Digital Commons Network^™

“Every Mother A Missionary”?: The Vlogs Of Mormon Mothers, Celia Golden

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) places high expectations on mothers because their role in the church is to rear children into godly adults. When their lives are made public through social media, Mormon mothers online avoid religious expectations by withholding information about their Mormon faith and scarcely showing their husbands on-camera. Mormon husbands are expected to be the providers for the family, but as demonstrated through mothers’ vlogs on Instagram, husbands’ erasure allows for mothers to market their expertise to others as a paid product to earn their own revenue. Through descriptive coding, this study …

Conversations Before The Conversation: Readying Dissidence Through Norm-Setting, Ashley N. Watson

Feminist Pedagogy

How can educators speak truth to power in ways that decenter whiteness while supporting student learning across different levels of awareness? What does the right balance of challenge and support look like in today’s unpredictable college environment? These questions are drawn from my experience as a Black predoctoral fellow teaching “Intercultural Dialogue” at a traditionally white public liberal arts university in rural Minnesota. This paper—both a reflection and recommendations for practice—outlines my approach to co-constructing and scaffolding a conducive learning environment rooted in emancipatory pedagogy.

Cartoons From The 2000s: The Representation Of Disability And A Culture Of Inclusion, Alessia Rosa, Claudia Chellini

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Representations of diversity and otherness in cartoons offer metaphors for identity that can affect children’s perceptions and attitudes towards the potential and challenges associated with various forms of disability. This contribution analyses a corpus of animations made up of feature films, series, and short films with a focus on how disability is represented. It examines the role that characters with physical or mental disabilities play in the story, the structure of narratives in which disability is presented as an integral part of reality, and the types of disability explored in the stories. The image that emerges is one in which …

Digital Literacy For Participating In Presidential Election: A Study On Indonesian Students, Marwiyah Marwiyah, Labibah Zain, Aliva D. Kamila, Thoriq T. Prabowo

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Digital literacy is needed during the presidential election. This study aims to determine the level of digital literacy of Indonesian students concerning what they do with social media information in facing the 2024 presidential election. We conducted a survey in which questionnaires were used as a research instrument to measure the four digital competencies: technical skill, information usage, communication, and creation. The questionnaires are sent to four Indonesian public universities. One hundred ninety-seven students from four State Islamic Universities (Universitas Islam Negeri) participated in this study. We used the mean and percentage score for the data analysis. The research result …

Assessing The Impact Of Media And Information Literacy On Creative Video Content Production, Reem M. Al-Zou’Bi

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study explores the impact of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) on developing creative video production skills among undergraduate students at Al al-Bayt University, Jordan. The sample consisted of 60 students divided into an experimental group (MIL course) and a control group (Educational Foundations course). Using a quasi-experimental design, students’ video production skills were evaluated using a rubric covering nine key criteria, weighted based on expert input. Results showed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in creative video production, highlighting MIL’s role in enhancing these skills. Notably, both groups emphasized content integrity similarly, while the MIL group …

Measuring Adults’ Media Literacy Skills And News Media Literacy Knowledge In The Context Of Age, Gender, And Education Level, Agnese Davidsone, Vineta Silkane, Ianis Bucholtz

Journal of Media Literacy Education

In this study, we examine the relationships between self-reported media literacy skills, actual knowledge of news media literacy, and three sociodemographic factors: age, gender, and level of education. Data were collected through an online survey among a national sample of adults (n = 871) in Latvia. A significant positive correlation was found between all self-reported media literacy subscales and the knowledge subscales of news media literacy. Age was moderately negatively related to self-reported media literacy skills and weakly negatively related to news media literacy knowledge. The level of education was weakly positively correlated with both media literacy skills and …

Exploring Online Search Behaviors For Information Literacy Education, Luca Botturi, Loredana Addimando, Martin Hermida, Azza Bouleimen, Chiara Beretta, Silvia Giordano

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Information Literacy education is challenged by an ever-changing and complex environment. The design and development of current and effective Information Literacy education requires a thorough understanding of how young people search information online, which mainly happens with generalist search engines. The present study involved a voluntary sample of 152 young people (age group 16-20), who were asked to solve four different information tasks. We collected 595 search stories, each containing the sequence of navigation actions performed while solving a single information task, enriched with automatic metadata. We used cluster analysis to identify emergent search behaviors, and statistical analysis to observe …

Provision Of Brand Information And Critical Reasoning Predict Advertising Literacy, Eugene Zheng Yao, Alexandra List

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study investigated students’ critical reasoning about commercials, as an aspect of advertising literacy. Critical reasoning was examined under two different experimental conditions. That is, students were tasked with watching four different commercials with 1) brand information provided or not, and 2) asked to engage in critical reasoning or not. The commercials chosen used various production techniques (e.g., socially conscious marketing) to mask their persuasive message. Students provided with brand information within commercials had significantly higher critical reasoning scores when viewing two, out of the four, commercials, and significantly higher overall Analysis of Persuasive Intent (API) scores and brand recall. …

Effects Of Wikipedia Knowledge, Algorithm Awareness, And Reading Comprehension On Undergraduates’ Preference For And Use Of Lateral Reading Strategies To Evaluate Information, Arshia K. Lodhi, Patricia J. Brooks, C. Donnan Gravelle, Jessica E. Brodsky, Maryam Syed, Donna Scimeca

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Internet users are bombarded with information and need strategies to evaluate its trustworthiness. Expert fact-checkers rely on lateral reading, which involves investigating sources, finding better coverage, and tracing information back to original contexts. This study contrasted college students’ preference for and use of lateral reading to evaluate online content, and examined factors associated with variation in preference and use. Undergraduates (N = 483) often selected lateral reading as the preferred strategy for evaluating content (multiple-choice items) without demonstrating use of lateral reading (open-response tasks). Use of lateral reading was associated with higher Wikipedia knowledge, algorithm awareness, and reading comprehension; …

A Unique Light: The Presence, Salience And Portrayal Of Unique Religious Values On College Football Television Broadcasts, Joseph Bradford Hovey

Theses and Dissertations

A mixed-methods content analysis case study of BYU football broadcasts (2023-2024), guided by agenda setting and framing theories, was conducted to determine to what extent the unique Latter-day Saint religious values of BYU were present and salient, as well as how they were framed, on BYU football television broadcasts. Using the university's 2024 brand messaging guide as a standard for topics indicative of such religious values, the 25 game broadcasts were analyzed and coded for presence or absence of religious values along with sentiment valence in each case. Frequency tests determined that 56% of games over the two seasons included …

Sustainable Brand Trust In Mobile Banking: A Case Study Of Bsi Mobile User Reviews On Google Play, Novian Tiandini, Haqqi Hidayatullah

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

In contemporary times, communication is important in resolving problems or crises in various field. One of them in digital transactions. The digital transactions are a frequently performed activity, including the use of mobile banking (m-banking), which has become an essential application due to the high volume of transactions utilizing it. Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) mobile is one of Indonesia's mobile banking services that experienced disruptions for several days in May 2023. Even BSI issued an official statement regarding the issue through their social media. This has the potential to affect users' trust in their brand, while a brand's strength is …

The Impact Of Mindfulness-Based Journaling On Psychological Well-Being, Jonah Guthrie

Honors Projects

This study investigated the effects of mindfulness-based journaling compared to free-form journaling on perceived stress, emotion regulation, and mindfulness in undergraduate students. Participants (N = 43) were randomly assigned to either a mindfulness-based journaling group or a free-form journaling group. Both groups journaled daily for two weeks and completed pre- and post-intervention assessments using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ).

A series of 2 × 2 mixed-design repeated measures ANOVAs revealed a significant main effect of time for perceived stress, F(1, 7) = 28.38, p = .003, …

The Movies That Make Us: A Qualitative Research Study On How People Interpret Messages In Movies, Ethan Taylor

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study, “All Movies Have Messages: A Qualitative Research Study on How People Interpret Messages in Movies,” was to analyze the relationship between an individual’s personal, political, or religious views and the way that individual interprets messages and agendas in film. Using Stuart Hall’s model of encoding and decoding, the researcher discovered how an individual’s personal beliefs affected the way a person interprets messages in movies. Focus groups and a survey were used to collect data. This study served to fill the gap in literature available on Hall’s model and reception theory. Most research conducted has not …

The Impact Of Digital Communications And Social Media On Government Officials And The Political Sphere: A Case Study Of The Arab Spring Revolutions, Wurood Shaher

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigates the dual role of social media as both a tool for political mobilization and a mechanism for government surveillance during the Arab Spring. Through in-depth qualitative interviews with 22 government officials from various Middle Eastern and North African countries, the research explores how social media influenced internal decision-making processes and external governmental responses during the uprisings. Employing the theory of structuration and the sociocultural tradition as its theoretical frameworks, the study uncovers the profound impact of social media on state power and public activism. Thematic analysis reveals several key themes, including the rapid adaptation of governmental strategies, …

Building Wealth One Sentence At A Time: A Capitalist’S Guide To Criminal Justice, Alexandra J. Lindell

Masters Projects

This project explores the underutilized profit potential of criminal justice in the United States. Its systemic design and aggressive market positioning have made long-term success possible. Nevertheless, this is just the beginning; there are new revenue streams to unlock and untapped markets to capture. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research identifies key historical policies, how collateral consequences contribute to customer retention and acquisition, and current barriers to profit maximization. The findings emphasize the importance of a coordinated, multi-level strategy involving lawmakers, media, corporations, and private stakeholders to protect and expand revenue streams, manipulate public perception, and disrupt reform efforts. By …

The Force Will Be With You"¦ Won't It? How In-Groups Grow And Develop Around Fandom Through The Lens Of Star Wars, Joseph R. Wirthlin Jr

Theses and Dissertations

The creation of Star Wars by George Lucas sparked the creation of a vast universe of films, books, television shows, toys, games, and more. Star Wars fans quickly took the reins, fleshing out the universe Lucas had created in new and exciting ways. Decades after the conclusion of the Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy arrived on the scene, sparking excitement and trepidation among fans of the Original Trilogy. A decade after the Prequel Trilogy concluded and three years following the acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Corporation, the Sequel Trilogy arrived at an even more significant wave of mixed …

You Tube Et Les Représentations De La Femme Dans Le Contexte Multilingue Marocain, Naima Wahbi

Dirassat

New forms of communication and expression have emerged through the participatory web and its numerous Digital Social Networks. This infutation is in a constant global progression. Our country has a total of 31.59 million Internet users, 63.4% of which are on social media.

This new digital discursivity has allowed them to express themselves anonymously on all types of subjects and also to openly broadcast their personal representations.

This article will examine how YouTube contributes to the broadcasting of women's representations. We also intend to highlight the correlation between the choice of language, the speaker's gender and the position expressed.

In …

Facilitating The Use Of Sbar By Nursing Staff For Handoff Communication, Amarillis L. Tompkins

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Clear communication during shift handoffs is crucial to minimize errors and ensure patient safety in intensive care. The current SBAR framework used in the MICU is constrained by limited documentation space, which led to communication inefficiencies and heightened risks for patient care.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: In the NFSG VA MICU, will staff nurses (P) using a revised SBAR communication tool with a checklist (I), compared to the current outdated SBAR tool without a checklist (C), improve the accuracy and completeness of patient handoff communication (O) over eight weeks (T)?

Evidence: The project …

The Current - Volume 35 Issue 12, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 19 - April 10, 2025

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 19 - April 10, 2025. 16 pages.

Lindenwood Digest, April 9, 2025, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been a digital employee newsletter since 2009.

The Fear Of Replacement: How Ai Panic In Journalism Mirrors Existential Crisis In Industry, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This study systematically examines the portrayal of artificial intelligence (AI) errors, such as hallucinations and deepfakes, in journalistic contexts, evaluating whether these narratives reflect a broader existential anxiety about AI's role in reshaping journalism. Using a systematic literature review combined with a qualitative content analysis of recent AI-focused news reports, this study identifies recurring themes in media coverage to assess the accuracy and context of reported AI errors relative to actual technological limitations and affordances. Findings suggest that while AI errors are comparatively rare, they receive amplified coverage, often fueling public mistrust in AI technologies. Nevertheless, a balanced examination reveals …

“I Never Wanted This”: Examining Maintenance Of White Femininity Within Abortion Stories On Tiktok, Brooke Pope

Communication ETDs

The invocation of tragedy in abortion stories has been acknowledged as a rhetorical tool that creates affective prescriptions and marginalization. Expanding on this concept, this work identifies how these strategies are used to maintain white femininity structurally through individual narratives. An intersectional feminist rhetorical analysis of abortion stories told on the platform TikTok is used to identify discursive practices that signal to white femininity. These practices are organized into three prominent themes within narratives: moves toward victimization, moves toward innocence, and prescribed punishments. Thematically, these serve to identify how pro-choice rhetoric fails to be intersectional and underscore the importance of …

Examining The Success Of Qanon, Zoe Hanrahan

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

In this paper I use rhetorical criticism to explore the rhetorical techniques that aid in the dissemination and continued belief in QAnon, an expanding political conspiracy theory that originally centered around former President Donald Trump fighting powerful Satanic pedophiles. Several practices have made the spread of its ideas remarkably effective. The anonymity of QAnon’s source prevents questioning, making it harder to disprove their proposed theories, and the support of politicians and influencers increases the perceived truthfulness of QAnon’s ideas. Multimedia coverage, especially on mainstream social media platforms, spreads the beliefs to a wide audience. Vague language leaves the messages open …

From Adversarial Attacks To Robust Classifiers - A Study In Social Media Spam Detection - Black Box & White Box, Jonathan Jose Penaloza Rumie

Undergraduate Theses

Adversarial attacks pose a significant threat to the reliability of machine learning-based spam detection systems in social media. This undergraduate thesis, "From Adversarial Attacks to Robust Classifiers: A Study in Social Media Spam Detection – Black Box & White Box," systematically examines the impact of both black-box and white-box adversarial attacks on a range of spam classifiers, including Logistic Regression, Decision Trees, Random Forests, K-Nearest Neighbors, Bagging, Gradient Boosting, and Support Vector Machines. Leveraging a novel dataset derived from Twitter spam messages and enhanced with adversarial perturbations such as synonym replacement and character-level modifications, this study evaluates classifier performance under …

"Does My Student Need Aac?": Identifying The Factors Influencing Speech-Language Pathologists' Initiation Of Aac Evaluations Through Survey, Charisse Lapuebla

Honors Theses

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods and devices enable individuals to communicate when otherwise unable to communicate fluently and verbally. Introducing AAC to children with developmental disabilities encourages increased communication and speech production (Yuan et al., 2024). ASHA states that there are no prerequisites for AAC use. The authors wholeheartedly agree with this position (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, n.d.). However, if no exclusion criteria for AAC use exists, AAC should be considered for each and every student. This is not common practice in the field. Due to the absence of exclusion criteria, the factors that prompt speech-language pathologists to initiate an …

The Scowl - V. 88 N. 18 - April 3, 2025

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 18 - April 3, 2025. 20 pages.

A Mapping Review And Critique Of The Literature On Translation, Dissemination, And Implementation Capacity Building Initiatives For Different Audiences, Ana A Baumann, Danielle R Adams, Laura-Mae Baldwin, Rachel G Tabak, Sara Malone, Maura M Kepper, Anita D Misra-Hebert, Kathleen R Stevens, Maria E Fernandez, Sunil Kripalani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Capacity building is critical for research and practice as the fields of dissemination, implementation and translation science continue to grow. Some scholars state that capacity building should be grounded in competencies. However, the fields are unclear in determining which competencies are relevant for whom, including the content and appropriate level of information and skills for different roles. The goal of this study was to catalogue competencies across current D&I capacity building initiatives.

Methods: We conducted a mapping review to examine to what extent are theories or frameworks used to guide capacity building, who is being trained, to what extent …

Exploring Student Perceptions Of Faculty Messages: The Moderating Role Of Internationalized Status And Gender, Geoffrey Luurs, Ismail Karabas, Brittany Wood

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Email is a tool used often for developing rapport between students and teachers. A professor’s email mistakes may affect the attributions students make about the professor’s competence and professionalism. This study used an experimental, between-subjects design to analyze the impact of professors’ typographical mistakes during initial email interactions and the moderating role of instructor demographics in those perceptions. The final sample consisted of 426 participants (64.6% female, 75.8% Caucasian) across eight universities representing five regions of the United States. The results of this study showed instructor’s email mistakes do lead to negative perceptions. Furthermore, it showed a professor’s internationalized status …

Information Literacy: How Students Search For & Verfiy Health-Related Information On Social Media, Isabel Sousa

Honors Projects in Communication and Language Studies

Today, younger generations utilize social media to access what they perceive to be reliable and accurate information, yet there are some concerns regarding validity and the ease of which students share information. This thesis evaluates how undergraduate students search for and verify information seen on popular social media platforms and analyzes the proficiency of their information literacy skills. The data collected will be used in determining which social media platforms are most frequently used and trusted by students, which types of sources are used in verification of this information if verified at all, and their perception of information literacy. The …