In a series of three experiments, I investigated the emergence of conditioned seeing, defined as delayed drawing responses, as a potential component of bidirectional naming (BiN) for unfamiliar stimuli, which was defined in this study as the emergence of untaught listener and speaker responses following a naming experience with school-aged…

The percentage of students enrolled in online courses is higher for community college students than it is for students attending four-year colleges and universities (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2017a). The trend is concerning as community college students who as a whole, are at risk for success are enrolling in courses that have…

Effective teaching practices, including the ability to make data-based decisions, are necessary to close achievement gaps. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a collaborative, data-based decision making (DBDM) intervention on the quality of preservice teachers' DBDM. Participants were 45 preservice general educators…

Virtual laboratory experiments using interactive computer simulations are not being employed as viable alternatives to laboratory science curriculum at extensive enough rates within higher education. Rote traditional lab experiments are currently the norm and are not addressing inquiry, Critical Thinking, and cognition throughout the laboratory…

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to assess student perceptions of teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence, measured by the Community of Inquiry Scale (Arbaugh et al., 2008), through group collaboration via online and face-to-face instruction. Thirty-seven teacher education students participated in this…

The purpose of this study was to examine whether there is a difference in high school students' achievement and retention on standardized tests between students who participate in inquiry-based laboratory activities and those that participate in traditional style laboratory activities. Additionally, student and teacher opinions of…

This dissertation investigated 1) American L2 learners' perceptual ability to accurately identify Japanese pitch accent, and 2) learners' realization of Japanese pitch accent. This study was conducted to determine whether these abilities could be improved through training. Study 1 tested the ability to identify the accent location (pitch fall)…

This experiment illustrates how the effective use of a technology treatment integrated into pre-algebra curricula can help students achieve on the New Jersey Standardized Grade 8 Proficiency Assessment (GEPA). The researcher obtained data by comparing a treatment group to a control group; the first group was given a weekly 44-minute-long…

This dissertation incorporates three studies that examine how the design of inquiry based science instruction, dynamic visualizations, and guidance for experimentation contribute to physics students' understanding of science. I designed a week-long, technology-enhanced inquiry module on car collisions that logs students' interactions with a…

Using data from a nationwide, large-scale experimental study of the effects of a connected classroom technology on student learning in algebra (Owens et al., 2004), this dissertation focuses on challenges that can arise in estimating treatment effects in educational field experiments when samples are highly heterogeneous in terms of various…