Digital Commons Network^™

Depression And Suicide: An In-Depth Analysis, Vivian M. Rodriguez

Honors Capstones

Suicide is a serious public health concern and tragically claims the lives of tens of thousands of people each year. Depression has now been identified as the most common mental health disorder in the United States. Depression has been linked to suicide and has been identified as a clear risk factor. Despite the current available treatments, suicide rates still increase with each passing year. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the potential causes and risk factors of depression and suicide as well as discuss evidence-based assessment, intervention, and evaluation methods to help clinicians improve the care provided to …

Screening And Assessment In Trauma-Informed Care: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Megan Bender, Beka Bickel, Ashley Hoffmann, Emily Howard, Mykayla Laurie, Yer Lee, Rachael Nelson, Ciara Nervick, Julie D. Bass

Graduate Occupational Therapy Research and Projects

This Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project examined the following question: What interprofessional and occupational therapy screening and assessment measures are used in trauma-informed care and what are their psychometric characteristics?

Potential Implications For Music Therapy On Nursing Assessment Of Patients With Dementia In Hospice, Kamilla Akmuradova

Masters Theses

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) display symptoms that cause disturbances in memory, learning, language, motor ability, and behavior. Hospice medical professionals frequently experience difficulty when performing any treatment physical in nature, such as conducting a physical assessment, changing a wound dressing and wound care, and administering medications, since patients with (AD) often exhibit symptoms of agitation, anxiety, and combative behaviors before and during procedures. In addition, complex communication and cognitive impairments cause challenges with assessment and intervention planning. Music as a complex auditory modality can enhance state of alertness, physical movement, facial expressions, physiological responses (e.g., heart rate), and communication …

Duty Of Care And Risk Management For Institutions Of Higher Education, Jorge De La Torre

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) authority has evolved from nearly absolute power in the hands of colleges and universities to an approach more focused on individual students and their rights. Yet, while college authority over campus life and student conduct has diminished, the duty of care required in the form of additional student affairs services has increased. The history of the complicated relationship between students and IHE starts with the concept “in loco parentis,” which is Latin for “in place of parents.” A lack of proper and continued risk assessment and a lack of effective and manageable policies and procedures …

Evaluation Of The Psychometric And Measurement Properties Of The Scat5 And Child Scat5, Michael Robinson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Concussions are one of the most complex conditions to manage in sport medicine due to the individualized clinical presentation caused by the complex neurometabolic cascade that occurs. The identification, assessment and management of concussion requires clinicians to employ a multifaceted approach including the subjective disclosure of symptoms by patents. In order to aid in this, symptom checklists are commonly used as they provide a standardized method for collecting the severity of concussion symptoms. One of the most common symptom checklists is the 5^th Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT5) symptom evaluation which is available in an adult and pediatric version. …

How Schools Create Healthy Testing Cultures And How Principals Use Standardized Test Data To Become Leaders Of Learning, Holly A. Gurule

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Standardized tests are not new to the field of education. The problem with them seems to lie in the ways these tests are now being used as criteria for various high-stakes decisions such as teachers’ evaluations, school grades, school sanctions, and even graduation from high school with a diploma. With so many different uses for standardized tests, it is easy to see how our perception of them has become skewed.

This bounded case study of a small elementary school in a large urban district centered on shifting the focus away from looking at standardized tests as a negative, as mere …

Middle Level Literacy: Individual Skills Screener And Plan For Response To Student Data, Emily Margaret Olson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The guiding question addressed in this project is “What is the most effective way to identify areas of need for struggling middle school readers and how can teachers intentionally target those areas of need once identified?”. Research into key literacy skills, effective literacy skill screeners, and intervention resources are presented in this project. This ultimately culminates in the presentation of a literacy skill screener complete with guide book and recommendations of methods for responding to student data based on the results of the literacy screener. This literacy screener can be easily used by classroom teachers, literacy coaches, and reading interventionists …

Evaluating Measurement Of Strain Hardening Method For Mechanical Assessment Of Geomembrane Service Life In Msw Landfills, Alaa Alsharaballi

Theses and Dissertations

The increased household production result in more construction of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills and lagoons. One major part of these engineering projects is high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane. Geomembrane is an impermeable layer that used along bottom and sides of landfills and lagoons to contain the leachate and to protect the groundwater. Although of their chemicals resistance and high strength, it can be aged under service conditions such as high temperature, ultraviolet (UV) light, and chemicals exposure. These conditions accelerate oxidation of geomembrane and lead to brittle behavior and stress cracking which reduce its service life.

Our objective in this …

Two Studies Conceptualizing Physical Literacy For Assessment Of High School Students In The United States, Chelsee Shortt

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Toward the advancement of physical literacy (PL) in the United States, the purpose of this dissertation was to operationalize the construct and work toward a foundational framework to which PL can be assessed. The purpose of Study 1 was to develop an operational conceptualization of PL via a modified Delphi approach. The purpose of Study 2 was to expand upon the findings from Study 1 by exploring adolescents' perceptions of PL using repertory grid analysis (RGA).

Methods: Study 1 used a sequential, mixed methods design. Participants (N=22) were national and international PL academics with peer-reviewed publications on PL or …

Improving Measurement And Expanding Meta-Analytic Knowledge: Social And Emotional Learning In Elementary And Early Childhood, Dana M. Murano

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the last several decades, the development of student social and emotional skills in educational contexts has received much attention, both domestically and internationally. Whereas previous school-based educational practices had primarily focused on the teaching and testing of cognitive skills, we now recognize that there are constituents of academic success beyond the cognitive skills that are traditionally taught and tested, and the field of social and emotional learning (SEL) has emerged as a result. This two-study dissertation attempted to fill existing gaps in the development of SEL practices by exploring new horizons in both intervention and measurement with preschool and …

Effects Of Pre-Tests And Feedback On Performance Outcomes In Massive Open Online Courses:What Works And What Doesn’T?, Maria Janelli

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This experimental study examined the effects of pre-tests and feedback on learning outcomes in a five-week massive open online course (MOOC). The participants (N = 399) were adults from around the world who self-enrolled in the American Museum of Natural History’s (AMNH) climate change MOOC (called Our Earth’s Future) offered on the Coursera platform. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. Learners in the first treatment group took pre-tests without receiving feedback. Learners in the second treatment group took pre-tests and received basic (correct/incorrect) feedback. Learners in the third treatment group took pre-tests and received elaborate feedback. The …

Expository Language Sample Assessment Of Spanish- English Bilingual Middle-School Children, Rachel Ann Eggert

Theses and Dissertations

Because of the possible bias and limitations in using standardized assessments, it is advantageous to assess school-age children who are bilingual using additional descriptive assessments, including language sampling. Choosing expository discourse language sampling to assess this population is beneficial because it is the standard form of discourse in a classroom setting and provides a more complex language sample. Using expository discourse language sampling, this study assesses the oral expository discourse language skills of Spanish- English bilingual middle school students who have learned English as a second language. The study found that expository discourse was a feasible way to assess the …

Professional Transition Porfolio, Ali Gunn

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

During my career in junior high, I have been able to provide many transition assessments. This is the first introduction to transition planning for my students and their families, and I enjoy being able to discuss with them their hopes and dreams for the future, and help parents realize the strengths and skills their child has, based on these assessments, which will benefit them in their future goals. I have been able to use transition assessments not only to make appropriate transition plans, but also to set up work experiences that meet my students’ strengths and preferences.

I have provided …

Development And Validation Of An Agricultural Literacy Instrument Using The National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes, M. Rose Judd-Murray

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to develop a standardized agricultural literacy assessment using the National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes (NALOs) as benchmarks. The need for such an assessment was born out of previous research, which found that despite numerous programs dedicated to improving agricultural literacy, many students and adults remain at low or very low levels of literacy. Low literacy levels lead to negative associations with the production and processing of food, clothing, and shelter, as well as misinformed public perceptions and policies. Agricultural literacy researchers recognized that the development of a standardized assessment for post-12^th grade, or equivalent, could unify …

Predictors Of Empirically-Supported Interventions Following Structured Functional Assessment., Alton Nathaniel Verbist

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Assessment is foundational to the process of evidence-based practice yet has received little research attention. Project SAFESPACE has recently initiated screening and assessment for all children entering out of home care in Kentucky with the goal of providing assessment-driven, evidence-based treatment. The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment—the instrument adopted in this service system—is designed to link the assessment process with the selection of appropriate interventions. Informed by naturalistic decision making, this dissertation sought to investigate the relationship between responses on the CANS assessment and the empirically supported interventions subsequently prescribed by the assessing clinician. Using secondary data …

The Effects Of Cognitively Guided Instruction (Cgi) On The Use Of Representational Modeling By First And Second Grade English Language Learners (Ells) During Individualized Assessments Of Arithmetic Word Problem Solving., Edwing A. Medina

Open Access Dissertations

Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) is a professional development framework that informs participating teachers regarding research-based knowledge of elementary arithmetic-problem types and children’s developmental strategies for solving them. A classroom taught led by CGI participants includes one where heterogeneous learners (including English Language Learners, ELLs) are using and discussing representational systems and modeling tools (such as base-10 blocks, snap cubes, fingers, and verbal narratives) as part of the collaborative whole-class and small group problem solving process. This exploratory study investigated the effects of classroom instruction by CGI teachers on ELLs’ use of representational systems as they independently solved arithmetic word problems. …

Validation Of The Reading Tendency Index In School-Age Children: Replication With A Bilingual Sample, Amanda M. O’Brien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Defining deficits in reading ability may be accomplished through the analysis of a child’s reading tendencies, representing a possible paradigm shift in the conceptualization and assessment of reading disabilities. Based on this premise, Mohl and colleagues (2018) developed a quantitative paradigm to measure reading tendency in children through performance on two lexical decision tasks (LDTs) that differentially rely on decoding and sightword reading abilities. The Reading Tendency Index (RTI; Mohl et al., 2018) is calculated from the differential between drift rates on the phonologic and orthographic LDTs. Scores closer to zero represent a balanced approach whereas scores as a negative …

Placement Testing Instruments For Modality Streams In An English Language Program, Aimee Hilgers

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine placement testing instruments for the modality streams in the English Language Program (ELP) at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM). The study involved research into and consideration of types and purposes of tests. A placement test was determined to be the appropriate test type for the program’s current student placement needs. An investigation was performed regarding characteristics placement tests need to possess for our program. With these characteristics guiding research, placement test options for the modality streams were reviewed, including standardized tests and in-house assessments. This project determined that in-house placement testing instruments …

Addressing Content, Convergent And Predictive Validity Of Implicit Pain-Related Fear In Chronic Low Back Pain, Eric S. Kruger

Psychology ETDs

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common condition that can lead to emotional distress and physical disability. Fear of pain, a phobic-like response to pain, can contribute to significant avoidance behavior and is associated with disrupted physical and emotional functioning. While questionnaires remain the standard for measurement of pain-related fear, recent work has explored the use of implicit methods. This study aimed to use an implicit measure, the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP), to assess convergent and predictive validity of implicit pain-related fear in relation to explicit self-report measures. Seventy-four participants with CLBP were recruited and completed the pain-related …

3cam Model Concept Maps, Critical Thinking, Collaboration Assessment (3cam) Toward The Path Of Mastery Learning, Elham Zandvakili

Doctoral Dissertations

This study reports an exploratory study of the 3CAM model of classroom learning. 3CAM is an acronym for concept maps, critical thinking, collaboration, and mastery. It is a student-centered approach to mastery learning that empowers students to take responsibility for their own learning. The model is a theory and a practice. The theory is the language games of critical thinking and the practice is the activities of visualizing concept maps, applying critical thinking, collaborating, and creating their own assessment. Students play the language games of critical thinking using the WH questions: “what, when, why, where, who and how”. Students apply …

How Can Educators Make Use Of Feedback Types And Process To Optimize Student Performance?, Trang Nguyen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Feedback is one of the most common educational tools, which is frequently used in classrooms among multiple fields and grades. Although teachers use it to improve students’ learning, not all feedback would impact students positively. Instead, some feedback can be ineffective or damaging to learners, leading to a decrease in educators’ teaching productivity. This paper strives to answer the question, How can educators make use of feedback types and process to optimize student performance? It addresses research surrounding feedback and categorizes it based on four factors: positivity, levels, language used, and forms of feedback. From the research findings, this paper …

Implementation Of Standards-Based Grading In Secondary Settings, David Schreiner

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Current grading methods in secondary settings lack a basis in research and deserve to be scrutinized for their accuracy and fairness. The current literature points to a problem of accuracy and a lack of sound measurement theory principles concerning the grading of students. The problem of accuracy and fairness is not one of miscalculations by computer software, but rather of misrepresenting the level of content mastery that students have attained. Standards-Based Instruction and Grading seeks to be the answer to this problem of practice. Standards-Based Instruction is defined as tailoring and aligned classroom content to align with standards while Standards-Based …

A Quantitative Motor Assessment Linked To Underlying Damage In Traumatic Brain Injury, Paula K. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability in the United States (Coronado et al., 2011). There is a recognized need for better motor assessments to help mitigate these disabilities. Advances in markerless motion capture and in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide an opportunity to improve clinical assessments, and link them to damage measured in MRI scans. The primary aims of this research were to 1) develop a quantitative motor assessment (QMA), and seed a normative database to enable comparison of impaired behavior to unimpaired, 2) test the sensitivity of the QMA, and 3) link QMA results to …

Assessing Intersectional Identity: Investigating The Scales Of Contextualized Identity And Perceived Marginalization, Lauren Yadlosky

Dissertations (1934 -)

The existing literature highlights chronic and extensive psychological and physical health disparities between minority and majority individuals across a variety of identity dimensions including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and socio-economic class. Existing methods used to assess the minority identities associated with these health disparities are theoretically and statistically limited and often reinforce the oppressive mechanisms with which disparities are associated. While numerous researchers have identified these concerns, no quantitative assessment measure addressing them currently exists.To address this gap in the literature, researchers introduced the Scales of Contextualized Identity and perceived Marginalization (SCIM). The resulting measure …

Let’S Be Perfectly Clear About Ambiguity: Exploring Instructor Use Of Strategic Ambiguity To Enhance Student Work And Learning Outcomes, Anna M. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Instructors often desire to be clear in their teaching. However, a new area of research raises the possibility that instructors can use ambiguity strategically in courses and assignments to foster improved learning outcomes in students. This study uses quantitative research methods to explore how student characteristics affect learning outcomes when presented with varying levels of instructor messaging regarding clear and ambiguous assignments. Specifically, the measured student’s tolerance for ambiguity, mindset, as well as learning orientation and grade orientation as well as the impact instructor messaging regarding assignments has on student’s learner empowerment and affective learning. Findings suggest that instructor messaging …

Building Capacity For Triangulated Assessment, Jeffrey Brinson

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Over the last number of years, increased accountability in the teaching profession, coupled with the implementation of standards-based curricula, have resulted in traditional measuring tools such as tests, quizzes, or a performance task dominating classroom assessment practices (DeLuca, King, Sun, & Klinger, 2012). Ontario’s assessment and evaluation policy, Growing Success (2010), and Campbell et al.’s (2018) review of assessment in Ontario both support strengthening the use of qualitative feedback. However, current practices focusing on grade-oriented, surface level approaches characterized by memorization, recall, reduced thinking, preference for easier tasks, reluctance to take intellectual risks, and a diminished interest in learning continues …

Functional Assessment And Treatment Of Elopement Occasioned By Transitions, Denice Rios Mojica

Dissertations

Elopement is a dangerous behavior in children with developmental disabilities because it greatly increases the risk of accidents that lead to serious injury or death. The dangers of elopement are especially high during transitions because these situations increase the chance that a child will gain unsupervised access outside, where the most serious accidents typically occur. Despite its severity, assessment methodologies that specifically evaluate the contextual variables found during transitions are not available. Additionally, treatment for elopement during transitions typically involves antecedent interventions which do not address function. Continued research on effective and efficient means for the assessment and treatment of …

A Framework For Studying Sensitivity To Auditory Stimuli: An Exploratory Study, Anastasia Pasyk

Culminating Projects in Community Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy

Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are frequently reported to show sensitivity to auditory stimuli. While auditory preference assessments can show relative preference of one sound over another, they don’t provide information on the extent to which a sound might be aversive. The present study developed an escape and avoidance assessment in attempt to capture any sensitivity to auditory stimuli by comparing the results from this assessment to a standard auditory preference assessment, examining avoidance and escape responses of children to different speech types, and comparing the responses of children with an ASD diagnosis to typically developing children.

An Application Of The Expressive Therapies Continuum With Trauma-Related Symptoms In Women, Nielle Alfred

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The intention for this capstone thesis paper is to examine the benefits and usefulness of the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) with trauma survivors. Research suggests trauma is stored in the mind and body, thus supporting the need for mind-body integration within trauma-informed mental health care. Direct correlations between psychological trauma and maladaptive emotional, cognitive, and behavioral functioning have been proven. Review of the literature established the ETC as useful in creating new pathways between physical, emotional, and cognitive components to traumatic memory. The method used was a phenomenological single- study qualitative approach, based in a humanistic person-centered theory, using inductive …

The Possibility Of Assessment Tools In Expressive Arts Therapy, Joyce Gendler

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Mental health assessments originated as a tool to separate troubled individuals from mainstream society (Feder and Feder, 1998, p. 7). As the field of mental health has developed over time, assessments have come to serve a different purpose. Assessments provide the therapist insight into their clients current experience and data to guide a treatment plan. Data collected from an assessment may be a DSM-V diagnosis, a numeric score, or a qualitative clinical description. As arts-based therapeutic interventions become more widely acknowledged in the field of mental health, modality specific assessments have been developed in order to gather clinical data. Data …