Online course offerings in higher education are on the rise in the US (Allen & Seaman, 2014). This study was conducted at a public regional college that offered 35% of its courses entirely online in Fall 2014 and projected offering more online courses in the future. The online faculty members primarily use the Sakai-based CMS. Yet how the online courses are taught is largely left to the individual faculty members.

Taking the community of inquiry (CoI) model (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000) as a guide, this study describes how a newly hired instructor designed and delivered a Management Information Systems (MIS) course entirely online. In order to facilitate meaningful interactions between teacher and students, and students and students, four web platforms were integrated into the course: the Sakai-based CMS, the course website, Google+ community SNS, and Pearson’s MyITLab.

The MIS course is required for the undergraduate business major at the college. Sixty-two students started the course at the beginning of the semester, and fifty-seven successfully completed the course. Many students had not been familiar with Google+ and had never created a website before this class. Students’ feedback indicated that they felt using Google+ community and creating their own website clearly established their social presence – projecting oneself socially and emotionally as “real” people through the medium of communication used – in this online course. According to the CoI model, social presence is the critical component for an online course to be a success.

The use of Web 2.0 technologies in educational settings have been lauded for promoting student collaboration and motivation. In the writing classroom, it has been found to align with the basic tenets of composition writing including an emphasis on process, revision, and communal knowledge formation. At this time, however, little research has been undertaken on safety and privacy issues raised in these semi-public online spaces.

This study shares the experiences of three freshman composition classes at UH Manoa who used Google Drive as a homework hand-in and peer review tool. The study confirms the findings of digital literacy theorists that Web 2.0 technologies promote motivation but also finds that greater levels of motivation and achievement are correlated with some discomfort.

Data was gathered primarily through two qualitative research methods: a questionnaire and focus groups, conducted at UHM in the Fall of 2014.

The study adds to existing digital literacies and composition scholarship, which at this time has not fully explored the use of Google Drive or privacy issues in educational online spaces. The study suggests that further research could be conducted on strategies to create safe online classroom environments.

Mobile devices provide a number of compelling features for learning and instruction. Clearly, these devices are becoming more and more popular. Arguably the most popular mobile device for education is the iPad. Multiple one-to-one iPad initiatives are cropping up around the United States. While interest continues to grow rapidly, the research and best practices for using these devices is not becoming available at the same pace. At the University of Hawai‘i–Manoa, we have implemented a one-to-one iPad initiative in a dual licensure (general/special ed) elementary teacher preparation program. Since Fall, 2013 we have been collecting and analyzing formative evaluation data on the initiative. In this presentation we report our findings to date and provide practical guidance and suggestions based on those findings. This descriptive case report provides an insider glimpse into the challenges and opportunities that are coming to light.

What’s all the buzz about badging? Badging has rapidly become a viable method to document accomplishments gained throughout your career — whether before, during, or after you complete a degree. Badges in your digital portfolio make competencies, accomplishments, and connections more visible in the higher education community. Join this session to learn more about the value of badging in professional development and career planning.

With the continued growth of K-12 online learning, there is a need to train online instructors and understand professional development experiences that impact their success in teaching in K-12 blended and online environments. The purpose of this mixed-method case study was to gain insights on the long term impacts of the Kamehameha Schools Online Instructor Training Institute (OITI), seven to ten years later, of four teachers who became online instructors. Qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to take an in-depth look at how these teachers continued to integrate technology into their instruction, implemented distance learning instructional strategies, their perceived impact on students, and their perceived impact of their OITI experience. The findings of the study indicated teachers consistently applied their knowledge gained through integration of technology in their classrooms and implementing distance learning instructional strategies when teaching online. The OITI also impacted teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards online learning positively, including recognition of their impact on students. The insights gained from this study resulted in recommendations for future trainings of K-12 online instructors and ideas for future research such as the need to personalize training for online instructors, learn more about professional learning communities, and conduct additional case studies relevant to training online instructors.