Digital Commons Network^™

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.

2024-2025 Undergraduate Academic Calendar, Cedarville University

Academic Calendars

No abstract provided.

Exploring Early Childhood Teachers’ Experiences In Teaching Multilingual Children In Public Mainstream Schools In Tennessee, Maria Dias

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study, grounded in a phenomenological perspective, delves into the lived experiences of early childhood teachers who teach multilingual children in mainstream classrooms in Tennessee. Amidst the rising number of multilingual learners in mainstream educational settings and the dearth of adequate teacher training to address their needs, this research illuminates the experiences of these teachers. Furthermore, it seeks to advocate for the integration of translanguaging pedagogy into teacher training programs and state policies. This study employed a qualitative study using the three-in-depth-interview series from a phenomenological perspective (Seidman, 2019). The first interview focused on participants’ overall teaching experiences and …

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 …

Online Teaching And Learning At Chinese Universities During Covid-19: Insiders’ Perspectives, Youliang Zhang, Yidan Zhu, Tongjie Chen, Tongfei Ma

Journal of Global Education and Research

During attempts to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic in China, higher education programs shifted their traditional educational models to online models. This paper aimed to explore how Chinese universities organized online teaching and learning during the pandemic. It investigated the factors affecting the implementation of online teaching and provided policy recommendations for improving the quality of education in the post-pandemic period. The primary data for this study came from in-depth interviews with nine students and five teaching and administrative staff at eight major universities in mainland China. Literature was obtained in both English and Chinese from January 2020 to …

The Global Impact Of The Hlrc Journal On Digital Teaching And Learning Research And Best Practices In Higher Education, Erwin Krauskopf, Gary J. Burkholder

Higher Learning Research Communications

We are pleased to publish the first regular issue (Volume 14, Issue 1) of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) for 2024. Because of our strategic decisions, the journal has advanced in the Scimago journal rank (SJR), which measures the frequency with which content published in a journal was cited in other journals during the three previous years. The SJR provides a numerical indicator of a journal's relative importance and impact within its field. We announce that HLRC has been ranked 612 out of 1,506 journals among all education journals indexed by Scopus, classifying HLRC as within the second quartile of …

And Still We Rise…An Examination Of The Perceptions Of African American Women’S Lived Experiences Regarding Barriers Faced During Their Journeys To Executive Leadership Positions At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Tanya White, Dianne Reed, Ls Spencer, Charlotte Fontenot, Mack Hines

Tapestry: Journal of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in Education

This qualitative case study described the lived experiences of 11 African American women regarding the barriers that they faced on their journeys to obtaining executive leadership positions at historically black colleges and universities and universities (HBCUs). Five of the African American women served in their positions at predominantly white universities (PWIs) in addition to HBCUs. The purpose of the study was to describe the perceptions of African American women regarding steps they have practiced continuing their path to notable success in higher education leadership. We described the behaviors and practices of these African American women leaders and how they engage …

2024-06-20 Non-Tenure Track Ad Hoc Committee Report, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

A report from the Non-Tenure Track Ad Hoc Committee submitted to the Faculty Senate on June 20, 2024.

What Do Extension And Public Health Educators Need To Address Substance Misuse?, Lisa Washburn, Karen Franck

The Journal of Extension

Limited organizational capacity has hindered Extension’s ability to address substance misuse in communities. To inform capacity-building efforts, we obtained Extension educator and health educator feedback on opportunities, challenges and resource needs using the Delphi technique. Opportunities included collaboration and partnerships with local entities. Stigma, inadequate resources, and limited knowledge and skills of educators were challenges. Top resource needs were updated youth curricula, funding, and clear guidance on what educators can do and what should be referred externally. Findings provide insights to educator perceptions and suggest additional training and resources needed to implement evidence-based approaches to address substance misuse.

Extension Professionals Support Agricultural Education Career Awareness, Rebecca Mott, John Tummons, Jon C. Simonsen, D.A. Cletzer, Jaelyn Peckman, Seth Plaugher

The Journal of Extension

The Covid-19-induced moratorium on campus visits allowed faculty from University of Missouri’s Agricultural Education & Leadership (AEL) program and Missouri Extension time to reconsider our campus visit structure and be more purposeful in our recruitment efforts. We organized a showcase to expose high school students to career paths and help them understand how our program could help prepare them for career success in the formal agriculture classroom, Extension, or the agriculture. We urge extension professionals to consider how they can be involved with events that raise students’ awareness about career opportunities while simultaneously recruiting the next generation of extension employees.

A Writing Retreat For Extension Professional Development Capacity Building: A Case Study Of Arizona Cooperative Extension’S 4-H Youth Development Program, Jeremy Elliott-Engel

The Journal of Extension

Extension Professionals have varying expectations of academic publication depending on tenure and promotion. And, the field of Extension needs the contributions of professionals across the system to support the translation and dissemination of the impacts of and findings from their Extension programming for academic and practitioner audiences. A writing retreat was held to support 4-H Youth Development professionals in academic writing. Because of this writing retreat five teams started working on an academic writing project which resulted in three journal articles being published. Teams also published conference presentations and Extension publications as a result of the initial academic writing project. …

Exploring Land-Grant Institution Partnerships To Better Serve Audiences, Carol A. Roberts, Kenya N. Washington, Alicia Betancourt, Holly Abeels, Dreamal Worthen, Martha Monroe

The Journal of Extension

Programs within the Cooperative Extension Service often develop partnerships with other agencies and organizations to better meet their common goals. While there are many benefits of partnerships, they can be challenging when the partners are unequal or have dissimilar needs. Using a survey and interviews with faculty and administrators at two land-grant institutions we explore the similarities and differences that pull and push at their partnership. Recommendations to strengthen partnering opportunities at the institutional and program levels are provided.

Comparing The Academic Self-Efficacy Of English Language Learners Taking College Prep Esl, English Composition I, Or English Composition Ii Courses At A U.S. Community College: A Quantitative Causal-Comparative Study, Shada Aweina

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative, causal-comparative study investigated the academic self-efficacy of English language learner college students. The main objective was to determine whether there were differences in academic self-efficacy among English language learners enrolled in different English course levels: college prep ESL, college English composition I, and college English composition II. The study aimed to understand how confident English language learners feel about their abilities to perform various academic behaviors at different English course levels and how they perceive their ability to transfer and utilize language and academic skills within different levels of English courses. Using the College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, data …

Global Implications Of Covid-19 On Education And Research In Healthcare And Stem: Analysis Of Case Studies, Yumna Indorewala, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

The zoonotic novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 posed major threats to the world’s economy, social development, and public health. Education and research in STEM and healthcare were no exceptions to the global implications of the Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Social distancing guidelines were initially recommended to refrain from in-person operations for preventing the transmission of the virus. As academic organizations implemented multifarious methods to effectively transition to remote/online or hybrid educational formats, COVID-19 necessitated designing, adopting, as well as evaluating the efficacy of new instructional approaches, especially for disciplines that require active, experiential learning such as healthcare and STEM. These …

Compassionate Practice: A Review And Framework For Integrating Medical Humanities Into Pre-Medical And Medical Curricula, Megan E. Mccoy

University Honors Theses

The article presents the findings of a comprehensive narrative literature review aimed at addressing the question: What are the current frameworks of the medical humanities discipline in terms of purpose, methodology, curriculum, and student learning outcomes? Thematic analysis and qualitative coding highlighted key themes and areas of concern, including the purpose of medical humanities, methodology, current curriculum, and student outcomes. Recommendations are provided to address disagreements within the discipline, proposing a conceptual framework and definition for medical humanities, alongside advocating for a mixed-method approach as the primary methodology. Curriculum guidelines emphasize the importance of a quality integrated curriculum focusing on …

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.

Exploring School Leadership Styles Used To Improve Instruction And Learning In Schools, Nana Yaw Agyeman Mr, Venessa Aphane Ms

Journal of Research Initiatives

Schools are under intense pressure to improve quality and achieve long-term educational outcomes. To improve education, schools' teaching and learning environments must be improved. This research evaluated the various leadership philosophies used in South African schools to improve teaching and learning. The study's qualitative methodology included in-depth interviews with open-ended questions. A purposeful technique was used to select 16 participants from four different schools. The participants included four principals, four school management team members, four department heads, and four teachers. Themes guided the data analysis, focusing on patterns and resemblances while maintaining data quality. The study's findings revealed that school …

Legal Education And The Threat Response, Jane Mitchell

The Journal of Law Teaching and Learning

Law students struggle with disproportionately high rates of depression, anxiety, addiction, and disconnection. This paper offers a novel explanation for these negative outcomes that thus far has been absent from conversations on the subject: Law schools fuel students’ sense of threat. According to psychology’s well-established cognitive appraisal model, students “appraise” stressful situations as either challenging or threatening. Educational environments appraised as threatening consistently lead to negative outcomes—lower student performance, decreased student engagement, and increased anxiety. Situations appraised as challenging lead to positive outcomes—improved academic performance, increased participation, and better overall health.

Law schools facilitate students’ threat response rather than a …

Chatgpt As A Law Teaching Assistant, Tammy Pettinato Oltz

The Journal of Law Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

Law As A Liberal Art, Francis J. Mootz Iii

The Journal of Law Teaching and Learning

Law is a liberal art. Unfortunately, this fact is often forgotten by legal educators, legal practitioners, and citizens. This collective amnesia does not just pose a problem of proper academic categorization. Our inattention to law’s character as a liberal art of law has a profound effect on the full realization of the rule of law in contemporary constitutional democracies. Reclaiming law as a liberal art is critically important, and this effort should be at the center of our approach to legal education.

In this short essay, I begin by providing a brief overview of what I mean by saying that …

Pacing Beside The Pool: Coaching Champion Writers To A Strong Finish In Clinic (Without Jumping In And Finishing For Them), Hillary A. Wandler

The Journal of Law Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

An Empirical Study Of The Relationship Between Metacognitive Skills, Performance In A Bar Prep Course And Bar Passage, Jennifer A. Gundlach, Jessica R. Santangelo

The Journal of Law Teaching and Learning

This article builds on our prior research about metacognition and its importance for law students’ learning. We hypothesized that given our past findings about the relationship between metacognition and academic performance during the first year of law school, it was possible that metacognition might also play an important role in success with a third-year bar preparation course and/or on the bar exam.

Our current study documents law students’ metacognitive skills during a final-semester bar prep course and examines the relationship between those students’ metacognitive skills and performance in the course and bar passage. We found that students are capable of …

The Year Of Magical Teaching: Lessons Learned From One Class In Three Modalities, Debra Moss Vollweiler

The Journal of Law Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

The Disconnect Between General Classroom Teaching Techniques And English Language Learner Needs, Marliese Belt

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

This project will seek to identify gaps in pre-service teacher education as it relates to appropriate instructional strategies for English Language Learners (ELLs). First, public and private liberal arts schools of higher education in Kentucky will be analyzed for relevant programs and courses addressing the needs of ELLs and research-driven instructional techniques used to educate them. It will be determined that many of the schools offer undergraduate or graduate level endorsements and certificate programs, but only one, Murray State University, offers an undergraduate degree-bearing program. Next, ELLs, their characteristics, and unique needs will be defined to ensure that all stakeholders …

Quality Nursing Education Research In The Eyes Of Assistant Professor Christine Ou And Associate Professor Patrick Lavoie | Regards De La Professeure Adjointe Christine Ou Et Du Professeur Agrégé Patrick Lavoie Sur La Recherche En Formation Infirmière De Qualité, Jacinthe Pepin, Susan M. Duncan

Quality Advancement in Nursing Education - Avancées en formation infirmière

No abstract provided.

Reconcili-Action Begins With Education: Graduate Nursing Students’ Perspectives Of An Experiential Exercise About The History Of Indigenous Peoples In Canada, Renée K. Boily, Karamveer Kaur, Clayton F. Sandy, Donna E. Martin

Quality Advancement in Nursing Education - Avancées en formation infirmière

Background: In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada called for nursing schools to require all students to complete a course about the history and legacy of the residential school systems and the ongoing impacts of colonialism on survivors and their families. To address this call, we reviewed the graduate nursing curriculum at a Western Canadian university and noted the need to facilitate graduate nursing students’ understanding of the history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. As future advanced practice nurses, graduate nursing students play a pivotal role in reconciliation and improving the health of Indigenous Peoples by working collaboratively …

Research In Nursing Education: A Central Role In Advancing The Profession | La Recherche En Formation Infirmière : Un Rôle Crucial Dans Le Développement De La Profession, Susan M. Duncan, Jacinthe I. Pepin

Quality Advancement in Nursing Education - Avancées en formation infirmière

No abstract provided.

"It Hurts Me To Say": Preservice Teachers' Use And Disapproval Of Deficit Discourse In Urban Schools, Sherridon Sweeney, Brian Flores

Journal of Research Initiatives

Extensive research examines the development and impact of deficit discourse in schools. However, more research needs to be needed to explore how preservice teachers use this language during their preparation. Therefore, our qualitative study explored how deficit discourse became part of five preservice teachers' vernacular when speaking about children and teaching. Findings suggest participants (a) Relied on reductive labels to describe children, (b) attributed their use of these labels to their exposure to them during their practicum, and (c) demonstrated both cognitive dissonance and silent resistance toward deficit language. Implications are for teacher educators and school leaders.

An Exploration Of The Mentoring Experiences Of Ethnically Diverse Women Faculty At An Hbcu: A Qualitative Case Study, Tonya M. Brown, Ruth Boyd

Journal of Research Initiatives

This qualitative case study explored the professional and personal growth benefits for women faculty who engage in mentoring relationships at a historically black college or university (HBCU). Data were collected using one-on-one interviews with full- and part-time women faculty members who served as research participants. The participants provided data about their experiences with mentoring, including details such as the frequency of their meetings with mentoring partners, the preferred method of communication, and the areas of support resulting from the mentoring relationship. Findings indicated that mentoring relationships positively enhanced the experience for women faculty teaching in full-time or adjunct positions in …

Analyzing Common Mistakes In First-Year Medicine Faculty Students’ Paragraph Writing, Pervaiz Yaseeni, Fahim Rahimi, Fareed Sahil

Journal of Research Initiatives

Academic writing is a salient skill for medical students all over the world. Academic writing starts with composing effective paragraphs, laying the foundation for students' advancement in writing during college. This study investigated common mistakes in English paragraph writing committed by the first-year medical students of the Medicine Faculty at Kabul University of Medical Sciences. Additionally, it measured the challenges that Medicine Faculty students tackled in paragraph writing. This quantitative study was conducted through an action research design. The data were collected from 52 medical students, and their work was analyzed using the developed rubrics. The data were analyzed in …