Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 65

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Employer Perceptions Of The Skills Gap In College Graduates’ Written Communication, Julie Minnaugh Jan 2023

Employer Perceptions Of The Skills Gap In College Graduates’ Written Communication, Julie Minnaugh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. employers have reported that many college graduates are underprepared in written communication when hired and that lack of preparedness hinders these graduates’ employment success. Higher education institution (HEI) administrators need information regarding which writing skills should be taught across the curriculum to improve student outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate employers’ perspectives on the written communication skills gap that hinders college graduates from being successful in their professional practice. Swales’s six characteristics of a discourse community provided a conceptual lens for the study, as graduates commencing employment represent newcomers to a discourse community. A basic qualitative …


Employer Perceptions Of The Skills Gap In College Graduates’ Written Communication, Julie Minnaugh Jan 2023

Employer Perceptions Of The Skills Gap In College Graduates’ Written Communication, Julie Minnaugh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. employers have reported that many college graduates are underprepared in written communication when hired and that lack of preparedness hinders these graduates’ employment success. Higher education institution (HEI) administrators need information regarding which writing skills should be taught across the curriculum to improve student outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate employers’ perspectives on the written communication skills gap that hinders college graduates from being successful in their professional practice. Swales’s six characteristics of a discourse community provided a conceptual lens for the study, as graduates commencing employment represent newcomers to a discourse community. A basic qualitative …


Title Ix Coordinators’ Perspectives On Title Ix Investigations And Due Process, Arcetta S. Knautz Jan 2023

Title Ix Coordinators’ Perspectives On Title Ix Investigations And Due Process, Arcetta S. Knautz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Title IX Coordinators are responsible for implementing standardized procedures related to each component of Title IX procedures on college and university campuses. The problem this study addressed was the gap in practice regarding the ways colleges and universities implement standardized procedures to ensure equitable due process for involved parties in sexual misconduct cases. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore perspectives of Title IX Coordinators regarding their challenges with implementing standardized procedures set forth by the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education, particularly related to sexual misconduct cases and ways to improve equitable due …


Administrator, Faculty, And Veteran Student Perspectives On Barriers Faced By Veterans In Higher Education, Christie Marie Mcdonald Jan 2023

Administrator, Faculty, And Veteran Student Perspectives On Barriers Faced By Veterans In Higher Education, Christie Marie Mcdonald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMilitary veterans’ prior experiences can impact their study experiences and result in barriers to entering higher education. Prior research on veteran student barriers in higher education has not included the perspectives of faculty and administrators in addition to veterans. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the barriers that veteran students face in higher education and how those barriers could be addressed. The research questions focused specifically on the perspectives of administrators, faculty, and veterans on the barriers veteran students face and how those barriers could be addressed. The conceptual framework included Tinto’s student integration model and …


Title Ix Coordinators’ Perspectives On Title Ix Investigations And Due Process, Arcetta S. Knautz Jan 2023

Title Ix Coordinators’ Perspectives On Title Ix Investigations And Due Process, Arcetta S. Knautz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Title IX Coordinators are responsible for implementing standardized procedures related to each component of Title IX procedures on college and university campuses. The problem this study addressed was the gap in practice regarding the ways colleges and universities implement standardized procedures to ensure equitable due process for involved parties in sexual misconduct cases. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore perspectives of Title IX Coordinators regarding their challenges with implementing standardized procedures set forth by the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education, particularly related to sexual misconduct cases and ways to improve equitable due …


Administrator, Faculty, And Veteran Student Perspectives On Barriers Faced By Veterans In Higher Education, Christie Marie Mcdonald Jan 2023

Administrator, Faculty, And Veteran Student Perspectives On Barriers Faced By Veterans In Higher Education, Christie Marie Mcdonald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMilitary veterans’ prior experiences can impact their study experiences and result in barriers to entering higher education. Prior research on veteran student barriers in higher education has not included the perspectives of faculty and administrators in addition to veterans. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the barriers that veteran students face in higher education and how those barriers could be addressed. The research questions focused specifically on the perspectives of administrators, faculty, and veterans on the barriers veteran students face and how those barriers could be addressed. The conceptual framework included Tinto’s student integration model and …


Beliefs Of Higher Education Online Faculty Regarding The Integration Of Multimedia, Kimberly Diane Hoyt Jan 2023

Beliefs Of Higher Education Online Faculty Regarding The Integration Of Multimedia, Kimberly Diane Hoyt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Integration of multimedia resources in higher education curricula continues to be a concern for today’s teachers, especially in identifying effective, efficient, and engaging resources that provide individualized instruction and meet a variety of learning needs. However, there was a gap in the literature regarding teachers' beliefs about multimedia integration within the context of adult learning in online higher education. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the benefits and challenges higher education online teachers experienced when integrating multimedia resources into their courses. The research question explored the beliefs of higher education online instructors about their experiences when …


Beliefs Of Higher Education Online Faculty Regarding The Integration Of Multimedia, Kimberly Diane Hoyt Jan 2023

Beliefs Of Higher Education Online Faculty Regarding The Integration Of Multimedia, Kimberly Diane Hoyt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Integration of multimedia resources in higher education curricula continues to be a concern for today’s teachers, especially in identifying effective, efficient, and engaging resources that provide individualized instruction and meet a variety of learning needs. However, there was a gap in the literature regarding teachers' beliefs about multimedia integration within the context of adult learning in online higher education. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the benefits and challenges higher education online teachers experienced when integrating multimedia resources into their courses. The research question explored the beliefs of higher education online instructors about their experiences when …


Course Modality And Dialogue As Predictors Of Postsecondary Student Success In Online Programs, Danielle Lawson Jan 2022

Course Modality And Dialogue As Predictors Of Postsecondary Student Success In Online Programs, Danielle Lawson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a growing demand for online education; however, online programs yield consistently lower student retention rates and student success. Students in online programs are typically nontraditional students from underrepresented populations in higher education. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to determine whether dialogue (learner–learner, learner–instructor, and learner–content interactions) and course modality (traditional online and competency-based education [CBE] online) predicted student success (final course grade). Moore’s model of transactional distance served as the theoretical framework for this study, specifically the dialogue component. Participants were 127 online higher education students who took (successfully or unsuccessfully) a traditional online course …


Online Teaching Self-Efficacy And Faculty Ict And Computer Attitudes In Higher Education, Sharifa Jomoke Simmons Jan 2021

Online Teaching Self-Efficacy And Faculty Ict And Computer Attitudes In Higher Education, Sharifa Jomoke Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The digital age is reshaping learning and instruction and encouraging educational technology advances within higher education institutions. However, online faculty are not integrating technology into their classes despite the technology related professional development they receive. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if a relationship exists between online teaching self-efficacy and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and computer attitudes and faculty participation in technology professional development activities, gender, and age within the context of institutions of higher education. Alfred Bandura’s social learning theory and Roger’s diffusion of innovations theory framed the study. Using Qualtrics, survey data were collected …


Perceived Attributes Of Diffusion Of Innovation Theory As Predictors Of Postsecondary Faculty Adoption Of Text Expander Technology, Katherine Ruthann Mckinney Jan 2021

Perceived Attributes Of Diffusion Of Innovation Theory As Predictors Of Postsecondary Faculty Adoption Of Text Expander Technology, Katherine Ruthann Mckinney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Postsecondary faculty do not provide detailed, individualized, and timely feedback to students, although faculty and students consider feedback an integral aspect of higher education. Text expander technology, or software programs that automatically convert snippets of predetermined text into longer phrases, can aid postsecondary faculty in providing digital written feedback, but little quantitative research exists regarding postsecondary faculty adoption of text expander technology. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the perceived attributes of Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory that predict postsecondary faculty adoption of text expander technology. The research questions were related to the frequency at which postsecondary …


Financial Stress In Undergraduate Students, Samantha Pearl Hicks Jan 2021

Financial Stress In Undergraduate Students, Samantha Pearl Hicks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Undergraduate students are a vulnerable population faced with college costs and a lack of financial management knowledge, issues that have led to high student debt, failure to repay this debt, and sometimes dropping out of college. Facing these financial matters often serves as a leading source of stress, which, according to Selye’s stress theory, can negatively affect the lives of these college students, but may also be experienced differently by various demographic groups. This quantitative study compared financial stress reported on an anonymous online National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) financial stress survey by respondents from a stratified random sample …


Students' Perceptions Of Persistence In Two-Year Radiologic Technology Programs, Billie Jo Huffstetler Jan 2021

Students' Perceptions Of Persistence In Two-Year Radiologic Technology Programs, Billie Jo Huffstetler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obtaining a health care degree benefits individuals and society; however, 2-year radiologic technology programs in a metropolitan area of the southern United States continue to struggle with student persistence from enrollment to graduation. Exploring student persistence is important to college administrators, faculty, and students because of the predicted growth in the profession of radiologic technology. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore students' perceptions of their experiences at the local college that encouraged them to persist to graduation or quit attending. Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory and Bean and Metzner's nontraditional undergraduate attrition model served as the …


Decision-Making Of Unionized Men Toward Work And Post-Secondary Education: A Qualitative Study, Angela Pesce Jan 2021

Decision-Making Of Unionized Men Toward Work And Post-Secondary Education: A Qualitative Study, Angela Pesce

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High school graduates who opt for labor-based unionized positions, versus matriculating, are typically viewed as unable to matriculate, less intelligent and a myriad of other less desirable qualities. Current literature fails to showcase the decision-making experiences of unionized men who did not matriculate. There is also a gap regarding unionized mens’ perceptions on matriculation, including their reasons for not. This general qualitative study explored the career decision-making experiences of unionized men and their perceptions on postsecondary education through semi-structured interviews with 10 unionized men in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Purposeful and convenience sampling were used for recruitment through posted flyers within …


General Chemistry Students' Perceived Self-Efficacy After Completing Project-Based Service-Learning Activities, Sarah Quast Sliker Jan 2020

General Chemistry Students' Perceived Self-Efficacy After Completing Project-Based Service-Learning Activities, Sarah Quast Sliker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A New England community college reported that 60% of General Chemistry college students, who were science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors, did not advance in the STEM curriculum. To potentially increase student persistence in STEM curriculum, this qualitative case study project explored the self-efficacy perceptions of General Chemistry students after participating in project-based service-learning with elementary-school students. Bandura's social cognitive theory provided the conceptual framework for the study, supporting an understanding of learner self-efficacy. Research questions focused on chemistry students perceived self-efficacy after interactions with elementary-school students, teamwork, and the development of a project. Semistructured interviews with 10 participants …


Persistence Towards Graduation Of First-Year Native American Students At A Local College, Dolores Becenti Jan 2020

Persistence Towards Graduation Of First-Year Native American Students At A Local College, Dolores Becenti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the graduation rate for Native American (NA) college students was less than 1%. As enrollment increases in local colleges and universities, so do concerns about the persistence, retention, and completion of NA students. The purpose of this study was to investigate what influenced first-year NA students to persist toward graduation at a local college. The conceptual framework concentrated on social integration perspectives based on Tinto's student integration model. A qualitative case study design was chosen to gain insight into the phenomenon. Purposeful sampling procedures were used to recruit 6 first-year NA students …


Two-Session Information Literacy Program Effectiveness For Rural First-Year Undergraduates, Del Duke Jan 2020

Two-Session Information Literacy Program Effectiveness For Rural First-Year Undergraduates, Del Duke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A small rural university in the southern United States was unsure if its first-year student information literacy (IL) program was effectively preparing its rural students for the university’s IL learning goals. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if the IL program is effective for rural students. Carol Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process (ISP) theory was used, which identifies key stages that students experience when solving information problems. The overarching research question for the study examined the effectiveness of the university’s IL program on incoming rural first-year students’ IL knowledge and skills. The study used archive pre/post assessment data …


Examining Barriers Impacting Women’S Promotion Into C-Suite Positions In Higher Education, Lynette Johnson Nelson Jan 2020

Examining Barriers Impacting Women’S Promotion Into C-Suite Positions In Higher Education, Lynette Johnson Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States Department of Labor indicated that women represent 46.8% and men represent 53.2% of the United States’ 16 years and older civilian labor force. An estimated 52% of adult women compared to 48% of men participating in the civilian labor force held a bachelor’s degree or higher, and women represented 47% of the management and professional sector’s positions. Women occupy 25% of C-suite positions in the Standard & Poor 500 companies. In higher education, 30% of college presidents are women. Women continue to face several barriers as they try to move into senior executive leadership positions. The specific …


Faculty Members’ Perceptions Of Organizational Culture And Implementation Of Interprofessional Education, Cynthia Voyce Jan 2020

Faculty Members’ Perceptions Of Organizational Culture And Implementation Of Interprofessional Education, Cynthia Voyce

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A disparity exists between what is known about the benefits of interprofessional education (IPE) and implementation of IPE at the university under study. The World Health Organization called on institutes of higher education to provide IPE in the education of health professionals to improve the healthcare workforce’s capacity to provide quality care. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the perceptions of health professions faculty members (HPFMs) about IPE and how those perceptions might be influenced by the organizational culture at the site. Informed by Hofstede’s dimensions of culture theory, the research questions addressed HPFMs’ understanding of and …


Instructor-Initiated Communication And Student Success In Online High-Impact Community College Courses, Tonia J. Benton Jan 2020

Instructor-Initiated Communication And Student Success In Online High-Impact Community College Courses, Tonia J. Benton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study is low student success in online high-impact courses. Researchers have shown that instructor-initiated communication contributes to student satisfaction and success. The purpose of this study was to determine any relationship between instructor-initiated communication and student pass rates in online high-impact courses offered at a community college in the United States. The Community of Inquiry (CoI), which identifies teacher, social, and cognitive guidelines supporting learning experiences for students, was the theoretical foundation of the study. The research question was designed to explore relationships among the percentage of students passing a course with an A, B, …


The Perceptions And Lived Experiences Of Female Students In A Computer Science Program At A Community College, Terry Voldase Jan 2020

The Perceptions And Lived Experiences Of Female Students In A Computer Science Program At A Community College, Terry Voldase

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

America's higher education institutions have aligned computer science curricula with today's modern technology. Despite these efforts, data have shown that there is slow growth among young women majoring in computer science and even slower growth in this area at community colleges. Higher education institutions have also acknowledged a gap between men and women entering the computer science field and a need to explore options for computer science programs to engage women in the industry. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of the perceptions and lived experiences of female students enrolled in computer classes at New …


Perceptions Of Leaders Regarding Succession Planning In State Universities In A Western State, Amy Jennifer Buckway Jan 2020

Perceptions Of Leaders Regarding Succession Planning In State Universities In A Western State, Amy Jennifer Buckway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Succession planning is used to identify potential leadership vacancies, develop new leaders, and provide systems for knowledge transfer to ensure optimal functioning of the organization during leadership changes. Leaders in higher education have been reluctant to develop and implement succession planning. The local problem is that higher education leadership in a Western state has experienced aging leadership and a lack of succession planning. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine the use of succession planning in 5 state universities in a Western U.S. state and to explore the leaders’ perceptions and experiences in the implementation of …


Exploring Occupational Therapy Faculty Beliefs Related To Technology Acceptance Of High-Fidelity Simulation, Elisabeth Mcgee Jan 2020

Exploring Occupational Therapy Faculty Beliefs Related To Technology Acceptance Of High-Fidelity Simulation, Elisabeth Mcgee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High-fidelity simulation-based learning (SBL) is used in occupational therapy (OT) to immerse students in realistic clinical situations using advanced technology to better prepares health care professionals for the workplace. However, researchers have not explored OT graduate faculty technology acceptance using high-fidelity simulation (HFS) as a learning and instructional tool. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore OT graduate faculty members' beliefs related to technology acceptance of high-fidelity SBL at a multicampus university. To accomplish this purpose, research questions were developed to examine faculty beliefs of high-fidelity SBL using Gu et al.'s four key constructs (outcome expectancy, task …


A Program Evaluation Of A Community College’S New Faculty Seminar, Kari Mclean Proft Jan 2020

A Program Evaluation Of A Community College’S New Faculty Seminar, Kari Mclean Proft

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A community college (CC) in the midwestern United States launched a New Faculty Seminar (NFS) in 1999 for new tenure-track faculty. The problem that prompted this project study is that the NFS has been implemented yearly since 1999 without a formal evaluation. Without an evaluation plan, college leadership cannot determine whether the program is meeting stated goals. The purpose of this program evaluation was to explore how faculty described the NFS inputs and processes they experienced and how they perceived the outcomes and impact of the NFS on their understanding of the CC environment and the development of their instructional …


Association Between Recruiters' Perceptions Of Education Delivery Mode And Applicants' Workplace Readiness, Alan Mark Faingold Jan 2019

Association Between Recruiters' Perceptions Of Education Delivery Mode And Applicants' Workplace Readiness, Alan Mark Faingold

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The academy, its faculty, and recruiters have discordant views about credentialed graduates’ workplace viability. As the powerful gatekeepers between education and the employment market, recruiters’ perceptions of college credentials may dictate applicants’ interview progression. Although nearly 100% of today’s college administrators believe higher education programs prepare students for the workplace, less than 12% of recruiters deem graduates ready to succeed in organizational settings after graduation. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in recruiters’ perceptions of online and face-to-face higher education credentials as indicators of applicants’ workplace readiness. The theoretical foundation of this study was Spence’s signaling theory …


Strategies To Foster Employee Engagement Before, During, And After Organizational Mergers, Michelle R. Lang Jan 2019

Strategies To Foster Employee Engagement Before, During, And After Organizational Mergers, Michelle R. Lang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Engaged employees contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization’s service to their community. Many organizational leaders struggle to engage their employees before, during, and after organizational mergers. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies 9 leaders from 3 merged higher education organizations in the state of Georgia used to encourage employee engagement when their organizations were merging. The conceptual framework for this study was a combination of the transformational leadership theory, the self-efficacy theory, and the acquisition integration approach. After collecting data through semistructured interviews, organizational documentation, and member checking, data analysis through thematic …


Cybersecurity Strategies For Universities With Bring Your Own Device Programs, Hai Vu Nguyen Jan 2019

Cybersecurity Strategies For Universities With Bring Your Own Device Programs, Hai Vu Nguyen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The bring your own device (BYOD) phenomenon has proliferated, making its way into different business and educational sectors and enabling multiple vectors of attack and vulnerability to protected data. The purpose of this multiple-case study was to explore the strategies information technology (IT) security professionals working in a university setting use to secure an environment to support BYOD in a university system. The study population was comprised of IT security professionals from the University of California campuses currently managing a network environment for at least 2 years where BYOD has been implemented. Protection motivation theory was the study's conceptual framework. …


Cybersecurity Strategies For Universities With Bring Your Own Device Programs, Hai Vu Nguyen Jan 2019

Cybersecurity Strategies For Universities With Bring Your Own Device Programs, Hai Vu Nguyen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The bring your own device (BYOD) phenomenon has proliferated, making its way into different business and educational sectors and enabling multiple vectors of attack and vulnerability to protected data. The purpose of this multiple-case study was to explore the strategies information technology (IT) security professionals working in a university setting use to secure an environment to support BYOD in a university system. The study population was comprised of IT security professionals from the University of California campuses currently managing a network environment for at least 2 years where BYOD has been implemented. Protection motivation theory was the study's conceptual framework. …


Lived Experiences Of African Students With Microaggressions In U.S.-Based Higher Education Institutions, Amevi Molley Jan 2019

Lived Experiences Of African Students With Microaggressions In U.S.-Based Higher Education Institutions, Amevi Molley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of microaggressions in higher education institutions in the United States is a major issue for individuals of color and international background. Microaggressions can interfere with international students' smooth transition into their new academic system and social environment. The purpose of this qualitative study with a transcendental phenomenological approach was to explore the lived experiences of Sub-Saharan international graduate students who have experienced microaggressions in a higher education institution in the United States. The racial microaggression theory and the theory of neo-racism served as a guiding conceptual framework for this study. The research question was to examine the lived …


The Impact Of Campus Health Services On The Attitudes, Perceptions, Beliefs, And Behaviors Of Historically Black College And University Students, Micah Mccray Griffin Jan 2019

The Impact Of Campus Health Services On The Attitudes, Perceptions, Beliefs, And Behaviors Of Historically Black College And University Students, Micah Mccray Griffin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans suffer worse health outcomes related to chronic disease than any other racial or ethnic group. The negative effects associated with poor dietary habits and a low propensity to exercise impact young adult African Americans who attend Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs) and can lead to higher mortality rates. It is important for HBCU campus health centers to address the perceptions and beliefs of students to positively impact health behaviors associated with diet and exercise. At the time of this study, there was limited research on-campus health centers and their impact on HBCU student health beliefs and behaviors. Therefore, this …