In this dissertation, I argue that web development can play a pivotal role in developing computational thinking as well as provide a stepping stone to an advanced mastery of computation. The preceding literature has extensively examined not only how learners practice computational thinking with a wide array of programming languages, but also how…

The need to prepare students with 21st-century skills via technology integration into the classrooms is a must. This need has led to innovations in pedagogy such as flipped classroom models. This phenomenon makes use of technology to deliver the content of the class at home, allowing classroom time to be more productively spent extending the…

Some students do not possess the learning management system (LMS) and basic computer skills needed for success in first-year experience (FYE) courses. The purpose of this quantitative study, based on the Integrative Learning Design Framework and theory of transactional distance, was to identify what basic computer skills and LMS skills are needed…

Despite the critical role educators play in the lives of students, little research has been conducted on their perceptions of digital media, bullying behaviors and prevention, and the development of disciplinary policy. As educators are tasked with monitoring student behaviors both inside and outside the classroom, how they conceptualize student…

The key to educational reform is the well-prepared teacher. Giving the teacher continuous, immediate, and supported access to interactive whiteboard (IWB) professional development programs (PDPs) is necessary for creating the potential for deep and sustained changes of the educational programs. This qualitative case study explored the negative and…

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to investigate digital native preservice teachers' self-efficacy beliefs regarding their technology experiences and skills at the beginning and at the end of their field placement semester. Digital natives, as defined by Prensky (2001), are students born after 1980 who have been raised with digital media…

The purpose of this descriptive quantitative and basic qualitative study was to examine fifth and eighth grade science teachers' responses, perceptions of the role of technology in the classroom, and how they felt that computer applications, tools, and the Internet influence student understanding. The purposeful sample included survey and…

This study examined the use of technology by eighth grade students and teachers and perceptions of students and teachers toward technology use in the classroom and home. A mixed design method was selected to collect and analyze the data. Face-to-face interviews, field notes, and national survey results were used to triangulate the data. Three…

This study chronicles the home and school technology practices of a group of 7th grade middle school students representing varying social and economic backgrounds for the purpose of exploring possible ways in which exposure to computer technology in the home helps to inform the ways in which children demonstrate technology literacy when using…