Digital Commons Network^™

Chronic Illness Education 2024: A Guide To Navigating Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Polina Chuikov, Bilal Ahmed, Brennan Smith, Karina Medina, Masoud Harati

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Chronic Illness Education 2024: Diet And Excersize Education To Improve Adult Obesity, David Elyas, Dhwani Krishnan, Joseph Overway, Melissa Connop, Swathi Srikantan, Zahira Malik

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Chronic Illness Education 2024: Evaluating Psychological Barriers To Treating Cardiovascular Disease, Ameen Khan, Aria Hutchinson, Caitlin Ann Benitez, Daniel Poe, Dawson Sloan, Shivani Bongu

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Chronic Illness Education 2024: Resources To Improve Childhood Anxiety, Ananya Yanamandra, Danny Salka, Hamza Khan, Julie Waineo, Karen Zapien-Guerra

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Benefits Of Teaching Pre-Literacy In Waldorf Education In Early Childhood, April Guerrero

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone research project examines the benefits of teaching pre-literacy in Waldorf education in early childhood. In Waldorf Education, literacy development incorporates differentiated instructions that fosters cognitive and social emotional learning of their students. Through the use of literature review and several teachers in various grades of Waldorf schools, the result findings revealed that pedagogical practices around literacy instructions promote critical thinking skills, nurtures children’s creative expression, and imagination. Literacy curriculum in Waldorf schools allows students to create tangible evidence of self-expressions and communication skills. Given its emphasis on holistic curriculum, it allows teachers to engage with their diverse …

Is That Controversial Or Is It Just Me?, Joseph D. Cochran

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The purposes of this study were to explore the decision-making process behind delineating issues as controversial or not, identify the risks considered by administrators when faced with potentially controversial issues, and provide recommendations for educators to consider in their own deliberations. I interviewed seven charter school principals and used thematic analysis to explore the influence of contained risk-taking on administrator decision-making concerning controversial issues. The findings of this study suggest that administrators generally consider the same risks their teacher counterparts do but often prioritize larger-scale solutions that ensure equity for the entire school. The products of this process emphasize a …

Evidence-Based Pathways For Leveling Digital Access In Higher Education During And Beyond The Covid-19 Pandemic, Christopher Ali, Vikki Katz

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers’ attention focused heavily on K–12 student connectivity. By contrast, college students were largely “presumed connected,” even as they lost access to campus Wi-Fi, computer labs, and other digital resources. This study asks what lessons were learned and not learned by university administrators when it came to digital inequality on their campuses during the pandemic. To address this question, the article’s authors relied on a series of student surveys and policy analyses. This article offers evidence-based policy recommendations to university leaders for effectively addressing digital inequality among their student populations as we look …

Curriculum Curation: Centering Mirrors And Windows In An Inclusive Bookshelf Project, Kelly P. Vaughan

Education Department Faculty Articles

From increasing calls for multicultural and inclusive books to media stories about books being banned in elementary schools,  curriculum debates have become increasingly contentious. These debates illuminate key questions in curriculum studies: What is the knowledge of most worth? And who decides? In this article, I utilize a curriculum studies in education framework to engage and extend the literature supporting multicultural and inclusive children’s literature and critical literacy while emphasizing the role of teachers-as-curators. After analyzing the results of a year-long project in which preservice teachers (PSTs) curated collections of multicultural books representing a mirrors and windows approach to text …

The Power Of The Written Word: An Exploration Of Writing As Craft And Pedagogy, Kristen Charlesworth

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

This portfolio is an exploration of writing, both as a crafted process and a subject of pedagogy. It includes three pieces of vastly different genres, which have one overlapping theoretical notion: autonomy is a key ingredient to successful writing at any level. Student success, creative writing, and scholarly research are all enhanced when the writer is given opportunities to guide their own process. The selected works of this portfolio serve as examples of how student autonomy is not only possible in the classroom, but of the overwhelmingly positive effect it has on the writing process, student engagement, and ultimately, academic …

Military Early Childhood Educators' Experiences Of Transitioning From The Creative Curriculum To Early Learning Matters (Elm) Curriculum: A Case Study, Joretta Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the experiences of military early childhood educators at a military installation in eastern Virginia as they transitioned from Creative Curriculum to the Early Learning Matters (ELM) Curriculum. The theory guiding this study was Schlossberg’s (1981) transition theory, as the aim of the study was to research educators in the time of a curriculum transition. The study was a single instrument case study, and the participants included military early childhood educators who have experienced transitioning from Creative Curriculum to ELM Curriculum. Data was collected through individual interviews, focus group discussion, and …

Teaching Writing: Fostering Joy In Writing Through “Commentarying”, Ellin Kim

New Jersey English Journal

For over 15 years, the author taught at an after-school English Language Arts center. Initially emphasizing perfection, enthusiasm waned. A graduate course changed the author's views on writing, stressing personal reflections. Implementing this, students' perceptions shifted, using "commentarying" to foster understanding and engagement in discussions on topics such as racism.

The Adventures Of Trans Educators: A Comic Book Issue

Occasional Paper Series

Through remarkable comic book illustrations, issue #52 of the Occasional Paper Series presents authentic, nuanced stories about the experiences of trans educators working with children from preschool through high school. This visually engaging format brings these stories to life and invites readers to connect more deeply with the unique journeys of trans educators.

Introduction: The Adventures Of Trans Educators: A Comic Book Issue, Harper B. Keenan, Lee Iskander, Rachel Marie-Crane Williams

Occasional Paper Series

Through our work in teacher education and trans advocacy, the three of us (Harper, Lee, and Rachel) are lucky to regularly hear about the important work trans educators do every day. Whether it’s helping students to organize gender and sexuality alliances, mentoring trans youth, working with teachers’ unions to improve health care benefits for people of all genders, or simply showing up to school and being present for their students, there is no doubt that trans educators are making important and necessary contributions to learning environments across North America and beyond.

Examining Emergency Remote Teaching And Undergraduate Academic Outcomes During The Pandemic, Melissa S. Ramge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic represented an extraordinary public health emergency, leading to the most profound disruption to education systems in modern history. As higher education institutions expand their post-pandemic online course catalogs, it is necessary first to explore the student outcomes and student perceptions of learning related to the pandemic. This study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design to assess the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and students’ perceptions of online learning. The purpose of the study was to examine what, if any, trends in undergraduate student course grades and student perceptions of the instruction occurred coincident with the …

Exploring How Funds Of Knowledge Is Utilized Among Teacher Educators In A Teacher Preparation Program Focusing On Arts Integration And Language Diversity, Gabrielle H. Pretto Ph.D

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

In our current educational climate, teaching for social justice has become increasingly difficult. Teacher educators are faced with certification rules that prioritize test scores over teaching ability, scripted curriculums, and the limited understandings about differences related to culture, class, and race. This study examined how social justice teachings were sustained and enhanced through a Funds of Knowledge (FOK) learning approach. Case study was utilized and guided by the following research questions: (1) What are the FOK of teacher educators participating in the TEALi program? (2) In what ways are the FOK of teacher educators integrated or utilized in their university …

Designing Student-Created Podcast Projects: Tips For Busy Instructors, Jessica Zbeida

TxDLA Journal of Digital Learning

Student-created podcasts have become popular assignments across higher education, yet many instructors need support to design projects that truly engage learners. This paper provides tips for developing student-created podcasts, both as formative and summative assessments.

A Case Study Of Instructional Design Practices To Promote The Christian Faith And Worldview Within A Homeschool Education Program, Alexandria Mills

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This single case study explored instructional design (ID) practices to promote the integration of Christian faith and worldview within a homeschool education program, aiming to identify gaps in instructors' knowledge and skills and assess the applicability of the Four-Component Instructional Design (4C/ID) model. The study sought to determine where instructors may need additional support to integrate a Christian worldview into their teaching effectively and whether the 4C/ID model could help address these gaps. Although the 4C/ID model was not directly implemented in the observed setting, its potential as a structured framework for enhancing instructors' abilities was evaluated.

Data was collected …

The Impact Of Oer’S Continuous Improvement Cycles On Students’ Performance: A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Rise Framework, Daniela Castellanos-Reyes, Sandra L. Carmago Salamanca, David Wiley

Entrepreneurship Faculty Research

Open educational resources (OER) have been praised for revolutionizing education. However, practitioners and instructors battle keeping OER updated and measuring their impact on students’ performance. Few studies have analyzed the improvement of OER over time in relation to achievement. This longitudinal study uses learning analytics through the open-source Resource Inspection, Selection, and Enhancement (RISE) analysis framework to assess the impact of continuous improvement cycles on students’ outcomes. Panel data (i.e., performance and use) from 190 learning objectives of OER of an introductory sociology course were analyzed using a hierarchical linear model. Results show that more visits to an OER do …

The Implementation Of Stream In Mathematics Classrooms In Abu Dhabi Primary Schools: Prospects, Priorities, Processes, And Problems, Nadeia Rashed Alalawi

Dissertations

This study shed light on implementing science, technology, reading and writing, engineering, art, and mathematics (STREAM) in mathematics classrooms in Abu Dhabi primary schools. The study aimed to explore mathematics teachers’ views on the prospects, priorities, processes, and problems of the implementation of STREAM in their classrooms. The study employed qualitative methods to collect and analyze data to support the findings using interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Fifteen in-service mathematics teachers were interviewed to explore their views about the application of STREAM in their classrooms regarding prospects, priorities, processes, and problems (4 Ps). Then, three of them were observed …

L&D On-Ramps And Off-Ramps For The Mobility Workforce: A Blueprint For Knowledge Ecosystem Formation In The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Tyler Reeb, Barbara Taylor, James Reuter

Mineta Transportation Institute

After a yearlong consensus study, this report presents a blueprint with implementation tools and strategies for CSULB and other CSU campuses to adopt a knowledge ecosystem model in higher education. By conducting talent pipeline pilots for internship preparation activities and related survey and focus group research, the research team found near universal support for pursuing university-industry partnerships. Faculty identified extracurricular activities, experiential learning opportunities, and guidance on further education as their top three priorities when mentoring students in professional development. There was, however, a paradoxical perception among faculty about what universities provide in terms of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) …

A Geriatric Interprofessional Education Workshop: A Mixed Method Study, Patricia Watford, Meghan Hall, Colleen Hergott, Wanda Jirau-Rosaly, Shilpa Brown, Elena Wood, Nicole Rockich-Winston

Journal of Applied Disciplines

Interprofessional healthcare teams are essential for meeting the needs of our older population. To prepare for interprofessional collaboration, educational programs should offer opportunities for interprofessional education. We created a four-hour geriatric interprofessional workshop addressing cognition, macular degeneration, dysphagia, home safety, fall risk, and pharmacotherapy to examine student perceptions of working in interprofessional teams and their attitudes toward geriatric patients. Participants included 189 second-year medical (MD) students, 41 first-year occupational therapy (OT) students, and 36 second-year physical therapy (PT) students. We utilized a sequential explanatory mixed-method approach. Data analysis comprised descriptive statistics, paired t-tests for the pre/post surveys, and inductive content …

Exploring Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences With Emerging Technologies In Secondary Education: A Phenomenological Study, Richelle M. Decuir

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research was an investigation of the role of emerging technologies in preparing pre-service teachers to engage with secondary learners effectively. A phenomenological approach was utilized to explore how instructional design models and constructivist learning theories shape technology training in two Southeastern public universities. The research was focused on pre-service teachers' experiences developing digital competencies, integrating instructional design, and utilizing emerging technologies in educational settings. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and demographic surveys to understand the participants’ perspectives comprehensively. The study findings revealed that while pre-service teachers recognize the value of technology in enhancing student engagement and supporting personalized …

Enhancing Writing By Increasing Metacognitive Skills Through Socratic Seminars In A High Poverty Middle School Social Studies Classroom: An Intrinsic Case Study, Kirsten Hickingbottom

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to better understand the role metacognitive skills play within classroom settings to increase students’ writing through Socratic Seminars. A predominant question guided this study: Can improving student metacognition through the repetitive use of questioning techniques in Socratic Seminars lead to improved writing skills? This question, along with four additional research questions guided the research. There is a need for more activities that promote metacognition due to its correlation with academic achievement, critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and perceived self-efficacy (Keus, 2020). The significance of this study was to examine a method of …

Evaluating The Inclusion Of Evidence-Based Reading Practices In First-Grade Curricula: The Role Of District Size, Matthew J. Lembo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

This dissertation investigated the extent to which five dependent variables were included in the first-grade reading curriculum and whether district size played a role in their inclusion. This study’s mixed-methods approach incorporated descriptive statistics, histograms, confidence intervals, and chi-squared analyses to assess curriculum patterns across small, medium, and large districts. The research also explored the relationship between district size and the consistent inclusion of key instructional variables related to the science of reading. Findings suggest that, although not statistically significant, district size plays a potential and has a consistent role in the implementation of these five variables. Medium-sized districts …

The Peace Project: Creating Elementary School Peace Spaces And Places, Whitney Mcintyre Miller, Annmary S. Abdou, Cristie Suzukawa Clancy, Kelly Stephens

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: This pilot case study paper demonstrates how school programming can be aligned and enhanced to better create a climate of peace on an elementary school campus by utilizing an integral peace leadership lens. Working collectively as a Peace Leadership Advisory Group, the elementary school leadership team, and the university research team helped to align existing programming and explore and implement new programming to create a comprehensive plan for bringing peace ideas together at the elementary school level.

Methods: This pilot was a single case study that utilized Participatory Action Research. Data were collected through observation, survey, and interviews with …

University Students Speak Out: Suggestions To Improve The Move To Emergency Remote Education, Pauline Howes, Justine E. Pettigrew

Faculty Articles

The 2020 COVID-19 crisis forced universities to make a dramatic shift to emergency remote education (ERE). While the urgency of the pandemic is gone, schools continue implementing ERE, but more often on a short-notice, short-term basis in response to various situations. This research examines students’ suggestions for improving university transitions to ERE and applies them to post-pandemic use of ERE. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyze responses to an open-ended survey question answered by 2,751 students at a large Southeastern U.S. university. Responses identified main concerns as Grades and Grading (38%), Better University and Instructor Preparation (23%), Improved Learning …

Understanding The “L” In Cslp Within The Literacy Conundrum, Julia Lynch, Andrea Perrone

Michigan Reading Journal

Rooted in culturally relevant pedagogy, culturally sustaining literacy practices (CSLP) focus on equity in education (Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1995; Paris, 2012). Our view of CSLP emphasizes integrating the arts into literacy instruction to leverage students' cultural assets, stimulating their cognitive processes and recognizing literacy's interdisciplinary role in learning. As we align literacy practices with state standards, high-stakes testing, and research-based methods, it's crucial for educators and society to embrace them. Traditionally, literacy instruction has prioritized written language, creating hierarchical structures that lead to learning gaps and inequitable opportunities. An arts-based CSLP framework addresses these issues by ensuring literacy includes diverse …

Information Literacy And Social Media Assignment, G. Claire Haeg

Political Science Faculty Publications

This assignment was created for POLS 111: Introduction to US Politics.

Learning Goals

1. Identify political misinformation in social media or online.

2. Improve research skills needed to fact check political information.

3. Practice analytical skills to become critical consumers of political information.

a. Learn to distinguish between authoritative and unreliable information sources.

b. Understand the mechanisms and narratives by which social media and online sources might spread political misinformation and conspiracy theories.

c. Understand how your own values and identity might shape the way you perceive political information.

Global Newspaper Assignment, Christi Siver

Political Science Faculty Publications

This assignment was created for POLS 121: Introduction to International Relations.

Learning Goals:

1. Become more familiar with an international topic.

2. Develop experience with the library databases.

3. Improve research skills to identify relevant non-U.S. perspectives

4. Practice analytical skills to become critical consumers of political information.

a. Learn to distinguish between authoritative and unreliable information sources.

b. Understand the importance of considering perspectives beyond U.S. media sources.

c. Understand when and how to cite properly.

d. Synthesize ideas from multiple sources.

e. Understand how reading multiple perspectives presents a more nuanced view of international relations.

5. Reflect …

Full Issue

CouRaGeouS Cuentos: A Journal of Counternarratives

No abstract provided.