Adult and Continuing Education Commons^™

Perceptions Of Virginia Dentists And Dental Hygienists Towards Emerging Alternative Dental Hygiene Workforce Provider Models, Lauren B. Mangum

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Background: A perceived shortage of dental hygienists in the United States has been linked to delays in preventive care and concerns about declining oral health outcomes. In response, some states have proposed alternative pathways permitting internationally trained dentists, dental students, and oral preventive assistants (OPAs) with limited or inconsistent education requirements to provide dental hygiene services. Limited evidence exists regarding whether these strategies would effectively address access to care and workforce challenges. Concerns have also been raised about the potential effects of expanding scope of practice for providers with limited education or training on patient safety and quality of care. …

Exploring The U.S. Public Service Employees’ Experiences With Gamified Cybersecurity Awareness Training, Bisola Adepoju

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the U.S. public service employees' experiences with gamified cybersecurity awareness training. The primary research question guiding this inquiry was: How do U.S. public service employees make sense of their lived experiences with gamified cybersecurity awareness training? Two secondary questions examined what aspects of the training employees perceive as meaningful or disengaging, and how they interpret their motivation, engagement, and cybersecurity awareness during training. I chose an interpretive qualitative research design grounded in a constructivist paradigm and purposefully selected 11 U.S. public service employees who had participated in gamified cybersecurity awareness training. …

Education And Training In Water Operator Certification And Its Role In Water Utility System Performance, Heath A. Edelman

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Access to safe and reliable drinking water is a foundational component of public health and environmental protection. The United States drinking water sector is highly regulated and increasingly challenged by workforce shortages, aging infrastructure, and variability in operator training requirements across states. Despite the federal mandate for operator certification under the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996, empirical evidence on the effectiveness of certification policies in improving regulatory compliance outcomes remains limited.

This study examined the relationship between operator certification policies and drinking water compliance outcomes under the Safe Drinking Water Act, with particular attention to differences across violation …

The Exploration Of Black Women Leaders In Rural Community Colleges, Tiara D. Howard

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

The Exploration of Black Women Leaders in Rural Community Colleges

Abstract: Black women have a hunger for education and self-sufficiency. Among Black students in higher education, women are more likely than men to earn degrees: Black women obtain 64.1% of bachelor’s degrees, 71.5% of master’s degrees, and 65.9% of doctoral, medical, and dental degrees (AAUW, n.d.). Yet despite this drive, dedication, and ambition, there remains a scarcity of Black women leaders in rural areas, particularly in community colleges. And when a successful Black woman does rise to a position of influence, there isn't a blueprint or road map for others …

March 26, 2026 Minutes, Swosu Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Análisis Verbal De La Concordancia Negativa En Estudiantes De Español Como L2 Y Hablantes De Herencia De Una Universidad De Estados Unidos De América, Natalia C. Gallardo Linares

LSU Master's Theses

La concordancia negativa (NC) constituye un rasgo central de la negación en español, en el que un marcador negativo preverbal (no) coocurre con ítems de concordancia negativa (NCIs) posverbales, como nada, para expresar una única negación semántica. Investigaciones previas sobre la adquisición de la concordancia negativa se han centrado principalmente en el papel de la competencia lingüística y de las influencias interlingüísticas, por lo que se ha prestado relativamente menos atención a la contribución de factores lingüísticos internos, como el tipo de verbo. La presente tesis examina la adquisición de la concordancia negativa en español con especial …

The Impact Of The Two-Way Immersion Model On Hispanic Pre-Service And In-Service Teachers’ Understanding Of Curriculum Implementation In Early Childhood Field Placements, Omar J. Vigo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Dual language education, also known as Two-Way Immersion (TWI), is a teaching method that puts native English speakers and native speakers of another language in the same classroom. This helps both groups become bilingual and biliterate (Christian, 1996; Lindholm-Leary, 2001). The TWI approach highlights several benefits, including bilingualism and biliteracy, academic achievement, cross-cultural competence, cognitive improvements, and equity and accessibility (Lindholm-Leary, 2001). Research on the TWI model in adults is limited, although it has demonstrated effectiveness in supporting Hispanic teacher candidates, unlike studies conducted in primary education. This demonstrates that the TWI methodology benefits students (Van Booven, 2012). This …

The Living Lab: Instructional Design Interventions To Improve Communication And Equity In Federal Housing Programs, Joana I. Camp

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

The Living Lab is an independent applied research project informed by my 25 years of lived experience as a Section 8 voucher holder, examining how instructional design strategies can improve administrative workflows, communication, and equitable access within the Housing Choice Voucher Program. Drawing on sustained participation, the research identifies two primary systemic barriers: the federally mandated 15-day inspection period and incomplete Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) packets. To address these issues, the project developed the RFTA Roadmap—a zero-cost, clarity-driven communication tool that embeds sequential instructions directly within procedural workflows, mitigating the Split-Attention Effect and cognitive “Bandwidth Tax” associated with standard …

Understanding The Coach Learning Environment In Formal, Field-Based Settings: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective, Jody L. Langdon, Shayla Snow

Journal of Coach Development

Grounded in self-determination theory (SDT), the purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) to evaluate the psychometric properties of SDT-related measures in a sample of coach learners, and 2) to examine the relationships between need satisfaction and frustration, coach motivation, and engagement in training sessions.. A total of 796 coaches participated in the study, completing surveys measuring basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration, coaching motivation, and engagement. Aside from confirming the validity and reliability of measures for use among coach learners, findings indicate that satisfaction of basic psychological needs positively correlated with intrinsic motivation and engagement, while frustration of these …

Bridging Professional Development Gaps In Pacrao Through Gamification, Chad Everett Saunders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the extent to which a gamified professional development platform can foster skill development, knowledge application, and engagement among members of the Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (PACRAO). Grounded in the principles of humanism (Rogers, 1969) and andragogy (Knowles, 1990), and operationalized through gamification (Kapp, 2012), this study evaluated whether game-based mechanics aligned with adult learners’ professional development needs within a geographically dispersed regional association. To address these constraints, a prototype gamified platform, PACRAO University, was developed to provide a flexible, self-paced, and contextually relevant learning environment. Using a quantitative, within-subjects repeated measures design, …

What’S Critical In Critical Media Literacy? Barriers And Good Practices In Adult Education, Stefanie Mayer, Stefanie Fridrik, Josef Mühlbauer, Brigitte Temel, Viktoria Eberhardt

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

While there is broad consensus regarding the social and educational need for CML, its actual didactic content and especially the meaning of ‘critical’ are far from clear. The article argues for a turn to educational practices. Findings are based on empirical research on adult education in Vienna (Austria) consisting mainly of interviews with expert-practitioners in the field of adult education and media and/or digital literacy. We confront academic definitions of the critical impetus of CML with an analysis of innovative projects, which were designed for accessibility and addressed learners facing high educational barriers. Our findings encourage a turn towards the …

Beyond The Tour: Designing Graduate Library Orientations That Build Research Confidence And Belonging, Megan York

Transforming Libraries for Graduate Students

Graduate student orientations often lean heavily on logistics: where to find resources, how to log in, and which services the library offers. While this information is important, it rarely addresses the deeper needs of graduate learners. Many of the students I work with arrive on campus already balancing careers, families, and demanding academic programs. At the University of Arkansas, graduate orientations in the College of Education and Health Professions frequently take place on weekends, serving students who travel from out of state and receive an overwhelming amount of information in a short time. For them, orientation is not simply a …

The Migrant As A Pilgrim: Decolonising Identity And Belonging, Susan Nemec

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper responds to pilgrimage scholar George Greenia’s assertion that meaningful intersections exist between pilgrimage and various forms of displacement, such as migration or involuntary exile due to famine, war, or political unrest. Greenia proposes that vulnerable, displaced individuals might find shelter, both conceptually and emotionally, within the framing of pilgrimage. By extending concepts of pilgrimage, it can be understood as a deliberate and intentional journey, simultaneously emphasising the transformative potential inherent in migratory movement. By adopting a working definition of pilgrimage as ‘any form of travel that is intentional, purposeful, or transformative,’ the paper considers how migrancy, particularly within …

Exploring The Roles Of The Coach Developer: A Uscce White Paper, Christine Nash, Melissa Thompson, Sean Dahlin, Andrea Woodburn, Jeremy Elliott

Journal of Coach Development

Organizational white papers serve as a mechanism for strategic communication and to establish thought leadership, build credibility, and drive informed decision-making across stakeholder groups. It is the belief of the USCCE that the official launch of the Journal of Coach Development offers the appropriate outlet and timing to publish this official stance of the organization to explore the multiple roles of the coach developer. As the field continues to evolve, our shared understanding of the roles and responsibilities of those serving to support the growth and development of sport coaches will be essential. Further, as a critical focus of the …

What Is Coach Development? A Uscce White Paper, Melissa Thompson, Christine Nash, Sean Dahlin, Andrea Woodburn, Jeremy Elliott

Journal of Coach Development

Organizational white papers serve as a mechanism for strategic communication and to establish thought leadership, build credibility, and drive informed decision-making across stakeholder groups. It is the belief of the USCCE that the official launch of the Journal of Coach Development offers the appropriate outlet and timing to publish this official stance of the organization defining the term ‘coach development.’ As an emerging term in the field, there is need for clarity around what coach development is and what it looks like in practice. Further, as a critical focus of the Journal of Coach Development, this paper will serve to …

Ai Strategies For Effective Teaching & Learning, Dr. Jared Johnston, Prof. Adrian Caraballo

Faculty Presentations on AI

This presentation discusses strategies for effectively integrating artificial intelligence into college classrooms, with a focus on developing AI literacy among students and faculty. Core principles highlight AI as a tool for augmentation rather than replacement, with faculty maintaining oversight while supporting learner preparation, clinical reasoning, and reflective practice. The session stresses the need to rethink course and activity design in the AI era, training students to strategically offload tasks without cognitively offloading thinking. Practical guidance includes questions for intentional integration, experiential learning approaches, and real-world classroom examples from operational leadership courses in which students apply AI within authentic educational leadership …

How To Train Social Intervention Professionals In A Polarised World?, Bruno Michon

Journal of Social Care

This article examines the challenges of training social intervention professionals in an increasingly polarised society. Drawing on theoretical perspectives on political and affective polarisation, it explores how contemporary social divisions shape social work practice. The analysis includes findings from a five-year qualitative study on radicalisation prevention in France, highlighting tensions between security imperatives and the ethical foundations of social work. These tensions often generate mistrust and professional dilemmas for practitioners. The article argues that social work education must address polarisation directly. It proposes three key responses: reaffirming human rights as the ethical foundation of the profession, adopting professional stances that …

Channeling Literacy Learning Into Everydayness: Northern Ugandan Women Language Peace, Madina Djuraeva, David Monk, Sara Ann Beach, Rosemary Nyirumbe

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

This study contributes to the literacy scholarship by exploring the motivations for literacy learning of adult women in Northern Uganda, connecting to current trends in language and literacy studies and education in post-conflict contexts that center the peacebuilding potential of language, literacy, and women. To understand women’s motivations and the ways peace is languaged through their narrative, we adopt a chronotropic lens to the analysis of the embodied discourse. We showcase the analysis of the findings that reflect the larger research corpora of 24 focus group participants that were interviewed on the campuses of their vocational school in Northern Uganda. …

Ai In The Classroom, Dr. Adrian E. Hinkle, Dr. Amanda Wilson, Dr. Jan H. R. Wörner

Faculty Presentations on AI

This presentation examines how educators can thoughtfully integrate artificial intelligence into the classroom while upholding academic integrity, ethical engagement, and the core mission of education. It draws on historical parallels—from ancient concerns about writing to later fears surrounding typing—to frame AI as a double-edged sword that can offload routine cognitive tasks yet risks eroding the mental discipline and critical thinking essential for deep learning. Centered on the guiding question of what students truly need to learn and how technology can help them achieve it, the session offers practical assignment frameworks, such as designing an AI-supported ministry plan and developing a …

Early Childhood Echo (Ec Echo) Start-Up & Operations Manual, Lisa Long, I. Michelle Gaither, Ruby Brenner, Bradley Long, Emily Mcclelland, Malcolm Huell, Lauren Elliott, Katerina Sergi

Publications

The Early Childhood ECHO (EC ECHO) Start-up & Operations Manual is a practical guide to launching case-based telementoring and professional development using the Project ECHO® model. Prepared for early childhood programs and agencies. Adapted from Mississippi’s EC ECHO implementation (2023–2025) and aligned with Project ECHO® guidance.