Digital Commons Network^™

The Use Of Single-Subject Research Design For Assessment, Evaluation, And Research In Higher Education, Jordan C. Spencer

Theses and Dissertations

While enrolling in a college for a degree is still considered to be more of the expectation than the rule in households across the United States it is facing public criticism regarding its overall cost versus long-term benefits. This has prompted researchers to reevaluate practices in higher education to determine ways in which post-secondary institutions can improve their overall outcomes. In part, research indicates that this should include revisions to assessment, evaluation, and research (AER) practices. Currently, higher education faces many challenges associated with rigorous AER practices, which include an institutional focus on accountability measures, organizational challenges, and difficulties in …

Review Of Conceptualizations, Peer Interventions, And Principles And Standards In Approaches To Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv), Sara Fister

Counselor Education Capstones

Intimate partner violence (IPV), a type of domestic violence, is a human rights issue that is considered a global health concern. The daunting statistics outline the immense need for principles and standards for approaches to IPV. The overarching goal of this review is to explore peer support and peer mentorship as a potential adjunct service to a comprehensive service program for IPV victim-survivors. Conceptualization, theory, and frameworks; social support and peer support; the self-identity of IPV victims; single versus integrative services; service enhancement; evaluation; and advocacy and interventions are investigated in relation to IPV services, in general, and peer support, …

Student Success And Evaluation Metrics, Ricky L. Singletary Jr, Andrew I. Morgan, Elena S. Van Zanten

Senior Design Project For Engineers

In so many instances, students drift through high school and are unaware of what types of job opportunities are out there for them. It is easy to see that a student can get overwhelmed by the number of career options, or they may not know what they want to do at all. The Blue Barred has generated a solution that allows students to see their options much more clearly through the analysis of six factors and their contribution to success: Engagement, Value Added Learning, Network-ability, Literacy, Numeracy, and Graduation Rates. Through the usage of tools such as literary research, surveys, …

Addressing Interprofessional Competence In Interpretation Of Electronic Fetal Monitor Tracings, Susan H. Hébert

Doctoral Dissertations

Interpretation of electronic fetal monitor (EFM) tracings is a critical clinical practice skill nurses and physicians perform during the intrapartum stage of pregnancy. However, if performed inaccurately can potentially jeopardize the well-being of the neonate. This risk is present because if concerning EFM tracings are not interpreted accurately, preventative care interventions to promote the well-being of the unborn child do not occur. The project was initiated by completing a scoping literature review on the methods for training and evaluating EFM interpretation competence, which revealed current EFM interpretation training and evaluation methods are lacking. A concept analysis defined nurse competence in …

Pharmacogenomics Translation In A Community Medical Context Using A Diffusion Of Innovations Framework: Provider Perspectives And Evaluation Implications, Sabrina Ewald Holley

Dissertations

Translation, in the context of medical research, is a process that describes how knowledge and innovation move and change into real world applications and outcomes. This study explores the translation of a medical innovation, pharmacogenomics (PGx), from research into clinical practice using the perspectives of medical providers in a community setting. PGx is the influence of a person’s genetics on drug response. Despite being available for over a decade, PGx testing is not widely adopted. Prior research primarily examined PGx translation in large academic medical centers, but not much is known about it in community practice settings. A better understanding …

Towards More Task-Generalized And Explainable Ai Through Psychometrics, Alec Braynen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this work, we propose that adopting the methods, principles, and guidelines of the field of psychometrics can help the Artificial Intelligence (AI) community to build more task-generalizable and explainable AI. Three arguments are presented and explored. These arguments are that psychometrics can help by providing 1) a framework for formulating better datasets, 2) psychometric AI data that can lead to models of generalization in AI, and 3) explainable AI through more informative evaluations.

A review of psychometrics and psychological generalization is performed, along with an overview of evaluation, generalization, and explainability in AI. Various ideas are presented throughout for …

Probabilistic Commonsense Knowledge, Xiang Li

Doctoral Dissertations

Commonsense knowledge is critical to achieving artificial general intelligence. This shared common background knowledge is implicit in all human communication, facilitating efficient information exchange and understanding. But commonsense research is hampered by its immense quantity of knowledge because an explicit categorization is impossible. Furthermore, a plumber could repair a sink in a kitchen or a bathroom, indicating that common sense reveals a probable assumption rather than a definitive answer. To align with these properties of commonsense fundamentally, we want to not only model but also evaluate such knowledge human-like using abstractions and probabilistic principles. Traditional combinatorial probabilistic models, e.g., probabilistic …

Communicating Student Outcomes: A Mixed Methods Study Of Communication Effectiveness, Nicholas Branson

Dissertations

Assessment, Communicating evidence, Education, Evaluation, Higher education, Student outcomes

The Impacts Of Problematic Social Media Use On Youths: Evaluation And Treatment Recommendations, Carianne Archer

Dissertations

Youths’ frequency and time spent on social media continues to increase over the years parallel to the growing concern of the status of the mental health of youth. This critical literature review project focuses on the impacts that social media use has on youth (ages 8 to 18 years) and what methods of evaluation and treatment are being used clinically, with recommendations provided to clinicians based on the available literature. The questions that guided this review included: What are the impacts of social media on the self-concept and interpersonal functioning of youths?; What clinical presentations are associated with youths who …

Still No Crystal Ball: Toward An Application For Broad Evaluation Of Student Understanding, Piper Armstrong

Theses and Dissertations

Evaluation of student understanding of learning material is critical to effective teaching. Current computer-aided evaluation tools exist, such as Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT); however, they require expert knowledge to implement and update. We propose a novel task, to create an evaluation tool that can predict student performance (knowledge) based on general performance on test questions without expert curation of the questions or expert understanding of the evaluation tool. We implement two methods for creating such a tool, find both methods lacking, and urge further investigation.

The Evaluation Plan For The Lgbtq+ Runaway & Homelessness Youth (Lrhy) Outreach Program, Jade Matthews

Public Health Capstone Projects

LGBTQ+ runaway and homeless youth are a vulnerable population at higher risk for survival sex, suicide, and sexual assault and rape than their heterosexual peers. The Alonzo A. Crim Center developed the LGBTQ+ Runaway Homeless Youth (LRHY) Outreach program to address the gap in homeless resources needed by the youth. This evaluation plan is being proposed to aid in the planning stage of the Street Outreach program. The evaluation presents a mixed design method and an external review of the program's data collection methods, such as pre-and post-test, focus groups, and outreach night reports. The evaluation findings would add to …

Fostering An Evaluative Culture By Addressing A Breakdown In The Policy Development Cycle, Michelle Anderson-Draper

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) aims to address the problem of practice (PoP) of a breakdown in the policy development cycle. The breakdown has resulted in a lack of evaluative feedback on the extent to which policies have been implemented as intended and are effective in achieving their intended outcomes. The PoP challenges elected trustees, in a large and diverse K–12 school division in Western Canada, to carry out their governance role. To address the PoP, the OIP offers a comprehensive change implementation plan, guided by a four-step change path model, actions, and continuous improvement cycle, supported by communication strategies …

Experiences Of Black Professionals At Predominantly White Institutions: Toward A Shared Understanding, Nequel Renee' Burwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice highlights a problem of practice within the field of Higher Education regarding the work place experiences of Black staff and administrators at Predominantly White Institutions. The dissertation seeks to understand more about the experiences of Black professional staff and administrators at Predominantly White Institutions as well as the personal and professional resources, support services, and networks that assist with their ability to grow and thrive in higher education work place environments that are predominantly White. The dissertation is comprised of three manuscripts. Manuscript 1 is an expanded literature review regarding the problem of practice. Manuscript 2 …

Overlaps And Gaps Of Preterm Birth Programs In The Triangle Area Of North Carolina, Amber Bobbitt

Capstone Experience

Background: Preterm birth rates are a long-standing issue that has yet to be adequately addressed and prioritized. Nationally about 1 in every 10 infants are born prematurely in the United States. In the state of North Carolina, 1 in every 9 live births was preterm in the year 2020. The aim of the study was to determine the strategies organizations use in North Carolina to reduce preterm births in comparison to the CDC’s Five Strategy framework and to understand how the organizations address health equity and measure/evaluate the success of their initiatives.

Methods: Semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted with four …

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Nonword Repetition Tasks For The Clinical Assessment Of Spanish-English Dual Language Learners: A Preliminary Investigation, Audrey Czirr

Theses and Dissertations

Nonword repetition (NWR) has demonstrated significant potential as a less-biased language assessment measure for dual language learners (DLLs). However, there are currently no available guidelines for the use of NWR in a clinical setting. The purpose of this preliminary study is to develop initial recommendations for the clinical use of NWR tasks by determining the diagnostic accuracy and optimal cut-off scores for two NWR tasks and scoring methods, and to evaluate the clinical feasibility of NWR as an assessment measure. Participants included 23 DLL students with and without language disorder between the ages of 6 and 8. Spanish and English …

Teacher Evaluation In Saudi Arabia Relative To National And International Teacher Evaluation Standards And Best Practices, Suhayb Kattan

Dissertations

Teacher evaluation systems are essential in tracking the quality and effectiveness of teachers and education systems. This dissertation examines the teacher evaluation system in Saudi Arabia through multiple perspectives, including research-based frameworks for teacher evaluation, norms and best practices from OECD countries, and established Saudi Teaching Standards. An explanatory sequential mixed methods model was used. Data collection involved 643 responses to a teacher survey that covered working conditions, existence of professional learning communities, and teacher evaluation practices, methods, and uses. Following the survey, in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 teachers and 3 key informants.

Findings from this study indicate the …

The Value Of Peer Supervisory Practices, Josh Tripp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Across the country schools have continuously looked to find ways to increase student achievement. In response to state and federal policy, school districts have used evaluative processes and accountability measures to increase teacher effectiveness. Despite a significant body of research that supports the effect of supervisory practices on teacher effectiveness, this focus on formal evaluation has detracted from the time and resources allocated to instructional supervision. Due to COVID-19, schools across the nation have been forced to provide remote learning opportunities to students. Essentially, this new style of teaching has turned all educators, regardless of experience, into first-year teachers. The …

Natural Resource Decisions: Discount Rates, Time Horizons, And Evaluations, Amanda Hyman

Doctoral Dissertations

As effects from climate change accelerate, there is a pressing need for research that can improve people’s lives and safeguard the environment. Billions of dollars are invested annually in such projects. To invest that money wisely, we need to understand the effects of assumptions that underpin decisions but often go unstated, such as assumptions about discount rates and time horizons. We also need to understand how project design choices affect the management of natural resources, prioritization of conservation actions, and success of climate adaptation projects. My dissertation explores these topics. I ask if and how local natural resource users and …

Development And Implementation Of An Outcome Measure For Move Inclusive Dance, Morgan Sondergeld

OTD Capstone Projects

Due to the need for increased funding at MOVE Inclusive Dance, an outcome measure was created and piloted to display program efficacy. This outcome measure with collected data will illustrate to stakeholders and grant committees the value of MOVE Inclusive Dance. Furthermore, a revised sensory protocol was created to ease student transition from classroom to stage through the use of visuals and strategies. Lastly, an organized document was created for the owner of MOVE Inclusive Dance to continuously apply for grants over the coming years with increased ease.

Exploring The Impact Of An Online Leadership Course On Japanese Undergraduates' Conceptions Of Leadership, Ryosuke Watanabe

Dissertations

Today’s complex problems transcend borders and require a collective and adaptive learning response. Literature suggests that, because the traditional hierarchical or positional style of leadership cannot effectively address problems we face today, leadership should take a more collaborative and systemic form. Rost (1991) characterized this new approach as the postindustrial paradigm of leadership. Unfortunately, changing the existing conception of leadership is not easy. Furthermore, assessing people’s leadership perceptions is challenging because leadership is often a tacit and latent construct. Because formal leadership education is still in its infancy in Japan, little is known about the impact of leadership education in …

The Changing Evaluations Of Black Skin, White Masks Throughout History, Paul Gonzalez

Theses

Black Skin, White Masks, produced in 1952 by Frantz Fanon is an iconic piece of decolonization literature in which he speaks out against the physical, psychological, social, and economic effects of colonialism in Africa and evaluations of his work have continually evolved throughout the last 70 years. From 1952 to 1960, evaluations of his book was mostly confined in France, then in 1960 to 1968 his work was actively used in America as a guide on achieving political freedom for African Americans and analyzing the Civil Rights Movement and by 1990 onward, his book has been used to analyze …

Expanding The Network Evaluation Toolkit: Combining Social Network Analysis & Qualitative Comparative Analysis, Debbie Gowensmith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collective action networks are complex systems of interrelated individuals or groups that come together for a common social change purpose (Ernstson, 2011). Researchers have used social network analysis (SNA) to examine the relationship structures and characteristics of collective action networks. However, determining whether collective action networking produces outcomes has been challenging because networks are complex, affected by context, and produce interdependent data. I addressed these challenges by pairing SNA with qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), a configurational comparative method. Using QCA, researchers can tease out which conditions are necessary or sufficient to produce an outcome. I analyzed a collective action network …

Contributing Factors Of Success For Middle School Agriculture Teachers, Sara Hughes

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The changing dynamics of middle school agriculture education requires research into the causes for some teachers and chapters to succeed while others do not. The reasons for success may be varied and related to many different factors. The aim of this study is to determine how programs perform at high levels, what factors help them achieve success, and the role that evaluation may play in the process. The types of evaluation used for middle school agriculture teachers in Georgia will also be analyzed.

An Evaluation Of Student Government: Diminishing The Disconnect Between Student Government Organizations And Their Constituencies, Elizabeth Roberts

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Student Government Organizations (SGOs) exist to serve and represent the student body. However, SGOs often face issues that lead to a disconnect between them and their constituency. The issues that can lead to a disconnect include responsibilities and purpose, representation and voter turnout, lack of knowledge and transparency, relationship to administration, and internal issues such as bias and mistreatment, transition, and personal outcomes. This thesis proposes an intervention of a yearly Student Government Evaluation where student government organizations are evaluated by the student body and their members and then create an action plan based on the results. The aim of …

An Evaluation Of A Drug Policy At A Federal University In Southeastern Nigeria, Linus N. Okahia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Drug abuse among university students has become a public health problem. The prevalence of drug abuse has negatively impacted the students, causing serious health outcomes. Finding a solution has the potential to benefit both students and society. Various intervention strategies have been adopted but the results have varied. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to evaluate the administrators’ and students’ perceptions of anti-drug-use policy at a federal university in Southeastern Nigeria to determine its effectiveness on drug abuse prevention among students. The policy feedback theory (PFT), which helps to understand and analyze the policy process, was the explanatory …

The Relationship Of Coaching On Quality Ratings In Early Childhood Care, Michelle Renee Burkhard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early childhood educators serving children ages birth through 8 years seek to continuously improve the quality of the learning environment and curriculum practice. All 50 states created a Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) to assess childcare center program quality and provide coaching for teachers. Early childhood education programs with intentional coaching score higher on several measures of quality associated with better child outcomes. Research demonstrates that there is a gap in understanding the relationship of coaching to quality scores within one Northcentral state’s childcare centers. The purpose of this quasi experimental quantitative study was to determine the difference in mean …

Evaluation Of A Comprehensive Diabetes Mellitus Protocol At A Rural, Federally Qualified Health Center In Southern West Virginia, Hannah D. Davis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects nearly 34 million Americans. In rural Appalachia, the population is affected disproportionately at a rate of 14% compared to the national average of 10%. Diabetes is a lifelong, chronic condition managed best by a multidisciplinary team-based approach to achieve optimal disease control. Best practices in the care of diabetes support the use of evidenced based care protocols and leveraging technology to decrease the burden of disease. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most common type, making it the focal population for evaluation.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to …

Developing An Evaluation Process For Telehealth In A Copd Clinic, Jodi H. Biller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Background: Telehealth was broadly implemented as a care modality in response to a worldwide pandemic in 2020. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, while telehealth was not new, it was not widely utilized at the project site location, and a uniform method of evaluating its effectiveness was needed. This quality assurance project developed and piloted a uniform process to evaluate telehealth in a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) clinic, then evaluated stakeholder perceptions about the process used in developing the evaluation tool.

Methods: The telehealth evaluation tool was developed using the National Quality Forum (NQF) framework and Global Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) …

Literacy And Covid-19 : Elementary Students' Reading Performance Through A Global Pandemic, Emmett Mcgregor Schweiger

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The critical area of literacy instruction has long relied on the use of measurement tools and the resulting data to identify at-risk readers and deliver needed supports. When the COVID-19 pandemic caused disruption to education, measurement practices were altered and there was limited existing research available to predict the potential impact of the pandemic on literacy development. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the reading performance of students in a Southern Tier New York elementary school before and during the pandemic, utilizing existing data from fall 2019 to spring 2021. Additionally, this study sought to evaluate the …

Evaluability Of Community Dispute Resolution Programs: Effecting Change Or Maintaining The Status Quo?, Rebecca Gourde

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Between the 1960s and the 1990s, dozens of programs and organizations arose throughout the United States designed to bring peaceful resolutions to emerging community disputes, following in the conceptual footsteps of the federal Community Relations Service. Many of these community dispute resolution programs have encountered calls for reduced funding in recent years, as economic hardships force public administrators to parcel out limited public monies to those services that can demonstrate the most benefit. This study is a content analysis that examines the public-facing web content of 20 representative community dispute resolution programs in the United States. The researcher found that …