Digital Commons Network^™

Human Rights Education And Humanitarian Constraints: The Case Of Education In The Unrwa Schools, Anthi Pantazi, Zina Nimeh

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This study explores the implementation of UNRWA’s Human Rights, Conflict Resolution and Tolerance (HRCRT) education program. It examines the extent to which the program achieved its stated objectives, shedding light on the challenges it faces and how these might be addressed. Drawing on policy documents, program materials, and expert interviews with UNRWA stakeholders and human rights educators, the results show that while HRCRT has improved students’ theoretical understanding of human rights, its purported transformative potential is limited by political constraints, donor influence, and insufficient inclusion of refugee voices. The program’s most successful element is the school parliament system which showcases …

From Bars To Bytes: Ai, Digital Dignity, And The Fight For Incarcerated Youth’S Futures, Karima M. Almazroui

International Journal of Human Rights Education

Over 1.4 million youth enter detention annually, confronting what scholars term a digital death sentence, exclusion from the literacies and infrastructures that underpin education, employment, and civic participation. This empirically grounded mixed-methods study investigates how artificial intelligence (AI) in carceral education either reinforces surveillance or enables rehabilitation, demonstrating that outcomes depend less on algorithmic sophistication than on the ethical, pedagogical, and governance contexts in which AI is deployed.

Drawing on comparative data from the United States, Japan, Norway, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the research integrates cross-national policy analysis, 78 semi-structured interviews, quantitative outcome measures, and participatory action research …

Human Rights Education, Racism And Early Childhood Education In Brazil: A Systematic Review, Ana Tereza Ramos De Jesus Ferreira, Juliene Madureira Ferreira

International Journal of Human Rights Education

Brazil was the last country in South America to put an end to the 388-year slave trade. To justify the trade of people from Africa, a series of actions were taken to dehumanize the Black  population, namely racism. Thus, the culture, religion, clothes, and phenotypical characteristics of Black people were considered inferior to those of the White race, and this continues to impact the lives of the Black population, which suffers from social inequality, low-quality education, and low-paid jobs up to this day. Therefore, this review aims to investigate Brazilian literature on activities in early childhood education (ECE) to fight …

‘Sprung From The Land Itself’: Rooted Human Rights Education As Critical Global Citizenship Praxis, Monisha Bajaj, David A. Tow

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This article discusses the field of Human Rights Education (HRE) and its intersections with the field of Global Citizenship Education (GCE), both now more than 60 years into their existence as discourse and practice communities. We trace the emergence of transformative, critical, and decolonial forms of HRE and offer a new conceptual framework for Rooted HRE. Rooted HRE offers a transformative approach to fostering critical global citizenship (CGC) by embedding global frameworks within the immediacy of local struggles. It draws on critical perspectives of global citizenship (Andreotti, 2011; Gaudelli, 2016), Transformative Human Rights Education (THRED) (Bajaj et al., 2016), and …

Volume 10, Monisha Bajaj, Jazzmin C. Gota, David A. Tow

International Journal of Human Rights Education

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Social Emotional Learning Interventions On Students, Kaiya J. Nelson

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) has become increasingly prevalent in schools, with 83% of schools nationwide implementing SEL curricula or programs as of 2024, compared to 46% in 2018. In Minnesota, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework identifies five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making—as foundational to student development. SEL supports students in managing emotions, building relationships, and making responsible choices, while fostering a positive and inclusive school climate. Despite growing adoption, challenges such as limited instructional time, the need for culturally responsive practices, adequate mental health staffing, and strong family …

Exploring How Virtual Reality Affects The Client-Recreational Therapist Relationship, Ellie Barker, Sophia M. Young, Natalia C. Miller, Lindsay J. Bergan

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Virtual Reality (VR) is an electronic recreation of reality, depicting environments, and enabling clients to interact with instantaneous simulations that provide an immersive experience (Guttentag, 2010;  McGovern, 1994). Adopting VR as an intervention could be a breakthrough innovation to overcome obstacles while connecting with clients. Current research on VR used in Recreational Therapy (RT) holds inconsistencies in its findings, specifically across various populations and VR tools. The purpose of this study was to gain insights from professionals about the therapeutic relationship between clients and therapists when using VR as an intervention. This study examined how the relationship between the therapist …

2026 Urs Abstract Booket, Undergraduate Research Center, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Complete Schedule of Events for the 28th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

The Role Of Group Guidance With Psychodrama In Promoting Self-Adjustment: Does It Really Work For Adolescents?, Hanifa Salsa Bila, Dian Ari Widyastuti, Sri Tutur Martaningsih, Agungbudiprabowo Agungbudiprabowo, Taquddin Abd Mukti

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of group guidance using psychodrama techniques in improving self-adjustment among students. The study employed a quantitative approach with an experimental research design, specifically a pretest–posttest control group design. The participants consisted of ten students, divided into an experimental group of five students and a control group of five students. The experimental group received group guidance with psychodrama techniques, while the control group received treatment as usual. The research participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a self-adjustment scale, which had been analyzed for validity and reliability using …

The Enhancement Of Learning Inspiration By Strategic Life Planning Using After Model Assembly With Goodness Based Learning For The Lower Secondary Students In Buriram’S Private School, Adisorn Bansong

Journal of Education Studies

This pre-experimental research aimed to compare the students’ learning Inspiration before, and after using AFTER model assembly with Goodness Based Learning (GBL) on the Strategic Life Planning lesson plans to enhance student’s learning inspiration, A one-group pretest-posttest design was conducted on 40 lower secondary students using a lesson plan with IOC = 0.80-1.00, high-level quality was implemented 1 period a week for 15 weeks. The Learning Inspiration Scales with IOC = 0.90-1.00 and Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient = .86 were utilized as instruments for data collection. Percentage, mean, standard deviation, and t-test were used for data analysis. The findings were as …

Second April 2026 Graduate Council Minutes, University Of Nebraska At Kearney Graduate Council

Graduate Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Fitness For All: Education For Gym Staff Supporting People With Disabilites, Bianca Loor, Mary Jan Greer, Alison Skean

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project, “Fitness for All: Education for Gym Staff Supporting People with Disabilities,” focuses on improving accessibility and inclusion within community fitness settings through staff education. Individuals with disabilities often encounter barriers in gyms due to limited staff training, lack of confidence, and insufficient knowledge of adaptive fitness practices.

To address this gap, a comprehensive, evidence-based training program was developed and implemented for gym staff at Crunch Fitness Orange Park. The program incorporated occupational therapy frameworks, including the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model and the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF-4), to promote inclusive and client-centered fitness practices.

Using a mixed-methods approach, …

When Teachers Can’T Say Gay: Understanding Teacher Allyship In Lgbtq+-Restrictive School Environments, Judith Shaffer

Doctorate in Education

Research consistently shows that school-based support, safety, and inclusion are essential to the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ children and youth. Over the past decade, however, U.S. public schools have seen a sharp increase in anti-LGBTQ+ laws and policies that restrict or prohibit LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion. While the harm these policies inflict on LGBTQ+ students is well documented, far less attention has been given to their impact on teacher allies working in environments where allyship is viewed as inappropriate or unlawful. This phenomenologically informed qualitative study examined how public school teachers who identify as LGBTQ+ allies navigate their professional roles under …

Exploring The Dual Advising System For Students’ Success: A Developmental Advising Model, Louisa Godwyll, Eugene Kwarteng-Nantwi, Pious Jojo Adu-Akoh

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

This qualitative study explored the dual advising system for student success at a U.S. higher education institution. Research has indicated that approximately 40–60% of students enrolled in doctoral programs do not complete their doctoral degrees. High attrition rates have led some institutions to adopt a dual advising system, a form of developmental advising, to support doctoral students’ success. Creamer and Creamer’s (1994) developmental advising model served as the conceptual framework of the study. The model defines the first stage of advising as defining task, where advisors engage in teaching and utilize strategies to help students attain educational, career, and individual …

Leveraging Critical Social Media Literacy To Safeguard Youth Against Violent Radicalization And Extremism, Muhammad Akram, Adeela Arshad-Ayaz, Muhammad Ayaz Naseem

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Social media is inundated with radical and extreme propaganda. Such information is often left unfiltered due to platform algorithms that are economically driven and socially unethical in design. It puts social media users, mostly youth, in danger of becoming radicalized and vulnerable to supporting and engaging with extremist beliefs. When young people lack sufficient critical social media literacy (CSML), radical and extremist information impacts their perspectives, affecting behavior in the real world. A PRISMA-guided systematic review of the Web of Science core collections and the Scopus database was used to find peer-reviewed articles about how CSML skills can be used …

From Consumers To Creators: Social Media Information Literacy Of University Students., Thuy Thanh Bui, Quyen Trang Mai Nguyen, Tu Thi Thanh Nguyen, Minh Cao Luu

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Social Media Information Literacy (SMIL) is increasingly important as social media platforms evolve. SMIL includes skills for navigating, evaluating, managing, creating, and engaging with social media content, aimed at effective information use and critical thinking. Using Heiss, Nanz and Matthes (2023) framework, this study surveyed 410 students via a self-assessment on a 5-point Likert scale. Results indicate students rated their SMIL as average, with the highest scores in appraisal and comprehension, and the lowest in digital creation. Female and senior students, as well as those in Education majors, rated themselves higher. Longer internet usage correlated with better SMIL, especially in …

From Y To Z: A Cross-Generational Examination Of New Media Literacy And Online Information Searching Strategy, Taibe Kulaksız, Ali Geriş, Sena Özşirin

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study aims to explore the relationship between new media literacy (NML) and online information searching strategy (OISS), focusing on the comparative analysis of Generation Y and Z in terms of gender, educational level, daily internet usage and the most used social media platforms. This research was designed as a cross-sectional survey study. Using a convenience sample method, the participants were composed of Turkish adults representing Generation Y and Z. Demographic Information Form, New Media Literacy Scale, and Online Information Searching Strategy Inventory were conducted. Two-way MANOVA was utilized for analysis. The results indicate the main effects of generation on …

Teacher Reflections On Media And Information Literacy In Vietnamese K-12 Schools: Current Practices, Challenges, And Pathways For Improvement, Tinh T.T Le, Minh Tran, Anh Dương, Huong T. Pham, Vy Tran, Daniel Jackson

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Media and Information Literacy (MIL) education is widely recognized as essential, yet its adoption in Vietnamese K-12 schools is still at the early stages. This study examines the current state of MIL education in Vietnam from the perspective of teachers. Drawing on insights from a trial online MIL teacher training program, which includes teachers’ learning journals, lesson plans, and an open survey using SWOT forms, we explore the approaches they use, the challenges they face, and the opportunities in promoting MIL education in their school setting. Additionally, the findings highlight specific professional development needs to enhance teachers’ MIL instruction quality. …

Promoting News Literacy With Epistemological Beliefs, Ifla Checklist And Ai: Insights From A Teacher Training Program In Italy, Flavio Manganello

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study examines the integration of epistemological beliefs, the IFLA checklist for evaluating news credibility, and the News Verifier, an AI tool powered by GPT-4, within a teacher training program aimed at enhancing news literacy. It explores the relationship between educators’ epistemological profiles and their ability to classify news using the IFLA checklist. The study also evaluates alignment between human classifications and those generated by the News Verifier, examining the potential of AI as a complementary resource for supporting practice and reflection in news literacy education. Results indicate that consistent application of the checklist improves alignment with AI outputs, although …

Community-Based Program To Support The Occupational Needs Of Middle Eastern Refugee Women Transitioning Into Western Society, Zuha A. Mohammad, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Middle Eastern refugee women resettling in Western societies often experience barriers that disrupt participation in meaningful occupations, including language barriers, unfamiliar systems, financial challenges, and social isolation. These challenges can limit independence and community participation during the resettlement process. Occupational therapy is well-positioned to address these barriers through culturally responsive, occupation-based interventions.

This capstone project developed and implemented a community-based program designed to support Middle Eastern refugee women during early resettlement. The program focused on key areas including system navigation, financial literacy, home safety, stress management, self-advocacy, and community engagement. Educational sessions and practical activities were used to promote skill …

Vamos A Chismear: The Intersection Of Social Media And Chisme Fostering Belonging Among Middle School Girls, Juana Yumeida Chavez Kawasaki

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Social media engagement among Latinx middle school girls has been increasingly associated with harmful trends, including declining mental health, negative body image, and engagement in risky behaviors. Latinx middle school girls, along with gender minority youth, have often represented a high percentage of users vulnerable to the seductive spell of digital platforms and the subsequent rewiring of childhood. The current study used a qualitative (Creswell et al., 2007) research design featuring pláticas, a method rooted in Chicana/Latina feminist (Delgado Bernal et al., 2023) epistemologies that prioritizes embodied knowledge and resistance. Drawing upon the building blocks of social media engagement framework, …

Transgender And Gender Diverse Alumni Sense Of Belonging In Christian Higher Education: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Kara Elizabeth Martin

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study explored how nine transgender and gender diverse (TGD) alumni from member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) interpreted their undergraduate experiences with belonging and exclusion. Given the unique religious climates of CCCU schools, these alumni navigated complex tensions between their personal faith, gender identity, and institutional expectations. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, participants reflected retrospectively on their collegiate journeys, emphasizing the evolving meaning they ascribed to these experiences both during and after their enrollment. Analysis revealed a distinct temporal movement across three primary phases: entering college with idealized expectations of spiritual …

Spectrum, Volume 56, Issue 10, Sacred Heart University

Newspapers (Obelisk & Spectrum)

Highlights include: Daybreake Making Breakthroughs, Women in Sports Symposium Preview, Automatic Selective Service System, Pickleball Springing Excitement Onto Campus, Commuting to Their “Home Away From Home”, Painting a Picture of Talent at SHU, Men’s Lacrosse Gearing Up For MAAC Playoffs

April 22, 2026 Blazer Weekly, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

Blazer Weekly (student newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Pre-Service School Counselors’ Perceptions Of The Counseling Needs Of Gifted Students, Jillian Helmes

Education Student Scholarship

This survey research study investigated the perceptions of pre-service school counselors regarding the counseling needs of gifted students. Findings indicated held beliefs that were congruent with the literature on gifted students and their counseling needs. However, beliefs based on stereotyped images of gifted students were also present.

Equity And Participation In Careers Education: Insights From Australian Year 10 Students, Kylie Hillman, Ben Edwards, Daniel Edwards, Ali Radloff, Jessica Arnup

Vocational, adult and professional education research

Navigating pathways into education, training, and the workforce has always been challenging for young people. With the growing complexity of the world of work and varied post-secondary education pathways, providing support and guidance is crucial. In Australia, national policies such as the Australian Blueprint for Career Development, National Career Development Strategy, and the National Career Education Strategy aim to support young people's career readiness. Despite the acknowledged importance of careers education, there is limited national reporting on its current state in Australian secondary schools. This article explores the experiences of over 15,000 Year 10 students in Australian schools, using data …

Access For All: Student Insights Into Cvs Accessibility, Gabriella Huizenga

Education Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Student Perspectives On Grading In Higher Education Stem Courses, Christopher Sean Burns, Daniela D.S. Digiacomo, Jennifer Pusateri, Katherine Ritchie, Christine Wusylko

Information Science Faculty Publications

Purpose

Despite a growing awareness of instructional practices that support student learning and well-being, higher education classrooms tend to still be dominated by the use of rigid approaches to assessment and course design. This study aims to understand the experiences of students in courses that implement a universal design for learning (UDL) pedagogical approach and an ungrading assessment approach. Design/methodology/approach

Leveraging a qualitative methodological approach, authors interviewed 13 graduate students in two library and information science technology courses and 11 undergraduate students in a computer science course in discrete mathematics about their experiences with ungrading within the context of UDL-designed …

Challenging Assumptions: Social Participation And Barriers For Autistic Students In Higher Education, Sue Iliff, Nicole Richard Williams, Siobahn Collins, Abby Noblitt, Meris Gilliam, Tori Knox, Alina Randall

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Autistic students bring diverse social preferences and ways of engaging to college, yet campus structures often do not reflect the full range of these experiences. Understanding how students across neurotypes navigate social participation can inform more inclusive practices. This mixed‑methods study used a convergent parallel design to examine the social experiences of autistic and non‑autistic undergraduates at a mid‑sized private university. Quantitative survey items assessed participation levels, satisfaction, and perceived barriers, while open‑ended responses provided qualitative insights. Quantitative analyses showed no significant group differences in hours of participation, satisfaction, or reported barriers. Qualitative findings highlighted varied social experiences across neurotypes: …

Implementing A Nutrition Screening, Education, And Risk Reduction Framework In Optometric Care To Prevent Diabetic Retinopathy In Adults With T2dm, Juliana M. Varanelli

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of preventable vision loss among adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), driven largely by chronic hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Despite strong evidence supporting the role of nutrition in modifying these risk factors, nutrition screening and counseling are not routinely integrated into optometric care. This project aimed to develop a practical, evidence-based framework to incorporate nutrition screening, patient education, and referral pathways into comprehensive optometric practice to support prevention and reduce the onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy.

This project involved a literature review of peer-reviewed research and clinical guidelines related to …