer access and…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in the writing assessment scores for each of the four traits--development, focus and organization, language, and conventions--as measured by the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) of students who had a formal keyboarding course compared to those who did not. A…

Writing is an essential skill for success in many academic and professional settings. Despite receiving individualized feedback on their writing, many students struggle with writing in postsecondary education. This dissertation addresses this gap by focusing on the writing process--the moment-by-moment actions taken during writing--rather than the…

This study examined the potential use of keystroke dynamics to create keyprints (typing fingerprints) to authenticate individuals in online assessment situations. The implications of this study are best understood in terms of the keystroke behavioral biometric. While previous studies considered the degree to which keystroke typing patterns are…

Purpose: Developmental language disorder (DLD) affects individuals through childhood into adulthood. However, we do not know how this disorder affects the written language abilities of college students, for whom writing difficulties may cause significant academic issues. This study sought to explore and characterize the differences in writing…

This dissertation study explored the feasibility of using authenticated spoken texts to test L2 Chinese listening comprehension. The spoken texts used in the study were created using an "authenticating" technique, in which scripted spoken Chinese texts were infused with characteristics of real-world, unscripted spoken Chinese. In the…

Systems that can detect cognitive decline or harmful levels of stress could assist users in managing their stress and health. However, current assessments are often obtrusive or require specialized equipment, and not suited to continuous monitoring of cognitive status. This research leverages attributes of everyday keyboard interactions to…