Influence of Avatar Choice on Teacher Perceptions of Student Success

Dennis Beck

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2009 (Mar 02, 2009) pp. 1388–1394

We have an inadequate understanding about the effect of avatar choice on teacher expectations and perceptions of student success. The gender and ethnicity of students has been shown to specifically effect teacher perceptions and expectations of...

The use of narrative in online education

Dennis Beck

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2004 (2004) pp. 352–355

Exploring the uses of narrative in an online educational environment will be the primary focus of this proposal. In this presentation, I will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the online environment with respect to education, the definition...

Characteristics of discussion board postings that elicit more interaction

Dennis Beck

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2005 (2005) pp. 2162–2165

Discussion boards are being used widely in a variety of educational contexts. It makes sense then to explore how the composition of discussion board messages influences the response. This study explores the characteristics of discussion board...

PDA's in the classroom: A study of cognitive changes in elementary school children

Dennis Beck

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2006 (Mar 19, 2006) pp. 1451–1452

PDA's improve motivation, engagement, and learning, while remaining accessible and portable. Handhelds seem to easily adjust to various curricular content and thus integrate well with a variety of curriculum. Handhelds also seem to enable teachers...

Topics: Elementary Education, Students

The types of autobiographical experiences that contribute toward individuals becoming technology-using pre-service teachers

Dennis Beck

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2008 (Mar 03, 2008) pp. 4042–4048

This study examined autobiographical experiences that contribute toward individuals becoming technology-using pre-service teachers. This was significant because although many people have looked at characteristics of technology using teachers, few...

Empowering Teachers? An Exploratory Study of Personnel Practices in Virtual Charter Schools in the United States

Dennis Beck; Robert Maranto

Journal of Open, Flexible, and Distance Learning Vol. 18, No. 2 (Dec 23, 2014) pp. 59–81

Virtual charter schools have the potential to transform teacher personnel management. However, there is currently little evidence that they are doing so. This study examined how 89 teachers at two virtual charter schools perceived school personnel...

The Digital Divide and Digital Narrative: Exploring the possibilities

Dennis Beck; Constance Wyzard

World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2010 (Oct 18, 2010) pp. 26–31

The Digital Divide is the gap between people with ready access to technology and those with little access. Although many individuals understand the Digital Divide, some still exhibit apathy toward those on the inadequate side of the divide. As a...

Topics: Digital Divide

Bridging the Digital Divide: Connecting Teachers with those on the other side of the divide

Dennis Beck; Wyzard Constance

Global Learn 2010 (May 17, 2010) pp. 3653–3659

The Digital Divide refers to the gap between people with effective access to information technology and those with very limited or no access. Many individuals have come to understand the digital divide through several resources. Unfortunately,...

Topics: Digital Divide

The Influence of Teacher Avatar Gender and Ethnicity on Student Expectations and Evaluations in a Virtual World Environment

Dennis Beck; Cheryl Murphy

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2012 (Mar 05, 2012) pp. 145–149

The gender and ethnicity of teachers have been shown to affect student expectations and evaluations. In Multi User Virtual Environments (MUVE), people socially interact via avatars that have the capability to be customized to minute details of...

An Examination of Educational Leadership Program Field Experiences in K-12 Virtual Schools

Dennis Beck; Jason LaFrance

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2012 (Mar 05, 2012) pp. 3833–3838

Virtual and blended experiences are an emerging trend in education. K-12 virtual schooling was first utilized in the 1990s and continues to grow. Currently 48 of 50 states offer some virtual experience in K-12 education. Of these, 39 states have...

Value-added in a Virtual Learning Environment: An Evaluation of a Virtual Charter School

Martin Lueken; Gary Ritter; Dennis Beck

Journal of Online Learning Research Vol. 1, No. 3 (December 2015) pp. 305–335

This paper evaluates an online charter school that serves children in grades K-8 in a southern state in the United States. We compare growth in math and literacy learning on state standardized assessments between students enrolled in this school and ...

Topics: Virtual Environments, Learning Objects, Middle School Education, Learning Management Systems, Learning Outcomes

Leveraging Transmedia Game Play and Student Design to Target 21st Century Skills: Instructor Experiences Teaching Computer Literacy in The Broken Window Learning Game

Scott Warren; Anjum Najmi; Dennis Beck

Journal of Interactive Learning Research Vol. 30, No. 4 (2019) pp. 505–537

There is evidence that video games can promote an inquiry-based and dynamic form of lifelong learning. For example, video games have been shown to support problem-solving processes, developing critical thinking skills, and foster the communication...

Parent Involvement And Student/Parent Satisfaction In Cyber Schools

Dennis Beck; Robert Maranto; Wen-Juo Lo

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2013 (Mar 25, 2013) pp. 229–236

There is evidence that in traditional public schools the school satisfaction of students and parents varies by parent involvement. Prior studies suggest that multiple factors influence parental involvement, including race, socioeconomic status,...

Special Issue on Supporting Students in K-12 Online and Blended Learning Environments

Jered Borup; Lisa Hasler Waters; Dennis Beck

Journal of Online Learning Research Vol. 2, No. 4 (Dec 31, 2016) pp. 327–331

K-12 online learning has grown dramatically the last decade. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that this growth has occurred despite course completion rates and standardized test scores that tend to be lower than those found in face-to-face ...

Research Highlights in Technology and Teacher Education 2013

(2013) pp. 1–186

Research Highlights in Technology and Teacher Education is now in its fifth year of publication, and has become one of the most important journals for the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE). This journal represents the...