Aboriginal Parental Involvement/Engagement for Student Success

An increasing body of knowledge links parental involvement with student success but few studies address Aboriginal parental involvement in urban settings. While some critics argue traditional Aboriginal knowledge is best delivered at home, Aboriginal children who share parents’ stories in the classroom benefit other children who draw connections to these stories. Moreover, Aboriginal learners need to function in mainstream Western society and in public school settings in which educators often have a difficult time engaging Aboriginal parents. Consequently, this research sought to explore the perceptions and sense of engagement of parents/caregivers in the Aboriginal Student Program (ASP) in a publicly funded secondary school in Ontario. The study was an extension of the researcher’s existing work and focused specifically on a sample of parents/caregivers taking part in an Aboriginal feast at an Ontario secondary school. Nine individuals accepted an invitation to participate in a Talking Circle and shared perceptions of their children’s educational experiences. Data were collected and coded, and findings indicated that parental involvement in children’s educational journeys contributed significantly to a sense of parental engagement in the school and in Aboriginal programs. Results also suggest that Eurocentric pedagogy can be modified in mainstream secondary schools to directly involve Aboriginal parents/caregivers. Although many participants’ stories revealed they experienced racism during their own schooling, study findings demonstrate that the parents/caregivers want to be involved in their children’s education nonetheless. This thesis discusses the data that were grounded in the participants’ voices that in turn led to several key recommendations.

Mobile Books: Effect of Engagement on Students’ Motivation and Cognitive Strategy Use

This mixed methods research explores the role of reading engagement in 30 grade 1 students’ motivation to read mobile electronic storybooks (eBooks) and cognitive strategies used during eBook reading. Data collection comprised motivation and parent questionnaires, behavioural observation checklists, cognitive strategies rubric, and teacher interviews. Students’ emotional engagement with and enjoyment of mobile eBooks corresponded to 4 motivational aspects of intrinsic motivation: curiosity, control, choice, and challenge. Post-intervention results indicated that most student participants enjoyed answering eBook comprehension questions and preferred eBooks to print books; by the end of the study, all had access to a mobile device at home. A majority of participants were actively engaged during mobile eBook reading sessions and persisted in answering embedded eBook comprehension questions, which together reflected students’ behavioural engagement and time-on-task during mobile reading. Students’ off-task behaviours related to iPads’ accessibility features and inherent reader-friendliness. All participants successfully answered evaluative questions requiring them to activate prior knowledge, and experienced higher levels of difficulty with making personal connections. The study highlights the importance of making school-based literacy practices relevant to students’ outside worlds, and discusses implications for teacher educators, administrators, curriculum developers, and eBook and other digital developers concerning the need for greater collaboration in order to more closely align technology resources with national curriculum expectations.

Towards Evaluating and Modelling the Impacts of Mobile-Based Augmented Reality Applications on Learning and Engagement

Mobile augmented reality applications are increasingly utilized as a medium for enhancing learning and engagement in history education. Although these digital devices facilitate learning through immersive and appealing experiences, their design should be driven by theories of learning and instruction. We provide an overview of an evidence-based approach to optimize the development of mobile augmented reality applications that teaches students about history. Our research aims to evaluate and model the impacts of design parameters towards learning and engagement. The research program is interdisciplinary in that we apply techniques derived from design-based experiments and educational data mining. We outline the methodological and analytical techniques as well as discuss the implications of the anticipated findings.

Using HeadSprout Early Reading with a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An examination of phonological awareness, participant engagement, and participant enjoyment

This study examined the effectiveness of a 9-week reading program in improving the phonological awareness (PA) skills of a seven year old boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). The study’s secondary goal was to describe how the participant engaged with and enjoyed the HeadSprout computer program. The participant attended a one hour reading program incorporating 30 minutes of HeadSprout Early Reading three days a week for 9 weeks. Results demonstrated that the participant’s PA scores increased from the 16th percentile at pre-test to the 35th percentile post program. Four of five measures of PA increased, segmenting nonwords decreased to the 2nd percentile post program. Momentary time sampling procedures revealed the participant was engaged with the computer program 94.5% of the time. Perceived ratings of enjoyment indicated the participant enjoyed using the program. Specific components of the program which may have influenced participant enjoyment and engagement are discussed. Study limitations and implications of these findings are discussed in reference to future research.

Towards Evaluating and Modelling the Impacts of Mobile-Based Augmented Reality Applications on Learning and Engagement

Mobile augmented reality applications are increasingly utilized as a medium for enhancing learning and engagement in history education. Although these digital devices facilitate learning through immersive and appealing experiences, their design should be driven by theories of learning and instruction. We provide an overview of an evidence-based approach to optimize the development of mobile augmented reality applications that teaches students about history. Our research aims to evaluate and model the impacts of design parameters towards learning and engagement. The research program is interdisciplinary in that we apply techniques derived from design-based experiments and educational data mining. We outline the methodological and analytical techniques as well as discuss the implications of the anticipated findings.

Clippings - Engagement, Death

Clipping of the obituary of Francis Woodruff, n.d. Clipping of the announcement of the engagement of Gladyse Wanita Palling to Lieut. Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff of the 176th Overseas Battalion, n.d.

Investigation of Theories Supporting Engagement of Resistant Learners in Formal Academic Settings and Curriculum

This study sought to explore ways to work with a group of young people through an arts-based approach to the teaching of literacy. Through the research, the author integrated her own reflexivity applying arts methods over the past decade. The author’s past experiences were strongly informed by theories such as caring theory and maternal pedagogy, which also informed the research design. The study incorporated qualitative data collection instruments comprising interviews, journals, sketches, artifacts, and teacher field notes. Data were collected by 3 student participants for the duration of the research. Study results provide educators with data on the impact of creating informal and alternative ways to teach literacy and maintain student engagement with resistant learners.

Estudio de los motivadores que influyen en el engagement dentro de una organización.

Tesis (Maestría en Psicología con Orientación Laboral y Organizacional) UANL, 2011.

Evaluación del engagement en empleados de una empresa comercial.

Tesis (Maestría en Psicología con Orientación Laboral y Organizacional) UANL, 2011.

Estudio exploratorio sobre la actitud del capital humano respecto al engagement en una empresa de manufactura de giro automotriz.

Tesis (Maestría en Psicología con orientación en Psicología Laboral y Organizacional) UANL, 2014.

Diagnóstico sobre la valoración del engagement como factor de eficiencia y bienestar en los empleadores.

Tesis (Maestría en Psicología con orientación en Psicología Laboral y Organizacional) UANL, 2014.