Digital Commons Network^™

Developing Intercultural Competence And Cultural Capital: Applying Virtual Reality To Study Abroad Pedagogy, Jenifer Butler

English Theses & Dissertations

As the world becomes increasingly globalized thanks, at least in part, to the ubiquity of digital technology, scholars in discourse and new media must explore the possibility of learning and composition to expand pedagogical practices and opportunities. This project uses study abroad programs and education as a test case for establishing the feasibility of easily incorporating existing virtual reality (VR) technology into the classroom. It examines the theoretical and technological question of whether advancements in virtual reality have achieved the potential for practical pedagogical applications, and if virtual technology can provide responsible, accurate, and educational access to concepts as complex …

Understanding Universal Design For Learning Implementation: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Higher Education Faculty And Instructional Designers, Breanne A. Kirsch

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Faculty face a rising challenge in supporting diverse student populations on campuses (Bastedo et al., 2013). Inclusive pedagogy, facilitated by UDL, helps alleviate learning barriers for diverse student groups (Basham & Blackorby, 2021). However, the ambiguous operational definition of UDL poses practical challenges in implementation and assessment (Diedrich, 2021), especially when it is described variably as a practice, framework, or intervention in the literature (Basham & Blackorby, 2021). This hermeneutic phenomenological study explores the meaning faculty and instructional designers ascribe to the experience of implementing UDL in higher education.

The main question is: what is the meaning that faculty and …

Climbing The Academic Ladder While Black: Exploring The Experiences Of Institutional Belongingness For Black Counselor Education And Supervision Doctoral Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Jasmine Alicia Hawa Griffith

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Although ample research investigates students’ belongingness experiences in counselor education (CE) programs, existing literature only marginally explores the realities of Black master students, and there is a notable lack of empirical attention to Black doctoral students’ belongingness experiences in counselor education and supervision (CES) programs. Investigating Black CES doctoral students' belongingness experiences at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) is critical to understanding how the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) accredited CES programs can address the troubling statistic that Black doctoral students are least likely to become full-time CE faculty. Consequently, this study utilizes critical phenomenology from …

Online Learning As A Tool For Accessibility For Autistic Higher Education Students, Keirnan E. Brown

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Online learning is becoming more prevalent (Aylmer, 2020) and institutions are seeing an increase in disabled students (HEFCE, 2017; Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of the University System and Research [ANVUR], & National Conference of University Delegates for Disability [CNUDD], 2021; Rao, Edelen-Smith, & Wailehua, 2015). Meanwhile, this group experiences an achievement gap concerning learning and outcomes (ECU, 2017; Eurostat, 2014; Eurostat, 2019; Pearson et al., 2019). Therefore, exploring potential uses of online learning may be beneficial. One related use for online learning is its potential as a tool for accessibility for autistic students. Moreover, a literature gap exists …

Exploring The Experiences Of School Counselors Advocating For Social Justice Within Urban Pk-12 Charter Schools, Betsy Marina Perez

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

School counselors serve students’ academic, career, and social/emotional needs through a comprehensive school counseling program, and center their work on concepts of equity, advocacy, social justice, and systemic change, to remove barriers and increase opportunities for all PK-12 students. Charter schools are also unique public school settings as they offer flexibility, innovation, and autonomy to staff to create individualized experiences for their students. Held in common by these two educational services is the commitment to serving the needs of historically marginalized populations (Black, Indigenous, People of Color [BIPOC] and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds) and the opportunity to advocate for …

Identification Of Quality Indicators Of Visual Based Learning Material In Technology Education Programs For Grades 6th - 9th In Greek Schools In Cyclades Aegean Islands, Spyridoula Tsouganatou

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to identify quality indicators for visual based learning material for technology education classes for grades 6th to 9th. This is a three round Delphi study aimed in answering the following research question. RQ: What are the quality indicators that contribute to the successful selection of visual-based learning material that contribute effectively to transmitting pedagogical information in a technology education classroom for grades 6^th -9^th? The quality indicators were determined by the consensus reached by technology education expert panel/educators that have been identified for the contributions and expertise in the field of …

The Practices Of Instructional Design At Community Colleges: A Post-Qualitative Study Of The Mutual Invisibility Of Work, David Robert Niebuhr Tod

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The work of instructional design in community college settings is woefully understudied. This study documents that work in three community colleges in the southeastern United States while placing it in the theoretical context of neoliberalism, and in line with that theoretical context, takes a post-structuralist stance in its methodological approach.

It is in the discourses of instructional quality, online teaching, and design that instructional designers and faculty engage with each other. In contrast to the more well understood working relationship in a four-year institution, the power relationships between these two groups have not been examined in a community college context. …

Inviting Submission: Isabella Beeton At The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine, 1856-1865, Julie Megan Sorge Way

English Theses & Dissertations

Isabella Beeton, creator of the iconic domestic manual Beeton’s Book of Household Management, died suddenly in 1865, just before her twenty-ninth birthday. Her popular book survived to codify stereotypical Victorian female ideals. Yet the “Mrs Beeton” mythos camouflages a remarkable talent: far from domestic drudgery, Beeton maintained a vibrant career as a writer and editor at the Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine (EDM), traveling widely to research the latest fashions and laboring behind the scenes to ensure the magazine’s success. Closely examining Beeton’s EDM work demonstrates how these formative, productive years shaped her later, more popular writing. Such a …

The Experiences Of Multilingual Learning-Focused School Counselors: A Phenomenological Investigation, Chelsea Jo Hilliard

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Equity in education has become increasingly prioritized, due to the growing mainstream recognition of the inequitable practices that historically have and presently continue to exist in K-12 education. With the K-12 student population diversity continuously increasing in areas such as abilities, race/ethnicities, socioeconomic status, languages, immigration status, and more, ensuring equitable access to education is vital. One such unique student group needing equitable access to education are multilingual learners or MLL. Located within schools, school counselors are uniquely positioned to equitably serve MLL students. Overall, while the research on school counselors serving MLL students (at the pre-service and practice level) …

Intersectional Cultural Identities Among First-Generation College Students: From A Deficit To Asset Perspective, Kelsie K. Allison

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

First-generation college students (FGCS) comprise of over half of the U.S. higher education student population, yet have considerably lower academic attainment rates compared to non-FGCS. Research has explored challenges that may attribute to these academic disparities, however, there remains a critical gap in identifying FGCS assets that may ameliorate these disparities. Addressing this gap, the current study examined the role of cultural identity, which has shown to have a positive impact on college students’ academic achievement and well-being, as a key asset for FGCS. Specifically, the current study examined the unique effects of various cultural identity domains (i.e., ethnic, U.S., …

A Study On The Use Of Reflective Writing Assessments To Indicate The Level Of Knowledge College Industrial Technology Students Possess Related To The Three Elements Of Technological And Engineering Literacy, William Domenick Euefueno

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The problem of the study was to determine if the use of a reflective writing assessment at the beginning, middle, and end of a college semester indicated an industrial technology student’s knowledge and skills related to technological and engineering literacy. Experiences gained during project-based learning activities were used as the basis for this study. This descriptive study examined the reflective writing abilities of junior and senior year college students enrolled in a university’s industrial technology program of study by administering a reflective writing assignment three times over a semester of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) course, STEM 320, Manufacturing …

3/5ths Of Freedom: The Analysis Of {With} Black Individuals In Higher Education And Navigating Society Post-Justice-Involvement, Gabrielle Sarah Smith Finnie

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Black individuals have been disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system in the United States (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2022). Because of their criminal justice involvement, Black individuals are perceived as second-class citizens making their quest for “freedom” an endless journey impacted by oppression and domination post-justice-involvement (Couloute & Kopf, 2018; Johnson, 2021; Pager, 2003). To combat domination and oppression, Freire (1970) emphasized pursuing higher education helps individuals who experience marginalization become more humanized and aids them on their plight to freedom. Research highlighted pursuing higher education post-justice-involvement is a liberatory yet challenging experience because of discriminatory on-campus …

The Impact Of Guided Notes Intervention On Learning Achievement, Quality Of Notes, And Perception, Bryan Richard Biggers

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Guided notes in the form of teacher-prepared materials that guide students through the lesson with cues and space have been recommended as a possible aid to support student learning. The present study investigated the results of guided notes on the students’ learning achievement, the quality of the students’ notes, and the students’ perceptions of note-taking. Sixty students were enrolled in an eight-week, asynchronous, online, general education course and were divided into nonintervention and intervention groups where the nonintervention groups took notes without support while the students in the intervention group took notes with guided notes during weeks two through seven. …

A Rural Return: The Triumphs And Trials Of A School District's Return To In-Person Learning, Jason Alex Wheeler

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

On March 13, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam ordered all public schools in Virginia to close for two weeks due to the on-going global health crisis; this closure was later extended to include the remainder of the academic year. This created a new political, academic, and social landscape for public schools across the commonwealth to navigate. In addition, to the external political landscape schools face, all public schools are saturated with micropolitical implications. Micropolitics, or the political interactions of values, power, organizational structures, and strategies among internal stakeholders, of which the COVID-19 Pandemic exacerbated, is concerned with the internal politics that …

First-Generation College Students And Sense Of Belonging At School: The Moderating Effect Of Remote Learning, Christina Su Ju

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the effect of first-generation college student status on students’ sense of belonging, and whether remote learning moderates this effect. Specifically, this study examines whether first-generation college students’ sense of belonging at university differs from their continuing-generation college student counterpart, and whether taking remote courses impacts that relationship. It was hypothesized that first-generation college students would report lower sense of belonging than continuing-generation college students, and that remote learning would moderate the relationship such that the negative effect of first-generation student status on sense of belonging is strengthened when the student takes more remote courses. Survey data from …

Physical Educators’ Self-Efficacy To Teach Students With Disabilities Across Instructional Placements, Lindsey Ann Nowland

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Although there are several well used self-efficacy instruments designed to measure PE teachers’ self-efficacy to teach students with disabilities, limitations to these scales exits, such as a narrow focus on integrated instructional placements and an absence of theoretically relevant sources of self-efficacy information built within the scales. These limitations translate to a significant gap in the literature between measuring PE teachers’ self-efficacy and understanding how sources of self-efficacy information interact to shape PE teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs, as well as understanding how different instructional placements may inform efficacy. This dissertation was structured in a two-manuscript approach. The purpose of the first …

Co-Constructing Physical Education Resources And Recommendations With Blind Adults, M. Ally Keene

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Blind youth have reported unfavorable PE experiences, however, are optimistic that positive changes could be made. Despite recommendations to involve students in learning decisions, those made for teaching blind youth in PE have largely been constructed from nondisabled adults. This dissertation used a participatory research method and positioned blind people as research partners, amplifying their voices as knowers, collaborators, and researchers, to help construct resources and recommendations to disseminate to PE teachers. With that, the overall aim of this dissertation was to construct a product that provides PE teachers with useful and relevant resources and recommendations, in an attempt to …

"I Think There Is A Place For Small Programs:" Advocating, Implementing, And Sustaining Tpc Programs In Small Us Institutions, Martha Lynn Russell

English Theses & Dissertations

Technical and Professional Communication (TPC) programs in small institutions compose of over a third of all programs in the US, yet this space has been understudied by most scholars. To fill this gap, this dissertation presents findings from one-hour interviews with twenty-six TPC program directors in small US institutions with undergraduate populations of less than six thousand. The results of this dissertation include the ways that small institutions are advocating, implementing, and sustaining their TPC program in unique ways with implications for how any TPC programs regardless of size can learn from these findings.

Assessing The Impact Of Substituting Interaction Types: An Empirical Study Of The Interaction Equivalency Theory, Scott Alan Hauert

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Multimedia technologies allow instructional designers to transform interpersonal interactions into interactions between learners and content. These learner–content interactions are more scalable in online, asynchronous distance education (DE) than interactions between learners and the instructor or interactions among learners. Additionally, learners sometimes prefer interactions with course content over interactions with their peers and instructor. Studies on learner–learner and learner–instructor interaction provide insight into the preferences and perceived effects of interaction types. However, the literature has not directly discussed the impact on performance resulting from substituting learner–content interaction for learner–learner interaction. This study examined the impact of substituting interaction types on perception …

Public School Superintendents In Virginia: Innovating In The Educational Context, Daniel Firing Keever

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This research study, using institutional theory as a framework, examines the role of superintendents in promoting and impacting innovation in Virginia's public schools. The study engaged fourteen current Virginia superintendents in semi-structured interviews, exploring their perspectives on fostering an innovative culture within their school districts. Three primary themes emerged from the research: defining innovation, the role of superintendents in leading innovation, and the challenges and barriers to innovation. Generally, the findings highlight that innovation fundamentally involves thinking differently, finding creative solutions, and bringing about meaningful organizational improvements. The study emphasizes that innovation is essential for adapting to the evolving needs …

The Implications Of Dual Enrollment Participation On Black/African American Students’ Success, Yousef Abraham

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents a thorough investigation into the impact of dual enrollment programs on postsecondary achievement among students who identify as Black/African American. Dual enrollment initiatives have gained significant attention in recent years as a promising approach to enhance students' readiness for higher education and facilitate smoother transitions to college. This research seeks to provide valuable insights into the effectiveness and implications of such programs, shedding light on their potential to improve postsecondary outcomes for Black/African American students. This study also acknowledges inherent limitations and delves into potential practical applications of the research outcomes, exploring how educators and policymakers can …

Strategies That Contribute To The Sustainability And Success Of Community College Non-Credit Workforce Development Programs, Amy Lovin Henecke

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Several factors contribute to the challenges community college leaders face in maintaining and sustaining noncredit workforce development programming. For example, these factors include funding reductions from state legislators and corporations using internal training departments for workforce development. There are community colleges that do overcome these challenges and achieve sustainability, provide revenue to the college, and increase and expand programming. The purpose of this case study was to identify strategies that contribute to the sustainability and success of community college noncredit workforce development programs.

The research focused on two community colleges in the United States that are nationally recognized for achieving …

An Evaluation Of Network2work At Piedmont Virginia Community College, Cynthia M. Finley

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Barriers to education and training can have a generational impact on socioeconomic status and economic development. Post-traditional students have been shown to experience a variety of barriers to education and family sustaining employment. Social capital has been shown to help alleviate some of the barriers for students resulting in stronger economic outcomes, such job retention, and higher wages. This case study examined a workforce development approach to providing support to post-traditional students in non-credit industry training. The researcher examined student outcomes, credential attainment and employment, between two student groups (Network2Work versus a nonNetwork2Work group) using chi-square and logical regression analysis. …

A Mindful Search For Basic Writing Identities: Constellating Contemplative Classroom Pedagogies, Classroom Community Circles, And Critical Discourse Analysis In A Cultural Rhetorics Ecology, Elizabeth Edwards Weems

English Theses & Dissertations

Many Basic Writing students have stories which are informed by traumas, othering, and marginalization. Finding pedagogies which address students’ stories, in addition to meeting academic goals, is crucial. Sometimes, students question how improving their reading and writing skills can help them navigate other areas of their education and experiences, especially their lives outside of academia. I have worked to create a kairotic pedagogy which invites students to read and write ‘the word and the world’ (Freire, 1970; 1988). Using Contemplative Classroom Pedagogies, I attempted to follow Freire’s (1992) call to make “teaching a creative act, a critical act, and not …

The Effects Of Self-Regulated Learning On Community College Students Metacognition, Motivation And Achievement In Geoscience Courses, Melani A. Loney

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the impact of training in self-regulated learning on community college, geoscience students’ achievement, metacognition, time management, and science motivation scales. The study also investigated the impact of SRL training on these outcomes as a function of gender and ethnicity. During the Fall of 2022, 70 community college geoscience students from 9 different classes participated in the study. The classes were bifurcated with one half of the students in each class randomly assigned to the SRL treatment and the other half to the control condition. Each week, for 10 weeks during the semester, students in the treatment group …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Self-Identified Politically Conservative Students In Graduate Counseling Programs In Public Universities, Elizabeth A. Orrison

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Professionals within the fields of social science predominantly identify as liberal (Woessner & Kelly-Woessner, 2015) and many issues related to politics, such as power and oppression, are inherent and central to the social science fields (Lerner, 2020). Past research has shown the potential for political bias in academia, which has been linked to the lack of representation of various political identities. Most research on political academic bias is not current, making it difficult to find relevant research on this topic published within the last ten years. Currently, there has been no identified research or scholarly production that specifically explores self-identified …

Using Reciprocal Teaching Strategies To Improve Reading Comprehension For English As A Second Language Students With Learning Disabilities, Hana M. Almohamadi

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

Students who have problems comprehending textual material tend to experience failing grades, peer rejection, and even social isolation. Furthermore, students with poor reading comprehension demonstrate poor academic performance in all subjects, not due to difficulty in learning specific subject content (i.e., math, history, etc.), but rather their inability to comprehend reading passages related to that subject knowledge. Reciprocal teaching (RT) is an effective tool for teaching children with Learning Disabilities (LD) to improve their reading comprehension abilities. These multiple cognitive strategies can meet the needs of many students in terms of more deliberate, directed, and self-regulated learning through students’ interaction …

Investigating The Effect Of Universal Design For Learning On Learner Performance, Engagement, And Self-Efficacy, Ana Elizabeth Redstone

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

This study sought to address the gap in knowledge about the effect of UDL features on asynchronous online postsecondary learners’ achievement, engagement, and self-efficacy. The study also described a process for redesigning an online course to incorporate UDL components and provided specific examples of the implemented UDL guidelines. The study was conducted in a three-phase multimethod research design, which included quantitative and qualitative data collected from the participants, the learning management system (LMS), and the course instructor.

In collaboration with the course instructor, the researcher redesigned an existing asynchronous online university Computer Science course using UDL guidelines to address learning …

An Investigation Of An Intervention Embedded In Summer Bridge Programming For Promoting The Self-Regulated Learning And Achievement Of Student-Athletes, Erin W. Cousins

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Many students, including collegiate student-athletes, face academic challenges throughout their higher education experience, struggling to learn and perform effectively. One reason for this difficulty may be that students are not engaging in adequate self-regulated learning (SRL). Although research has demonstrated the effectiveness of SRL interventions in improving college students’ SRL abilities and academic performance, this research has not adequately explored the unique population of college athletes (Jansen et al., 2019; Theobald, 2021). The present study addressed this gap and aimed to enhance the SRL abilities and achievement of collegiate student-athletes through an intervention implemented within a summer bridge program at …

Relationship Between Learning Communities And Campus Residency On Sense Of Belonging Among First Year Undergraduates, Lanah Kathryn Stafford

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

In higher education, sense of belonging has been linked to improved outcomes such as retention and academic achievement (e,g., Pittman & Richmond, 2007). Previous research has also identified participation in learning communities and campus residency as interventions which improve sense of belonging for students in this context (e.g., Solanki et al., 2019; Soria & Roberts, 2021). However, little research has been conducted to empirically study sense of belonging as a multidimensional construct, and no research has investigated interactions between on-campus residency and learning community participation on its development.

Data were collected from 1,072 first-year students on the Sense of Belonging …