Adult and Continuing Education Commons^™

Examining Social Capital And First-Generation Student Status: Evidence From A Midwest University, Christine Sudbrock, Ximena Uribe-Zarain, Tracey A. Glaessgen, James Sottile, Kim K. Finch

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

As demand for college graduates grows (Times Higher Education, 2023) persistence rates for first-generation students continue to lag (Toutkoushain et al., 2018, 2021). Complicating our understanding of this opportunity gap is the diversity of how first-generation student status is defined (Jo Peralta & Klonowski, 2017). We argue that while notable differences exist between first-generation students whose parents have no college experience (FGS-none), and those from families with collegiate backgrounds (continuing-generation), the distinctions between first-generation students with parents who have some college experience (FGS-some), and the other two groups are unclear. As such, this study investigates the implications of varying definitions …

Collaborative Creative Inquiry: An Arts-Informed Approach To Transdisciplinary Research, Natalia Balyasnikova, Meghan Bruce Kumar, Yecid Ortega, Melanie Wong

The Qualitative Report

This paper presents Collaborative Creative Inquiry (CCI) as innovative arts-informed approach to transdisciplinary research. Moving away from conventional qualitative research paradigms, we adopt a reflexive stance to introduce CCI as a process that challenges static narratives and fosters inclusivity within the research process. Through critical introspection, we describe an iterative five-step CCI approach, elucidating its unique process and methodological underpinnings. Drawing upon vivid personal illustrations, we offer vignettes to illustrate the application of CCI in practice and showcase opportunities for collaborative knowledge generation with co-creation. We conclude by reflecting on insights we gained through our CCI process and inviting others …

December 6, 2024 Minutes, Swosu Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Integrating The Elementary Literacies Through The Practice Of Physical Education: A Strategy Resource, Bryan Matera, Dillon Martinez

Essays in Education

Integrating literacy and physical education (PE) supports interdisciplinary learning that engages both the mind and body. This article explores innovative approaches to combining literacy skills with physical activity, highlighting the cognitive and physical benefits for elementary students. Recognizing students’ natural attraction to movement, the article demonstrates how embedding literacy into PE lessons can enhance reading comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and memory retention through action-oriented activities. These strategies also promote physical literacy, encouraging confidence and lifelong participation in physical activities.

Key instructional examples include the "Movement-Enhanced Word Wall," where students connect vocabulary to movement, and "Animal Action Reading Relays," which integrate reading …

The Impact Of Student Engagement Activities On Future Climate Change Adaptation: The Case Of Student Simulation Models, Bassel Mostafa Elkalaf

Future Journal of Social Science

This paper explores the critical role of student engagement in addressing the growing challenges of climate change, with a focus on the Model United Nations (MUN) as a case study. As climate-related security threats increase globally, educational platforms that prepare youth for effective leadership in climate politics are more essential than ever. MUN, a widely practiced student activity simulating global policy-making, provides a valuable opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of the interconnectedness between climate change, peace, and security. By participating in MUN simulations, students engage in debates, develop innovative solutions, and practice diplomatic skills, all while exploring the …

Using Improvement Science To Enhance Paraprofessional Development To Foster Supportive Classroom Environments And Impact Teacher Retention, Althea Hurt

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Recruiting, hiring, and retaining qualified teachers continues to be a problem in the United States and in many other countries, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, many teachers express dissatisfaction with pay, but other factors – including dissatisfaction with the level of support received, stress brought on by the workload, and struggles with challenging student behavior – have also contributed to high teacher turnover rates. To support student learning outcomes, administrators and policymakers must be aware of, and address, why teachers are leaving.

This study used an improvement science approach to address the reasons why teachers left a suburban school …

Impact Of Safety Training On Employee's Perceptions Of Organizational Safety Culture, Brooke Reid-Graves

Dissertations

Workplace safety and well-being are vital for all workers, regardless of their profession (Young et al., 2022). Studies show that providing employees with training focused on recognizing hazards and implementing safety practices is essential for reducing occupational risks (Namian et al., 2020; Rose & Rae, 2017). Research underscores the importance of fostering a positive organizational safety culture for risk reduction (Berry et al., 2020; Downey, 2019). Understanding the impact of safety training on shaping an organization’s safety culture is key to promoting safe working environments (Mahjoub, 2013).

This study utilized the perspectives of high school staff regarding safety training and …

Examining And Exploring Online Instructors' Professional Development Experiences, Attitudes, And Perceptions In A Post-Secondary Education System, Jena R. Hartley

Dissertations

Effective professional development for online instructors is critical to student and organizational success. The online instructors’ knowledge transfer on workplace performance outcomes positively or negatively impacts student and organizational success. This study explored online instructors’ professional development experiences, attitudes, and perceptions. The research questions guiding this study were: What are the online instructors’ experiences and attitudes about professional development? How do online instructors perceive the quality and impact of professional development experiences? How do the online instructors’ experiences, attitudes, and perceptions impact knowledge transfer and workplace performance outcomes? Participants in this study were from one post-secondary system in Mississippi. The …

Extension Partnerships For Innovative Programming: A Community-Based Training On Artificial Intelligence For Workforce Development, Paul A. Hill, Lendel K. Narine, Jordan L. Rushton, Clint J. Reid

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The AI Training Series was Washington County, Utah’s first community education offering on the topic of generative AI (GenAI). The training provided community members with an overview of the capabilities and advantages of GenAI and assisted them in making informed technology adoption decisions. Utah State University Extension partnered with Dixie Technical College and Zonos, a software company, to evaluate the effectiveness of the learning experience based on anticipated outcomes. Results showed the training was effective for disseminating information and advancing knowledge on the topic of GenAI. However, students’ intentions to adopt AI were lower than expected due to perceived barriers …

A Teacher-Development Curriculum: Encouraging Community Discipleship Through Faith And Learning Integration At Bracken Christian High School, Denice F. Knight-Slater

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

The title of this project is “A Teacher-Development Curriculum: Encouraging Community Discipleship through Faith and Learning Integration at Bracken Christian High School.” The purpose of the project was to create a seven-part curriculum that would empower educators to form an interconnected teaching community centered upon the practice of faith and learning integration. The development team hoped our work would articulate good practices and equip teachers to engage in faith conversations with their students. We utilized Parker Palmer’s classic, The Courage to Teach, as the scaffolding for our curriculum. The development team modeled faith and learning integration by creating a …

Language Tutors And Building Connections With Peer Students, Malia Balas

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

To fulfill general education requirements, many college students must study a language other than English for academic and professional development. However, at California State University–Monterey Bay, language tutors stated that students often feel overwhelmed and struggle to stay motivated while studying their target language. Based on Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory, a workshop was conducted to explore common challenges students face and how tutors can address these issues. Findings show the importance of recognizing and managing emotional states and establishing SMART goals during tutoring sessions. An individualized approach based on the Zone of Proximal Development proved essential for fostering peer-student motivation and …

Parenting With Grace, Eva Nelson Cole

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Parents are often caught off guard by the upheaval of adding children to their lives. Feelings of guilt, shame, isolation, and depression can arise when parents are faced with the demands and stressors that come along with having children. Studies have shown that children who have distressed parents endure lasting negative outcomes that can extend into the primary school years (Mihelic et al., 2018). Educating parents and giving them some awareness about what to expect can make a real difference. To have these conversations, I created a two-part parenting workshop for new parents at Parents’ Place in Pacific Grove, CA. …

J Mich Dent Assoc December 2024

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Each month, The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association provides news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. It stands as the primary publication reaching Michigan dentists.

The December issue includes a timely cover feature on evidence supporting community water fluoridation, a clinical feature answering questions on patient dental records, a guest editorial on leadership by former MDA Journal Editor Dr. Bill Chase, and a Back Page article on how a personal touch makes a difference. We also provide our annual 2024 Author/Title Index and regular departments: The New Professional, …

Exploring Andragogical Content Knowledge And The Implementation Of Andragogical Principles In Literacy Facilitation Among Adult Literacy Facilitators In Nigeria, Emmanuel D. Mabayoje, Sunday A. Itasanmi

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This study investigated adult literacy facilitators andragogical content knowledge and how andragogical principles are implemented as well as professional development needs of the literacy facilitators in Nigeria. The study adopted a quantitative research approach and the participants of the study consisted of 120 adult literacy facilitators in Oyo State, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire consisting of 4 domains (demographic data, andragogical content knowledge, use of andragogical principles, and training needs) was used as data collection instrument. Data collected from the study were analysed using mean, standard deviation and chi-square. Results revealed that literacy facilitators’ andragogical content knowledge is high and the …

Application Of The Hattie And Timperley Power Of Feedback Model With Graduate Teacher Education Students, Judy R. Wilkerson

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

Student feedback is a crucial part of learning and improvement. The Hattie and Timperly (2007) model have been identified in the literature as the most useful feedback model evolving out of the literature on feedback and formative assessment prompted by the seminal Black and Wiliam (1998) study. The model consists of three questions: Where am I going? (feed-up), How am I going/doing? (feedback), and Where am I going next? (feed-forward). The combination of these three questions establishes a process for preparing the student with an advance organizer (the goal or student learning outcome), an assessment of actual performance, and a …

Ethical Intelligence: Responsible Ai Integration In Challenge-Based Learning, Seden Dogan

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The paper explores the ethical integration of AI in Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) within higher education. CBL fosters critical thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world problem-solving. AI enhances CBL by providing personalized learning, adaptive problem-solving, and real-time feedback. However, ethical concerns—such as algorithmic bias, data privacy, faculty roles, and governance—must be addressed. The paper proposes a framework for responsible AI integration, emphasizing inclusive access, data ethics, human-AI collaboration, governance, interdisciplinary co-design, iterative ethics, and digital literacy. AI can augment learning, improve scalability, and enhance faculty roles, but risks like inequity, over-reliance, and weak accountability must be mitigated. The framework ensures AI aligns …

Students' Perspectives On Co-Creation Opportunities Within Bachelor's, Master's, And Doctoral Level Education Preparation Programs, Oana M. Manta

Dissertations

This study examines Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral students’ experiences with co-creation activities in education programs. Responding to voiced student concerns, it seeks to uncover ways in which students wish to share ownership of the learning process. Additionally, this study aims to contribute students’ thoughts to the existing co-creation literature. Incorporating evidence from a survey and multiple participant interviews, this study demonstrates that students across all three levels of study wish to experience an increase in co-creation activities, but the type and extent vary by level of study. It argues for instructors and overseeing institutions to negotiate, not prescribe, certain aspects …

Leveraging Ai Tools In University Writing Instruction: Enhancing Student Success While Upholding Academic Integrity, Daisuke Akiba, Rebecca Garte

Publications and Research

The emergence of AI-powered Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, presents both opportunities and challenges for higher education, particularly regarding academic integrity in writing instruction. This exploratory study examines a novel pedagogical approach that integrates LLMs as required feedback tools in a university-level psychology writing assignment. The exclusive online approach emphasizes improvement through revision, requiring students to obtain AI-generated feedback on ungraded initial drafts based on an instructor-provided rubric, with final assessment focused on the quality of subsequent revisions. Analysis of survey data from 39 undergraduate students, incorporating both quantitative measures and qualitative responses, revealed several …

Unlocking Lean Construction: Decoding The Root Causes Of Initial Implementation Failures, Adam Hoots

All Theses

In recent years, the construction industry has increasingly adopted lean construction methodologies, with the aim of enhancing project efficiencies, eliminating waste, and delivering projects that exceed all project owner expectations. With this as the industry’s focus, many projects struggle with the initial implementation of lean principles, leading to disrespect of people and resources, cost overruns, schedule delays, stakeholder misalignment, and compromised quality. This research investigates the reasons behind initial failures and how they influence the broader industry's perception of lean construction.

Drawing from a comprehensive case study of a higher education dormitory and dining facility project, this research study explores …

A Qualitative Study Of Iranian Efl Teachers’ Perceptions Of A Digital Diversified Education, Seyed Mohammad Reza Marvasti Zadeh, Azizollah Dabaghi Varnosfadrani Advarnosfadrani, Mohammad Amiryousefi

The Qualitative Report

Because Iran is a country of learners of diverse languages, socio-economic classes, genders, and ages, digital diversified education seems appropriate to address needs in English language education. However, there is a notable gap in research on teachers’ perceptions about this type of education. To fill this gap, this study aimed to investigate the perspectives of Iranian teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) regarding a diverse digital education. Data were collected via an open-ended survey with 30 EFL teachers, both male and female, who were selected through convenience sampling. Analysis revealed several key themes, including the utilization of diverse …