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Illinois Model Programs Of Study: Overview Guide (Draft For Public Comment), Education Systems Center

Practitioner Toolkits and Resources

This draft was available for public comment through September 30, 2026. A final version will be released in October 2026.

Illinois Model Programs Of Study Guide: Physical Health (Draft For Public Comment), Education Systems Center

Practitioner Toolkits and Resources

This draft was available for public comment through September 30, 2026. A final version will be released in October 2026.

Guardians Of The Record (Cs2 Edition): Heaps, Queues, And A Scarce Oracle, Ilan Goodman

Generative AI Teaching Activities

Students defend Wikipedia from vandals with data structures instead of infrastructure: a sliding-window edit-velocity tracker (hash map of queues), a hand-built binary min-heap, and a budget-bounded top-K selection decide which few suspicious edits earn a question to an expensive, rate-limited Oracle — a stand-in for a real LLM.

Understanding Oral Habits And Malocclusion In School-Aged Children: Insights From Parental And Child Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices, Maria Laurentia Sanjaya, Evan Raditya Pratomo, Markus Santoso, Agrippine Putricia Asaeli, Eveline Yulia Darmadi, Joy Janny Thenarianto, Jennifer Regina Putri Purwono, Eunike Jacquelyn Widarto

Kesmas

Malocclusion is a prevalent oral health problem in children associated with oral bad habits, yet the extent to which parental and child knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) influence orthodontic status remains insufficiently understood. This cross-sectional study investigated relationships between parental and child KAP, oral habits, and malocclusion in school-aged children, involving 67 child–parent pairs from an elementary school in Surabaya, Indonesia. Parental and child KAP as well as child-reported oral habits were assessed using a validated questionnaire. Children subsequently underwent standardized clinical orthodontic examinations, including alginate jaw impressions to produce dental study models, which were evaluated using the Index of …

Writing Together, Writing Differently: Collective Authorship As Reflective Practice, Thanh Thao Le, Trut Thuy Pham

The Qualitative Report

This article examines collective authorship as a reflective and ethical research practice within a sustained program of co-authored qualitative, post-qualitative, linguistic, and reflective inquiries into teacher reflection, professional learning, language, silence, and recognition. It offers an oral-history-informed reflective methodological account of a writing collective and asks how collective authorship became a methodological practice through our collaborative writing process. The primary materials were shared drafts, margin comments, revisions, silences, version histories, short reflective notes, and remembered writing encounters. Teacher-reflection texts and related professional writing materials from our broader research program formed the secondary materials around which the writing process unfolded. Analytically, …

Truly Blown Away — Humanistic Lens Looking At Glassblowers’ Creative Thinking: A Qualitative Case Study, Yugant Patra

The Qualitative Report

This study examines how emotional and cognitive engagement shape glassblowing artists’ decision-making and artistic outcomes throughout the creative process. Using a qualitative case study methodology, the study examines how glassblowing artists conceptualize, execute, and refine their work by balancing their artistic vision with the medium's technical demands through a humanistic lens. Five themes emerge, which are discussed: the identification with self – confronting the demons, I belong here, claiming the molten as my own, the reign of glass and from it fractures rising anew, and having a conversation with glass. The study closes with the need for continued research on …

Guardians Of The Record: A Two-Tiered Streaming Cascade With Kafka, Flink, And A Real Llm, Ilan Goodman

Generative AI Teaching Activities

Students build a streaming vandalism detector for live Wikipedia edits in which a fast rule-based tier decides which few of ~1,500 edits per minute are worth escalating to a slow, rate-limited real LLM (Gemini) — confronting the cost, latency, and failure modes of putting AI inside a production data pipeline.

Equitable Access To Literacy Assessment And Instruction For Students With Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment, Tammy Reisman

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Students with Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) represent a growing population of learners whose visual difficulties originate in the brain rather than the eyes. As understanding of CVI has evolved, questions have emerged regarding the most appropriate approaches to literacy assessment and instruction. While some educational approaches emphasize maximizing visual functioning, increasing evidence supports the integration of compensatory skills and multiple sensory channels to improve literacy access. Understanding current literacy assessment and instructional practices is essential to ensuring equitable educational opportunities for students with CVI.

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine current literacy assessment and instructional practices for …

Freedom Dreamers In Oakland, California: A Portraiture Of Creating Spatial Justice And Repair, Rebecca Sarah Jacquez

Doctoral Dissertations

Oakland, California, is a unique site of residents who have historically questioned the status quo and are currently continuing that legacy by creating spatial justice and repair in the midst of anti-Blackness and the afterlife of racial segregation. This dissertation spotlights a portrait of Oakland, California, that uplifts the lived experiences of folks who are using a ‘radical imagination’ to build ‘freedom as a place.’ This qualitative study aims to extend the literature of reparative spatial justice in education by sharing the nuances of a particular radical imagination rooted in freedom that one can feel in Oakland. Using portraiture methodology, …

An Initial Formulation Of A Tactile-Based Art Creation Method From A Low-Vision Artist's Relief Painting Practice At Yayasan Teratai Bali, Ida Bagus Komang Sindu Putra, I Wayan Adnyana, I Wayan Karja, I Wayan Sujana

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

This article examines the relief painting practice of one low-vision artist at Yayasan Teratai Bali as the basis for an initial formulation of a tactile-oriented visual art creation method. It addresses a methodological gap in inclusive art education and disability art studies, where blind and low-vision individuals are often discussed as learners, participants, or audiences, while their own procedures for making artworks receive less attention. Using an instrumental case study with a descriptive-interpretive orientation, data were collected through repeated observation, informal conversational interviews, artwork and process documentation, close observation of textural details, and contextual workshop documentation. Recurring actions and statements …

In The Problem Lies The Solution: How Digital Mindfulness Can Address The College Students’ Mental Health Crisis And Support Holistic Education, Steve Haberlin

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

The mental health of today’s college students remains a serious concern. The alarming trend of greater psychological distress among undergraduates shows no signs of slowing. Excessive smartphone usage, screen time, and social media have been attributed as partial factors. However, what if forms of digital mindfulness and technology-assisted contemplative practices are the key to assisting students with stress, anxiety, depression and other problems? In this article, the author posits that innovations, such as neurofeedback-loop meditation platforms that dramatically increase focus, virtual reality platforms featuring in depth-meditation instruction, and Artificial Intelligence have the potential to address the crisis, establishing a refreshed …

Nurturing The Spiritual Core In Teachers Within The Nexus Of Science And Spirituality, Sarina C. Molina

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

This reflective essay explores the intersection of science and spirituality in nurturing teachers’ inner lives as a foundation for supporting student well-being. Against the backdrop of a global mental health crisis, it integrates insights from neuroscience, Indigenous wisdom traditions, and values-based education to advocate for a holistic mind–body–nature connection. Emerging research on neuroplasticity, heart–brain coherence, and self-transcendence has shown the physiological and psychological benefits of spiritual cultivation for educators. Drawing on Indigenous epistemologies, this essay highlights contemplative and heart-centered practices that foster self-transformation, resilience, and authentic relationality. Practical applications for teacher education, curriculum design, and community engagement illustrate how spiritual …

Contextualizing Second Language Anxiety In Multilingual Higher Education: Classroom Conditions And Clinical Settings, Busayo O. Ige

International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

In South African universities, multilingual students whose first language is not English face distinct challenges that impact academic participation and success. This qualitative study examines how second language (L2) anxiety shapes first-year students’ classroom and clinical experiences at the University of Cape Town. Drawing on open-ended survey data, the study reveals that fear of negative evaluation, communicative apprehension, and prevailing language ideologies contribute to students’ reluctance to speak, feelings of invisibility, and withdrawal from engagement. Although anxiety tends to lessen over time, it rarely disappears completely. Notably, students experienced anxiety differently across settings: classroom discussions elicited greater fear and self-censorship, …

2026 August 27 - From My Notepads Newsletter, Office Of The President, East Tennessee State University, Brian Noland

From My Notepads: A Newsletter from President Brian Noland

No abstract provided.

How Does The Science Of Reading Approach Enhance Small Reading Group Instruction?, Destiny M. Morman

Graduate Teacher Education

This paper examined how the Science of Reading (SOR) practices enhance student success in small-group reading. Specifically, the purpose of this research is to analyze which SOR-aligned instructional practices are the most beneficial for promoting student success in small-group settings and to examine practices that may be less effective. Effective reading practices are crucial for small-group instruction (Smith et al., 2022). When instruction is strategically designed around students’ specific reading needs, educators can provide a more targeted and personalized support that may be difficult to achieve during whole-group instruction. During small-group learning, teachers can differentiate instruction by aligning lessons with …

The Influence Of Ai-Powered Learning Tools On Adult Learner Engagement And Knowledge Retention In Workplace Training, Kathy S. Oatis

Graduate Teacher Education

This capstone project examined the influence of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered learning tools on adult learner engagement and knowledge retention in workplace training programs. The purpose of this study was to review current literature related to AI-assisted learning technologies and their application in corporate learning environments. Research was examined regarding the use of personalized learning systems, adaptive learning platforms, intelligent tutoring systems, and other AI-supported instructional tools. The literature reviewed suggested that AI-powered learning technologies enhanced learner engagement by providing personalized learning experiences, immediate feedback, and increased access to learning resources. Research also indicated that AI-assisted learning may support knowledge retention …

Connecting Vocabulary And Reading Comprehension For English Language Learners In Kindergarten Through Sixth Grade, Alicia L. Chimchirian

Graduate Teacher Education

This paper analyzed current research on English Language Learners’ (ELL) understanding anduse of vocabulary as it applies to reading comprehension in kindergarten through sixth grade.This topic is discussed through research findings that consider multilingual students’ language backgrounds and experiences, academic language development, reading interventions, vocabulary development, reading strategies, and primary-language-to-English transfer. Research indicates that students learning English as an additional language benefit from consistent, structured vocabulary instruction and from making connections to targeted words through morphology, syntactic awareness, and social interaction. Also, these students showed improvement in reading comprehension with modeled support from educators who encouraged L1-to-L2 language transfer skills. …

The Role Of Tier 2 Reading Interventions In Supporting At-Risk Students, Brooke Lenneman

Graduate Teacher Education

The implementation of Tier 2 reading interventions within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework played an important role in improving reading outcomes for elementary students identified as at risk for reading difficulties (Behrens, 2025). This literature review synthesized qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method, peer-reviewed research to examine how elementary educators can effectively implement Tier 2 reading interventions that support student reading achievement. Key findings emphasized the relationship between early intervention and reading growth, the use of targeted, evidence-based instructional practices, the importance of progress monitoring and data-driven decision-making, and the long-term effects of Tier 2 interventions on reading achievement. The …

Fast-Track Ode: A Student-Centered, Game-Based Summer Differential Equations Course, Chamila D. Malagoda Gamage

CODEE Journal

This article describes a student-centered and game-based redesign of an Elementary Differential Equations course taught during a six-week summer session. In this compressed setting, students had to move through the standard course content quickly while still developing procedural fluency, conceptual understanding, and confidence with applications. To support these goals, the course used real-time feedback tools, collaborative problem solving, applications connected to students' fields, and mathematical games. The paper describes the course context, major activities, implementation details, and student feedback. Student responses suggest that the activities were well received and helped students stay engaged, participate regularly, prepare for exams, and see …

Fluency First: Building A Stronger Tier 2 Reading Intervention, Rachel Bernier

Masters Projects

The percentage of fourth grade students reading below grade level is significant and relatively unchanged and Tier 2 fluency intervention could be doing more to target the gaps in at-risk readers’ fluency instruction. This growth could impact their ability to perform across subject areas as it is indicated in research that increasing reading fluency can also improve reading comprehension. This paper examines research through a literature review of theory and journal articles that support that Tier 2 intervention can be effective, when it is aligned with Tier 1 instruction and structured around direct instruction in phonics and word recognition, and …

Decolonizing Communication Pedagogy: Toward An Afro-Rhetorical Framework, Lionnell Smith

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

This essay introduces Afro-rhetorical pedagogy as a decolonial framework for communication pedagogy. Building on Adam Key’s 2022 call for an Applied Africana Studies framework for public speaking pedagogy, this essay conceptualizes Afro-rhetorical pedagogy grounded in Afrocentric thought and African communication theory. Through a close reading of Molefi Kete Asante’s 2011 address on African curriculum, this essay establishes three foundational principles for Afro-rhetorical pedagogy: (a) epistemological agency, (b) decolonized knowledge production, and (c) institutional reconstruction. This pedagogical framework addresses communication education’s reproduction of white cultural hegemony by promoting African-centered principles, practices, and precepts that reposition communication pedagogy as a more liberatory …

Meeting Rhetorical And Relational Goals In Online Higher Education: Insights From A South African Case Study, Rentia Du Plessis, Diana Breshears, Luzelle Naudé Prof

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

This qualitative study examines the degree to which synchronous and asynchronous online learning platforms both supported and constrained the achievement of rhetorical and relational goals in a resource-constrained South African higher education context. As online teaching practices persist in the post-COVID era, understanding how to design pedagogically sound online environments is increasingly important, particularly in the Global South where cost, access, and connectivity pose significant constraints. Drawing on the Rhetorical and Relational Goals Theory (RRGT; Mottet et al., 2006) and Kaufmann et al.’s (2016) online learning climate dimensions, the study analyzes undergraduate students’ perceptions of Blackboard Collaborate, PowerPoint voice-overs, WhatsApp, …

The Development And Validation Of Gains-Id, A Guidebook For Adapting Intervention Sessions For Students With Intellectual Disability, Kayla Mccreadie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Targeted interventions can equip students with intellectual disabilities (ID) with essential academic skills that support positive post-secondary outcomes. However, the lack of interventions specifically designed for this population creates barriers to equitable education. Until more interventions are developed, educators may benefit from resources that help adapt evidence-based practices to meet the needs of students with IDD.

The first manuscript introduces GAINS-ID (Guide for Adapting INtervention Sessions for Intellectual Disabilities). Based on best practices and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), the guide offers examples of adaptations to various intervention components—such as time, materials, environment, …

Norman H. Cromwell, Unl Chemistry; Nu System Dean; Eppley Cancer Center Director, Norman H. Cromwell, Pete Boughn, Mark A. Griep

UNL ORCA Interview Series

This 1980 interview of Normal Cromwell was done by Pete Boughn at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. He asked about Cromwell’s history but mostly about his time as director of the Eppley Cancer Center. The interview is reproduced with permission from the UNMC McGoogan Library.

Cromwell was born in 1913 in Terre Haute, Indiana. In 1935, he earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in his hometown. In 1939, three things happened: he earned a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Minnesota, he got married, and he was hired …

The Invisible Poet: Stories Of Higher Education Professional Staff Program Experiences Via Poetic Inquiry Through A Wellness Dimensions Framework, Freyja Hofler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is well documented that burnout and low levels of employee wellness have negative effects upon employees as well as the organizations that employ them (Gallup, 2019; Maurer, 2024; Wright & Bonett, 2007). This study was a program evaluation of the C2 Initiatives program via a constructivist paradigm, responsive evaluation approach, and summative outcome evaluation. The NWI’s Six Dimensions of Wellness model was utilized as the theoretical framework of the study and arts-based research was used as the conceptual framework.

Participants were given documents from the C2 Initiatives program as a text base to create blackout poetry, a type of …

Looking Beneath The Surface: Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Through The Caregiver’S Lens—Support, Advocacy, And Self-Care, Melissa Fredin

Master of Arts in Human Services

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disability resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure that can affect cognitive functioning, adaptive skills, communication, emotional regulation, and daily living abilities. Individuals with FASD and their caregivers often face complex challenges while navigating behavioral, educational, healthcare, human service, and criminal justice systems. Although awareness of FASD continues to increase, gaps remain in caregiver education, professional understanding, and access to coordinated, trauma-informed supports. The literature indicates that caregiver education is central to improving outcomes for individuals with FASD and is associated with stronger advocacy, more effective support strategies, greater caregiver resilience, and improved …

Emotional Intelligence Deficits And Behavioral Escalation Among Justice-Involved Populations, Aleasa M. Word

Master of Arts in Human Services

This capstone examined the relationship between deficits in emotional intelligence and behavioral escalation among justice-involved populations, who frequently demonstrated challenges with emotional regulation, impulse control, aggression, and behavioral escalation. However, many correctional interventions, including traditional anger management programming, emphasized behavioral compliance rather than the underlying emotional processing deficiencies that contributed to these behaviors. This project synthesized existing peer-reviewed literature from psychology, criminology, forensic behavioral health, and correctional rehabilitation research to examine how low levels of emotional awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, and interpersonal functioning are associated with aggression, recidivism, and escalating behaviors. Findings suggested deficits in emotional intelligence were consistently associated …

Healthcare Students’ Experiences Using Artificial Intelligence Simulation Tools In Clinical Simulated Laboratory Practice, Delicia S. Cousin

Student Dissertations

Artificial intelligence-driven simulation has become an important component of healthcare education by providing students with opportunities to strengthen clinical reasoning, decision-making, and technical skills in a safe learning environment. Despite its growing adoption, limited research has explored how healthcare students experience artificial intelligence-driven simulation during clinical laboratory practice. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore healthcare students’ experiences using artificial intelligence-driven simulation tools during clinical laboratory practice. Guided by Experiential Learning Theory and Transformative Learning Theory, the study examined how students interpreted, reflected upon, and learned from these experiences. Data were collected through a researcher-developed Qualtrics questionnaire …

Recommendations To Solve The Problem Of High Levels Of Burnout Among Special Education Teachers At Waite High School In Ohio, Byron Scott Swartz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to provide recommendations to solve the problem of high levels of burnout among special education teachers at Waite High School in Ohio. The problem was that 45% of special education teachers at Waite High School reported feeling burned by their current jobs. The rationale for this study was that it was critical to reduce feelings of burnout among special education teachers since improving feelings of burnout may lead to better performance in the classroom teachers and fewer staffing shortages. The central research question was as follows: How can the problem of high levels of …

Teachers’ Lived-Experiences Enacting Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Temy Nguyen Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of implementing Culturally Responsive Teaching practices during the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards for science teachers at comprehensive high schools in one district in California. The theory guiding this study was Prochaska’s and DiClemente’s theory on the transtheoretical model of change to understand the phenomena of teachers’ pedagogical decisions in the classroom as they transition to enact culturally responsive teaching (CRT) because of the NGSS. Bandura’s social cognitive theory and Piaget’s social constructivism theory were the educational theories that served as a backdrop for teacher …