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Designing a Mobile Learning Website for Military Medical Personnel

Session Date/Time
Thursday, April 24, 2014 – 17:00 HST
Audience
All Audiences
Session Description
Medical augmentees at Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command are responsible for the health and welfare of team members deployed to remote regions of the world to extract remains of lost service members. No method was in place to prepare these individuals for mission prior to arriving on Oahu and information needed to be available as an online resource and viewable on mobile hand-held devices so members could access information prior to and during deployment. The purpose of the instructional design project was to develop and evaluate a web-based instructional website designed to provide necessary medical and mission knowledge to medical augmentees. Fifteen current and former augmentees were asked to review the Aloha Augmentee website, evaluate the quality of content and make recommendations for improvement. Data were collected via online pre and post surveys. The results of the collected data revealed that the website was viewed as successful with very positive qualitative feedback. Participants felt that the website could be even more effective with the addition of medical-grade photographs and more in-depth background about specific regional diagnoses. Feedback from participants will be used to improve the overall design and content of the website to better prepare future augmentees.
Presenter(s)
  • Stacy Brook, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA

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Fostering English Common Core State Standards through Web 2.0 Tools for Secondary Teachers

Session Date/Time
Tuesday, April 22, 2014 – 18:00 HST
Audience
All Audiences
Session Description
Teachers in Hawai’i are pressured more than ever to incorporate technology into learning environments not only from societal expectations but also by the integration of Common Core State Standards as the leading guide for standards-based curriculum design. Thus, it is critical for teachers to receive training and resources that are necessary for the successful implementation of technology into teaching practices. This online instructional module was developed through a website using Weebly that shared information about four Web 2.0 tools to benefit both teachers and students. Therefore, the purpose of this instructional design project was to evaluate the effectiveness of the website and to compare attitudes of teachers towards using these online tools before and after they viewed the module. Of the twelve original teacher participants, eight were able to complete the module within the time allotted. The pre-survey data illustrated that all but one participant was at least somewhat familiar with Web 2.0 tools in general, yet most only used such tools for personal and social reasons. Post survey results, measured by varying Likert-scales and open-ended responses, indicated that participants were more comfortable and interested in using the four Web 2.0 tools in their teaching after completing the learning module.
Presenter(s)
  • Carly Mounts, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

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A Needs Assessment to Explore the Professional Development of Early Childhood Practitioners with Online Resources

Session Date/Time
Thursday, April 24, 2014 – 17:30 HST
Audience
All Audiences
Session Description
Early childhood educators (ECE) on the island of Kauai currently have one localized option for higher education in the field of ECE, a 2-year Associate of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Hawaii system’s Kauai Community College. The State of Hawaii’s Executive Office on Early Learning (EOEL) is looking to set the quality benchmark for ECE teachers at a Bachelor’s degree with specialized training in pre-kindergarten plus 15 hours of professional development training annually. Gaining access to high quality in-person professional development on Kauai is an ongoing challenge. To assess the growing need for professional development on Kauai, a needs assessment was conducted using Google forms to explore the use of online resources for professional development by early childhood practitioners on Kauai currently working with children birth to 5 years old. All participants in this needs assessment survey were primarily solicited by email to gauge the use of online modes for participation and communication within the ECE professional community. This effort resulted in 13 responses to the needs assessment survey and indicated a willingness to use online resources for professional development.
Presenter(s)
  • Berna Souza, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Kekaha, Kauai, Hawaii, USA

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An Instructional Approach to Writing SMART Goals

Session Date/Time
Thursday, April 24, 2014 – 17:00 HST
Audience
All Audiences
Session Description
Obtaining a degree is not the ultimate end goal; it is only one of many goals needed to ensure financial and professional success. Establishing a plan to success by writing specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound goals (SMART) should be utilized by both full-time graduate students and working professionals in graduate school. The purpose of this instructional design project was to create and evaluate a web-based module that provides participants with step-by-step instructions, examples and resources to writing short- and long-term goals, using the SMART method. Pre- and post-assessments were embedded into the module for participants to practice their writing skills and a rubric was also embed to promote self-efficacy. Survey results from pre- and post-assessments indicate that the instructional module was simply designed, and content was easily understood. However, the instructional module did not provide the instructional scaffolding needed for participants to write SMART goals proficiently, as reported by pre- and post-assessment rubric scores. Suggestions for improvement included using an interactive platform, audio component and a navigation bar throughout the module.
Presenter(s)
  • Eleanor Robins, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

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Developing a Self-Paced, Web-based Instructional Module for Dissertation Preparation

Session Date/Time
Tuesday, April 22, 2014 – 17:00 HST
Audience
All Audiences
Session Description
As the number of part-time doctorate students increases, institutions offering evening or online Ph.D. programs need to re-evaluate the effectiveness of their dissertation preparation courses to help these part-time learners succeed. The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa offers a college-wide Ph.D. in Education with a specialization in Educational Technology (ETEC). The ETEC Ph.D. program is campus-based, but courses are offered in the evenings with many courses offered in hybrid or online formats. ETEC 750e “Educational Technology Issues: Research” is a seminar that ETEC doctoral students must complete before advancing to candidacy and it plays an important role in dissertation preparation. However, due to the number of topics covered in the seminar, instructors have expressed concerns over students’ low concept attainment of one the seminar topics, prospectus writing. To improve students’ prospectus writing skills, the author developed a web-based instructional module on prospectus writing to supplement class lectures, and implemented formative evaluation to ensure the quality of the instructional module. Five of the eight students enrolled in ETEC 750e in spring 2014 completed the online module, and the data showed a positive shift in their knowledge and attitudes towards the prospectus writing. Implications of the project are discussed.
Presenter(s)
  • Ritsuko Iyoda, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, USA

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Evaluating the Usability of a Teacher-Created Website

Session Date/Time
Thursday, April 24, 2014 – 17:30 HST
Audience
All Audiences
Session Description
Increased Internet access to more and more families provides schools with yet another avenue for encouraging parents to be more involved in their children’s education. K-12 schools frequently use classroom websites to improve parent-teacher communication. Although there have been recent studies on teacher perspectives for teacher-created websites, designing websites to enhance learning, and “best” website design elements, few recent usability studies on teacher-created websites were found. This usability study attempted to determine the design and navigation effectiveness of a teacher-created Senior Project website. The study design was based on suggestions provided by Steve Krug’s Rocket Surgery Made Easy (2010). Parents of high schools students were the target audience for this study. The results of this usability study determined the Senior Project website’s design and navigation to be effective for its intended purpose with most participants’ comments and responses being positive and very complimentary. The results indicated that while effective website design does support the effectiveness of users’ information search behaviors, successful web searches are highly dependent on users’ ability to recognize common website conventions, to recognize subject hierarchies, to distinguish between reading and scanning, and their ability to avoid, what Krug (2014) calls “satisfice” behavior.
Presenter(s)
  • Ryan Yoshizawa, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

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Usability Evaluation of an Online Resource Designed to Help Educators Recognize and Respond Appropriately to a Concussion

Session Date/Time
Tuesday, April 22, 2014 – 18:30 HST
Audience
All Audiences
Session Description
Concussions are serious brain injuries that can significantly influence the brain’s ability to function at its normal capacity. Following a concussion, it is common for students to experience difficulties in the classroom. If unrecognized and untreated, these problems have the potential to significantly impact the student’s academic career as a whole. By understanding concussive neurological issues, educators can use their expertise to create flexible, temporary, and fluid academic adjustments allowing the student to continue to learn during recovery from a concussion. A private school on Oahu created a website to provide instruction and resources for educators to help them to recognize and respond appropriately to a concussion. This usability study evaluated the content and organization of the website. Usability participants navigated the website to complete four tasks that the target audience might encounter. Content and navigation of the website were well received and feedback for improved ease-of-use was discussed.
Presenter(s)
  • Darryl Funai, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

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Fostering Collaboration via Google Apps

Session Date/Time
Tuesday, April 22, 2014 – 18:00 HST
Audience
All Audiences
Session Description
Educators in the state of Hawai’i currently use the Lotus Notes email host program as a method of communication and collaboration. One public elementary school in Hawai’i, on the island of Maui, is currently in the process of replacing Lotus Notes with Google Apps for Education. More than just an email system, web-based Google Apps for Education offers an easy way to share documents, work together virtually in real-time, and much more. Educators requested assistance on learning the basic necessary skills for Google Apps for Education, in particular on Gmail and Google Docs. To meet that need, an online training module was designed and delivered through a Weebly website that utilized an interactive tour, instructional videos, and step-by-step instructions with screenshots that are printable documents. Participants were asked to complete a challenge at the end of Module 1 & 2 as a way to reinforce and assess what was learned. Survey results indicated that all participants have considered using Gmail and Google Docs as a way to collaborate with their fellow colleague.
Presenter(s)
  • Tami Saito, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, USA

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Just in Time Lotus Notes Support

Session Date/Time
Tuesday, April 22, 2014 – 18:30 HST
Audience
All Audiences
Session Description
The Lotus Notes email host program is used in the Hawaiʻi Department of Education (HIDOE) to provide communication within all public schools in Hawaiʻi. At the school level, Lotus Notes is used for checking and sending email, reading school bulletins and HIDOE memos, posting meeting notes, and generating service requests. Without access to their Lotus Notes accounts, teachers and other staff members feel they are cut off from school communication, and therefore, cannot do their jobs effectively. Many requests for Lotus Notes assistance are generated and given to technology coordinators on a daily basis. Until the technology coordinator can help the teacher or staff member, school communication for that person halts. This instructional module provided mini trainings to teach teachers to perform three Lotus Notes tasks by themselves. The module was delivered through a website that utilized screencasts, a document with text and screenshots, and a downloadable document option for those wanting to print the trainings. Survey results indicated that an overwhelming amount of participants found the trainings to be helpful. They stated they could now accomplish adding a Lotus Notes (LN) application, posting minutes, and activating the workspace tab in LN 8.5 by themselves. All participants felt more comfortable in using online trainings to learn. Responses indicated that the trainings were clear, easy to follow, and beneficial because of the relevance of the trainings and choices they had for learning. The few suggestions received from the participants will be considered before linking this website to the school’s website.
Presenter(s)
  • Annette Ahuna, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

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But Can Users Find It? Investigating the Navigation Usability of a School Systems Information Website

Session Date/Time
Thursday, April 24, 2014 – 17:00 HST
Audience
All Audiences
Session Description
Website usability studies are a widely used procedure to assess a user-centered design by testing a website with its target audience. Usability studies provide a valuable insight into the thought process of website users, but due to the time and effort it takes to perform, usability tests are not pervasive in school-created websites. The usability study conducted for this paper was designed to investigate the navigation usability of a simulated, school-created systems information website designed for school teachers. The goal of the study was to create a more intuitive, user-friendly website that would be adopted by school faculty and staff. This usability study, which was held via Google+ Hangouts, and recorded with QuickTime, assessed participants’ perceptions of the website while completing specific tasks. Upon completing the study, participants filled out an attitudinal survey which assessed the scenarios in the study, as well as provided an additional method of voicing proposed improvements to the navigation of the website. The study, which was conducted in two rounds with a revision period between them, revealed navigational flaws in the designed website and provided guidance in improving the website for future users. Increased user ratings after evaluating initial user ratings and implementing suggested website improvements suggest that usability testing for school information websites can prove beneficial for its users.
Presenter(s)
  • Nicholas Alexander, University of Hawai`i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA

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