Digital Commons Network^™

Crusader, March, 30, 2007, College Of The Holy Cross

Student Newspapers

The student newspaper for the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Articles include coverage of campus events and issues, sports, editorials and special features.

An Explanation Of The Supervisory Model Used By Elementary Principal Supervisors In The State Of Missouri, David J. Hvidston, Bret Range, J Anderson, Brady Quirk

School Leadership Review

The goal for this paper was to discuss the efforts a school district has taken to utilize elementary principal supervisors to build and develop principals’ leadership capacities. The question considered was: (1) How are principals supervised and evaluated in one district? Attempting to answer this question is an important step in operationalizing guiding principles that can be shared with principal supervisors. The discussion included the importance of standards, the modeling of instructional supervision by principal supervisors, the reliance of guiding questions and potential data sources. Additional critical factors included coaching with two-way communication based on a trusting, reflective relationship. As …

"Experimenting With An Embedded Librarian In An American Government Class", Shyam Sriram

Shyam K. Sriram (ssriram@butler.edu)

No abstract provided.

Learning In Transitions: Migrant Women Reflecting On Life Trajectories And Constructing Self-Identity, Heh Youn Shin

Adult Education Research Conference

The purpose of this paper is to examine how foreign wives in Korea present themselves in relation to the dominant discourse surrounding them through stories of migration and marriage experiences.

In Their Own Voices: A Nationwide Study Of Students’ Attitudes Towards The Implementation Of Smart Learning Environments In Uae Schools, Maria Efstratopoulou, Maxwell Peprah Opoku, Aizhan Shomotova, Christina Davison, Abdulrafi Jaffarul, Aalya Mesmar

All Works

A smart learning environment (SLE) encompasses the use of advanced technology and smart pedagogical teaching skills tailored to suit students with diverse learning needs. In recent years, some countries, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have formulated policies to implement SLE in their education systems. Since students are the intended beneficiaries of SLE policy, it is crucial to explore their perceptions of its implementation in a novel context. Therefore, this study explored the attitudes of students towards the implementation of SLE in the UAE. To conduct this investigation, 1857 secondary school students (grades 7 and 12) were recruited nationwide. …

Leadership Potential And Self-Perceived Employability Of Undergraduate Students In The United Arab Emirates, Aizhan Shomotova, Tatiana Karabchuk, Ali Ibrahim

All Works

One of the main challenges facing higher education institutions (HEIs) is developing students’ employability skills, such as leadership. The earlier students acquire leadership skills, the higher their self-perceived employability (SPE) is upon graduation. Understanding how leadership is associated with SPE can help HEIs provide better leadership development programmes to increase SPE so that students pursue sustainable employment after graduation and use their leadership skills successfully in the workplace. Currently, there is a scarcity of published research on how youth leadership potential (LP) impacts SPE among undergraduate students at HEIs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Arab region in …

Along For The Journey: Graduate Student Perceptions Of Research, Alissa Droog, Kari D. Weaver, Frances Brady

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Graduate student identities and personal lives are heavily tied to their experiences of research, and many struggle to find, understand, and use information for research purposes. Using a drawing exercise rooted in visual research methods combined with semi-structured interviews, a research team in the United States and Canada explored graduate student perceptions of research with 19 participants. Thematic analysis identified six themes: research is abstract; research is an odyssey; social support makes or breaks the student experience; research is an emotional continuum; interplay between identity/values; information is problematic. The study has implications for how librarians support graduate student research.

Syllabus For Social Foundations Of Education, Laura Kates

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Adjunct Faculty Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Analysis, James Bernard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the experiences of adjunct faculty. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unparalleled disruption around the globe. Challenges that were faced in higher education included health and safety protocols, social distancing, emergency remote teaching, and closing campuses while trying to maintain quality of the education and perceived value for the student.

Adjunct faculty play a significant role in higher education, teaching and supporting academic programs. Given the reliance on the use of adjunct faculty and recognizing the link between job satisfaction and performance, the experiences of adjunct …

The Use Of Fourier-Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy With An Infrared Biotyper To Establish Classifiers For Major Serogroups Of Moraxella Bovis Based On Spectral Profiles, Jordyn Bailey Schommer

Honors Theses

A classifier tool was created to identify major serogroups of Moraxella bovis based on spectral profiles collected from bacterial cells through the use of Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. M. bovis strains were selected from a group of previously sequenced and genotyped isolates, which provided the pilin sequence type for each isolate. The obtained spectroscopic profiles were analyzed through artificial neural networks to create a classifier tool that could identify the PilA type for unknown strains. Once a sufficient spectral library was obtained, the isolates were split into a training and a validation group, each containing spectra from isolates of five …

“In My Blood”: External Factors For International Stem Postdoctoral Scholars’ Career Decisions, Kathryn J. Watson, Sylvia L. Mendez

Journal of Global Education and Research

This instrumental case study (Stake, 1995) explores the external factors that influence international science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) postdoctoral scholars in the United States to pursue a career in STEM. Interviews with 20 international STEM postdoctoral scholars were analyzed deductively to shed light on their unique backgrounds and experiences. Three themes emerged: (a) parents were highly encouraging, (b) a love of science was nurtured in school, and (c) they were eager to engage in and promote scientific innovation. These findings illustrate the ways in which family, schools, and community influence the STEM career trajectories of international postdoctoral scholars.

Investigating Community Of Inquiry And Cognitive Load, Emily K. Faulconer, Darryl Chamberlain, Beverly Wood

Publications

This project will design and research a pilot program for infusing best practices into online discussion forums in STEM courses to reduce extraneous load, improve instructional presence, instructor social presence, student social presence, and student cognitive presence.

The Contributions Of Executive Functioning To Handwritten And Keyboarded Compositions In Year 2 Children, Debora S. Valcan, Anabela Malpique, Deborah Pino-Pasternak, Mustafa Asil, Timothy Teo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Writing is a multifaceted skill, recruiting varied cognitive processes that involve working memory, attention shifting and inhibition, also known as executive functioning (EF). Despite emerging research examining associations between EF and handwritten composition, the mediating role of transcription skills on the relation between EF and text composition remains underexplored. Even less is understood about the nature of these potential mediation mechanisms in keyboard-based text composing, a writing modality that is becoming pervasive during the first years of schooling. This study investigated whether the automaticity of inscription skills (handwriting and keyboarding) and spelling mediate the relation between children's EF and text …

The Construct Of English Native Speaker In Hong Kong, Ka Long Roy Chan Dr.

Journal of English and Applied Linguistics

The discussion paper provides a discussion of the construct of English native speakers among Hongkongers. Beginning with a review of the linguistic landscapes of Hong Kong, including English language education and English usage, followed by an introduction of a debate on the construct of English native speakers, this paper demonstrates the potential inclusion of Hongkongers as native speakers of English, with the use of their English varieties, Hong Kong English. Additionally, the paper argues for a revision of the traditional geographically-bounded definition of ‘native speaker,’ drawing upon discussions by Rampton (1990), Kachru (1998), and Hansen Edwards (2017a, 2017b) regarding the …

Growing Together: Cultivating The Social-Emotional Effects Of Art Education Through Trauma-Informed Pedagogy, Kaitlyn Lawrence

Masters Theses

In many societies, the process of art is recognized as a healing and transformative practice. In recent years, it has been emerging in tandem with social emotional practices and procedures in American education. However, it is also a fact that social emotional learning (SEL) does not account for all students due to its inability to account for the needs of all students in the classroom. SEL alone aims to teach healthy development and emotional management skills, but fails to account for students with varying experiences. While there are those who can and do integrate the skills from the Social Emotional …

Undergraduate Student Sense Of Belonging And Edtech Tool Engagement: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of The Virtual Campus Experience, Veronica Wilson

Dissertations

The contemporary postsecondary learning experience is heavily mediated by educational technology (EdTech) tools and yet little is known about the ways in which these tools impact student engagement and sense of belonging, two indicators which are important to student persistence and graduation. Using Strayhorn’s (2023) critical socioecological sense of belonging framework, this convergent mixed methods study offers insights into these relationships by examining student engagement with EdTech and student sense of belonging and the impact of student traits on the relationship between EdTech and sense of belonging. This study was conducted at a private, broad access Hispanic-Serving Institution in the …

Community Engagement In Art & Design Colleges, Mah Rukh Raja

Masters Theses

This thesis titled ‘Community Engagement in Art & Design Colleges: Case Studies from Pakistan’ highlights the importance of community-engaged practices in education, specifically within the realm of art and design, and examines the effect of community engagement on student learning. It focuses on the importance of creating opportunities for reciprocal, community-engaged learning where responsibilities, roles and credit are shared equally among students, community partners, and educational institutions to develop projects that are in the best interest of communities.

This research coincides with the introduction of community and civic engagement in undergraduate education in Pakistan. Its primary objective is to serve …

Math Anxiety And Avoidance Of Mathematics At The College Level: Undergraduate And Their Sense Of Not Belonging In Math Classrooms, Kay C. Lashley

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Negative experiences and perceptions of the subject often influence the avoidance of mathematics at the college level. This study explored this issue by investigating the relationship between math anxiety, belongingness in math classes, and help-seeking behaviors among STEM and non-STEM majors. The study involved 41 participants, including 24 STEM majors and 17 non-STEM majors, all undergraduate college students aged 18 to 54. The results revealed that most students (39 out of 41) felt a sense of belonging in their math classes. Correlation analyses showed a significant positive relation between math anxiety and self-reported math competency, “r(41)= .44, p < .01,” and that higher levels of math anxiety were linked to a greater likelihood of avoiding math classes, “r(41)= .35, p = .02”. Students with lower math anxiety were marginally more inclined to seek help from family or friends, “ X2 (12, N = 42) = 20.1, p = .065”. However, there were no significant differences in help-seeking behaviors between STEM and non-STEM majors. Overall, these findings are consistent with previous studies. Nevertheless, more research and interventions are needed to develop supportive math learning environments at the college level, especially for students with higher anxiety.

In My Softest & Most Liberatory Dreams: Reflections On Holding Complexity & Decentering Whiteness, Richard C. Clark

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

As the world contends with a global pandemic, climate catastrophes, white supremacy, coloniality, and concurrent genocides my attention splinters. In an act of futurity, or future making, I ask myself: What is needed to move from this place toward softer, more liberatory futures? This body of work finds its answer in exploring two interrelated concepts: Decentering Whiteness and Holding Complexity. Decentering Whiteness is the process of working toward a future where all the personal, spiritual, educational, epistemological, social, structural, psychological, financial, and systemic ties to white supremacy are unraveled. Holding Complexity weaves together knowledges of care, accountability, intersectionality, and …

Garment Making As A Practice Of Freedom, Emily Bennison

Masters Theses

This Thesis investigates sewing education in schools as a transformative experience for teenagers. Through teacher-based research methodology, this study delves into the implementation of fashion design classes aimed to foster creative expression. Critical thinking, and social engagement among teens. The research draws upon scholarly work that engaged with home economics, community sewing classes, and trauma informed pedagogical approaches. The qualitative data gathered from classroom observations and the teacher reflections have informed a socially engaged sewing zine that comprises lesson plans. The findings shed light on the potential of fashion design education to empower students, cultivate their artistic skill, and encouragement …

Professional Learning Communities: Structures And Implementation For Small Middle Schools And Singleton Teachers, Gerrie Aulisa

Dissertations

Professional Learning Communities are essential to building interdependent collaborative teacher teams to elevate teaching and learning for students. One struggle with implementing PLCs comes about when you have singleton teachers who do not have a colleague who teaches the same grade and content as them. This study reviewed the research-based PLC implementation strategies used at one small middle school. The main research question was: How can PLCs work effectively for small middle schools and singleton teachers? Other related questions were:

● How can PLCs feel relevant to our elective area teachers?

● What determines a successful PLC?

● Should middle …

Development Of A Midwifery Student Peer Debriefing Tool: An Interpretive Descriptive Study, Kate Buchanan, Carolyn Ross, Dianne Bloxsome, Jen Hocking, Sara Bayes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Psychosocial traumatisation associated with giving birth, can occur in those present with the woman giving birth, a phenomenon known as vicarious trauma. It has been identified that there are currently no interventions available for midwifery students who have experienced vicarious trauma following difficult birth experiences. Objective: To explore whether the counselling intervention developed by Gamble et al. (2005), can be adapted for midwifery students to be appropriately and feasibly used as a counselling intervention with peers who have experienced midwifery practice-related vicarious trauma. Design: Interpretive descriptive methodology. Setting: This study was set at two Australian universities from which pre-registration …

Identifying Graduate Students’ Instructional Strategies And Approaches Towards Teaching Employable Skills, Elizabeth S. Che

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

College instruction tends to focus on imparting disciplinary knowledge rather than employable broad-based skills emphasized by undergraduate guidelines. The lack of emphasis on broad-skill development may leave many undergraduate students unprepared for the workforce. Graduate students who are future professoriate, are teaching undergraduate courses with various attitudes and strategies. This dissertation comprises three published studies that used data from two surveys identifying graduate students’ instructional strategies and approaches to teaching employable skills in their courses.

The first study asked whether graduate students teaching undergraduate courses (N = 114; 70.2% women, M age = 30 years) aim to teach employable …

Examining Book Banning Trends In The U.S., Amanda D. Filchock

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone project is a web application for users to explore book banning trends across the United States. It is intended to serve as a resource for students, parents, educators, librarians, and authors who are interested in understanding the ways that book banning attempts have changed between 2021-2023 in the United States. These audiences will be able to interact with data visualizations to inform their own research and deepen their understanding of this current topic. Interactive features include: the ability to search by the title or author of a book to learn where, when, why, and by whom the book …

Ekphrasis: An Exploration Of Poetry Inspired By Art, Caitlin Cacciatore

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

“Ekphrasis: An Exploration of Poetry Inspired by Art” is an Open Educational Resource (OER) that occupies the underdeveloped niche of freely available teaching and learning materials about the interdisciplinary poetic medium of ekphrasis. Ekphrastic poetry is a form dating back to Book XVIII of the Iliad, experiencing a revitalization in the latter half of the 18^th century, when demand for written descriptions of paintings was in high demand, and again taking on a new, modern meaning in the early 19^th century, with poems like John Keats’ 1819 “Ode on a Grecian Urn.” Ekphrasis is …

Factors That Impact New York City Public High School Graduation: Finding Barriers To Education Through Data Analysis And Visualization, Kyoung Kang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone project is to provide visual evidence about the factors related to high school graduation rates of New York City public high school students. By analyzing the NYC public high school data, including graduation rates, school survey results, and school funding allocations, this project explores the graduation gaps among different student bodies, such as ethnic groups and school locations. The graduation disparities across the five boroughs are further examined for students with disabilities, economic difficulties, and language barriers. School-level data is used to visualize the gaps in school performances and funding allocations across the five boroughs. Lastly, the visualization …

Dit Aungier Street – A Brief But Focused History From Earliest Times, Sean Byrne

Level 3

No abstract provided.

Dublin Institute Of Technology (Dit) College Sites: A Fascicle Of Maps, Photographs, Images And Documents, Leonard Hynes, Phil Hanlon Dr., Anne Murphy

Level 3

No abstract provided.

Three Graces And A Referendum: Cathal Brugha Street’S History And Ireland’S Gender Discourses From Tradition To Transition, Brian Murphy

Level 3

No abstract provided.

Finding Belonging Through Curricular And Pedagogical Partnership In A First-Year Course On Linguistic Justice, Timothy D. Arner, Lilli Morrish

Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education

No abstract provided.