Digital Commons Network^™

Closing The Gap Between Students With And Without Individualized Education Plans, Mikayla Herron

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The achievement gap between students with and without individualized education programs continues to be a concern in early childhood education. Finding strategies and interventions that help narrow this gap is important, especially when children are young and the gap is still relatively small. This inquiry-based research study explored the use of the AI tool Buddy.ai to determine whether it could support preschool-aged students with IEPs in improving early learning skills. The study also considered general education teachers’ experiences working to close the achievement gap in inclusive classrooms. A mixed-methods approach was used. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-assessments, …

Balancing The Digital Classroom: Examining Teachers’ Reliance On Technology In A Rural School District, Victoria Poisel

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

When the Wi-Fi goes down in a technology-dependent classroom, learning often grinds to a halt. This inquiry-based research study examined how teachers’ reliance on digital tools affects their ability to deliver effective instruction in a small, rural school district in northeast Washington. Sparked by the researcher’s firsthand experience during a three-week district-wide internet outage, the study explored how technology dependence influences instructional resilience and adaptability when access is disrupted. Conducted at Selkirk School District, the research included seven core subject teachers across grades 6-12 and combined survey data, reflective journaling, and a review of current literature on technology integration and …

Shared Reading: Dialogic And Interactive Book Practices To Foster Oral Language Development Among Pre-K Learners, Jennifer Underwood

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This inquiry-based capstone study examines how dialogic and interactive shared reading practices support oral language development and peer engagement among ELL preschool learners. Rooted in the framework of practitioner research, the project investigates how intentional teacher questioning, open-ended prompts, and structured peer-talk opportunities transform traditional read-aloud sessions into language-rich, participatory experiences. Conducted in an urban Head Start Pre-K classroom of fifteen full day students, with a focus group of ELL and special education learners, the six-week intervention implemented dialogic reading strategies 4–5 times per week. Data was collected through observation rubrics, teacher reflection journals, student artifacts, and short video analyses. …

Rhythms: Music At The University Of Northern Iowa, V44, Fall 2025, University Of Northern Iowa. School Of Music.

Rhythms: Music at the University of Northern Iowa

Contents:

From the Director --- 3
Community Outreach --- 8
Amplify Alumni --- 11
Mariachi in Iowa --- 12
Jazz Notes --- 13
Scholarship Benefit Concert --- 14
Student Awards and Honors --- 16
Student Spotlight --- 18
Emeritus Faculty News --- 19
Faculty News and Activities --- 20
Faculty Spotlight --- 23
New Faculty and Retirements --- 24
Alumni News and Updates --- 26
Alumni Spotlight --- 27
From the Foundation --- 29
Opportunities to Give --- 30
Spotlight Series 2025-26 --- 34
Snapshots --- 35

Shaping Inclusive Futures: Gender-Responsive Practices In Pre-Primary Teacher Training Colleges In Tanzania And Uganda, Jane Rarieya, Nyagwegwe Wango, Tage Biswalo

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

This paper examines the role of gender-responsive pedagogy in advancing inclusive pre-primary education through a qualitative case study of teacher training colleges in Uganda and Tanzania. Conducted under the Foundation for Learning (F4L) initiative, the study engaged tutors, student teachers, and administrators to explore how gender equity is integrated into teaching practices, institutional policies, and community engagement. Findings demonstrate that gender-responsive approaches were systematically embedded in lesson plans, classroom practices, and teaching resources, moving beyond rhetoric to tangible change. Student teachers demonstrated effective application of inclusive strategies during practicum, reflecting both conceptual understanding and practical competence. Colleges also adopted visual …

Strategies To Help Older English Learners Succeed In An Adult Classroom Setting, Juana M. Matos

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Matos, J. (2025) Strategies to help Older English Learners Succeed in an Adult Classroom Setting

There are older English language learners who experience difficulties advancing to the next level of instruction. This project is about how to help these older learners. The project has the objective of finding solutions to the research question: Which contextual factors for learning can best support teachers to help older adult ESL learners to retain content to acquire a second language? Through a review of literature, I found information about characteristics of older learners, strategies and accommodations for supporting older learners, and technology that teachers …

Culturally Sustaining Practices For Advanced Multilingual Adult Esol Students, Benjamin F. C. King

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

King, B. (2025)

Culturally Sustaining Practices for Advanced Multilingual Adult ESOL Students

Advanced multilingual ESOL learners need safe and positive learning environments that are responsive to their needs. This project seeks to answer how an adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) curriculum can be adapted using an emergent curriculum approach to be more culturally sustaining. As a white teacher with many privileges, I know the content and language skills I teach will never perfectly match the interests, desires and needs of all my students. Nonetheless, through the process of investigating culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP), I have identified …

Utilizing Best Practices In The Classroom In Regards To Technology Use, Kathryn Robinson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this capstone project is: “In what ways do best practices in technology use in the classroom support teachers and students?” During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools were forced to shift online to protect student health. As schools have returned to in-person learning, the influx of technology has not decreased. Studies show that technology use, whether it be social media, screen time, TV, or videogames can be detrimental to brain development. Because of this, it is crucial that there are guidelines for best practice when using technology in the classroom. Further, healthy habits surrounding technology use outside …

Media Literacy: Course Content Framework And District Proposal, Cameron Schwichtenberg

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project examines how to effectively teach media literacy in a middle school environment. Grounded in both research and personal teaching experience, it responds to the growing need for earlier, more intentional instruction as students develop digital habits long before high school. The project proposes a seven-week Media Literacy course that integrates critical evaluation, ethical participation, and media creation within an inclusive, developmentally responsive framework. Through designing this course, I discovered that media literacy is not only about verifying information but about helping students understand their roles and responsibilities within digital culture. Implementing this instruction early can strengthen critical …

The Role Of Gamified Learning In Developing Math Confidence And Procedural Fluency, Celeste Nosow

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project sought to answer: In what ways might a gamified math fluency resource focused on increasing math confidence facilitate learning for preadolescent students struggling in math? Research into game-based learning, motivation, and mindset revealed that students can benefit from engaging, collaborative, and low-stakes learning experiences that build fluency through games. Additionally, the environment should foster math confidence and competence in preadolescent learners. The project culminated in the development of a website offering free, low-preparation math games appropriate for grades 3–5. Designed for teachers and substitute educators, the learning materials provided emphasize social interaction, inclusivity, and equitable access. This …

Establishing Healthy And Sustainable Esl-Mainstream Co-Teaching Partnerships, Gina Dabruzzi

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As the number of English Language Learners continues to increase, the need for successful co-teaching practices between English as a Second Language (ESL) and mainstream teachers has become a necessity. Yet, despite this high demand, there continues to be a lack of training around co-teaching, and inadequate consideration and support in creating and fostering strong co-teaching partnerships. Aside from the challenges of co-teaching, such as compatibility and power dynamics, the partnership with ESL teachers adds another dimension to the challenge of co-teaching: that being, the misconception that ESL as strategies based rather than a content, and insufficient training around explicit …

State Standards For The Outdoors: A Curriculum Guide For Middle School Life Science In An Outdoor Classroom, David Soltero

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project examines the idea, Can integrating an outdoor learning experience into every aspect of a Middle School science curriculum enhance learning outcomes? The curriculum is focused on Minnesota's 7th grade life science standards and adapts course and content requirements so that all class instruction and assessment may be done outdoors or within the outdoor classroom. Additionally, it offers examples of summative assessments that are closely aligned with Minnesota's state standards and the next generation science standards. In the literature review, strong support was found for the many benefits of spending time outdoors. The literature also discussed the importance of …

Integrating Environmental Education: A Continuing Professional Development For Minnesota Educators In Weaving Local Indigenous Knowledge Systems And Western Science, Sarah Genet

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As of 2021, Minnesota’s updated academic standards in science for all grade levels include local Indigenous cultures, histories, and perspectives. The Minnesota Department of Education provides limited content and professional development guiding the implementation of these requirements, leaving educators to design and update their curriculum with little formal guidance. This capstone explores integrating Indigenous and Western knowledge systems to help answer the research question: ‘What must be included in environmental education curriculum interwoven with Indigenous and Western perspectives in science to provide a holistic learning experience?’ This capstone presents continuing professional development designed for upper-level secondary science and environmental educators …

Outdoor Trail Use At Woodland Elementary School For Student Engagement With Mn Life Science Standards, Barbara Walswick

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This paper examines use of the unpaved trails at Woodland Elementary School for student engagement with the third grade MN life science curriculum standards. At this time, the nature resource behind the school is underused. Research on benefits of outdoor learning for elementary students and staff was conducted and noted, resulting in the Woodland Trail Guide project. It serves as a life science curriculum companion for educators to easily take their students on the trails for increased student engagement. It gives educators experience and confidence to optimize the trails in teaching their science lessons and serves as a catalyst to …

Restorative Justice: How Can It Be Effectively Implemented In Schools To Resolve Conflicts And Improve Student Behavior And School Culture?, Aaron Melander

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Schools have addressed student misbehavior and conflict resolution in many ways. Historically, many interventions have been punitive and have done little to help students develop healthy conflict resolution skills. Restorative justice is an approach that seeks to empower students to participate constructively in the conflict-resolution process. This capstone project is a professional development series that addresses the research question: Restorative Justice: How Can It Be Effectively Implemented in Schools to Resolve Conflicts and Improve Student Behavior and School Culture? Research concludes that restorative justice can benefit students, teachers, and school communities by actively teaching skills such as reflection, empathy, self-awareness, …

Pathways To Higher Education: Expanding College And Career Access For Rural Youth, Kelsey Romney, Celina Wille, Maria Jose Velasco Burgos, Ryan Benally

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

In June 2025, Utah State University (USU) Extension hosted a two-day event, Pathways to Higher Education. The event introduced 31 rural youth from Grand County and San Juan County to USU educational opportunities and careers through immersive tours and workshops, visiting the Price, Moab, and Logan campuses. Participants reported increased college confidence, financial aid awareness, and career interest. Evaluation showed strong engagement, improved participants’ understanding of higher education pathways, and increased confidence in preparing for postsecondary education.

Evaluating Online Naloxone Trainings Targeting Rural And Tribal Communities, Cara Murray, Lily Ward, Tim Keady, Cris Meier

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Drug overdose deaths have been a persistent problem within tribal and rural Utah communities. During the COVID-19 epidemic, the need to pivot to online programming was imperative to provide important lifesaving training on how to administer Naloxone. In response, Utah State University Extension created an online Naloxone training. Evaluation results found increases in knowledge and attitude at the end of the training. Results suggest that online Naloxone training can be an effective way to reach rural and tribal community members.

The Persistence Of The Unconstitutional Status/Use Distinction In Federal Grants To Religious Nonprofits, Nicole Stelle Garnett, Cameron Grinnell

Books

Manhattan Institute Memo

Education First Year Seminar, Edf101 Fall 2025: Syllabus, Givanni Ildefonso-Sánchez

Open Educational Resources

The Education First Year Seminar (EDF 101) is required of all new students majoring in Education. Its goals are to introduce students to the liberal arts, campus culture, and the education field. The course also aims to develop a better understanding of the learning process and acquire essential academic skills. Taught by ELA faculty and supported by Peers Advisors and co-curricular professionals, this course addresses issues related to contemporary college life and to the field of education (birth through 12th Grade).

Entering college marks the beginning of a journey towards greater knowledge, the discovery of a new identity as a …

Program For Teachers To Address The Needs Of Students With Adhd, Ashton R. Wagner, Wendy Tremaine, Dr. Mary Jan Greer, Phd, Otr

Fall 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

The capstone project focused on supporting teacher participants from Eden Gardens Fundamental Magnet Elementary by providing practical strategies to address students who struggle with attention, regulation, and daily classroom routines. After completing a needs assessment, it was clear that many teachers faced similar challenges, including difficulty with transitions, staying on task, and responding when students became overwhelmed. To address this, created an OT-led teacher-training program that uses the PEOP model and focuses on simple, practical strategies teachers can implement right away. This included visual cues, sensory and movement supports, and minor changes to the classroom setup. As teachers began using …

Bridging Sensory Processing And Community Integration For Adults With Idd: A Bilingual Approach, Stephanie J. Newman, Cynthia Haynes

Fall 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

The capstone project included creation, implementation, and evaluation of an educational program. The program provided education for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their respective caregivers. The educational materials included development and implementation of educational workshops of sensory processing strategies in the community, work, and social settings for adults with IDD and bilingual home programs created for caregiver education. The program was evaluated through pre- and post-surveys administered to caregivers to demonstrate changes in knowledge of sensory processing strategies, as well as client assessments administered to assess changes in client understanding of sensory strategies.

Increasing Play Opportunities To Improve Development And Health For Children, Kallie S. Ellis, Wendy Tremaine, Emily Bush

Fall 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Children with disabilities often experience reduced opportunities for meaningful peer play, which can negatively influence their physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Early childhood environments play a critical role in supporting inclusive participation, yet many barriers—physical, social, and environmental—limit access to developmentally rich play throughout the school day. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a Tier-1, school-based program designed to increase meaningful play opportunities for preschool children ages 3–6, with and without disabilities.

A needs assessment was conducted with teachers and parents to identify developmental concerns and participation barriers related to fine motor, gross motor, …

Understanding The Impact Of Transnational Education: Insights From Uk Tne Alumni, Sladana Krstic, Alexander Towne, Liz Worthen

Higher education research

This study explores the impact of UK transnational education (TNE). The research is based on analysis of survey data from 550 UK TNE alumni augmented with interviews of 27 UK TNE graduates. As transnational education (TNE) continues to expand – across borders, institutions, and delivery models—so too does the imperative to understand its impact. This extends not only to students and graduates, but also to the local communities in which TNE is embedded. This is a global study capturing views of individuals who have experienced UK TNE across over 70 countries. The study reveals the substantial impact of UK TNE …

Ethical Considerations, Determinations, And Suggestions For Implementation Of Generative Artificial Intelligence In The Classroom, Becky Molin

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this capstone project is: “How can students and educators ethically use Generative AI in the classroom?” This paper, created for the benefit of general education classroom staff, details the creation of a professional development intended to inform educators about the pros, cons, and possible implementations of Generative AI in secondary and tertiary classrooms. The six key topics covered in the capstone are: Defining Generative AI, Ethics of Generative AI, The Effects of Generative AI on the Human Brain, Perception of Generative AI in Education, and finally Monitoring, Teaching About & Handling Generative AI in Schools. …

Fcrh Honors Program: Fall 2025 Program Highlights, Fcrh Honors Program

FCRH Honors Program Newsletters and Reports

No abstract provided.

The Relative Contribution Of Career Sustainability To The Psychological Well-Being Of Teachers In Syrian Refugee Camps In Light Of Some Variables, Ahmad Mohammad Sulieman Bani Khalid, Omar Atallah Ali Al-Adamat

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to identify the level of both Career Sustainability and psychological well-being among teachers in Syrian refugee camps, and the relative contribution of Career Sustainability to psychological well-being. The study sample consisted of 282 teachers (138 males, 144 females) from the Syrian refugee camp in Jordan, selected by convenience sampling. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researchers used (Chin et al., 2022) scale of Career Sustainability and (Anyamesem-Poku & Parmar., 2024) scale of teachers’ psychological well-being after ensuring reliability and validity. The results of the study indicated that the overall level of Career Sustainability was (high) …

Big Five Personality Traits: A Comparative Study Of University Students In Six Arab Countries, Ahmed Mohamed Abdel Khalek, Mayssah Ahmed El Nayal, Asma Abdulla Al-Attiyah, Adel Shukri Karim, Atef Masad Al-Sharbini, Shaikha Ahmed Al-Junaid, Slah Eddine Ben Fadheln, Gomaa Said Mohamed Abdelhamid, Kholoud Adeeb Al-Dababneh, Mona Ghazi Sayegh, Mahmoud Mohamed Emam

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

This study aimed to compare the Big Five personality traits among university students of both genders across six Arab countries: Qatar, Jordan, Iraq, Tunisia, Oman, and Bahrain (N = 1,729). Participants completed the Arabic version of the Big Five Personality Inventory, enabling a cross-national analysis of personality trait distributions. The results indicated distinct national patterns: Jordanian students scored the highest on Extraversion, Iraqi students on Neuroticism, Bahraini students on Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, and Qatari students on Openness. In contrast, Tunisian students had the lowest mean scores for Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness, while Bahraini students had the lowest mean for Neuroticism, …

The Predictability Of Demographic And Job-Related Factors On The General Perceived Self-Efficacy Among High School Counselors, Labryant Benjamin

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The purpose of this study was to examine the predictability of demographic and job-related factors on the General Perceived Self-Efficacy scores among high school counselors in the state of Texas. This study was concerned with the predictability of “demographic factors”, specifically age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, years of experience, degree format, degree level, and “job-related factors”, including type of workload, caseload, support system, role clarity, and school classification, on the general perceived self-efficacy among high school counselors. A predictive correlational research design was utilized in this empirical study. The researcher used a correlational research design to investigate the relationship between …

Stem Integration In The Classroom: An Exploratory Case-Study On Teachers Defining Their Stem Identity And Role As A Stem Educator, Tawana Guillaume

Theses and Dissertations

The push for inclusion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as a meta-discipline in K-12 education is recognition that the challenges faced by society require technology skills, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and an increased number of people entering STEM professions (Dare et al., 2014; English, 2016; Fan et al., 2021; Holstein & Keene, 2013; Roehrig et al., 2012, 2021; Sanders, 2008). The dissertation in practice explored STEM teacher identity and conceptions of STEM as a function of STEM professional experience outside of the field of education. The exploratory casestudy sought to identify the relationship between STEM career-based experiences – specifically the …

​​​Creating A Resident And Fellow Scholarly Activity Tracking Tool In A Large Academic Health System: A Dissertation In Practice​, Elyse Anne Wieszczecinski

Theses and Dissertations

Documenting and reviewing resident and fellow scholarly activity within a sponsoring institution can be a laborious task. With multiple lines of information coming from a wide variety of sources, this problem of practice implemented the Information Systems Success Model to help develop a database by which this information can be collected in a way that is efficient while maintaining the need for a user-friendly product. While other healthcare entities have also incorporated this model into their scholarly activity collection, these are still individual needs of the sponsoring institution and its constituents to consider when adapting the strategy. Using an improvement …