Education Commons^™

Preservice Teacher Education Preparation: Implementation Of Personalized Learning And Technology Integration In The Fifth Industrial Revolution, Crystal C. Loose, Rose Jagielo-Manion

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

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It has been argued that we have moved into the age of personalization. One can see this while ordering drinks at a local Starbucks, where options are limitless. This personalization has been called the Fifth Industrial Revolution, a time noted for a deep, multi-level cooperation between people and machines. With emphasis on innovation, purpose, and inclusivity, this revolution calls for changes in the classroom setting to focus on relationships and lived experiences. So, how do we prepare our preservice teachers for this reality? Methods of instruction that create an engaging and …

Adapting Interteaching To A Hybrid Format: A Framework For Implementation, Carmen Farrell

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

In the world of higher education, expectations of college-level instructors have shifted significantly in the last few years due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Instructors were required to be more flexible than ever before, oftentimes across different modalities. This essay models an evidence-based teaching method, interteaching (IT), that was originally created for use in a traditional face-to-face classroom and suggests an adaptation of that method for a hybrid classroom. The theoretical framework of IT is explained and an adaptation of IT for hybrid classrooms is provided with a specific college-level course …

Introduction For Fall 2023 Issue, Jason Olsen

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

An introduction to the Fall 2023 issue of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence.

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 7, Issue 2, Fall 2023

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length Fall 2023 issue (Volume 7, Issue 2) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

The Fall 2023 issue presents research and guidance on topics related to educational adaptation. The first article by C. Farrell describes an adaptation of the interteaching method to the hybrid delivery method. The second article by C. C. Loose and R. Jagielo-Manion describes a study of modules on personalized learning to preservice teachers and its impact on their comfort level and preparation to implement personalized learning in their classrooms. The third article by B. …

Reading Interventions For High School Students With Reading Difficulties, Dixie Poulsen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Literacy is an important skill necessary for better outcomes in life. There are many high school students that struggle with word reading and comprehension. Some may even graduate without a functional reading level. What can teachers do to make a difference? Are there strategies that can be implemented into classrooms to better help struggling students? It is important to gather the correct information about the students reading abilities. For this professional portfolio, I conducted 5 different reading assessment, to understand the student’s current abilities. With these assessments I could determine where my student struggled the most. The student had difficulty …

Paraprofessional Training Materials, Program Implementation & Review, Breann Brewer

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

If ever you enter a special education classroom, you may encounter a few events. You may witness a classroom of impressive, almost automatic interactions, delivered in a way so eloquent that the students and staff seem to be in an effortless dance with one another. Or, you may witness a classroom that feels heavy with needs; needs of more staff, more help, more hands, and more time. This visual exercise demonstrates how the structure of a special education classroom sets the tone for student growth and success.

One pivotal part of a special education classroom is the paraeducators. Paraeducators, also …

Processes Of Couple Co-Regulation In Bereavement: A Longitudinal Study, Jessica Barboza

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Five couples reported on their experience of coping with and supporting their partner through the loss of a child. In-depth interviews with these bereaved parents revealed that couples engage in processes of regulating self, regulating other and forming a grief rhythm after child-loss. These processes have important implications for future research and therapeutic practice with bereaved parents, couples, and families.

Using Telehealth To Teach Caregivers Mand Training Using A Speech Generating Device, Sara Jeppson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Children with ASD often have struggles with social communication and developing a functional vocal output. Alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) can be used in different modes such as speech generating devices (SGDs) to help these individuals develop a vocal output. Caregivers are optimal to aid their children in learning these communication skills. Past studies such as Suberman and Civindini-Motta showed that behavioral skills training (BST) can be effective to teach caregivers communication training using an SGD. The current study aimed to replicate the procedures of Suberman and Civindini-Motta but extended it by adapting the procedures described using telehealth.

An Exploratory And Descriptive Analysis Of The Utah Microcredentials Participant Population, Daron Kennett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study examined the population of users of the Utah Microcredentials system, a professional learning resource available to all Utah teaching license holders. A microcredential verifies that an educator has successfully demonstrated competency with a specific skill, concept, or instructional tool, and is awarded upon submission of evidence meeting a predetermined set of rubric criteria. During the first stage of the study, quantitative methods such as regression analysis were used to determine the participation rates of educators based on a number of demographic variables, including age, number of years of service as an educator, the rurality of the educator's assigned …

The Effects Of An Equine Riding Simulator As An Objective Feedback Modality On Learning Outcomes For Rider Competency On Performance Skills In Equestrian Riding Fundamentals, Kelli Munns

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study examined the effects of different feedback modalities provided during simulated-based practice on performance and perceptions. In addition, the research also addressed the relationship between participants' feedback literacy, perceptions, and improvement scores. The purpose of this research was motivated by the emerging equine simulation technology that provides feedback on movement and coordination during complex motor skill acquisition. Selecting an effective feedback approach for simulation-based practice in motor skill learning is contingent on the complexity of the performance skill and the learner's experience. However, the learner's feedback literacy can result in contradictory performance and perceptions despite the feedback approach experienced. …

Mattering And Attachment: A Bilateral Association That Underlies Relationship Outcomes In Couples, Jacob Ybarra

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In this master's thesis, I conducted a quantitative study using data from 100 heterosexual couples in a committed, romantic relationship to better understand the relationship between perceived mattering (PM) and attachment and to explore how mattering relates to various mental health and relationship outcomes. All 200 partners independently completed an online anonymous questionnaire consisting of various quantitative assessments measuring my study variables (e.g., attachment, PM, and relationship and mental health outcomes).

I used dyadic data analysis to examine how study variables related to an individual's outcomes as well as their partner's. Overall, findings from the first analysis highlighted that men …

Visualizing Rhetorical Awareness: Building Critical Digital Literacies Practices With Visual Rhetoric In First-Year College Composition, Amanda J. Plaizier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Visual rhetoric assignments allow students a space to practice rhetorical design with a specific audience in mind. When used in concordance with traditional writing assignments, these visual multimedia projects (such as flyers and infographics) can be a useful way for college writing teachers to build rhetorical awareness, which is one of the objectives of first-year college composition courses.

This project examines the use of visual rhetoric assignments within a concurrent enrollment college writing course. Students in the course created a community-based proposal, including flyers, infographics, and a final essay. By examining these assignments for evidence of critical digital literacies (decoding, …

Investigating Relationships Among Measures Of English And Chinese Handwriting Fluency In Early-Elementary Chinese Dual Language Immersion Students, Petra Mei Wah Sin Chou

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between English and Chinese handwriting fluency measures in early-elementary Chinese Dual Language Immersion students. This was done by conducting five handwriting fluency tasks among Chinese Dual Language Immersion students and comparing the findings. First, the findings showed that there was a moderate correlation between the participants' English and Chinese handwriting fluencies and that English fluencies predicted Chinese fluencies. However, the students could write English numbers and letters much faster than Chinese characters. Second, as expected, Chinese DLI participants showed that handwriting fluency improved as grade level increased. Third, third-grade students …

Consensus Modeling As A Cultural Practice: A Case Study From A Seventh-Grade Science Classroom, Sara Louise Miconi Gailey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Recent reforms in science education aim to involve K-12 students in practices similar to those of professional scientists. These reforms promote student collaboration and science practices including developing models and engaging in scientific argumentation with evidence. Small group work in science classrooms has increased following the reforms. However, while small group collaboration has gained popularity, research suggests that it does not always lead to equitable participation. This qualitative case study uses discourse analysis to examine how two small groups of students in a seventh-grade science class develop consensus models of a phenomenon and how students are socialized to participate in …

Modeling Elementary Students' Computer Science Outcomes With In-School And Out-Of-School Factors, Umar Shehzad

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This two-paper dissertation explores factors influencing the attitudes of Grade 5 students who are learning computer science (CS) in schools. It statistically examines the effects of out and in-school factors on students’ attitudes toward computing. The first paper of this dissertation examines the influence of parental support as perceived by the students on their interest and their self-assessed ability to engage in computer programming, thus underscoring the crucial role of parental support on learners’ attitudes. It also investigates how involving families in CS activities by sending a CS-themed board game influences students’ interest. The study finds that perceptions of parental …

Effect Of Delay On Reinforcer Preference As Measured By A Paired Stimulus Preference Assessment, Emma Preston

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Behavior interventions often utilize rewards to increase appropriate behavior. Current methods for identifying potential rewards only use immediately available items, however rewards in school or clinic settings are often delayed due to circumstance. Delay can decrease the value of a preferred stimuli. We propose and evaluate a method for considering delay to delivery of a preferred item when selecting a potential reward by asking children 8-11 to pick between a moderately preferred item immediately available or a highly preferred item that was delayed. 4 out of 5 participants increased selection for the moderately preferred item as delays to the highly …

Using Gamification To Foster Student Resilience And Motivation To Learn, And Using Games To Teach Significance Testing Concepts In The Statistics Classroom, Todd Partridge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Two studies are outlined in this dissertation.

In the first study, elements of Super Mario Bros. videos games were used to change the way college students in a beginners’ statistics course were graded on their work. This was part of an effort to help students remain optimistic in the face of challenging coursework and even failure on assignments and tests. The study shows that the changes made to the grading structure did help students to keep trying and to use the materials given to them by their professor until they achieved their desired grade in the course, and suggests ways …

Incorporating Sustainability Into Utah High School's Textiles And Apparel Curriculum, Michelle Clouse

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The purpose of this study was to propose sustainability-based curriculum changes to Utah's textiles and apparel (TA) curriculum. This study's specific curriculum change proposals are limited to Sewing Construction and Textiles (SCT) 1 and Sports and Outdoor Design (SOD) 1 courses. The proposed changes were made with the input of 24 Utah FCS TA educators via a research-developed survey on Qualtrics. FCS TA educators were asked to give their input on sustainability topics already taught in their classroom, teaching methods of sustainable topics, potential barriers to incorporating sustainability into the curriculum, and their receptiveness to curriculum change.

The Teacher Attitudes …

Bells Of Mindfulness: An Online Mindfulness Meditation Course To Promote Mindfulness Meditation For Phd Students, Michael Folland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Over the last 20 years, there has been growing evidence of mental health issues in doctoral candidates worldwide (Zhang et al., 2022; Barry et al., 2019; Gewin, 2012; Radison & DiGeronimo, 2005). Practicing mindfulness meditation, which is one way to cope with stress and anxiety (Kabat-Zinn, 1991), could be a useful practice for these PhD students. However, despite all the evidence that suggests the health benefits of having a regular meditation routine, motivating graduate students to practice meditation can be challenging (Franco, 2020). This study addresses this challenge by assessing a 5-week mindfulness meditation course designed to support graduate students …

Investigating K-3 Spanish Dual Language Immersion Teachers' Conceptions Of Mathematics-Focused Content-Based Language Teaching, Rachel C. Reeder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Classroom instruction is influenced by and reflects teachers’ conceptions about their teaching. In elementary Dual Language Immersion (DLI) classrooms, teachers deliver mathematics and target-language instruction with the expectation that both can be developed concurrently. This qualitative study investigated K-3 Spanish DLI teachers’ conceptions about Mathematics-Focused Content-Based Language Teaching (MF-CBLT), which emphasizes the instructional parameters guiding teachers’ integration of content (mathematics), language (Spanish), and teaching (pedagogy).

The study examined 11 teachers’ statements and teaching samples to investigate their knowledge, beliefs, and preferences (i.e., conceptions) about MF-CBLT. A survey and individual teacher interviews provided access to what teachers had to say while …

Evaluating Implementer Preference For And Correspondence Between Structured Descriptive Analysis And Trial Based Functional Analysis, Kacy Rodamaker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Determining the function of maladaptive behavior aides in the creation of effective intervention measures to change that behavior. Three assessments that are used to determine behavioral function include the trial based functional analysis (TBFA), structured descriptive analysis (SDA), and antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) recording. In the present study, we compared the time it took to conduct each of these assessments as well as the similarity between the functions identified by each assessment. Additionally, we compared procedural acceptability and implementer preference between the SDA and TBFA by collecting survey results from a staff participant who implemented the two measures with the support of …

Investigating Parents' Value Of Children Learning About Agriculture, Amelia J. Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

It is commonly held that parents have a profound impact on child development. Decades of research investigated the ways parents, the community, and school staff interact to foster student learning during kindergarten through twelfth grade education. Agriculture provides for daily needs through the growth, harvest, and processing of food, fiber, fuel, and forestry products. This research sought to understand the level of importance parents place on their children learning about agriculture in school.

A 26-question survey was distributed to a nationally representative sample of parents having at least one child in K-12 education within the United States. Results of this …

Merging Acceptance And Commitment Therapy With Exposure Exercises To Treat Social Anxiety In A Teen, Caleb D. Farley, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) often develops during teenager years, and it is important to conceptualize developmentally appropriate interventions. Exposure therapy framed from a perspective of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) shows promise for decreasing pathology and increasing wellbeing. This case illustrates the process through which exposure therapy was integrated with ACT to elicit meaningful outcomes in a case of SAD with a 16-year-old female. Treatment outcomes assessed included engagement in values-based activities as well as assessments of depression, social anxiety, separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, experiential avoidance, and contextually targeted school-based wellbeing. Intervention centered on learning ACT principles through relatable metaphors …

Urban Homestead Education For Backyard Gardeners In Utah, Andree Walker Bravo

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

The Utah State University Extension Urban Homestead Expo caters to individuals and families interested in maximizing their self-sufficiency while living in an urban setting. The Urban Homestead Expo is designed to provide content to those wanting more than basic gardening classes, but who may not identify as producers. Workshops include backyard chickens, fruit production, water-wise irrigation, beekeeping, vegetable-integrated pest management, water harvesting, and other sustainability-related topics.

Addressing The Opioid Crises: An Evaluation Of The Community Opioid Education Pilot Program, Gabriela Murza, Cris Meier, Lily Ward, Sydney O'Shay, Dru Faldmo

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah's opioid crisis presents unique challenges as progress was hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic. This pilot study assessed the effectiveness of a brief webinar-based professional development program aimed at improving knowledge and confidence among health and behavioral healthcare professionals. Results indicated positive changes in participants' confidence and knowledge regarding opioid treatment options, misuse, and connecting individuals to resources.

Create Healthy Gardens: Evaluation Of A Snap-Ed And Master Gardener Collaboration, Emma Parkhurst, Lacee Jiminez, Sheriden M. Hansen, Kristi Strongo, Heidi Leblanc

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

A multidisciplinary team established the Davis County Create Healthy Gardens (CHG) program to improve access to fresh produce and help low-income residents gain skills to grow food and prepare nourishing meals. An evaluation of the program shows that participants had access to over 275 pounds of fresh produce, and most participants reported an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption. They also reported an increase in their knowledge in gardening and food preparation.

Impact Of An Opioid Harm Reduction Consortium: Emergency And Justice Engagement, Maren Wright Wright Voss, Gabriele Ciciurkaite, Matthew Huntington, Melissa Flint, Emily Hamilton, Jennifer Peatross

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah State University Extension engaged first responders and law enforcement officials in a consortium to identify local needs related to opioid use disorder (OUD). To this end, the Tooele Opioid Response Network (TORN) conducted three first-responder harm reduction summits to meet local overdose prevention needs. The initiative trained over 200 personnel, which resulted in an 87.5% increase in knowledge related to harm reduction. TORN also facilitated the acquisition of $90,000 in funding for jail-based opioid medication and the disbursement of 400 naloxone kits and training to incarcerated persons at discharge.

Preparing Youth For Civic Life And Leadership: Evaluating The Washington County 4-H Youth Officer Program, Paul A. Hill, Katarina J. Aikens

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

The Washington County 4-H Youth Officer Program was designed to address youth preparedness for civic life in a democratic society. This program is targeted to students in grades 6-8th, who are at a critical stage in their development as citizens. The program emphasizes experiential learning, which allows youth to learn by doing as they deliver public speeches, visit with elected officials, and facilitate business meetings using Roberts Rules of Order. A total of 24 youth participants completed the program over two years. Evaluation results showed the program was successful in achieving student learning outcomes, with significant improvements in citizenship knowledge …

Cache Code Math Computer Lab Lesson Plans: Repeated Addition & Multiplication, Jody Clarke-Midura, Jessica Shumway, Kimberly Beck, Umar Shehzad, Mimi Recker

Instructional resources

This document entails a number of computer lab concepts and accompanying activities for fifth grade students. The activities are intended to be implemented in conjunction with the mathematics lessons "Cache Code Math September Unit: Repeats in Math and Programming" and "Cache Code Math Computer Lab Lesson Plans: Exponents and Repeats". Here the mathematics concepts of repeated addition and multiplication are explored using the computer coding concept of repeat loop blocks.

Pediatric Hearing Aid Management: Experiences And Perspectives Of Spanish-Speaking Parents, Karen Muñoz, Diego Guillen, Carlos Muñoz, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of the study was twofold: (a) to explore hearing aid management experiences of Spanish-speaking parents who have young children using hearing aids and (b) to explore parents' access to the Internet and perceptions about remote audiology services.

Method: The study used a mixed methods design. Data were collected through a phone interview.

Results: Eleven mothers of children aged 14-60 months participated. Most of the children (9/11) had a bilateral hearing loss, and two had an additional disability. Three themes emerged for hearing aid management experiences: audiology services, routines, and emotional challenges/supports. Parents had variable levels of confidence …