This study examines the effect of virtual achievements on student engagement. It analyzes data from 122 undergraduate students on their level of online interaction and end of year grades. The study hypothesizes that students in the virtual achievement group will have higher performance and grades than those without such engagement. It also hypothesizes that student assessments will indicate virtual classes have more appeal than traditional classes. The purpose is to explore whether online interaction can cultivate student learning as measured by course grades.

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INTRODUCTION
This chapter will focus on the study design, variables, location
of study, target population, sampling, data collection methods,
data analysis and presentation and ethical considerations.
1. RESEARCH METHODS AND DESIGN
The study area will be “The Effect of Virtual Achievements on
Student Engagement”.
The study design for this research will be a cross-sectional
study design. In this case, the data collected will be entirely
new and use various approaches to obtaining its data. The study
will measure frequency more than occurrence. Our design will
be descriptive cross-sectional as well as analytic cross-
sectional.
Descriptive studies: On the descriptive design the study will
determine the patterns of student performance in relation to
virtual achievements.
Analytic studies: On the analytic cross-sectional, the hypotheses
will be tested to determine the magnitude of the relationship
between the virtual achievement and the learning outcomes of
students. The analytic studies will be both observational and
intervention analytic studies.
Observational studies: The observational studies will involve
assigning groups and only observing the effects of the virtual
achievements on the learning outcomes of students while in

2. their natural learning/school environment. The mode of
observational studies to be used will be comparative cross-
sectional.
Intervention studies: the intervention studies will be employed
whereby the learning situation will be manipulated. The
intervention will be experimental to give a more reliable proof
of the effects of virtual achievements on results. For instance, it
would entail introducing the virtual effects on one group and
not adding it to the other group so as to make comparisons.
2. POPULATION SAMPLE INSTRUMENTS
The target population includes teachers and students. The study
population will be educators/teachers and students of Inglewood
High School and Inglewood City honours charter school.
Sampling methods:
The study will use a probability and non-probability sampling
method, specifically convenience sampling criteria. The Non-
probability method will be a convenience method whereby only
the available study units will be employed.
Sample size determination
For this study I will employ the use of the Andrew Fischer
formula to calculate the target population.
The Fischer's et al. (1998)scientific standard formula will be
used to obtain the sample size, where a sample of,
approximately, 60 to 80 respondents will be arrived at. The
formula is as follows:
n =
Where:
n =desired sample size for a population more than 10000.
z= the normal standard deviation, usually set as 1.96 (95%
confidence level).

3. The “P”= proportion of the target population estimated to have
characteristics set as 0.5. (Duru, C. B. et al., 2015)
q= 1-p
d= degree of accuracy desired, usually set as 0.05
n= =384
Since the study population will be less than 10000, the size
sample will be calculated using the fisher’s method as follows:
nf= ṉ
1+ (n/N).
Where;
nf= desired sample size for a population less than 10000.
n= constant of 384.
N= estimated population size.
nf= 79.33
Sample size = 80 respondents.
Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria
Eligibility for inclusion in this study would require;
i. An individual who is willing and able to give informed
consent.
ii. An experienced teacher teaching in the institution of study.
iii. A student learning in the institution of research.

4. Exclusion criteria
Individuals who will be excluded from this study were;
i. Students and teachers/lecturers who are not willing to give
informed consent
ii. Students who are not attending the institution of study
iii. Educators/professors do not teach in the institution of study.
3. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF VARIABLES
The dependent variables in the study will be the learning
performance of the students while the independent variables
will be virtual achievements. Also, the study will incorporate
the background variables such as age and gender of the study
population.
4. DATA COLLECTION
The data collection methods for this research will be
quantitative whereby interviews, key informants, focused group
discussions (FDGs) and self-administered questioners will be
used. The interviews will use a highly structured interviewer
guide. The interviews will be administered by the teachers and
students while recording the responses obtained. The self-
administered questionnaire design will be that of closed
questions. In this case, the students and teachers will be
required to read the questions on the questionnaires and fill
them out on their own. The key informants will be the
management of the institution of study.
5. DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
Quantitative data will be entered and analysed using Statistical
Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 software.
With the use of popular Microsoft Office Suite software, the
results will be displayed in the form of tables, bar graphs and
pie charts
6. ANALYSIS ASSUMPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS

5. Assumptions
The study assumes that Virtual learning-based achievement is
the only learning motivating factor for students.
Limitations
i. The observation method is subject to personal biases
ii. A section of the target population might not be willing to
cooperate.
7. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Ethical principles:
· Autonomy:
This study will respect the rights of the individuals to self-
determination that the research will ensure that any consent to
participate in the study will be well informed and in real time.
This study will allow for freedom of choice for the individuals
in the study area to decide whether to be a part of this study or
not. There will be no coercion of any sort.
· Non-Maleficence:
The study will not inflict any harm on or expose the study
population to any unnecessary risk during the study.
Ethical rules
· Veracity (Truths):
All subjects in the research will be told the truth regarding the
study.
· Informed consent
Before field data collection, the research team will explain the
objectives and procedures of the study to authorities at the

6. study site. After obtaining permission from them, the team will
visit the respondents and explain the research to them. They
will be informed of the research objectives, potential risks, and
their right to refuse or withdraw participation at any time and
their decision will have no consequences or impact on their
status. Respondents must indicate their acceptance of their
involvement through signing the informed consent form.
Each participant will provide a signed and informed consent
before enrolment in this study. Although we will observe and
record performance behaviours of some students and teachers in
the learning institutions, we will not seek individual consent
from other faculty and students since no identifying information
about the participants will be collected. The field team will be
fluent in U.S. language (English).
· Approval
Permission for carrying out this proposed study will be sought
from the relevant authorities who include:
· Confidentiality
The Information obtained will be treated with confidentiality.
Names or any other form of identification will not be used.
References
Check, J., & Schutt, R. K. (2011). Research Methods in
Education. SAGE Publications.
Denny, P. (2013). The effect of virtual achievements on student
engagement. CHI '13 Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on
Human Factors in Computing Systems, 763-772 . Retrieved
from The ACM Digital Library:
http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2470763
Duru, C. B., Oluoha, U. R., Uwakwe, K. A., Diwe, K. C.,
Merenu, I. A., Chigozie, I. O., & Iwu, A. C. (2015). Prevalence
and Sociodemographic Determinants of Malnutrition among

7. Under-Five Children in Rural Communities in Imo State,
Nigeria. American Journal of Public Health Research, 3(6),
199–206. http://doi.org/10.12691/ajphr-3-6-1
Kumar, R. (2014). Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step
Guide for Beginners. SAGE Publications.
Sahu, P. K. (2013). Research Methodology: A Guide for
Researchers In Agricultural Science, Social Science and Other
Related Fields. Springer Science & Business Media.
Recall that in the Northrop case we studied in class, a U.S.
court ruled it would enforce an ICC arbitration clause but would
change the seat from Caracas to a district in Mississippi.
Assume that the following further events took place:
The arbitration was conducted. Venezuela participated fully. An
award was rendered in
late 2015 calling for Venezuela to pay Northrop $55million
(US). Within the period required by Venezuelan law, Venezuela
sought set aside in a Caracas court. It did soon two bases:
First, it asserted that the arbitration had not been conducted in
accordance with the agreement of the parties because the parties
had agreed on Caracas as the seat, not Mississippi.
Second, it argued that the tribunal was without jurisdiction
because under a Venezuelan law that took effect in January 1,
2016, no arbitration agreement in a contract with an agency of
the Venezuelan government is valid unless specifically
authorized by a particular bureau within the Executive branch
(that is, part of the branch of government occupied by the
President). Assume the ICC clause in the contract in question

8. had not been so approved.
The Venezuelan court heard both sides, and ruled the award was
a nullity. It applied article 34 of the Model Law, upon which
Venezuelan arbitration law is based. It held that both of
Venezuela’s theories of set aside were valid. Soon thereafter,
Northrop discovered that Venezuela had commercial accounts in
a third county, called Ruritania (R). R is a UN Model
Arbitration Law country, and is a party to the New York
Convention.
Northrop sought enforcement of the award in R, under the New
York Convention. R has not encountered this situation in its
courts before, and its courts are free to adopt any approach.
ASSIGNMENT: You are a consultant to the R court. Write a
paper analyzing the court’s options based on existing or
theoretical approaches to the problem of annulled awards.
Suggest the analysis the court should follow and the outcome.
Be thorough, but do not exceed 7 pages at normal margins and
1.5 spacing at 12 pt font. This limit includes footnotes, which
are encouraged. Do not waste space on memo formatting or
wordy introductions; the more analysis, the better—jettison the
“fluff.”
As always, do your own work (discuss your approach, answer,
with no one) and do not quote, paraphrase, or rely upon a source
without supplying appropriate source and crediting indications.
Do recall that you received material relevant to your inquiry in
class.
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Table of Contents
Introduction 03
Statement of Problem 05
Purpose of Study 05
Research Questions 06
Hypothesis………… 06
Conclusion…………………………………………………………….
.……………………….. 07
The Effect of Virtual Achievements on Student Engagement
Article Title:The Effect of Virtual Achievements on Student
Engagement
Citation: Denny, P. (2013, April). The effect of virtual
achievements on student engagement. In Proceedings of the
SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems (pp.
763-772). ACM.
Authors: P. Denny

10. URL:http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2470763
Introduction:
Virtual learning-based achievement schemes are being
used gradually to determine user contribution and commitment
across a range of stages and perspectives. In spite of positive
circumstantial reports, there is presently slight experimental
evidence to upkeep their effectiveness in specific areas. With
the new quick development of tools for online learning, an
exciting question for instructors is the degree to which badges
of online learning can positively influence student contribution.
Several studies learn a significantly substantial positive impact
on the amount of students’ performance & contribution, without
a consistent decrease in their quality, and also, the duration of
time in which students involved with the e-learning tool
(Davies, J., & Graff, M. 2005)
It has been recommended that interface in online learning
curriculums encourages student-centered knowledge, boosts
broader student contribution, and yields more in-depth and
rational debates than old-style face-to-face programs. Moreover,
studies also deliver proof to upkeep the advantages of online
collective environments. Such as, online debates boost more
discreet persons to contribute to a greater level. Also, the
promoters collaboration in online surroundings; as here, there is
a fewer chance for coercion among individuals and also little
time force on people than in face-to-face situations.
Contrariwise, deficiency of close collaboration among
learners may have contrary impacts, perhaps because students
experience a sense of separation or isolation. Indeed, one study
recommended that the contributors in their research who failed
to create online contacts with other students in their cluster
started feeling separated and isolated and more worried than
those who are successful in making those connections.
One purpose for the significance of online collaboration is
because students experience a ‘feeling of community’, liking
joint interdependence and a sense of dependence and interface
between community participants, which means that the

11. participants of the community have common aims and
objectives.
There is much research that articulates the encouraging
effects of online involvement regarding extensive learner
contribution, improving the quality of thoughts as compared
with outdated face-to-face contacts, as well as a study on the
advantageous effects of online collaboration regarding nurturing
an online society.
Some motives differentiate the importance of accepting
online and typical student contribution. First, a student feels
intrinsic attachment with the virtual learning programs. Second,
evaluating students’ commitment in primary educational
procedures delivers an indirect measure of informative and
educational results. Third, student engagement data produces a
straight measure of learners’ participation in primary
educational processes. Fourth, the meeting of a student with
virtual learning can help emphasize thoughts of the excellence.
Finally, student engagement data provides equivalent measures
of learner learning actions that can be utilized to assess and
accomplish the quality, levels and directing of resource
delivery.
Statement of Problem:
The early appearance of virtual achievements occasionally
mentioned to as trophies/ badges, given to operators for
finishing definite tasks was mainly attentive around games. In
spite of the rising application of badges, there is slight
experiential proof to upkeep their efficiency at attractive and
appealing users. Spontaneously, the user based and functionality
of any presentation are vital factors in defining suitable and
operational virtual learning, so organized research is required to
discover their effects through a variety array of different
domains.
Purpose of the Study:
Though, what required being explored is whether the
online interface has any physical advantage regarding
cultivating student learning as quantifying by ending marks of a

12. course. One study, therefore, examines the level of online
engagement of 122 undergraduates throughout their first year of
a professional degree, matching the level of collaboration with
their marks at the closing of the year. In effect of numerous
distinct and exclusive characteristic delivered by virtual
settings, there is a chance of exploring virtual applications for
an educational drive. In spite of the existing fact that most of
the virtual applications are largely for entertainment purpose, it
has been recommended that they have high potential to convert
into advanced education stage in the upcoming years, delivering
students with real-world-like practical learning.
Research Question:
Q 01: To what level does the insertion of virtual achievements
(badges) inside have an influence on the student learning and
how much time required for a student to engage with that virtual
tool of learning.
Q 02: To what extent greater online interaction make students
more involved with their studies and get more grades and if they
don’t interact with online tools they usually failed?
Hypothesis:
H 01: Students from the virtual group would have considerably
greater learning performance in and get more grades than others
who are not involved in such activities.
H 02: Student assessments would indicate that the virtual
classes have more appeal to learners than the outdated class
environment suggestively.
References:

13. Denny, P. (2013, April). The effect of virtual achievements on
student engagement. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference
on human factors in computing systems (pp. 763-772). ACM.
1
DavisP-EDU7702-8
Annotations
Transforming and Turning Around Low-Performing Schools:
The Role of Online Learning
In this paper, the researcher studied online learning. The basic
problem statement is to define the importance of online learning
schools as compared to different lowest performing schools.
The researcher used the term of K-12 for these kinds of schools.
The problem statement of this paper is to find out that: is online
learning can play a vital role in the education system as
compared to other schools. It is a paper by Michael Corry, and
he uses online learning as the core and basic strategy.
The purpose statement of the research is to explain the turning
conditions of K-12 schools i.e. online learning. The main
objective is to provide information about online learning. By
online learning researcher means the education students get
through the internet. This paper tries to explain its importance
and tried to explain that how education process is turning
around. Therefore, the paper includes the purpose of discussing
online learning role in the education.
The main research question of the paper is to:
Find the role of the online learning process in turning around or
transforming “low-performing” schools?

14. This paper included a detailed study of the role of online
learning, and it gives information that online learning is playing
a key role in turning the low performing schools. In recent
years, it has been found that a total number of students in the
online school have been increased to a great number. The reason
to this is that the online learning provides a flexible
environment to the students to study. So the answer to research
question through in detailed study has given in the paper.
Further recommendations have been made at the end of the
research paper. Credit recovery hits the mainstream
It is an article that formally focuses on the online schooling
process in the areas of America. The major problem statement
for the study is to understand the importance and role of basic
credit recovery classes that has arranged online in America
(Carr, 2014). As it has been explained before that, it is an
article, so its purpose is quite easy to explain. The purpose of
the study is to focus on the popularity of online education in a
country like U.S. it focuses on the growth of online study. It
talks about the benefits and significance of online education and
explains he reason behind the popularity of online classes.
This article had not clear research question although it speaks
about the increasing number of computer-based programs due to
increasing in the trend of online study. It includes the question
raised by opponents of online system of education (Carr, 2014).
The article generally includes the pros and con of the online
education and its effects on the society. This article is based on
American study. The article includes different benefits of online
study for both teachers and students. Meanwhile, it also
includes the disadvantages of this trend for both teachers and
the students (Carr, 2014).
Further, the effects of the online education trend are discussed
in the respective article. For instance, how opponents are
raising the question on the issue of quality of education. As
according to them online study is as much effective as another

15. traditional method. They oppose online education for its quality
too. On the other hand result of online education is increasing
in the number of computer-based programs (Carr, 2014).Online
Credit Recovery in Need of Overhaul, Study Says
It was the article written by Davis and Michelle R. in 2015. The
statement problem of this report is that: an online system of
education needs a revision so that better quality of education
can be ensured to the people. The article includes an
international report too. The main focus of the report is to
enhance the content quality for the online education study.
The purpose of the study is to make the online study more
accountable and beneficial. Moreover, the paper’s purpose is to
add benefits for the students and to minimize the lacking areas
in the online credit system of study. The aim of the paper is to
increase the content of teacher in the study for those who are
making their credits online. The proposals can add the
accountability to K-12 schools according to the paper.
The research question of this study is: either school district
should make a revision on the online –credit recovery for the
betterment in the content or not?
The paper includes the report and, according to the report,
schools that are offering an online system of education must
look at the offers again. It is more probably due to the opponent
or critics. They have always raised the question of the credulity
and quality of education. There is always the question of skill
development for the K-12 schools that are providing the
opportunity of filling credit hours online. So to resolve the
problem the International Association for K-12 Online Learning
has asked the schools to revised the system to make the system
more accountable and improved.
The report later proved that many of the systems were

16. effectively working while others were providing low-quality
opportunities for last few years. Further the report includes the
recommendations that how the system can become more
effective and workable.
An interim report on a pilot credit recovery program in a large,
suburban Midwestern high school
The statement of the problem of this paper is that: formal
education is necessary for spite of all the system of K-12
school. Grade retention is the focus of schools in the case of
failure of the student, but it do not work in any case in the
improvement of the student. As the number of failures are
increasing in the progress of developmental skills and it is due
to an online education system that has no credibility. Grade
maintenance has never been compelling in offering understudies
some assistance with gaining dominance obviously goals.
Formal study for better skills and proper development is
important (Franco and Patel, 2011).
The main purpose of the study is to provide freshman who has
failed through some subject to pass by completing credit hours.
The paper did research on a freshman who failed and passed
through to the next level by completing his credit hours.
Another purpose is to provide students with credit recovery
program but along with formal education.
The research question of the report is that: is pilot credit
recovery program is useful in completing credit for those who
failed in some subjects or not?
The study focuses on the point that the failure of a student in
any subject leads to the retention of grades in K-12. Recovery
credit method is offered to the students to achieve the minimum
passing score. With the help of this system, they can complete
their credits and pass to the next level. The paper talks about
the whole process with a recommendation for the betterment of

17. the online process of K-12 (Franco and Patel, 2011). Creating
Opportunity for Struggling Students
It is an article by Forman. The statement problem of the article
is that in most of the urban schools the management spends to
plan strategies then to implement it. Still there are always a
great number of students who fails to hit the marks (Foran,
2015).
The drive of the article is to help these remaining numbers of
students to pass the subjects in a timely manner. Its essential
function is to share information that how to achieve maximum
number graduate in a respective year in schools. The purpose is
to discuss the strategies the school named as New Britain
satellite school. The paper includes information that new
development projects are always needed to fill the gap and to
make students student so that the school can achieve the
maximum number of graduates (Foran, 2015).
The writer in the following article shares his experience in this
article. That how they make a full developmental plan to make
student study and, in that study, the basic problem was to
achieve a maximum number of graduates and to achieve this the
school management hired a new superintendent.
In 2011, changes were purposed in the school meeting and with
the new strategies and whole process the school seemed actual
working in progress academically. The graduation rate of
respective school enhanced from 63% to 70% (Foran, 2015).
References
· Carr, S. (2014). Credit recover hits the mainstream. Education
Next, 14(3), 30-37.
· Corry, M., & Carlson-Bancroft, A. (2014). Transforming and
Turning around Low-
Performing Schools: The Role of Online Learning. Journal of

18. Educators Online, 11(2).
· FORAN, M. (2015). Creating Opportunity for Struggling
Students. Education Digest, 81(2), 4–11.
· Franco, M. S., & Patel, N. H. (2011). An interim report on a
pilot credit recovery program in a large, suburban midwestern
high school. Education,132(1), 15.
· Online Credit Recovery in Need of Overhaul, Study Says.
(2015). Education Week, 35(5), 8–8.