Digital Commons Network^™

Severe Housing Problems In Santa Clara County, Ca, Jessican Rothwell

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: My goal for social change within the community is to prevent severe housing problems by educating individuals and families of low and middle-income levels on available home environment assessments and housing rehabilitation programs.

Significant Findings: Severe housing problems plague numerous mid and low-income households in Santa Clara County, leaving them vulnerable to significant physical and mental health problems. This social change portfolio discusses the scope and consequences of severe housing problems as well as potential risk and protective factors at the individual, relationship, community, and societal levels through a socio-ecological lens. In addition, this portfolio addresses two theories …

The Other Side Of The Acess Pyramid: A Healing, Sidney Shaw, M Rides At The Door

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Social Determinants Of Learning™ A Walden University Position Paper, Andrea Lindell, Ann Morgan, Barry H. Sugarman, Debra J. Tervala, Jorg Westermann, Kathy P. Strang, Kelly L. Costner, Maléka N. Ingram, Marilyn Powell, Nina M. Mccune, Rebecca L. Jobe, Savitri Dixon-Saxon, Sue Subocz, Wiilam Schulz

White Papers

The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), presented by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a cross-organizational global commission in the early 2000s, provide an understanding of health status of individuals and communities. SDOH consider societal forces and conditions such as housing, work conditions, environment, and education (Braveman & Gottlieb, 2014; WHO, 2021). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (n.d.) launched a “Healthy People 2030” initiative, addressing five key social determinants of health and offering a framework from which organizations can build strategy: 1. Healthcare access and quality 2. Education access and quality 3. Social and community context 4. …

Online Instruction In Higher Education: Promising, Research-Based, And Evidence-Based Practices, Alison A. Lockman, Barbara R. Schirmer

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The purpose of this study was to review the research literature on online learning to identify effective instructional practices. We narrowed our scope to empirical studies published 2013-2019 given that studies earlier than 2013 had become quickly outdated because of changes in online pedagogies and technologies. We also limited our search to studies with undergraduate and graduate students, application of an empirical methodological design, and descriptions of methodology, data analysis, and results with sufficient detail to assure verifiability of data collection and analysis. Our analysis of the patterns and trends in the corpus of 104 research studies led to identification …

Mental Illness Awareness In The State Of New Hampshire, Susan Pomerleau

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

New Hampshire is a small state with 1.36 million people reported in 2019. In New Hampshire, 4% of adults live with serious mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression (Resources to Recover, 2020). The National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) has a chapter in New Hampshire to help support, promote, and educate on the topic of mental illness. I would like to partner my effort with NAMI NH and also with the STAMP OUT STIGMA Campaign through the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW) to bring greater awareness of serious mental illness (SMI) and any …

Job Transitioning Experiences Of Blue-Collar Employees After Federal Downsizing, Eduardo Hurtado

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Downsizing, realignment, and closure of military bases have forced many low-skilled, blue-collar federal employees into involuntary job loss and job transition. The impact of involuntary job loss on blue-collar workers has been linked to stress and other adverse psychological effects. There is gap in the literature regarding the lived experiences of federal blue-collar employees following downsizing of military bases. The purpose of this qualitative, interpretive phenomenological study was to examine lived experiences of job loss and job transition for federal blue-collar employees following downsizing of military bases. Schlossberg’s transition theory provided a conceptual framework for the study. Ten ex-federal blue-collar …

Postsecondary Online Students’ Preferences For Text-Based Instructor Feedback, Joseph J. Gredler

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Misalignment between student preferences and instructor practices regarding writing feedback may impede student learning. This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study addressed postsecondary online students’ preferences and the reasons for their preferences. A survey was used to collect 93 responses from postsecondary students attending a large private online university; data collection included interviews with a subsample of 4 participants. Findings indicated students preferred proximal, detailed, supportive feedback to enhance their writing skills and to understand deductions assessed by instructors. Findings may increase instructor awareness of students’ preferences and enhance collaboration in the feedback process to promote writing skill development and improve academic …

Framework For Conducting And Writing A Synthetic Literature Review, Barbara Schirmer

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The framework presented in this article supports researchers in translating the copious information gleaned from the research literature into a coherent synthesis and critical analysis of the state of knowledge on the topic, identification of gaps and inconsistencies in the body of research, and recognition of the next logical steps in the line of research inquiry. The framework sequence guides the researcher in a step-by-step fashion from selecting the research literature to be reviewed to analyzing the studies, identifying the patterns and trends in the literature, writing the literature review narrative, and drawing conclusions and implications. The framework approach ensures …

The Kindergarten Environment: Finding Alternatives To Reduce Overcrowded Classrooms, Jay Rodriguez

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

This study will address the difficulties young children have when are placed in overcrowded kindergarten classrooms. Creating an effective and constructive learning environment for the early childhood years must be in a positive learning climate in a school for young children. Motivation, skills and communication amongst teachers, students and parents is a place where children receive guidance and encouragement, security and trust from the responsible adults around them.

A major element that establishes a child’s learning and guides their success is the physical environment where he/she is. When teachers cannot engage their young students in learning activities, then the teaching-learning …

Way Out Voices: A Phenomenology Of Interbeing, Beth Hagens

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Interbeing is a foundational teaching of Thien Su (Zen master) Thích Nhất Hạnh, beloved Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist who has worked closely with Chan Khong, an expatriate Vietnamese Buddhist nun. Together they founded Plum Village retreat center in the Dordogne region of France. This volume of invited essays—taken as a whole—reveals the inspirational power of the word interbeing as a focus for creating common ground within scholarship for voices not so often heard. Metaphorically, this phenomenology is what Nhất Hạnh might call a “hugging meditation.”

2015-2016 Social Change Review, Social Change Working Group

Social Change Impact Report

The 2015 Review of Social Change at Walden University identifies a number of initiatives that were put in place during 2015 to actualize and support the social change portion of the university mission. Many of these initiatives implemented proposals offered during the Special Emphasis Self-Study that was part of The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) reaccreditation project of 2012. One of the most important social change initiatives in 2015 emerged from discussions among Walden’s Board of Directors, president, and leadership teams, who agreed that Walden will move forward with development and implementation of a 5-year action plan to more fully realize …

Parents And Teachers’ Perceptions And Clinical Diagnosis Of Autism Among White And Non-White Groups, Margaret Gopaul

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The pervasiveness of autism has significantly increased over the past 2 decades with the 2014 Center for Disease Control and Prevention report indicating 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Early intervention is recommended as the most effective treatment approach. Nevertheless, previous research has indicated that White children are diagnosed with ASD about 1.5 years earlier than are Non-White children. A current gap remains in literature regarding ASD and different racial groups, and evidence has been inconclusive regarding disparities in identifying and diagnosing ASD. To fill this gap, this study investigated the relationship between child race, …

Creating Activating Events For Transformative Learning In A Prison Classroom, Cheryl H. Keen, Robert Woods

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

In this article, we interpreted, in light of Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning, interviews with 13 educators regarding their work with marginalized adult learners in prisons in the northeastern United States. Transformative learning may have been aided by the educators’ response to unplanned activating events, humor, and respect, and assumed roles of role model, and counselor. Teachers presented activating events they perceived supported resistant learners to alter their meaning schemes and revise their frames of reference. Administrators of educational programs for marginalized adult learners can help prison educators develop these pedagogical practices. Practitioners and researchers may wish to explore humor …

African Renaissance And Globalization: A Conceptual Analysis And A Way Forward, Jose Cossa

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

After colonialism and subsequent independences of African states, the current wave of Globalization has been compelling Africans to rethink their position in the world. One key aspect of Africa’s redefinition and response to Globalization is the African Renaissance; a concept that has been subject to debate among African academia, with some African scholars arguing that it is borrowed from experiences unique to Europe and thus rendering it irrelevant to Africa. This paper is a conceptual analysis of the term African Renaissance and an assessment of its relevance within the context of globalization.

Fear Of Fatherhood, Deborah Weatherspoon, Wendy Sponsler, Christopher Weatherspoon, Dorothy Campbell

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The fatherhood role is influenced by culture, religion, social factors, and economic norms. In Jamaica pregnancy is often treated as a female only event. Women are left to visit their clinics alone and have support from female family members. The man’s focus is providing financial support. In the past fathers were subjected to migrant labor and left their families for long periods. This tradition remained even when they were not working. Today, men are taking on more of the role of fatherhood, becoming involved and supportive and experiencing the privilege of pregnancy though of a secondary nature through their partner’s …

Participation In Virtual Academic Communities Of Practice Under The Influence Of Technology Acceptance And Community Factors, A Learning Analytics Application, Nicolae Nistor, Beate Baltes, Mihai Dascălu, Dan Miha˘Ila˘

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Participation in virtual communities of practice (vCoP) can be influenced at the same time by technology acceptance and by community factors. To overcome methodological issues connected with the analysis of these influences, learning analytics were applied. Based on a recent vCoP model, the collaborative dialogue comprising 4040 interventions in 1981 messages created by a vCoP located at a US American online university was automatically analyzed. The text-based asynchronous online discussions were scored using a cohesion-based participation and collaboration analysis. Additionally, a sample of N = 133 vCoP participants responded a technology acceptance survey. Thus, a combined research model including the …

Facilitating Exposure To Sign Languages Of The World: The Case For Mobile Assisted Language Learning, Becky Parton

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Foreign sign language instruction is an important, but overlooked area of study. Thus the purpose of this paper was two-fold. First, the researcher sought to determine the level of knowledge and interest in foreign sign language among Deaf teenagers along with their learning preferences. Results from a survey indicated that over a third of the respondents did not realize that American Sign Language was not universally used around the world. Another key finding from the survey is that Deaf students are interested in learning foreign sign languages particularly from the per-spective of a potential world traveler and not necessarily from …

The Spanish Adaptation Of The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-2: Translation And Psychometric Analysis, Linda Sue Jackson, Steven Little, Angeleque Akin-Little

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Autism is an increasingly prevalent developmental neurological condition that manifests in pervasive impairments in social interaction, communication, and stereotypic behavior and interests. Early identification leads to positive long-term outcomes. At present, all standardized rating instruments are written in English; therefore, the purpose of the present study was to adapt the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-2 from English into Spanish using the state-of-the-art procedures described in the literature. The English instrument was translated into Spanish, back-translated into English, and then revised using an iterative process. The adapted instrument's psychometric qualities were substantiated. An alpha coefficient of .96 verified the adapted instrument's internal …

Exploring The Educational Involvement Of Parents Of English Learners, Elizabeth M. Vera, M Susman Israel, Laura Coyle, J Cross, Laura Knight-Lynn, I Moallem, G Bartucci, N Goldberger

Center for Research Quality Publications

The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the relationships among a range of specific barriers and facilitators of parent involvement and a variety of types of school involvement within a diverse group of immigrant parents of English Learners (ELs) in four elementary school districts. In-home types of educational involvement such as monitoring homework and asking children about their school day were the most commonly reported behaviors, and utilizing community resources was found to be the least common type of parental involvement. Involvement type was predicted by parental demographic factors such as comfort with English language, educational background, and …

Devising And Investigating Benefits Of Interconnected Interventions To Promote Education Majors' Culturally Responsive Teaching, Joan Gipe, Janet C. Richards

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

For five years I have supervised a summer literacy camp that connects graduate education majors with students from diverse ethnicities. Each summer I noted I inadequately challenged the education majors to extend their knowledge, examine their attitudes, and expand their abilities to offer culturally responsive literacy instruction to students in the camp. Therefore, I employed a formative-experimental framework to explore the benefits of adding two interventions to our curriculum to stimulate the education majors’ culturally responsive dispositions. My discoveries indicate teacher educators can help education majors develop culturally responsive understandings, and pedagogical repertoires that meet the needs of students from …