Education Commons^™

Sex Trafficking In Southern Nevada, Julianna Jovillar

Student Research

Southern Nevada is facing a sex trafficking epidemic that continues to impact people in the state. Thus, in this brief, I investigate Southern Nevada’s sex trafficking crisis. Based on recent sex trafficking studies and the current legislature, it is apparent that although Southern Nevada is aware of the problem, more can still be done to stop it. As a result, this policy work explores sex trafficking in Southern Nevada, addresses stigmatization as a causal factor, provides political context, and offers policy recommendations related to child victim aid and protection to be considered for legislation.

Anatomy Academy Service-Learning Project: Attacking The Epidemic Of Childhood Obesity, Kelsey Kjer, Rosedaveia Howell, Brennan Kitchen, Francesca Schutte

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The World Health Organization has classified childhood obesity as one of the most serious public health concerns in the world. Obesity is known to have detrimental health consequences and be a risk for comorbidities. On top of the consequences of obesity already seen in young children at school, a lack of health education interventions in many elementary schools remains a significant health disparity. Anatomy Academy (AA) is a seven-week curriculum designed to educate children about their bodies and the importance of gaining and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this service-learning project was to educate elementary school students in …

Occupational Therapy Fieldwork In An Emerging Justice-Based Setting: Hope For Prisoners, Noah Claypool

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This capstone occurred through a partnership with HOPE for Prisoners in Las Vegas, Nevada. As an emerging area of practice, the occupational therapy profession needs more resources and programs focused on the justice system. The lack of evidence-based resources to support future level I fieldwork students at HOPE for Prisoners poses a barrier for students to maximize their fieldwork experience and effectively engage with the organization’s population of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men, women, and young adults in southern Nevada.This capstone experience involved a 14-week immersion at HOPE for Prisoners, including participation in training and workshops and engagement with clients, …

The Lived Experience Of The Dnp-To-Phd Nursing Graduate: Examining The Journey, Bonni S. Cohen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The traditional route of obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in nursing is vertical: a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), followed by PhD in nursing. An ongoing shortage of PhD- prepared nurses—nurse educators and nurse researchers, in particular, has spurred the creation of more pathways to obtaining a PhD in Nursing. In recent years, there has been a drive to increase the number of nurse scientists with doctoral degrees through innovative pathways. A newer terminal nursing degree, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), has taken root over the past decade to produce nurse leaders who are experts at translating …

Individual Differences In Police Officers’ Decision Styles In Order Maintenance Policing, Damarrah Elisheba Jameson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Day-to-day police work tends to be in order maintenance policing. These encounters necessitate officer discretion in decision responses to manage them. These decision responses reflect an officer’s decision style which precedes the encounter and drives subsequent decision making to manage them. However, little is known about officer-level decision style. For example, whether an officer has a rational, intuitive, dependent, avoidant, or spontaneous decision style (Scott& Bruce, 1995). Police training in any format often lacks attention to decision styles. As such, an officer’s decision style is most likely associated with demographics (e.g., age, gender) and occupational self-efficacy – a reflection of …

Investigating Students’ Lived Experience With Prebriefing Structure And Elements In Nursing Simulation Education, Meghan Liebzeit

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Prebriefing is a growing body of knowledge in nursing simulation education. It is recognized as an important factor in the simulation experience, however the practice of prebriefing varies widely making it difficult to understand what methods best prepare students for the simulation scenario. While research over the last decade has identified prebriefing increases confidence, skills, and clinical judgment, what content is important to include in prebriefing, or how it promotes the achievement of outcomes is under recognized.Implementing an intervention based on a pedagogically sound eight-week simulation clinical course, developed with the theoretical underpinnings of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, Kolb’s …

A Pilot Program To Inform High School Students About Allied Healthcare Professions, Nhu Mac

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The literature revealed the lack of diversity in the workforce, limited recruiting and retention methods, and lack of exposure to these professions as the contributions to the shortage and demand for the profession of occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech- language pathology (SLP). As a result, the fourteen-week program to inform high school students about OT, PT, and SLP roles in the community and public health was implemented at Desert Pines High School in Clark County School District (CCSD) to see if it would influence their perceived attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, and the likelihood of pursuing these careers. Using …

An Ergonomic Approach For Esport Athletes: The Potential For Less Injury And Increased Occupational Performance, Nicholas Nalic Pierides Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of developing the case study was to determine the satisfaction of implementing an ergonomic protocol tailored to esport athletes in addition to tracking improvements in performance through KovaaK’s tracking trainer while reducing the risk of repetitive strain injuries. Occupational therapists are trained to assess individuals with a holistic lens while treating the deficits that prevent them from living a meaningful life. Occupational therapists advise ergonomically correct positioning for their clients to decrease the risk of injury and to optimize the person’s performance. There is a need for an ergonomic protocol tailored to esport athletes because of the increase …

Development And Initial Validation Of The Mindful Self-Regulated Learning Scale (M-Srls), Sarah Wolff

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Modern mindfulness is a catch-all term. Just exactly what it looks like within the context of education and how it is taught vastly varies. As such, program fidelity and integrity is questioned. Here a definition of mindful self-regulated learning is proposed and the Mindful Self-Regulated Learning Scale (m-SRLS) is developed. This includes item generation and development, systematic testing of item performance, scale dimensionality, convergent and divergent validity, measurement invariance across groups and subgroups, and scale reliability over a series of five pilot studies and five primary studies using independent samples. The resulting m-SRLS is a context specific measurement tool that …

Systemic Theoretical Instruction: Tense And Aspect In Italian A Sociocultural Study Of American Learners Of Italian, Charles Joseph Panarella, Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

University-level language and second-language classrooms typically use general rules of thumb to teach grammar without considering its conceptual aspects and cultural origins. These general rules of thumb are normally taught using a communicative approach to language teaching which typically places little emphasis on immediate corrective feedback and learner development. Most assessments are static in nature and focus on right and wrong answers rather than their origins (i.e., learner development and microgenesis). The lack of corrective feedback and lack of considering affective factors have the potential to negatively influence language acquisition in terms of motivation and self-efficacy. In addition, foreign language …

Using Critical Questions To Improve Perspective Taking Online, Christina M. Nishiyama

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As technology continues to change human interactions, it has become increasingly important to create computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments that enhance perspective taking to support constructive groupwork. To meet these aims, this study examined perspective taking before and after a social annotation activity that incorporated critical questions in the experimental condition. Results from 163 undergraduate students showed that using critical questions improved the quality of perspective taking in written dialogue and using social annotation increased perspective taking over time for all participants. Findings offer important research implications in the CSCL and collaborative argumentation fields, as well as broaden opportunities …

Where Will I Sleep Tonight? A Qualitative Case Study Of Homeless And Displaced College Students, Andria Lynn Coleman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to identify the needs of undergraduate students who are homeless or displaced, as well as examine the policies, procedures, and systems of Mountain University, a public four-year university, that may support or hinder students’ retention and progression. This study will be driven by the following research question: How do students who are homeless or displaced, but earned a scholarship, grant, or both navigate the policies, procedures, and systems of Mountain University during their first two years? Using Resiliency Theory and Hope Theory as the theoretical frameworks, this qualitative multiple case study seeks to identify …

The Closing Of One Black Box, The Opening Of Another: A Self-Study Of How An Instructional Coach Makes Decisions, Andromeda L. Hightower

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite the efforts of traditional and alternative teacher education programs (i.e. pre-service teacher education) in the United States, teachers frequently report feeling unprepared by the time they begin teaching full time in the classroom. Teachers with low levels of self-efficacy are correlated with lower job satisfaction, higher levels of stress and anxiety, and lower student achievement gains in the classroom. To assist with ameliorating these gaps, schools, districts, and private distributors provide training opportunities for teachers once they have begun the job (i.e. in-service teacher training) in the form of teacher professional development. Mainstream professional development approaches are traditionally simplistic …

Longitudinal Relations Among Expectancy-Value Beliefs, Achievement, And Intentions To Leave For Health Science Students, Kyle C. Mefferd

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Utilizing expectancy-value theory (EVT), the present study observed the temporal relations among health science students’ expectations, subjective task values (STV), and costs with academic achievement and intentions to leave a health science program. The present study is among the first to examine this population of students and is one of the earliest to utilize a longitudinal design with a random-intercepts cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) for EVT data. The study’s novel contributions not only add to the EVT literature by incorporating a methodologically more advanced form of the traditional cross-lagged panel model, but also extends the reach of EVT research by …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Parent Involvement Programs In Higher Education, Heather Rappaport

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Universities involve parents of college students in the undergraduate experience, but there is limited research on the specific pathways for parent engagement. This study examined how universities involve parents of undergraduate students at large public universities with graduation rates higher than the national average. Through the lenses of emerging adulthood and Bioecological theories, this study explored the perspectives of parent program directors. Findings of this qualitative case study include a unique tie between parent programs and collegiate athletics, communication pathways within FERPA guidelines, as well as expanded opportunities for involvement like affinity groups and career services.

No Scrubs: Nursing Applicant Trajectories After Rejection, Jennifer Torgerson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is a nursing shortage in the United States which has become even more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite qualified applicants, thousands of students are turned away from educational programs each year as programs reach capacity limits. The rejection may have social, psychological, and economic consequences for the student. Students faced with rejection need to make decisions whether to continue their pursuit of nursing or go a different direction. This exploratory quantitative study aims to understand the trajectories of students that are not admitted into a capacity restricted nursing program at a community college in the Southwestern United States. …

Co-Teaching At The Secondary Level: A Qualitative Study Of Perceptions, Implementations, & Constructivism, Anne-Marie Raskin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The intended outcome of this qualitative study was to provide valuable information that could improve pre-service teacher education programs and inclusion professional development programs, as well as help guide school-based administrators on how to better support co-teaching at the secondary level. In order to accomplish the outcome, the purpose of the study was twofold: (1) to examine secondary co-teachers’ perceptions toward their preparedness to co-teach in an inclusion classroom based on their pre-service training, overall professional development, and administrative support; and (2) to explore how well secondary co-teachers practice constructivist-oriented co-teaching. The research questions included: (1) How do secondary co-teachers …

Health Literacy And The Feasibility Of Using Video-Based Education In The Emergency Department, Jenifer Carvell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defines health literacy as the degree to which an individual has the capacity to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others. In the emergency department (ED), it is estimated that the prevalence of inadequate health literacy can reach as high as 88 percent. There is a need to implement literacy-sensitive interventions in the ED. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to engineer an intervention that explored the feasibility of the use of personal technology to deliver video-based education to adult …

Leveraging Simulation To Understand Nursing Student Learning In Technologically Complex Environment, Deborah Rojas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction The adoption of simulation technologies in schools of nursing has increased significantly over the last 5 years. Results regarding the use of simulation technology have been positive. The use of simulation technologies has been developed to include complex nursing situations that resemble real clinical settings. Research has demonstrated that memory recall is better in an environment that is the same or similar to the environment in which the learning took place (Krokos et al., 2018). For this reason, educators have used simulation technologies to create realistic environments where students can learn. However, learning outcomes in simulations are affected by …

Implementing The Use Of Lesson Plan Templates Within The Mentorship Program For Dignity Health Hand Therapists, Ronell Matthew Sueno

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Occupational therapists (OT) have a wide range of specialties following graduation, one of which is hand therapy. This specialty requires a certain level of knowledge and clinical reasoning, especially concerning hand anatomy and physiology. It is hard to transition into hand therapy as a new occupational therapist due to extensive knowledge, additional patient-care hours, specialty certifications require, and lack of opportunity. A smoother transition into the workforce can be achieved through mentorship programs that allow for meetings with mentors to ask questions and get clarification on different treatments and diagnoses. This quality improvement project focused on gaining perspectives of hand …

Focus On Top Tier 2.0: Unlv Academic Health, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Focus on Top Tier 2.0

While the metrics above focus on degrees produced, UNLV Academic Health is more broadly defined as it is:

• Creating an environment where people feel valued in order to attract and engage excellent students, staff, and faculty.
• Advancing research and discovery to improve the health and care of our community.
• Providing high value, high quality, state-of-the art, interprofessional care for ALL members of our community.
• Committing to continuous improvement in healthcare education by leveraging technology, and promoting interprofessional education and collaborative practice.
• Serving as an engaged and responsive member of the community.

UNLV Academic Health will diversify our economy as high- …

Evolving Scientific Vocabulary And Language In Middle School Classrooms: Babbling And Gargling On The Way To Scientific Understanding, Merryn Cole, Thomas Ryan, Jennifer Wilhelm

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

While scientific vocabulary is important, it can often become problematic for students. Sometimes, those words can become a barrier to participation or act as a gatekeeper to success in the science classroom. Under the Next Generation Science Standards, middle school students are expected to model Earth-Moon-Sun motions to explain Moon phases, eclipses, and seasons (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Using a phenomenography lens, we investigated the ways in which students seeing the Moon in nature and related classroom experiences translate into a mental model of lunar phases and how vocabulary is used to communicate these models. Eighth-grade students from three urban …

“Why You Always So Political?”: A Counterstory About Educational-Environmental Racism At A Predominantly White University, Martín Alberto Gonzalez

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

Using critical race counterstorytelling, I tell a story about the experiences of Mexican/Mexican American/Xicanx (MMAX) undergraduate students at private, historically and predominantly white university in the Northeast. Drawing on in-depth interviews, participant observations, pláticas, document analyses, and literature on race and space and racism in higher education, I argue that the racially hostile campus environment experienced by MMAX students at their respective university manifests itself as a form of educational-environmental racism. Through narrated dialogue, Aurora (a composite character) and I delve into a critical conversation about how educational-environmental racism is experienced by MMAX students through a racialized landscape in the …

When Diversity Isn't The Point: Mirrors, Windows, And Sliding Glass Doors In The Classroom, Kaitlin M. Jackson

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

This article seeks to provide tangible action steps for both preservice and current teachers toward cultural competence through the intentional use of diverse and inclusive children's literature. The article describes the implications of representation of various identities and the intersection of those identities in textbooks for children belonging to all marginalized identities as well as those in groups aligning with societal defaults, including race, culture, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and disability.

"Between Too Much & Not Enough," A Meta-Analysis Of The 1619 Project, Nathan Pipes

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

When the New York Times released the 1619 Project in August 2019 it was met with enthusiasm and critical review. The outcome of the public debate, as of now, is mixed. Research is also mixed. Education findings suggests the project has the power to heal. Case study evidence indicates culturally centered approaches positively impact academic outcomes and mental health of historically oppressed peoples. By emphasizing and affirming African American experiences 1619 has potential to narrow the achievement gap and disrupt rising suicide rates. However, philosophy and psychology warn against overemphasizing culture. Excessive affirmation can cause groupthink. Continual praise aggrandizes the …

Instruction, Identity, And Inclusivity: What Can Teacher Preparation Programs Learn From Gay Male Teachers In The South, Joseph R. Jones

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

Abstract: In this article, the author discusses a qualitative research study that examined southern gay male teachers’ beliefs about the intersectionality of sexuality, gender identity, and pedagogy in secondary classrooms. For this discussion, three important themes emerged from the data analysis: instruction, identity, and inclusivity. The study utilized individual unstructured interviews, unstructured focus group interviews, classroom observations with field notes, and a research journal. The findings offer suggestions for teacher preparation programs to consider when preparing teacher candidates for the profession.

Co-Realizing Covid Co-Teaching Concerns: Recognizing Present Challenges To Student Equity In Remote Instruction, Matt Albert, Chyllis Scott

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

When the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect in-person schooling, teachers around the world expressed a balance of optimism for new possibilities in instruction along with trepidation at the challenges which lay ahead. Shortly after March 2020 and into the 2021 school year, remote instruction became the norm for several educators. As the pandemic persisted, the optimism teachers first exhibited began to wane considerably as several challenges to student access arose. These issues (e.g., Internet connectivity, crowded living spaces becoming workspaces, children and adults simultaneously working at home, etc.) pose significant threats to equity in education, and they ironically become troublesome …

Engaging Hyflex: Bridging The Remote/In-Person Engagement Gap Through Instant Polling Slides, Yvonne Houy

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

To provide learning opportunities for unpredictable student needs during the pandemic, I offered HyFlex courses in Spring and Fall 2022. Students could either attend my class in person or remotely through WebEx. Engagement by remote students increased dramatically after I started using Slido’s instant polling to create opportunities for communicating opinions and could gauge comprehension through open-ended and multiple choice responses live.

In the first half of my first HyFlex semester engagement among the in-person students was high, with a consistent 100% of students speaking at least once to the whole class during each class session. However, one-third of remote …

Focus On Top Tier 2.0: Social Justice, Equity, And Inclusion, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Focus on Top Tier 2.0

UNLV continues to be one of the most diverse universities in the nation, fostering an environment of welcoming communities and supporting students, faculty, and staff. Metric data survey results have been completed to help inform and improve culture for the institution, working towards progressive updates on our 2030 goals.

Associated Factors With Colorectal Cancer (Crc) Screening Awareness In The Black Belt Region Of Alabama: A Comparison Among Three Types Of Crc Screening, Hee Yun Lee, Yan Luo, Chiahung Chou, Mi Hwa Lee, Marion Bennett

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objective: The present study aims to assess the levels of awareness of three types of CRC screening tests (FIT or FBOT, sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy) among African Americans living in the Black Belt area, and examine the factors associated with awareness of CRC screening tests among this population.

Methods: The current study utilized a survey research design. Univariate analysis was used to assess the awareness of three types of colorectal cancer screening: FIT or FOBT, sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy. Three sets of logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the factors associated with the awareness level of each of the three colorectal …