Digital Commons Network^™

Content Literacy In The Digital Age: Integrating The Development Of Digital Language Skills Into Civic Education, Cedric Lawida, Ina-Maria Maahs

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The digital transformation creates new demands on reading and writing. This entails the expansion of the goals of content literacy to explicitly include the development of digital reading and writing skills. The study explores how a social media project at a school in Germany supports students in developing digital language competencies. In the civics education project politik.informiert (informed politics), students create and share political content via an Instagram channel. The qualitative case study, based on observations and interviews, finds that the project offers rich opportunities for digital reading and writing, especially in researching information, evaluating sources, and producing audience oriented …

The Role Of Media Literacy In Shaping Campus Student Leaders’ Perceptions Of Media Activism, Online Risks, And Social Support, Srividya Ramasubramanian, Minnie S. Mcmillian, Shumaila J. Bhatti, Shannon Burth, Julius Matthew Riles, Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz, Melody Wilson

Journal of Media Literacy Education

in social movements. Within contemporary contexts, media is an important site through which campus student leaders raise awareness, share relevant information, distribute online petitions, and shape public discourses on various social issues. Media literacy is an essential skill for student leaders to be effective in their activist initiatives and be able to cope with the inevitable pushback through trolling and cyberbullying that such activism would likely bring up. This survey (N = 855) with college student leaders across three universities explores how they rate themselves on media literacy skills, how well they understand the risks involved with media activism, and …

Automated Media: Challenges And Opportunities For Media Literacy Education, Arnaud Claes, Jerry Jacques, Antonin Descampe, Victor Wiard

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This paper offers a theoretical reflection on the evolving landscape of automated media, focusing on how automation and so-called Artificial Intelligence (AI) are reshaping traditional media-related practices and the competences required for media literacy. It examines how automated media technologies, such as recommendation algorithms and generative AI, might reshape the critical skills necessary to navigate a complex digital ecosystem. By framing AI-driven media practices through a social-action perspective and treating media as human activities, we argue that media literacy models should encompass competences related to the operation of computational automata, particularly through the management of inbound and outbound information flows. …

Civil Discourse: A 3-Part Lesson Plan With Media Literacy Connections, Greg Davis

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

This article presents a three-part lesson plan designed to help students develop civil discourse skills through emotional self-regulation, value exploration, and structured debate. Drawing inspiration from Alaa Al-Musalli’s work on “Unteaching Divisive Argumentation,” the lesson introduces students to the emotional dynamics of disagreement, the ethical diversity that underlies opposing viewpoints, and the practice of respectful argumentation. The culminating activity—a classroom debate over a fictitious local law regulating electric bikes and scooters—invites students to reflect on how tone, listening, and self-awareness affect discourse. Integrating media literacy, the lesson concludes with a discussion of memes and online bias, prompting students to evaluate …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Former Teachers Transitioning Into Instructional Design And Technology: A Phenomenological Study, Denise Lynne Spencer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of former teachers who have transitioned into instructional design and technology (ID&T) roles within noneducational organizations. The theory guiding this study was Malcolm Knowles’ adult learning theory, as it provided a theoretical framework for former educators to successfully transition their skills from teaching children to designing effective training for adults, particularly within noneducational organizations. The central research question asked, What are the unique challenges former teachers face when transitioning to ID&T when working for noneducational organizations? Data were collected through three data collection methods, including semi-structured interviews, …

Faith-Informed Instruction In Secondary Mathematics: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Teachers, Jonathan Balsman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the phenomenon of faith-informed instruction as experienced by secondary mathematics teachers in Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) schools in the United States. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s theory of social constructivism, which frames educators’ instructional and theological meaning-making as socially and contextually developed through collaborative, relational learning environments. The central research question guiding this study was: What are the lived experiences of LCMS secondary mathematics teachers as they practice faith-informed instruction? This study used a hermeneutic phenomenological design to interpret teacher meaning-making and reflective practice. Participants were selected using …

Generative Ai Adoption And Perceived Academic Impact Among Undergraduate Students: A Cross-National Study In Indonesia, Tajikistan, And The United States, Vyacheslav Dushenkov, Ernawati Sinaga, Astri Rozanah Siregar, Alamkhon Akhmedov, Saidbeg Satorov

Publications and Research

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming higher education, yet comparative evidence from diverse international settings remains limited. This cross-national study examined undergraduate students’ adoption and perceived academic impact of generative AI tools at institutions in Indonesia, Tajikistan, and the United States. A harmonized online survey was administered to 584 undergraduates during Spring 2026 (Indonesia n = 235; Tajikistan n = 226; United States n = 123). The survey assessed AI familiarity, adoption patterns, frequency and purpose of use, perceived academic impact, and factors encouraging AI engagement. AI adoption differed significantly across sites, with the highest adoption observed in Indonesia …

Listening To Learn: Preservice Teachers’ Voice On What Matters Most In Their University Preparation Programs, David Wolff, Scott Klimek, Elizabeth Y. Dale

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This study explores the perspectives of preserviceteacher candidates on the topics in education they perceive as the most important and urgent as they prepare for their first year of teaching. Utilizing quantitative methodology, the study aims to identify and prioritize educational topics sixty (n = 60) preservice teacher candidates believed were critical to their professional development. Participants are asked to rate the topics based on two criteria: urgency and importance. Each topic is rated on a scale from 0 to 5, where 0 indicated unfamiliarly with the topic, 1 indicated low urgency or importance, and 5 indicates high urgency …

Collaborating With Our Ai Research Companion: Exploring The Use Of Microsoft Copilot To Conduct Inductive And Deductive Coding In Qualitative Research, David Wolff, Melissa Wolff, Mark Diacopoulos

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Higher Education faculty balance time in teaching, scholarship, and service, along with many other duties in their roles (Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, 2024). In our efforts to be stewards of our time and craft, faculty look for ways to be more efficient in these areas. With the increase of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our personal and professional lives, this paper discusses the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), Microsoft Copilot, as an analytic tool in the qualitative data analysis process. Qualitative data was collected from transcripts of recorded meetings and an online journal that included text and …

Embedding Evaluation For Continuous Improvement In A Cohort-Based Doctoral Residency Model: Evidence From An Ed.D. Program, Monica J. Weir

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership Program at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) includes two required summer residency weeks that serve as signature components of the doctoral experience. Given their central role in supporting academic milestones and scholarly community, program faculty have embedded systematic evaluation into residency design to support continuous improvement. This article describes a multi-phase, utilization-focused evaluation framework examining residency preparation, implementation, and participant experience. The evaluation designer collaborated with program faculty to design pre- and post-residency week instruments that elevate doctoral student voice and support faculty-led reflection. Preliminary findings indicated strong value placed on peer …

Building Minnesota's Teacher Workforce From Within: Policy Recommendations To Expand Grow Your Own Teacher Pathways In Minnesota, Jennifer Maras

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Minnesota faces persistent teacher shortages driven by declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs, high early-career attrition, retirements, demographic shifts, and barriers to entering the profession. Traditional recruitment efforts alone are insufficient to meet the state's long-term workforce needs. This white paper proposes Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher pathways as a sustainable workforce development strategy that cultivates future educators from within Minnesota's own schools and communities. Rather than relying primarily on external recruitment, GYO initiatives intentionally develop local talent by creating accessible pathways for high school students, paraprofessionals, career changers, and community members to become licensed teachers.

Grounded in current workforce …

Breaking The Mold: An Examination Of Student Perceptions With Faculty-Led Native American Student Research Experiences, Caitlin A. Johnson

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

In recent years, Native American students in Minnesota have experienced the state’s widest equity gap. In response, a faculty advisor guided students through an immersive Indigenous research experience using the medicine wheel as a learning model focused on culturally relevant topics. Culturally relevant teaching uses methods and techniques that are building from a student’s interests, values, and strengths helps them to have a more meaningful educational experience by connecting home with school (Gay, 2000). Grounded in culturally relevant teaching theory, this approach connects students’ lived experiences to academic learning, making the exploration of equity gaps particularly meaningful for Indigenous students …

Cipropad Learning Model To Improve Elementary School Students’ Hots In Geometry, Ria J. Salman, Heris Hendriana, Masta Hutajulu

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

The latest digital technology developments demand innovative learning models that are able to integrate active learning approaches, problem-solving, and digital collaborative platforms. This study aims to develop a CIPROPAD (Circuit Learning, Problem-Based-Learning, Padlet) learning model designed to improve students' HOTS. This study uses the Borg and Gall R&D method which includes the stages of needs analysis, model design, initial product development, expert validation, limited trials, revisions, and field trials. The research subjects consisted of 74 elementary school students divided into experimental and control groups. The research instruments used included expert validation sheets, HOTS tests, student activity observation sheets, and student …

Collaborative Curriculum Design For Culturally And Historically Responsive Education: Implications From Initial Program Evaluation, Christine L. Craddock, Rachel Juergensen, Shelley Rouser, Michael Ryan, Diamond Lee

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

This article discusses a unique program initiative of one university’s education department to interrogate teacher education coursework together as educators and researchers. We evaluated the course curriculum of five different courses together as a team on a routine basis and documented our thoughts and discussion through video and an organized survey tool. This tool was developed according to Muhammad’s five pursuits of culturally and historically responsive education which include: identity, skills, intellect, criticality, and joy. This produced qualitative and quantitative findings related to methods for adapting and adjusting course instruction, content, and assessments according to the pursuits. Relatedly, it promoted …

How Does An Advanced Educator Utilize Digital Language Teaching And Learning By Integrating Linguistic, Cultural, And Business Life Perspectives?, Hely Westerholm, Pirjo Takanen-Körperich, Ph.D.

International Journal for Business Education

This paper explores advanced educators’ digital working capabilities in online language teaching, with a particular focus on sharing Finnish language and culture in a foreign context. Cultural and linguistic knowledge play a significant role in enhancing students’ motivation to study foreign languages. In today’s educational environment, digitalisation and globalisation exert an increasing influence on foreign language teaching and learning.

The digital learning environment has brought about a paradigm shift in foreign language didactics. Digital language learning is both challenging and holistic in nature. Continued foreign language learning is simultaneously an individual and a social process, as digital learning cultures impose …

How Grades Changed Before, During And After Covid-19 In A Business College, Douglas R. Moodie, Alison Keefe, Robin Cheramie

International Journal for Business Education

Purpose: This study examines how undergraduate business student grades changed before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic using a large institutional dataset from a business college in a US university between 2015 and 2024.

Method: The analysis includes over 390,000 student-course observations and incorporates instructional modality, student demographics, course characteristics, and prior academic performance.

Results: Results show a substantial increase in mean course grades during the COVID-19 period, followed by a partial reversion post-pandemic to levels that remain above pre-pandemic trends. These patterns are consistent across modalities, demographics, and departments.

Implications: The findings raise important questions regarding the interpretation of …

Co-Designing Translanguaging-Informed Transformative Socioemotional Learning With Bilingual Kindergarten Teachers In Colombia, Catherine Restrepo-Widney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Emergent bilingual children enter early childhood classrooms with rich, dynamic linguistic repertoires that span languages, cultural practices, and ways of knowing. Socioemotional learning (SEL) often fails to meaningfully incorporate children’s linguistic and cultural repertoires, reflecting critiques that many SEL frameworks privilege individualistic, culturally narrow competencies that may marginalize learners from diverse backgrounds. This is particularly consequential in early childhood dual language bilingual education (DLBE), where children's heritage languages are central to authentic emotional connection and identity development, and where empirical models for culturally sustaining SEL remain limited. Through a participatory design research approach structured around iterative cycles of collaborative inquiry, …

A Charism-Based Faculty Instruction Framework For Nursing Education: Integrating Values-Driven Pedagogy In Blended Learning Environments, Humprey G. Icban, Anele C. Mallari, Cherry B. Lazatin, Aurora R. Valencia, Lilibeth G. Sales, Ulysses J. Rengel, Marie Aileen L. Domingo

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

The evolution of nursing education in the Philippines is driven by dynamic global healthcare demands and an accelerated shift toward blended learning modalities. The central challenge lies in preserving the humanistic values of compassion and integrity within technology-mediated environments. This study addresses this issue by developing a Charism-Based Faculty Instruction Framework (CBFIF) designed to empower clinical instructors at the University of the Assumption College of Nursing and Pharmacy (UACONP) in their crucial role as "Formators of Catholic Leaders." The framework is intended to cultivate the institution's core graduate attributes: "Biasa" (academically competent), "Maganaca" (morally upright), and "Mayap" (socially responsible). A …

Teaching As Testimony: Examining The Relationship Between High School Teachers’ Faith Identity And Pedagogy, Candace M. Kyles

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Teaching has long been understood within Christian theology as a vocational practice shaped by faith, moral formation, and lived discipleship. Yet within U.S. public schooling, the Separation of Church and State restricts explicit engagement with religion, often rendering educators’ faith identities invisible within school buildings and classrooms. This covertness does not eliminate the formative influence of faith; rather, it obscures how teachers’ faith identities inform their ethical reasoning, teaching practices, and pedagogical choices. When faith remains unexamined, it may operate implicitly, shaping classroom interactions without the benefit of critical reflection or institutional support.

Despite the prominence of culturally responsive pedagogy …

Preparing Teachers Where Teaching Happens: Designing Embedded Assignments In A School-University Partnership, Michael Dicicco, Shawn A. Faulkner

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

School-University partnerships (SUP) allow more opportunities for teacher candidates to bridge theory and practice. Working together teacher candidates gain valuable experience applying concepts in their classes with classroom teacher mentors. However, these partnerships can be complex and highly context dependent. Developing university course assignments for a SUP can be difficult. This article highlights a set of intentionally designed assignments the authors have developed over the last 8 years within an SUP. The goal is provide practical examples for those who are creating their own SUP.

Language Learner To Author: Ai-Assisted Children's Book And Theme Song Creation For Community Outreach, Hea Young Chun

Generative AI Teaching Activities

Students will use AI tools to create original children's storybooks, complete with accompanying theme songs, and subsequently present their finished works to students at local schools.

Nil And Contract Law: Advising A Prospective College Athlete Through Competing Name, Image, And Likeness Agreements, Jason Kight, Marcy Faircloth, Lori Mikl, Rachel Silverman

The COSMA Journal

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreements have created significant financial opportunities for amateur and collegiate athletes while also introducing complex legal, ethical, and strategic decision-making challenges. This decision-focused teaching case places students in the role of trusted advisors to Archie Stafford, a highly recruited high school athlete who must evaluate and compare multiple NIL contract offers connected to his preferred college options. By analyzing NIL agreements, students assess contract enforceability, identify key legal and business risks, weigh legal, contractual, ethical, and reputational disclosure obligations, and formulate a reasoned recommendation aligned with Archie’s academic, athletic, financial, and long-term career goals. The …

Assessing Digital Collaborative Skills Among Pre-Service Elementary Teachers: Initial Instrument Evidence And Demographic Differences, Candra Utama, Aynin Mashfufah, Esti Untari, Sofia Haratee

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Digital collaboration skills are an important competence for prospective elementary school teachers as 21^st-century learning demands the ability to use technology to work on a team, to communicate and share responsibilities, and to reflect on the learning process. This study aims to analyze evidence of the instrument initial validity, reliability, collaborative skill profile, and score differences based on the demographic characteristics of pre-service elementary teachers after participating in digital-based collaborative learning. The research uses a post-implementation evaluative quantitative approach sourced from a digital collaborative learning research design in the fourth-semester of elementary school teacher education study program at …

Diplomacy Country Desk Updates, Susan Craig

Generative AI Teaching Activities

Students will use the gem/activity through the semester to stay up-to-date on their assigned country desk for a graduate level course on diplomacy.

Power, Policy, And The Politics Of Censorship: A Critical Policy Discourse Analysis Of Lgbtq+ Inclusive Book Challenges, Talia M. Zito

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This study is contextualized in the growing wave of book challenges targeting LGBTQ+ inclusive picture books in public schools, examining how these decisions are shaped by policy, language, and ideology. While national data document the scale of book bans, less is known about how these policies are interpreted and enacted at the local level, where their impact is most directly felt. This research addresses that gap by analyzing how one Florida school district, Escambia County Public Schools, responds to challenges under recent state legislation.

Using Critical Policy Discourse Analysis, this qualitative case study investigates how Florida’s state laws such as …

Can Ungrading Make Sport Management Education More Practical And Engaging?, Michael A. Odio

The COSMA Journal

In this essay I take on the subject of grades in sport management education. While grades are used as a measure of success across higher education, they are an imperfect measure of achievement and learning and have major limitations in terms of student employability. The ungrading movement brings attention to the ways grades can harm learning by shifting attention away from students’ development, and instructor or peer feedback, and intrinsic motivation, while incentivizing compliance and risk-aversion. These harms directly affect what are arguably some of the most important aspects of sport management education, as when grades are the main incentive, …

Gender-Based Analysis Of Critical Thinking Skills Through The Problem-Based Learning Model Assisted By Instagram Greenpeaceid, Nabila Nirwasita Chairunnisa, Sumarmi Sumarmi, Tuti Mutia, Ilham Adenan Hidayatullah

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Environmental degradation requires students to possess critical thinking skills. However, the prevalence of conventional teaching methods is considered ineffective in honing these skills. Furthermore, gender differences that influence students’ learning styles are often not adequately accommodated. This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the impact of the Problem-Based Learning model assisted by the Instagram account Greenpeaceid on students’ critical thinking skills based on gender. The present study employs a quasi-experimental method using a posttest-only control group design implemented as a 2×2 treatment-by-level design. Data were collected via written tests and analyzed using a Two-Way ANOVA. The results of …

Case-Based Method Encyclopedia Of Maros Pangkep Geopark Through A Community Approach In Biraeng Village, Badrizal Al Hazar, Eva Nurrahmi Lukman, Muhammad Ikhsan Iccang, Nur Faizah Alim, Hervina Hervina

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

The 21 st-century geography learning requires the use of contextual learning resources that are based on local potential to support deep learning. However, the availability of learning media that integrates geoparks and community knowledge is still limited. Therefore, this research and development aims to produce a community-based encyclopedia using the case-based method. It aims to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of the encyclopedia as a source of geography learning. The learning media was developed by using the Research and Development (R&D) method with the ADDIE model, which includes the stages of analysis, design, development, and implementation. The encyclopedia was developed …

Ai-Resistant And Ai-Resilient Assessment In Higher Education: A Systematic Review Of Validity-Grounded Strategies, Institutional Frameworks, And Equity Implications, Asrat Genet Amnie

Publications and Research

The emergence of large language models has precipitated a fun damental disruption to higher education assessment. Conventional instruments are susceptible to AI-assisted completion, threatening construct validity across disciplines and institutional contexts. When submitted work reflects AI capability rather than student competency, the inferential chain from performance to qualifica tion is invalidated – a problem of design rather than detection. This systematic review makes two contributions. First, it theorises and grounds the distinction between AI-resistant assessment, which seeks to prevent or impede AI access through containment, and AI-resilient assessment, which assesses genuine human cogni tive performance of intrinsic educational value regardless …

Chi Meta-Project Ecosystem Overview - Spring 2026, David B. Smith

Publications and Research

This paper offers a high-level account of the Center for Holistic Integration’s (CHI) meta-project ecosystem as visualized in the included system map. CHI provides an organizational structure framed around persistent meta-projects that support and extend individual initiatives across curriculum, scholarly and applied research, infrastructure, artistic production, AI development, cultural inquiry, and external partnerships. Rather than presenting the map as a static inventory of projects, the paper examines how its core domains function as living systems through which knowledge, tools, documentation, participants, and collaborations can accumulate over time. It also considers how CHI-mediated connectivity, institutional integration, and external funding allow the …