Digital Commons Network^™

Students On The Edge: Evaluating An Academic Support Group, Benjamin P. Heinisch, Nicole M. Smith

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

This qualitative case study evaluated the effectiveness of the Academic Skills Discussion Group, a new retention intervention targeting undergraduate students on academic probation. This intervention utilized a support group structure to provide social and academic supports to academically-poor students. These supports incorporated didactic educational presentations and interpersonal discussions relating to life change and college expectations. The case comprised one pilot administration of the intervention for three student group members. Data was collected from pre/post-intervention resiliency surveys, grade point average comparisons, journal-entry analysis and semi-structured exit interviews. The researcher conducted inductive data analysis by coding participant statements for meaning, calculating and …

Aquatic Nitrate Retention At River Network Scales Across Flow Conditions Determined Using Nested In Situ Sensors, Wilfred Wollheim, Gopala K. Mulukutla, C. Cook, R. O. Carey

Faculty Publications

Nonpoint pollution sources are strongly influenced by hydrology and are therefore sensitive to climate variability. Some pollutants entering aquatic ecosystems, e.g., nitrate, can be mitigated by in‐stream processes during transport through river networks. Whole river network nitrate retention is difficult to quantify with observations. High frequency, in situ nitrate sensors, deployed in nested locations within a single watershed, can improve estimates of both nonpoint inputs and aquatic retention at river network scales. We deployed a nested sensor network and associated sampling in the urbanizing Oyster River watershed in coastal New Hampshire, USA, to quantify storm event‐scale loading and retention at …

Retention By Program Fall 2017, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Student Outcomes

This is a Student Outcome and Retention Report produced by the SWOSU Office of Institutional Research.

Institutional Retention Fall 2017, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Student Outcomes

This is a Student Outcome and Retention Report produced by the SWOSU Office of Institutional Research.

The Impact Of Information Literacy Instruction On Student Success: A Multi-Institutional Investigation And Analysis, Joni Blake, Melissa Bowles-Terry, N. Shirlene Pearson, Zoltan Szentkiralyi

Fondren Library Research

The GWLA Student Learning Outcomes task force analyzed the data from over 42,000 first-time, first-year freshmen and over 1700 distinct courses from 12 research institutions to determine the impact(s) of information literacy instruction integrated into course curriculum on several student success measures.

Key findings include:

• Student retention rates are higher for those students whose courses include an information literacy instruction component.
• On average, First-Year GPA for students whose courses included information literacy instruction was higher than the GPA of students whose courses did not.
• Students exposed to library instruction interactions successfully completed 1.8 more credit hours per year than their …

Writing And Women's Retention In Engineering, Jennifer C. Mallette

English Literature Faculty Publications and Presentations

Engineering disciplines have focused on recruiting and retaining women, assessing factors that contribute to decisions to enter or exit the field at every level. While many studies have examined writing in engineering disciplines, few have looked at writing’s role in women’s decisions to remain in or leave engineering. Using a case study of a professional civil engineer, Katy, this study examines the role that writing played in her dissatisfaction with engineering and her ultimate decision to leave the field. The author analyzes two genres of writing, meeting minutes and a preliminary engineering report, to explore how Katy’s writing practices often …

A Comparative Study Of Student Engagement Based On Intercollegiate Athletics Participation, David Woolever

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The concept of retention in higher education institutions is certainly a hot topic. Institutions have explored first year seminars, engagement with faculty and creating a culture of connectivity and belongingness among the student population to include extra-curricular activities in creating an engaged student that will persist until graduation. Furthermore, academic engagement among student-athletes is one topic that has that has been somewhat neglected while institutions look at ways to increase retention via creating a culture of involvement. In addition, the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI), initially designed to measure engagement among secondary students has rarely been utilized to examine academic engagement …

The Aftermath Of Detroit's Economic Decline And The Exodus Of Urban Teachers: A Phenomenology, Melissa Holtzhouse

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the decision-making process of teachers, Kindergarten through twelfth grade, who left the urban setting in metropolitan Detroit. The theories that guided this study were Rotter’s locus of control and Condorcet’s decision theory as they investigated the experiences leading to teachers’ decisions to leave the urban setting within metropolitan Detroit. Four research questions were included (a) How do select teachers, Kindergarten through twelfth grade, describe the decision-making process they underwent before leaving urban education in metropolitan Detroit? (b) How do participants describe their experiences prior to their decision to leave urban education …

Testing Our Assumptions: The Role Of First Course Grade And Course Level In Mathematics And English, Janet Callahan, Marcia Belcheir

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Methods that provide an early indicator of factors that affect student persistence are important to colleges and universities. This quantitative research focused on the role of level of entry mathematics and English and also on grades earned in those classes as they relate to persistence after one year. The research showed that by far, the variable most predictive of first-time, full-time students enrolling one year later was earning a grade of “A” in English. Compared to those who did not pass their first English course, students who earned an “A” were three times more likely to persist. The variables which …

Rural Social Work: Recruitment, Job Satisfaction, Burnout, And Turnover, Aaron R. Brown, Jayme E. Walters, Aubrey E. Jones, Omotola Akinsola

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Rural agencies have unique challenges related to recruitment and retention of social workers. A systematic literature review was conducted to examine job satisfaction, burnout and turnover among rural social workers. Based on 28 included articles, results indicate: (a) rural social workers tend to be from rural areas or have completed training in rural settings; (b) poor job satisfaction predicts turnover among rural social workers; (c) rural vs. urban differences for satisfaction, burnout, intention to leave, and turnover are mixed; and (d) greater work-life balance and supervisory support increase retention among rural social workers. This study provides recommendations for informing education, …

Using Hybrid Development Platforms For Easy Design Of Mobile Apps To Improve The Orientation Experience Of First Year Higher Education Students At Dit., Nevan Bermingham, Mary O'Rawe, Trevor Boland

Conference papers

Smartphone usage by students has increased rapidly over the last number of years, and there is evidence to indicate that students are using their smartphones more in higher educational environments.

However, creating mobile applications tailored to the needs of any particular cohort of students can be an expensive and time-consuming endeavour for any organisation. In addition, it normally involves substantial technological expertise.

At the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), we created two bespoke mobile applications tailored to improve the orientation experience for two different groups of students. “DIT GetSmart!” was designed and built to address the information needs of …

Degree Outcomes 2016-17, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Student Outcomes

This is a Student Outcome and Retention Report produced by the SWOSU Office of Institutional Research.

Degree Outcomes By Program 2016-17, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Student Outcomes

This is a Student Outcome and Retention Report produced by the SWOSU Office of Institutional Research.

Factors That Predict Persistence For Non-Immigrant, International Students At A Private, Four-Year University In Georgia, Shawn Adams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore factors that predict the persistence of international, non-immigrant students in higher education. A sample of international students from a four-year private university in Georgia served as the focused population for this study. Persistence research asserts that six factors predict persistence: academic integration, social integration, support services satisfaction, degree commitment, institutional commitment, and academic conscientiousness. These six predictor variables were measured via the College Persistence Questionnaire (CPQ). However, cultural intelligence (CQ) is another predictive factor that merited consideration for the unique population of international students. The Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) quantifies CQ and …

The Difference In Job Satisfaction Between Full-Time And Part-Time Early Childhood Educators Working In Public And Private Schools In South Carolina, Allison Hepfner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine if there was a difference in perceptions of job satisfaction among full-time and part-time teachers who work in both private and public early childhood centers in South Carolina. This study adds to the literature by investigating the impact of work employment classification and type of school on job satisfaction of Early Childhood educators. It is important to investigate the job satisfaction of early childhood educators because job dissatisfaction and high turnover in centers can negatively impact young children. This study allowed 200 participants throughout multiple early childhood centers in South …

Experiences Of First-Year Online Community College Students On Academic Probation: A Phenomenological Study, Michael Beck

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of first-year online community college students on academic probation at a small, rural community college in central North Carolina. Four research questions guided the study: (RQ1) How do first-year, online community college students who are on academic probation describe their academic experiences? (RQ2) What do participants identify as reasons for receiving poor grades and being placed on academic probation? (RQ3) How do participants on academic probation describe what they could have done differently to avoid being placed on academic probation? (RQ4) What do participants who are on academic probation …

A Mental Health Workforce Crisis: Roadmap For Enhancing Recruitment & Retention In Minnesota, Iowa & Wisconsin, Lindsay Duenow, Rebecca Kobernick, Mckenzie Sohre, Kim Wallgren

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Building and maintaining an adequate mental health workforce requires successful recruitment and retention of qualified workers. Identifying recruitment and retention factors specific to behavioral health providers is essential in determining strategies for increasing the rural health behavioral workforce. The World Health Organization estimates there are 1.18 million additional mental health workers needed to end the mental health treatment gap between patients and providers worldwide. In the U.S., there has been a nationwide shortage of mental health professionals, and this shortage is more pronounced in rural communities,with twenty percent of rural areas lacking mental health services, compared to five percent of …

Short Vs. Long: Cognitive Load, Retention And Changing Class Structures, Brandon Sheridan, Ben O. Smith, Erin G. Pleggenkuhle-Miles

Economics Faculty Publications

University class structure is changing. To accommodate working students, programmes are increasing their offerings of long night classes – some lasting as long as six hours. While these long classes may be more convenient for students, they have unintended consequences as a result of cognitive load. Using a panel of 124 students (372 observations) and a differencing approach that controls for student characteristics, we show that student exam performance decreases by approximately one-half letter grade on content taught in the second half of a long class (significant at the 5% level).

The Revolving Door Of Education: Teacher Turnover And Retention Amongst The Graduates Of A Liberal Arts Teacher Education Program, Gregory W. Dachille, Chloe Ruff

Education Faculty Publications

In the United States, elementary and secondary education teachers comprise 4% of the entire civilian workforce (Ingersoll, 2001). The composition of that 4% is changing because of teacher turnover. According to recent statistics, 46% of teachers leave the classroom within the first five years of teaching and 9.5% of teachers leave the classroom within their first year (Rinke, 2014; Riggs, 2013; Zheng & Zeller, 2016). This study is designed to examine the teaching experiences of graduates of one teacher education program and the potential differences between graduates who stay in teaching and those who leave. Throughout this study, the guiding …

Transfer Student Analysis And Retention: A Collaborative Endeavor, Trudi E. Jacobson, John W. Delano Phd, Linda Krzykowski, Laurie Garafola, Meghan Nyman, Holly Barker

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

This paper aims to describe a multifaceted campus-wide initiative to retain transfer students that was undertaken when it was recognized that their retention rates were lower than those of first-time, full-time students. The “all-hands-on-deck” approach described in this paper demonstrates how strategic collaborations among the many institutional stakeholders at a public research university were marshalled to have a significant and positive impact on student retention.

Why Service-Learning?, Audrey Trussell, Katie Elliott

Division of Community Engagement Resources

Data from VCU's "High Impact Practices (HIPS) Assessment Model: 2015-16 Pilot Mid-Year Report" offers three compelling reasons for why service-learning matters for student success.

Evaluating Adn Faculty Job Satisfaction, Karen M. Thies

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background

The U.S. is facing a critical shortage of nurses as the aging baby boomer generation is requiring more nursing care. Contributing to the nursing shortage is the inability to educate larger numbers of nurses, attributable to a lack of nursing faculty. Insufficient numbers of nursing faculty results in qualified applicants being turned away from nursing programs.

Project Design

This project evaluated faculty job satisfaction in 703 accredited Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) programs in the U.S. The Index of Work Satisfaction (IWS) (Stamps, 1997), was designed to measure specific factors of nurses' job satisfaction and was emailed to all full …

Advanced Placement And Dual Enrollment As Related To College Readiness And Retention At A Tennessee University, Diana Bowers, Virginia P. Foley

ETSU Faculty Works

Abstract is available to download.

Anatomical Knowledge Retention In Physiotherapy Students: A Preliminary Assessment, M Dayal, J Owens, W Gibson, G Strkalj

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Introduction: Anatomical knowledge and understanding are key components of physiotherapy education and practice. Traditionally, anatomy has been taught as a foundation stream within the first year(s) of physiotherapy education. This curricular model is based on the assumption that further learning in subsequent years builds upon the knowledge gained in the early stages of the program. However, the retention rate in all basic sciences has often been called into question. In anatomy, several studies suggest that anatomy knowledge endures considerable attrition, highlighting the need for the evaluation of retention rates. This paper aimed at making a preliminary assessment of the knowledge …

Retention In Enhanced Team Based Learning Course: Retain Or Refrain?, Janil Puthucheary, Sok H. Goh, Tam C. Ha, Doyle G. Graham, Sandy Cook

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Students’ ability to retain content in medical school has always been a concern. At Duke-NUS Medical School, we modified our Team-Based Learning (TBL) classes known as TeamLEAD, a learning strategy for first year basic science content, to include an open/closed-book option in the readiness assurance phase to engage teams in deeper discussion. We hypothesize that the open-book option allows students to engage in deeper learning in their teams, which leads to an improvement in retention ability for each individual student at the end of their first year basic science curriculum.

Methods: A total of 115 MCQs used throughout first year …

The Nursing Community Apgar Questionnaire In Rural Australia: An Evidence Based Approach To Recruiting And Retaining Nurses, Molly Prengaman, Daniel R. Terry, David Schmitz, Ed Baker

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose: To date, the Nursing Community Apgar Questionnaire (NCAQ) has been effectivly utlized to quantify resources and capabilities of a rural Idaho communities to recruit and retain nurses. As such, the NCAQ was used in a rural Australian context to examine its efficacy as an evidence-based tool to better inform nursing recruitment and retention.

Sample: The sample included nursing administrators, senior nurses and other nurses from six health facilities who were familiar with the community and knowledgeable with health facility recruitment and retention history. Participants were registered nurses and/or directly involved in nursing recruitment.

Method: The 50 factor NCAQ was …

Functional Amyloid Protection In The Eye Lens: Retention Of Α-Crystallin Molecular Chaperone Activity After Modification Into Amyloid Fibrils, Megan Garvey, Heath Ecroyd, Nicholas J. Ray, Juliet A. Gerrard, John A. Carver

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Amyloid fibril formation occurs from a wide range of peptides and proteins and is typically associated with a loss of protein function and/or a gain of toxic function, as the native structure of the protein undergoes major alteration to form a cross β-sheet array. It is now well recognised that some amyloid fibrils have a biological function, which has led to increased interest in the potential that these so-called functional amyloids may either retain the function of the native protein, or gain function upon adopting a fibrillar structure. Herein, we investigate the molecular chaperone ability of α-crystallin, the predominant eye …

Georgia Southern University Fact Book, Georgia Southern University

Georgia Southern Fact Books

No abstract provided.

Why Referees Stay In The Game, Lynn L. Ridinger, Stacy Warner, Jacob K. Tingle, Kyungun R. Kim

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Current trends indicate the number of qualified sports officials continues to dwindle. Therefore, this research sought to better understand reasons for initial entry, continuation, and potential discontinuation with officiating, while also identifying problematic issues, and potential solutions. Content analysis was utilized to examine five open-ended online survey responses from 2,485 referees. The results indicate that Enjoyable Affiliation (58%) and Remuneration (14%) were key to referees becoming involved in officiating. Those two themes, Enjoyable Affiliation (75%) and Remuneration (14%), were also identified as important to retaining officials. Physical Limitations were mentioned by 58% of the respondents regarding why they plan to …