Digital Commons Network^™

Measuring Disability Prevalence In Healthcare: A Study Comparing Two Disability Measures, Kristen L. Milefchik, Rhonda K. Dailey, Sharon Milberger

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

People with disabilities experience significant health disparities and interventions are needed to address them. Measuring disability prevalence is an essential aspect of designing effective, data-driven healthcare strategies. Accurately measuring disability prevalence is challenging given disability is a complex phenomenon, with biological, social, environmental, and cultural components. Previous studies have compared a variety of disability status measurements and found that measurements were incongruent with each other. This study examines the concordance between disability status using two different measures: the nationally recognized American Community Survey (ACS-6) functional difficulty questions and one disability identity question. We used data from 3,621 adult patients participating …

Ai Need Not Make One Slothful, Roy A. Kaelin Jr

Faculty Publications

As National Louis University seeks to plan and advance its way amid the potential perils and pitfalls of so-named artificial intelligence, one finds that with reasonable workflows and guard rails, the use of AI proposes both potential promise and prospect, to assist and augment the natural intelligence that students and teachers bring to the classroom, encouraging them to pursue STEM-related activities with the preparation and deployment of focused and directed AI-bots. This paper presents examples and a case study of that directed and focused approach, the incremental lessons learned to date, and a proposed path to advance worthwhile AI …

Reconsidering The Champion Teacher In Assessment-Oriented Development Education Systems, Nyagwegwe Wango, Jane Rarieya, Fredrick Mtenzi, Wachira Nicholas

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Purpose: This study investigates the impact of teacher assessment practices in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda on the cultivation of “champion teachers” who can provide competency-based, inclusive, and gender-responsive education.

Methodology: A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating document analysis, interviews, and surveys with teacher educators and student teachers from the three countries.

Findings: Even though policy changes have encouraged new ways of teaching, teacher education still mostly focuses on summative assessments and following the rules. This method makes it harder for teachers to become more reflective and adaptable, which slows progress toward better, more inclusive education.

Unique Contribution to Theory, …

Exploring Culturally Responsive Practices At A Community-Based Organization Serving Incarcerated Men Of Color And Their Families: A Leadership Case Study, Franchesca M. Capellan

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of New York City community-based organization (CBO) executive leaders regarding how they support families affected by paternal incarceration through culturally responsive leadership practices and the navigation of systemic barriers. Six executive leaders from a multi-site CBO participated in virtual semi-structured interviews designed to examine leadership approaches, family engagement strategies, and organizational responses to structural inequities affecting justiceimpacted families. Using Saldaña’s hybrid deductive–inductive coding process, seven superordinate themes emerged from the data analysis. Findings revealed that the leaders supported caregivers, youth, and incarcerated fathers through trust-based, trauma-informed programming, crisis …

New Leader Perspectives On Caring Communications, Miah Graczyk, Dorothy Moore, Andrew Peine, Russell Zwiers, Robert Whisler, Barbara Holmes

Leadership Education Books

This is an ebook project created by the Leadership Education graduate students in the  LDRS 615 Leadership Communication spring 2026 course.

Graduate students enrolled in Leadership Education 615 (Spring 2026) focused their final writing project on the role of caring communication in effective leadership. Drawing from personal leadership experiences, students examined critical gaps in current practices and identified areas in need of growth and refinement.

LDRS Education 615 students argue that emerging leaders play a crucial role in strengthening organizational environments by promoting safety, collaboration, and mutual respect. Thus, New Leaders Perspectives on Caring Communications reinforces the importance of developing …

Supporting An Inclusive Summer Camp For Children With Developmental Disabilities Who Use Aac And Their Neurotypical Peers: A Practice-Based Report, Jessica Hicks

Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy Undergraduate Honors Theses

For my honors research, I completed an internship in an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) lab at the University of Arkansas. For most of my internship work, I helped support an inclusive AAC summer camp for children with and without developmental disabilities, such as autism, for whom speech does not fully meet their communication needs. AAC includes high-tech tools such as communication apps on tablets that serve as speech-generating devices (SGDs). SGDs were used by many of the AAC summer camp participants with developmental disabilities. In this report, I will provide background information on AAC and developmental disabilities. I will …

Artificial Intelligence In Dental Education: A Literature Review Of Global Adoption, Pedagogical Outcomes, And Ethical Implications, Betti Shahin, Jeremiah D. Ghodsi, Toleen Mazloum, Denise Hale

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing many fields by enabling machines to accomplish tasks that previously required human intelligence, such as learning, decision-making, and problem-solving. In dentistry, AI is increasingly applied to diagnostics, treatment planning, and clinical training. Its integration enhances educational experiences for students while supporting more accurate and efficient patient care.

Objective: This review synthesizes recent research on AI in dental education, highlighting global adoption trends and key pedagogical, ethical, and practical considerations.

Conclusion: AI has significant potential to enhance dental education through innovative teaching, clinical training, and data-driven decision-making. Effective integration depends on institutional …

Examining Organizational Factors Contributing To Burnout In Community College Employees: An Anthropological Perspective, Jesse N. Blue

Leadership Education Capstones

Organizational culture and systemic inequities remain under-researched factors driving the mental and physical deterioration of community college employees. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe and interpret the lived experiences of job-related burnout among community college employees. This qualitative short-term ethnography was conducted at Big Rock College, a rural community college in central Arkansas. The sample consisted of six volunteer participants across administrative, faculty, and staff roles. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom®. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and triangulated with institutional document analysis. Findings indicated that 84% of participants experienced varying degrees of burnout, driven by …

Exploring Alternative Curriculum Implementation In Special Education Settings, Amber R. Wilson

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand teachers’ perceptions of implementing an alternative curriculum in their self-contained special education settings and grade levels, as well as their perceptions of the training and ongoing support provided for its implementation. This study used a case study research design. Findings revealed that the participants experienced several challenges related to training, ongoing support, and curriculum implementation, including issues aligning the alternative curriculum with state standards and assessments. This study is significant because alternative curriculum implementation is under-researched in the United States, and the international literature on this topic is limited.

Defining My Country: An Appalachian Educator’S Autoethnography Of Linguistic Erasure And Ai, Kimberly B. Wright

Dissertations

When students use AI writing tools to revise their work, the algorithms often erase the cultural and linguistic markers that constitute their authentic voice. This erasure operates through the same mechanisms that linguistic justice scholars have documented for decades: a dominant language ideology that frames non-dominant expression as deficient and “corrects” it into standardized prose. As a first-generation Appalachian educator who spent years suppressing her own voice to succeed in academic spaces, I recognize this pattern from the inside. Using autoethnography as a methodology, this study examines how my journey from voice erasure to reclamation informs my pedagogy to help …

Impact Of Ai-Assistance In Writing On Independent Writing Self-Efficacy, Kelsey Barendregt

Master of Education Program Theses

Students and educators alike are impacted by the release of ChatGPT, particularly in the humanities fields. This study aims to explore the impact human-centred AI use during the writing process has on student self-efficacy for independent writing, focusing on writing aesthetic texts while receiving writing support from ChatGPT. Writing programs should help students develop writing skills and self-efficacy, enabling them to complete writing tasks independently rather than becoming dependent on AI tools. Self-efficacy was explored through four categories: overall self-efficacy, ideation, conventions, and self-regulation. Results indicate that AI tools have a neutral effect on students’ overall self-efficacy for independent writing, …

Adsorption Of Pfas On Bridged Functionalized Organosilica Materials, Elisha Lawerh Kabutey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

PFAS are hazardous contaminants that have a devastating impact on human health and the environment. Their hazardous nature has led to the development of various adsorption methods for removing these contaminants from water sources. In this study, functionalized organosilica materials were synthesized from bis[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl] amine using the sol-gel method. The surface amino groups of the organosilica were converted into amine hydrochloride groups. Their adsorption properties were evaluated using salts of perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, and perfluorobutanesulfonic acid. Results showed excellent adsorption capacity of the materials. Adsorption of PFAS leads to particle agglomeration and flotation of the spent material. A column …

A Case Study Of Doctoral Students' Perspectives Of The Drastic Move From An In-Person To Virtual Environment During Covid-19, Martha Patricia Cias

Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative case research study investigated the students’ perspectives during the drastic transition from an in-person to a virtual environment during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) at the doctoral level. The findings were grouped into six themes and revealed (a) the loss of structure and increased isolation, (b) development of online literacy and increased flexibility, (c) social movements stress and peer/professor support, (d) emotional resilience and resource use, (e) recognition of hybrid and mentorship models, and (f) the need for institutional preparedness considering students as stakeholders/customers. Concluding with the acknowledgement of the capacity of doctoral students to adapt in an unforeseen …

Curriculum Evaluation For Imagiedu, Madison Leigh Marchand

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This research examines whether or not ImagiEdu's curriculum aligns with the Indiana Academic Standards for K-8 Computer Science, and to determine if it meets the requirements to be approved as "High-Quality Curricular Materials" by the Indiana Department of Education (DOE). ImagiEdu is an award-winning technology education startup from Sweden, and provides inclusive coding education tools designed to help students imagine their future in the tech world. In this project, the DOE's 2024-2025 High-Quality Curricular Materials Rubric was used to evaluate ImagiEdu's curriculum, including its Scope and Sequence, Teacher Handbook, and over 25 Lesson Plans. The evaluation focused on four main …

Illuminating Success: Student And Teacher Perception On Media Center Brainlit Lighting, Jase M. H. Ide

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Lighting plays a critical role in shaping learning environments, yet its influence on students’ cognitive, emotional, and physiological functioning is often overlooked in educational research. This study examined the perceived impact of BrainLit’s biocentric lighting, a daylight-simulating system designed to support circadian rhythms, within an educational setting. The research focused on Sycamore School, the first early childhood through eighth-grade school in the United States to implement BrainLit biocentric lighting. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected through interviews with third- and eighth-grade students and faculty members in the school’s Media Center. Transcribed interviews were analyzed thematically to identify patterns …

Improving Learning Habits In High School Ela, Alexander Sinn

Masters Projects

Students lack the habits and skills to process and apply what they have learned. In their secondary education, they are not developing the traits that help them succeed in college courses. Students are not explicitly taught note-taking and other study skills needed to succeed in core academic areas, English Language Arts (ELA) in particular. To address the needs of students, curriculum must incorporate expectations for students in self-efficacy and self-regulatory areas of learning. In the secondary ELA classroom, students should be provided opportunities and experiences to develop good habits. These should be requirements of 9th and 10th grade curriculum. The …

Grace Under Pressure: An Analysis Of School Administrator Personal And Professional Stress And Self-Efficacy, Andrew Mcdaniel

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Indiana public school administrators are one of the most important factors for a school’s academic success. If those administrators are effective, they can help maintain an excellent school’s academic success or perhaps even turnaround a failing school. Without a doubt, their performance is critical for a school’s success. If they have confidence in their ability to help create positive outcomes, their school can achieve great things. Unfortunately, assistant principals and principals are facing significant challenges, not only from schools, but also at home. How do these personal and professional stressors affect their sense of self-efficacy? The purpose of this study …

Responsive Rigor And Strategic Care: Faculty Praxis For Holistic Student Success In The Community College, Jennifer Kelley

Library Scholarship

This qualitative study examines how community college faculty conceptualize, communicate, and enact academic rigor and care in their teaching practice. While post-pandemic debates have positioned rigor and care as opposing forces—evident in the "Rigor Wars" that framed care as performative laxity and rigor as gatekeeping—community college faculty successfully integrate these practices to support holistic student success. This research addresses critical gaps in higher education scholarship, which has studied rigor and care separately, focused primarily on four-year institutions, and overlooked faculty perspectives on how integration occurs in practice. Drawing on a single-case study of 38 faculty members at a large Midwestern …

Effects Of Access And Equity In Resources Allocation On Marginalized Elementary School Students., Giovanni Alcaraz

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this capstone is to examine the effects of access and equity in resource allocations on marginalized students. Given the struggles students face when they lack the same resources as other students, this study discusses how this impacts students' learning and education, and how it would benefit them if they had greater access to resources. Through a literature review and a case study, the findings revealed that students with fewer resources are more likely to drop out of college or university, and they are mostly from poor communities because they lack sufficient resources to support themselves. However, the …

Effects Of 1:1 Smart Device Usage On K-8 Student Learning And Long Term Retention, Cole D. Young

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The widespread adoption of 1:1 smart device initiatives in K-8 classrooms across the United States has coincided with growing national concern over declining student literacy, reading comprehension, and long-term retention. This capstone research paper examines the effects of smart device integration on K-8 student learning and retention through two complementary methods: a review of peer-reviewed academic literature and a series of interviews conducted with five educators working across a range of grade levels and school contexts. The literature review identifies a tension between the documented benefits of smart device use. Also a series of educator interviews, conducted with teachers spanning …

Perceptions Of Academic And College Preparation Skills Gained Through Concurrent College Credit Courses: A Case Study Of Students From Rural, High-Poverty Communities, Jessica Erin Culver

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Concurrent college credit courses are growing at a rapid pace nationwide, with large numbers of high school students now earning college credit before the end of their twelfth-grade year. In Arkansas, this trend of increased concurrent college course enrollment is evident, with over 23,000 students enrolled in concurrent courses during the 2024 school year (Arkansas Division of Higher Education, 2024). Arkansas continued to emphasize the need for concurrent courses with the 2025 ACCESS Act, encouraging students to take concurrent courses as a path to future college and career success (Arkansas Division of Higher Education, 2025a). As concurrent courses continue …

Ꭰꮎꮰꭶ (Missing): A Phenomenological Study Of Native American Student Experiences In The Law School Setting, Christina Allene Shaw

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The legal landscape for Native American people in the United States is ever evolving and highly nuanced, with its historical foundation anchored into the classical pilasters of American legal jurisprudence. Federal Indian law scholars place that historical foundation within the written opinions of Chief Justice Marshall dating back to the 1820s and 1830s (Fletcher, 2024). Although few law students will likely find themselves closely examining the unassigned readings of the Marshall Trilogy or contemporary federal Indian law, there is one small group of students in law school doing exactly that: Native American law students. American Indians and Alaska Natives are …

Evaluating The Role Of Hosa–Future Health Professionals In Addressing The Healthcare Workforce Shortage, Amy Warner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States continues to face a significant healthcare workforce shortage, particularly in rural and underserved communities, with implications that extend globally. As a practitioner in health science education, this study was driven by a problem of practice: understanding how HOSA–Future Health Professionals contributes to developing the future healthcare workforce. While the need for effective workforce pipeline strategies is widespread, this study is centered specifically on Oklahoma HOSA as a model of practice within one state. HOSA is designed as an intracurricular extension of health science programs, providing students with opportunities to apply classroom learning through leadership development, competitive events, …

The Effect Of A Structured Weekly Practice Routine On A Middle School Choir Student's Practice Behavior And Rehearsal Engagement, Sam Kim

Master of Education Program Theses

This study examined how a structured weekly practice routine influenced a middle school choir student’s practice behavior and rehearsal engagement over a six-week period. Data were collected through practice logs, weekly reflections, and rehearsal observations. Findings indicated increased consistency, greater time investment, and more intentional, strategic practice. As a result of these changes in practice behavior, the student demonstrated greater attentiveness, responsiveness, and overall engagement during rehearsal. These findings support existing research on self-regulated learning (SRL) and deliberate practice, suggesting that structured practice routines can serve as effective scaffolds for improving student engagement in ensemble settings.

The Integrity Paradox: Reflections On Epistemic Substitution And The Ethical Failure Of Plagiarism Detection Systems, Elliott Ostler, Jeanne Surface

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

This article critiques the ethical authority granted to AI plagiarism detection systems, using humor to expose a serious contradiction in these algorithms. Through a case in which an original ethics manuscript is labeled 40.7% “non-original,” the authors argue that similarity scores are mistaken for judgments of misconduct. They introduce the concept of “epistemic substitution” to describe how tools that both judge originality and offer AI rewrites replace human authorship while mandating human accountability. The paper contends that this collapse of roles undermines scholarly integrity, conflates disciplinary fluency with plagiarism, and shifts ethical responsibility from humans to procedures. The authors call …

Jenna Shoultz-Thao Honors Portfolio, Jenna Shoultz-Thao

Honors Capstone Portfolios

Jenna Shoultz-Thao's honors capstone portfolio captured in May 2026.

Future Ready Young Adults: Building Creative And Adaptive Thinkers, Robell Yeung

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Abstract of Project

Future Ready Young Adults: Building Creative and Adaptive Thinkers addresses a developmental gap in educational practices that prioritize technical proficiency over the psychological frameworks necessary for navigating systemic ambiguity. This project introduces an interdisciplinary, modular curriculum specifically designed for the challenges of emerging adulthood. By synthesizing Creative Problem Solving (CPS), James Clear’s habit architecture, and Martin Seligman’s PERMA model, the curriculum provides a structured pathway for cultivating creative self-efficacy and financial capability. Moving beyond traditional views of innate creativity, this model employs asset-based frameworks to treat cognitive agility and ambiguity tolerance as developable competencies. The project culminates …

From Admission To Achievement: Evaluating The Predictive Validity Of Entrance Exams And Grade Point Average In Nursing Education, Kristen Fenlason

Education Doctorate Dissertations

At a critical time of nursing shortages, nursing programs must examine admission gatekeeping practices. The two common admission metrics, grade point average (GPA) and entrance exam scores, are inconsistently supported in the literature, particularly within the understudied population of practical nursing students. This quantitative, retrospective, correlational study examined the relationship between admission criteria and three measures of practical nursing student success: on-time first-semester completion, on-time program completion, and first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate. Data were collected from historical records of five cohorts of practical nursing students (n = 94) at a medium-sized community college from Fall 2020 to Fall 2024. …

Mississippi Early Childhood Math Resource Guide: Supporting Mathematical Development From Birth Through Age Eight, Melissa Luckett, Systems Change Lab, Mississippi State University, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University

Books

The Mississippi Early Childhood Math Resource Guide is a comprehensive, research-informed digital publication designed to support the development of foundational mathematical skills in children from birth through age eight. Developed by the Systems Change Lab at Mississippi State University's Social Science Research Center, the guide translates evidence-based early mathematics concepts into practical, accessible strategies for educators, families, and caregivers. 

Organized by developmental stages, the guide integrates learning domains, age-appropriate math skills, and everyday instructional practices to promote the use of "math talk" and embedded learning opportunities across settings. It incorporates activities, instructional strategies, and resources aligned to support both formal …

Reigniting Identity: Rediscovering My Teaching, Lifelong Learning, And Myself, Rachel Griffith

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

A culmination of two years of work and self-discovery represented through three different types of writing, two academic and one creative. The academic works explore communication and autism in the English classroom, as well as teaching technical writing in practice ways. The creative work is a poetry portfolio that is one of the author's proudest works from their degree track, covering a variety of topics from love to nostalgia to inner turmoil. Together, they narrate three reasons why the author writes, teaches, and lives.