Digital Commons Network^™

On Your Marks, Handset, Go: An Illustrative Case Study Of A Professional Development Initiative About Mobile Learning, Nichole A. Scarlett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Technology is shaping our personal and professional lives every day, yet many educators struggle with its implementation and therefore are not using it to the fullest potential. The purpose of this single-case study was to analyze how a teacher’s participation in a Professional Development (PD) initiative influenced the implementation of mobile technology in teaching and learning mathematics. Using the Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) framework (Schoenfeld et al., 2016a) and the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition (SAMR) model (Puentedura, 2006) in this qualitative research, I employed a case study approach to understand the challenges faced by a teacher and ways of …

Hidden Amongst People: Experiences Fo Black White Biracial Individuals With Microaggressions, Horizontal Hostilities, And Identity Denial In Educational Settings, Deborah Luckett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation explores the dissonance between critical race theory and culturally relevant pedagogical practices in the context of non-binary identity formation and identity denial for Black White Biracial (BWBR) individuals. This positioned subject study examines stories of five adult female members of this population. Utilizing Bell’s Storytelling for Social Justice Model (2020) the study reveals the stock, concealed, resistance and, emerging/transforming stories of participants as they recall experiences with monoracially instigated microaggressions and horizontal hostilities. The model provides analytic themes to examine the dissonance. The following questions will be explored:

Primary Question: What socio/cultural interactions influence BWBR racial identity …

How And Why School Counselors Use Twitter: A Phenomenological Study, Danielle R. Schultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School counselors are often isolated in their role because of the unique nature of their job. Lack of connection, lack of relevant professional development, role ambiguity, high stress, high student-to-school counselor ratios, and lack of professional connections are all contributors to school counselor burnout. School counselors use Twitter, a social media tool, for a variety of purposes. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experience of school counselors who use Twitter to illuminate how and why school counselors use Twitter. This study found that school counselors see the purpose of their Twitter use as professional advocacy, professional connection, and validation. …

Investigating Student Self-Beliefs And Learning Metrics In Online Courseware: A Quantitative Inquiry, Rachel Van Campenhout

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Online courseware is an emerging educational technology that has the potential to reach students at scale. Designed with cognitive and learning science principles, courseware utilizes effective methods to maximize learning outcomes for students. Mindset (implicit theories of ability) and self-efficacy are two widely researched self-belief topics which have been shown to influence student learning outcomes and self-concepts. These self-belief theories are not specific to a domain and therefore could be measured and analyzed in relation to student learning metrics from any subject. The purpose of this nonexperimental correlational research study is to investigate the relationships between student self-beliefs and key …

A Program Evaluation Of Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of Technology Integration At The K-6 Level In The Seneca Valley School District And The Impact Of Covid-19, Bria Koch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Education and learning were upended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries were impacted by the pandemic with 90 percent of countries adopting digital or remote learning policies (United States Department of Education, 2021). This program evaluation of teachers’ and administrators’ perspectives examined how well technology integration was taking place in K-6 grade classrooms in the Seneca Valley School District. Due to the interruption of traditional learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an opportune time to examine both teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions about the district’s level of success at …

Perceived Levels Of Teaching Self-Efficacy Among Advanced Ces Doctoral Students Engaging In External Pedagogical Experiences, Erika Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined factors of internal preparation practices (i.e., coursework in college teaching, fieldwork in college teaching, and frequency of supervision) and external pedagogical experiences (i.e., holding a bachelor’s or master’s degree in teaching and adjunct faculty experiences in higher education) and their potential effects on teaching self-efficacy among counselor education and supervision doctoral students. This study identified both significant and non-significant relationships between the stated variables. Contrary to previous research (Suddeath et al., 2020), internal preparation practices did not significantly predict scores of teaching self-efficacy among this population. However, the findings suggest that participants holding a bachelor’s or …

Cultural Beliefs About Healthy And Unhealthy Weight In Children 2 To 11 Years Of Age Among Parents Of Mexican Heritage, Nathalie Confiac

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Despite multisectoral preventive interventions, the obesity prevalence among children of Mexican heritage remains the highest of all ethnic groups in the US. Methodology: Guided by Leininger’s Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory, this study explored the culture care beliefs and practices of Mexican heritage parents about healthy and unhealthy weight in children 2-11 years of age using the ethnonursing research method. Eight key and 17 general informants were interviewed, and the four phases of ethnonursing data analysis guided analysis. Results: Twenty-six categories were identified which led to seven culture care patterns revealing four themes. Informants shared the …

Exploring Moral Permissibility Of Nurse Participation In Limited Resuscitation, Felicia Stokes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation offers a novel approach to support nurses when they face conflict between clinicians and families or alternate decision-makers over potentially inappropriate end-of-life goals of care. This dissertation will provide a normative analysis of the moral permissibility of limited resuscitation, with arguments supported by analyses of families’ and nurses’ perspectives and actions in the EoL decision-making process. Limited resuscitation is a cardiopulmonary resuscitation effort where full pharmacologic and mechanical intervention is not used, or the length of the resuscitative effort is shortened. It is typically associated with deception because it is performed without the knowledge of patients and families. …

Long-Term Health Outcomes For Adult Women Who Experienced Sexual Assault, Jodie Flynn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of sexual assault pre- and post-sexual assault on health, health care experience, and health-related quality of life in adult women. Research identifying quality of life as a health outcome post-sexual assault is limited. No long-term studies to evaluate differences in health-related quality of life pre-and post-sexual assault have been conducted. In addition, only a few studies have investigated mental health changes over time. An exploration into self-perceived general health pre-and post-sexual assault and overall current quality of life needs to be conducted to determine improvements in health care services for …

Exploration Of Young Children And Families Use Of Technology In A Rural School District, Kim Dickert-Wallace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the use of mobile technology with young children ages 2 to 5 in a small rural school district in southwestern Pennsylvania. Grounded in an understanding that family-child relationships are central to children’s development and school readiness, this study seeks to understand the ways families engage with children around technology use, how young children use technology, and how these habits compare to national data. The data also led to ways the school district might support families and young children using mobile technology in developmentally appropriate ways. Thirteen families that live in the Mountain Valley School district completed the …

Steps Toward The Total Synthesis Of The Chrysosporazine Family, Katie Kaczynski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with 19.3 million new cancer cases and 10 million deaths in 2020 alone. In the United States, cancer was the second leading cause of death after heart disease. One of the reasons that cancer is so frequently terminal is that cancerous cells frequently develop multidrug resistance (MDR) to frontline chemotherapeutical treatments, resulting in cancers cannot be treated and are inevitably fatal. This makes the discovery of ways to combat MDR so important in the treatment of cancer. The chrysosporazines are a family of recently discovered (2019) natural products that have …

Evaluation And Application Of Crispr-Cas12a-Based Systems For Amphibian Detection From Dietary And Environmental Dna, Macie Chess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current methods for monitoring biodiversity are hindered by detection efficiencies or rely on expensive laboratory equipment. The goal of this study was to evaluate the application of a CRISPR-Cas12a-based system for the species-specific detection of amphibians from dietary and environmental DNA samples. A Cas-12a-based platform was designed and analyzed for the fluorescent detection of three salamander species; Desmognathus fuscus, D. ochropheaus, and Erycia bislineata. This system was applied to the identification of salamander DNA extracted from the fecal sacs of nestling Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia monticola), amplified with PCR primers targeting the CYT B mtDNA gene, and compared to DNA metabarcoding. …

Evaluating Threats To The Water Quality Of Little Buffalo Creek And Sarver Run Through Water Quality Analysis And Backpack Electrofishing Surveys, Riley Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Currently, 64.8% and 52.2% of Little Buffalo Creek and Sarver Run stream kilometers are impaired, respectively. Impairment sources to Little Buffalo Creek include agriculture, riparian deforestation, on-site wastewater, and urban runoff. Impairment sources to Sarver Run are unknown. Our goal was to understand sources of impairment through water quality analysis and fish surveys. Water samples were collected monthly and analyzed for cation and anion concentrations. Mass ratio analysis comparing Br/SO₄ and Mg/Li, Ca/Mg and Ca/Sr, Mg/Na and SO₄/Cl, and SO_4/Cl and Mg/Li suggests that mine drainage and conventional oil and gas may be impacting water …

A Review Of Current Methods In Avian Dietary Analysis And Their Integrated Application To Characterize The Trophic Niche Of Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia Motacilla)., Brandon Hoenig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Characterizing a species’ dietary composition presents an avenue to understand many facets of its ecological niche and can provide essential information for the species’ long-term conservation. To date, the vast majority of diet studies have relied on direct identification of prey during foraging observations or from diet samples to characterize the dietary habits of birds. However, advancements in laboratory-based approaches have revolutionized the field of trophic ecology by allowing researchers to indirectly infer dietary habits with higher resolution across greater time scales. Here, I apply two of these laboratory-based techniques, namely DNA metabarcoding and stable isotope analysis, to characterize the …

Analysis Of Water Quality And Fish Communities Of Crooked Creek, Tributary To The Allegheny River In Southwestern Pennsylvania, Katherine Stupar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Crooked Creek is a tributary of the Allegheny River with a drainage area of 292 square miles. It has been historically affected by mine drainage pollution. Extensive cleanup and monitoring efforts by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have taken place over the last four decades. Unconventional oil extraction, or fracking, presents an emerging threat to the water quality of this stream and the health of its fish communities. Here we perform an analysis of the Crooked Creek watershed utilizing backpack electrofishing, eDNA metabarcoding, and various methods of water quality analysis. Seven sites on …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Beliefs Of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention In Young Georgian Adults, Kimberley Crawford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for 46% of all mortality in the country of Georgia (former Soviet Union). Young adults in that country have not been studied regarding CVD and a need exists to understand lifestyle modifications to promote cardiovascular health.

Design: An interpretive description qualitative design was used to explore Georgian young adults’ knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of CVD preventative practices and life experiences.

Methods: A convenience sample of 19 ethnic Georgian participants (18 to 40 years old) who were fluent in either English, Georgian, or Russian from a local private university was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted …

A Critical Study Of Unaccompanied Homeless Youth In A Local Housing Program, Michael J. Warren

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Housing programs available to youth experiencing homelessness offer varying types of supports and initiatives. However, few programs are created by and with the perspectives of these youth. This qualitative study examines the experiences of unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY) while living in a housing program, identifies specific needs of UHY, and aims to learn of the political role the community and educational institutions play in empowering youth experiencing homelessness.

Implications highlight how critical pedagogy can be used by educational leaders to empower student voice and aims to shift student learning from a “banking” model to democratic participation. This research will advance …

Gauging The Utility Of A Learning Target Theory Of Action To Address Perceived Obstacles To Teaching And Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Brian J. Pohland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was guided by the following research questions: What instructional challenges did teachers face related to designing and delivering lessons remotely during COVID-19? How did those challenges impact teacher perceptions of self-efficacy for providing meaningful lessons for their students? What is the utility of a learning target theory of action for addressing teachers instructional practice challenges and perceptions of self-efficacy?

Six participants were selected from a convenience sample and asked to complete a survey with ten open-ended prompts. Their responses were analyzed by individual participant and also across participants through close reading strategies. The analyses revealed six common …

The Lived Experience Of Second Victim Crnas, Michael Neft

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A second victim is a health care provider who has been involved in a critical event. A

critical event is a clinical situation in which an unforeseen clinical outcome occurs, or

the clinical deterioration of the patient takes place for many different reasons. The

patient and his/her family are the first victims. The health care provider(s) involved in

the event are second victims. After such an event, the healthcare provider may

experience a constellation of negative emotions, such as guilt, sadness, depression,

somatic symptoms, hypervigilance, and fear. Most second victims require support to

cope with the adverse clinical situation. Second …

Richard Sennett Calling In Communication Ethics, Lin Gu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project focuses on an interplay between Richard Sennett’s scholarship and the literature of communication ethics. Content from communication ethics provides a better understanding on how Sennett contributes to urban communication in this historical moment, and answers how we can make communication possible in the era of difference.

Sennett’s scholarly concerns starts with a phenomenon that he termed as the fall of public man, which is people’s self-withdrawal from the public domain. Sennett initially credited this to a mismatched “I” and “me” and believes reconciling them would solve the problem. Later, Sennett realizes the self-withdrawal from the public domain has …

Adam Smith And Corporate Communication: Convergence, Embodiment, And Enhancement, Lazarus Langbiir

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

ADAM SMITH AND CORPORATE COMMUNICATION

Convergence, Embodiment, and Enhancement

By

Lazarus Langbiir

May 2022

Dissertation supervised by Dr. Ronald C. Arnett

The importance of Adam Smith’s thought and legacy for understanding corporate communication today is at the heart of this dissertation. Corporate communication is seen in this study as “one corporate body” interacting with its stakeholders in a complex world by embracing multiplicity or difference and managing communication needs in a manner that is coherent. By examining the thought and legacy of Adam Smith within the field of corporate communication, this dissertation seeks to extend the understanding of corporate …

Exploring The Phenomena Of Faculty Who Utilize Contemplative Pedagogy In The Helping Professions, Christina Frasher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The phenomenon of faculty who utilize contemplative pedagogy in the helping professions is a topic rarely discussed in the literature. In my review of the literature, I have found only one dissertation on faculty perspectives, one dissertation on individuals in higher education, and one study that used the perspective of faculty as the primary data. While this information is valuable, it is not context-specific research on how faculty in the helping professions experience practicing contemplative pedagogy. At present, there are no studies that explore how faculty process and utilize contemplative pedagogy when teaching in the helping profession; this study contributes …

Investigating The Effect Of Dissolved Oxygen-Assisted Corneal Cross-Linking (Cxl) On Porcine Corneas, Julianni Dar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Corneal cross-linking is a clinical procedure that is known to stop the progression of keratoconus, an eye disease that affects the cornea’s structure, ultimately leading to vision loss in its advanced stages. The typical treatment plan includes riboflavin and UV-A exposure in the hope to increase the mechanical properties of the cornea. There are two types of CXL pathways, with Type-II CXL requiring oxygen. Naturally, the dissolved oxygen is limited in the cornea; therefore, limiting the effect of Type-II CXL. This study proposes to improve the Type-II CXL contribution by integrating dissolved oxygen during the standard CXL treatment used in …

Stanley Hauerwas' Approach To Christian Marital And Sex Ethics: A Review And Speculative Expansion, Jeffrey A. Schooley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Few places in congregational and denominational life are more fraught with tension and division than conversations about marital and sex ethics. Systemic abuses mingled together with individual failures on this issue has led to confusion, conflict, and chaos. Worse yet, the remedies proposed—and they are many—tend to either double down on “Traditional” values or seek massive reformation of Christian convictions in light of Modern philosophical, anthropological, and sociological presuppositions. Interlocutors quickly come to an impasse and fragmentation occurs. The catalyst for these conflicts is often debates over same-sex marriage, but one does not have to wade far into this conversation …

The Reception Of Isaiah's Suffering Servant In Thomas Aquinas' Theology Of The Cross, Daniel Waldow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a quantitative and qualitative analysis of Thomas Aquinas' reception of Isaiah 53 throughout his major works of theology.

A Life Lived With Schizophrenia: When Mother’S Love Is Kept In The Dark Exploring Maternal Communication And Attachment Organization In Families With Schizophrenia, Myrsini Stefanidou Marini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, research into the transgenerational transmission of attachment styles has shown that a mother’sattachment style often predicts the attachment style of her infant. Fearsome parental behavior has been found to predict disorganized attachment in infants, which is further associated with a range of mental health disturbances in adolescence. Furthermore, regular patterns of disturbed communication between mother and child have also been found to lead to ‘schizophrenic’ thinking and behavior in the child’s life. While acknowledging that genetic and other biological factors contribute to the emergence of schizophrenia, this study focused on disorganized attachment and disturbed communication between mother …

Reporting On Athletes And Mental Health: An Evolution In Language And Lexicon From 1970 To 2019, Vivian Ferris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the spring and summer of 2021, several athletes made headlines for seemingly prioritizing mental health over the status quo of sports society. For example, in May 2021, during the French Open, professional U.S. tennis player Naomi Osaka announced she would not appear at press conferences, despite threats of fines, citing on social media it was for her mental health. The controversy surrounding Osaka and others led to further questions. Looking through the lens of agenda setting and framing theories, the purpose of this study is to better understand the frequency, variety, and evolution of language in journalistic coverage of …

Cultural Trauma Fiction: Political Violence, Rampage Violence, And Structural Violence In Contemporary American Literature, Courtney Mullis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation identifies and proposes a new subgenre of American literature, Cultural Trauma Fiction, that has arisen since the late 20^th century in response to numerous large-scale traumatic events and their representation in the media. Cultural trauma occurs when a shocking, shared event fractures collective identity and initiates a discursive process to understand what took place, why it happened, and how the affected culture can heal. Cultural traumas differ from individual trauma because cultural traumas affect a culture, rather than an individual, and because they are mediated; many members of the culture experience the trauma of these events secondhand …

Isocrates's Place In Postmodern Advertising, Christopher Barkley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study in communication and rhetoric seeks to ascertain constructive applications for distinct advertising practices by examining Isocrates’s work and place in postmodern advertising. The focus uses 5 principles known to Isocrates which are: 1) commonwealths of households, 2) integration of reputation, elegance, substance and style, 3) education and public discourse, 4) phronesis and praxis, and 5) truth and verisimilitude. These 5 principles can form a constructive and practical advertising approach. This study is important. It examines Isocrates through the lens of advertising and extends the research done about him by leading Isocrates scholars who have looked primarily at his …

A Microfluidic Assay For Single Cell Bacterial Adhesion Studies Under Shear Stress, Amanda Trusiak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study of bacterial adhesion to host cells is important in understanding bacterial pathogenesis and developing new therapeutic approaches. Here, we studied bacterial adhesion under shear stress using a novel microfluidic method. Specifically, the adhesion of a uropathogenic E. coli strain (FimHOn, ATCC 700928/CFT073) to mannose-modified substrates was studied under flow conditions. The FimHOn E. coli strain expresses FimH which is a mannose-specific adhesin found on the fimbriae that binds to glycoproteins on the epithelium. We developed a microfluidic method that mimics bacterial adhesion to urothelial cells. First, the microfluidic channels were modified by sequentially adsorbing BSA-mannose and BSA onto …