This dissertation addressed the issue of reduced transfer of training at a southeastern community college, specifically regarding the application of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies in online courses. Faculty at the college were required to complete a 45-hour training series on UDL, but evidence suggested that the training was not…

This three-paper dissertation addresses the manner in which students' intrinsic motivation to engage in academic tasks changes during the four years of college. The first paper examines the variance of students' academic motivation during college. The second paper analyzes whether good practices in undergraduate education promote academic…

Change is often expected as the logical outcome of large scale investments in professional development, yet research studies (e.g., Tyack & Cuban, 1995; Lipson, Mosenthal & Woodside-Jiron, 2000; Schraw & Olafson, 2002) note wide variations in instructional practice despite such efforts. This qualitative inquiry was designed to…

Using narrative inquiry, this qualitative study sought to examine the community college experiences of 12 South Sudanese refugees resettled in Massachusetts. Through interviews, I gathered participants' narratives around three focal areas: the impact of culturally responsive practices on their learning experiences, the challenges and obstacles…

This case study explored the use of students' personal mobile devices in the classroom for learning. The context was a district with an initiative called Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT), whereby students regularly utilized their personal technology as part of the curriculum. The focus of this study was to better understand how students' personal…