Improving ICT Use within the Underserved Community: Empowering the Non-Native English Speaker

Access to electronic information resources remains a problem for underserved communities, especially non-native English speakers. Diffusion of technology and alternate low-cost methods to capitalize on technology’s potential are needed to reach populations with limited resources. This research places emphasis on a training approach to maximize message content and information exchange targeting subpopulations in underserved communities. The proposed approach leverages findings from a Spring 2007 study, which utilized a web-based training application to obtain pre-training and post-training measures from community responders including participants from the proposed subpopulation

Mobile information communication technology for crisis management : understanding user behavior, response and training

SMS text-messaging is an interoperable communication vehicle known to be dependable for mass media alert notifications in crisis management. SMS text-messaging also offers potential as one viable two-way communication alternative for field responders in crisis response. Both continuously changing mobile information communication technologies and the importance of precise information exchange constitute a need for communication protocol training and practice. This study introduces a technology-mediated training technique based on speech act and communicative action theories. These theories are used to inform the design of a baseline measure for task performance improvement and to suggest a model to predict communication readiness. Because this research bridges two fields - information systems and communication - it provides a model for full construct-representation of text-based interaction in a technology-mediated environment. The proposed model is validated through a web-based training application with 50 participants who have different crisis response backgrounds, including emergency management practitioners, first responders, public safety volunteers, community volunteers, community citizens, and students over the age of 18. Each group encompasses diverse technological skill and usage levels. The web-based training application developed in the present study features plain language training so that a clear understanding of user behavior, response, and training would emerge. The training and crisis scenario are rendered through multimedia recordings and designed to measure task response, based on the 160 character per SMS text-message exchange limit. The mixed-methods design begins with a crisis scenario, followed by pre-training measures, three repeated training measures, and concludes with post-training measures. A total of six tasks are introduced (3 pre-training and 3 post-training) in which each participant interfaces with the web-based training application through a high-speed Internet connection. Task response level results show promise for this exploratory research and contribute to a new discourse mode that extends to mobile technology penetration. Future research will focus on refinement of the model\u27s task performance measures and will seek to introduce additional situation-based scenarios and mixed-modes of communication. During this next research phase, the objective is to incorporate the model into mobile device usage and operationalize the model in authentic crisis management contexts. If successful in extended field simulation, the model may have the potential to ensure effective mobile information communication within the context of crisis

Science Inquiry in Informal Settings

This qualitative research study aims to answer the question of whether or not informal learning settings, such as museums and zoos, are beneficial to students’ understanding of new science concepts and the nature of science. The researcher uses the term, “informal educators,” to refer to the participants because they are educators who teach in settings outside of a school setting. This study focuses on four informal educators that are employed at four different informal learning settings in South Louisiana, but specifically how the informal educators’ instruction complements classroom instruction, how informal educators incorporate inquiry within their science instruction, and what image of science informal educators hope to portray to the guests at their museums or zoos. Data was collected through interviews with informal science educators, observations of the informal settings’ web pages, and documents of instructional materials offered by the informal learning site. After the data were analyzed using the structural coding and open coding method, the findings revealed that two out of the four informal educators were willing to work with formal educators to make sure that they are covering topics in their museum or zoo that complemented the instruction that students were learning in the classroom. The informal educators’ responses to interview questions revealed that all of them incorporate inquiry throughout science instruction using a hands-on learning approach. Additionally, it was revealed that the informal educators had varying views on what image of science that they hoped to portray in their museum or zoo

Towards Active Team Based Learning: An Online Instructional Strategy

Team-based Learning (TBL) is a relatively new pedagogic approach to teaching that makes extensive use of intensive, interactive team activities in the classroom to deepen learning. To date, TBL has been deployed almost entirely in traditional on-campus classes. This paper outlines a strategy and preliminary framework to enhance team communication and strengthen group dynamics, leveraging online tools to support TBL techniques, empowering online students in active learning. It is vital to utilize technology effectively to structure the online classroom in a manner that best supports TBL’s deep learning experiences. The major contributions of this research will be to extend techniques from TBL approaches to the online groupsupport environment and to describe effective technological support

Learn by Doing: Cal Poly Pomona\u27s Efforts to Modernize Archival Practices and Increase Student Life Records in Special Collections and Archives Through Collaborative Partnerships

Learn by Doing focuses on the steps Cal Poly Pomona Special Collections and Archives staff have taken to modernize and align unit practices with other special collections and archival repositories in the field and their effort to increase the documentation of student life in their university archives. The article outlines steps taken, lessons learned, partnerships established along the way, and suggestions for those wishing to engage in a similar endeavor