Digital Commons Network^™

Moving Beyond Willpower: A New Direction For Media Literacy Instruction, Mandi Goodsett

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

Academic librarians and others often engage with media literacy instruction by promoting fact-checking strategies, such as lateral reading or Mike Caulfield’s SIFT. Evidence shows that these strategies are valuable and can be effective, but they all ultimately rely on individual students to use willpower to overcome cognitive habits, biases, strong parasocial relationships with content creators, the power of algorithms, and other challenges to fact-checking content in the moment. This paper offers an alternative approach that instead encourages librarians to support students in intentionally redesigning their information environments to improve the quality of information that they encounter in the first place.

The Impact Of Targeted Remediation On Reading Growth Among Remedial Middle School Students, Jennifer Givens

Dissertations

Many middle school students enter secondary education with below grade-level reading skills and are unable to demonstrate measurable growth without structured intervention. This study examined relationship between participation in a targeted Remedial Education Program (REP) English Language Arts (ELA) course and reading growth, as measured by the Northwestern Evaluation Association’s Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP) Reading assessment. A quasi-experimental design compared fall-to-winter MAP Reading RIT growth between students enrolled in REP and academically similar students receiving special education services but not enrolled in REP. This study also investigated whether the effects of the intervention varied based on gender or …

R Software Tutorials For Introductory Statistics Courses, Erica M. Hurst

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This project focused on creating online resources for using the statistical software package R in an introductory statistics course at Utah State University. The goal was to make R more accessible, user-friendly, and engaging for learners. To do this, existing written materials were moved to a new section of an online website called Stats Stuff. Then interactive features were added such as step-by-step video tutorials, real datasets, and an embedded coding tool. These resources have been in use for the past four years and have helped students build confidence and enhance their statistical learning experience.

Turning Me Into We: A Workbook To Improve Relational Communication, Megan N. Charchenko

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Communication is a key factor that contributes to relational satisfaction, yet many couples struggle with communication. I wrote a set of workbooks for couples intended to teach healthy communication skills to help couples overcome their communication barriers. The workbooks cover topics of identity, expectations, boundaries, and physical intimacy. Each chapter utilizes theories and research to educate individuals on communication skills and then guides them through the application of the skills. I wrote a workbook for the individuals and one for the couple to work on together. Together, the workbooks will help couples improve communication and implement healthy communication behaviors regarding …

Designing Effective Writing Instruction For Learners With Complex Support Needs, Makayla Lyn Norton

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Writing is a composite skill that is a prerequisite to academic, social, and employment success. Only 5% of students with disabilities demonstrated proficiency in writing in the 2010 National Assessment of Education Progress. Effective writing interventions for learners with Complex Support Needs (CSN) are limited. This Honors Capstone focused on designing an effective writing curriculum for this population of students. The developed curriculum was designed to incorporate explicit systematic instruction to reach behavioral fluency in writing simple sentences the describe a series of images. The final project includes a literature review on effective writing instruction for students with (CSN), a …

Diversity In Childrens Literature, Tess Rasmussen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This project examined the diversity of classroom libraries and explored how to improve representation through data collection and community involvement. The question guiding this research was, how does increasing diversity in the classroom library influence elementary students' engagements with reading and their sense of belonging. This question was rooted in the teaching philosophy of each child being seen on the walls and in the stories told in their classroom. This question leads to the understanding that inclusive literature supports students' increasing empathy, and an awareness of cultures and perspectives different than their own. An inventory of multiple classroom libraries was …

Linguistic Experiences And Identity Of Mexican-Origin New Teachers In A Rural District In The U.S.-Mexico Frontera, Patricia L. Ocana

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study is developed with the understanding that the linguistic experiences of Mexican-origin new teachers are situated in the socially constructed Institutional Discourses of U.S. schools in la frontera. Discourses that have historically marked Spanish-speaking identities as deficient while privileging English-only norms. Furthermore, the four maestras in this study are considered active agents in their development as bilingual educators and creators of counter-Discourses that affirm the linguistic and cultural identities of their emergent bilingual students. This study looks at Mexican-origin bilingual educators' vivencias as assets that shaped their journeys into the education profession and continue to shape their pedagogical …

Discipline And Identity: Testimonios Of Queer Chicanxs, Marco Antonio Ortigoza Jr

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Every year, students are pushed away from educational opportunities due to punitive practices. A system of policies and practices that increase the student's likelihood of formal social control, including the juvenile justice system, is often referred to as the school-to-prison nexus (STPN). Existing research suggests a disproportional number of students of color, as well as queer students, are harmed by disciplinary policies. The literature, however, does not fully address students' experiences, particularly queer Chicanxs. This study attempts to narrow that gap by highlighting the disciplinary experiences of queer Chicanxs. Additionally, this study explores how disciplinary experiences impacted their identity formation. …

The Transformation Of Mexican-American Fathers In Doctoral Studies, Harat Ridrigo Saucedo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Fatherhood and minority are words that are not discussed enough in academia. While there has been an awakening in women enrolling and graduating in higher education, the same cannot be said about males, especially fathers of Mexican-American background. As the fastest-growing minority, Mexican-American fathers in doctoral studies are the most underrepresented. The current state of research in the field is minimal, focusing on Mexican-Americans in undergraduate courses, mothers in graduate courses, and males in graduate courses; little is found on Mexican-American fathers in doctoral studies. The research in this qualitative study was designed to address the limited knowledge about Mexican-American …

Understanding The Role Of The School Librarian: Insights From Principals And Librarians, Ruby Shivery

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examines how principals and school librarians understand and define the role of the school librarian with the K-12 school system. Guided by Role Conflict Theory, the study explores how differing expectations regarding instructional support, leadership, collaboration, and library management contribute to role ambiguity and professional tension. As the responsibilities of the school librarian continue to expand, inconsistencies in how the role is perceived may influence both professional relationships and the effectiveness of the library programs themselves. Using semi-structured interviews with both principals and school librarians, the study investigates areas of alignment and conflict in participants' perceptions of the …

Adjunct Faculty Onboarding Experiences At A Hispanic-Serving Community College In The U.S.-Mexico Border Region: Faculty Perspectives Of Integration And Effectiveness, Melissa Ann Aguilera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Since the 1970s, adjunct faculty have become the majority of higher education instructors, yet institutional onboarding practices for adjuncts remain inadequate and are inconsistently studied. Using a basic interpretive qualitative approach, the study explored how adjunct faculty at a Hispanic-serving community college in the U.S.-Mexico border region experienced and perceived their onboarding process. Four adjunct faculty members participated in semi-structured interviews, and data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings were interpreted through the Kirkpatrick Model of Training Evaluation and Organizational Socialization Theory. Three themes emerged from the data: the absence of structured onboarding, leaving participants to independently seek institutional knowledge, …

Unlearning Patriarchy And Reframing Gender Politics: Challenging White Feminist Identity And Men's Negotiated Resistance Toward Social Justice, Laura Erickson Alvarado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examines gender politics and the unlearning of patriarchy in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, centering lived experiences of Latinas and Black women while critically engaging men's roles in both reproducing and challenging gender inequality. Grounded in Critical Pedagogy, intersectionality, Critical Race Theory (CRT)/LatCrit, and whiteness studies, the research employs a mixed-methods design, including metadata analysis, surveys, interviews, focus groups, and critical discourse analysis. Intersectionality serves as the analytical framework, highlighting how patriarchy, white supremacy, predatory capitalism, race, class, and geopolitics intersect to shape differentiated experiences of marginalization and agency. Critical consciousness is conceptualized as the capacity to link lived experiences …

Bridging Industry And Academia In Engineering Leadership Education: Using Q Methodology To Identify The Viewpoints Of Engineering Professionals On Effective Engineering Leadership, Pamela Edith Campos Valles

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Engineering leadership has been recognized as a key professional skill by the U.S National Academy of Engineering, leading to increased attention and integration in engineering education research and development. The perception and recognition of leadership within the engineering field remains limited by the widespread definitions of leadership and limited characterization of engineering leaders. The Contextual Engineering Leadership Development framework is grounded on a discipline specific definition of engineering leadership and approaches to leadership development derived from engineering undergraduate programs. The use of this framework provides the opportunity to describe what engineering leaders prioritize, enabling the identification and characterization of …

Support Leads To Success: Exploring Culturally Responsive And Relevant Education For Tertiary Level Students Of Color, Aisha Milaham

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Culturally responsive and relevant education (CRRE) teaching practice are crucial to implement at the tertiary level to support post-graduate preparation for students from marginalized communities. This case study explores the impact, or lack thereof, of these teaching principles in a higher education program specifically created to support diverse populations of students in preparing for graduate level studies and professions in academia. Data were collected via one-on-one interviews with students and staff in the program. Data were then analyzed to explore the extent to which culturally CRRE principles were integrated into TP and how that integration impacted student preparation for academia. …

The Ideological Becoming Of Elementary Teacher Candidates And Their Beliefs About Literacy Instruction, Megan Chaffin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the ideological becoming (Bakhtin, 1981) of elementary teacher candidates (TCs), specifically in relation to their beliefs about literacy, as they completed their literacy coursework and corresponding clinical experiences in their educator preparation program (EPP). Through a qualitative, multiple-case study design, I followed two groups of TCs through the last two years of their undergraduate degree. Each group of TCs completed a series of four literacy methods courses with associated clinical experiences, and one group also finished their student teaching internships. The cases in this study are situated in the context of an era of educational policies that …

The Decision Of Us Airlines To Diversify The Flight Deck: Perceptions Of Collegiate Flight Students, Timm J. Bliss, Irene A. Miller

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The United States (US) airline industry is struggling to find enough commercial pilots and to diversify a profession that has the reputation of historically being male and white. To attract a younger and more diverse generation of pilots who have been historically underrepresented, women and people of color, a major US airline announced a diversity plan in March 2021 to hire thousands of pilots, at least 50% of them women and people of color. In 2022, several other US airlines launched similar initiatives. The purpose of this study was to identify perceptions of collegiate flight students regarding the airline industry’s …

Restorying The Reader: Adolescent Narratives Of Identity, Context, And Motivation, Jennifer R. Gardner

Dissertations

This present study examined how adolescents narrate their reading experiences and what those narratives reveal about reading identity, motivation, and engagement. This study responds to a persistent problem in literacy education: adolescent reading is often framed through disengagement or reduced to isolated constructs, while students’ lived reading experiences across school, home, digital, linguistic, and social contexts remain underexamined. Guided by Self-Determination Theory, Intersectionality, and Reader Response Theory, this study centers on adolescent voices and treats these participants’ stories as the primary avenue of understanding how they experience and interpret their reading lives and selves. Data were collected through narrative interviews, …

Chilling Or Galvanizing: Perceptions Of Controversial Issues In The Social Studies Classroom, Patrick Leahy

Dissertations

This study explores social studies teachers' perceptions of the use of controversial issues in their content and classrooms. Through a case study approach, it explores the decision-making process of social studies teachers in Georgia, contextualized by the current political environment, including the enactment of divisive concepts laws such as Georgia’s HB 1084, the Protect Students First Act, and increasing scrutiny over what is taught in public schools. Findings reveal that while the literature and advocates critical of divisive concepts laws tend to argue that these laws have a chilling effect on the discussion of controversial issues, the reality is more …

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Education, Access To Healthy Foods, Neighborhood & Physical Environment, Economic Stability, Taylor Brown, Tanya Bhardwaj, Sara Komaiha, Duncan Mcleod, Jonah Harman, Jai Kukreja, Dominic Marsalese, Elizabeth O'Brien

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Social Determinants In Action: A Field Reflection On Community Health, Jamaica Jordan, Razanne Zaghloul, Raj Khuperkar, Lissette Valdez, Nathan Morren, Cole Duvall, Alexis King

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Observation And Reflection Of Highland Park, Mohamed Ramadan, Marni Murez, Saatvik Vaishnav, Sathyagopal Siddapureddy, Janiya Brooks

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Towards Dementia-Inclusive Digital Text-Based Health Information: A Multi-Method Investigation Of Cognitive And Affective Accessibility, Margi Engineer

All Dissertations

This dissertation examines the accessibility, readability, emotional tone, and trustworthiness of digital, text‑based dementia information and investigates how older adults with and without dementia cognitively and affectively engage with such content. It further explores the potential of generative AI to improve dementia information delivery through the development of a domain‑specific retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG) large language model (LLM) chatbot designed to deliver accessible, stigma‑free information. The dissertation comprises four studies using complementary quantitative and qualitative methods. Study I conducts a large‑scale content analysis of 300 medical articles, 35 websites, and 50 blogs, applying readability metrics, LIWC‑based linguistic and sentiment analysis, and …

Artificial Intelligence Adoption Among Community College Faculty: A Comparative Analysis Of Rural And Urban Institutions, Morgan A. Saunders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has created new opportunities and challenges for higher education institutions. Community colleges, which serve diverse student populations and play a significant role in workforce development, must determine. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate differences in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, usage patterns, and perceptions of importance among faculty at two rural community colleges and two urban community colleges in the United States. Specifically, the study investigated whether statistically significant differences existed in the perceived importance of AI and in the number of AI tools used by faculty across institutional contexts. In …

Parent Engagement And Advocacy In Individualized Education Programs In Rural Appalachian School Districts, Mollie Rutledge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore parent engagement and parent advocacy in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) development and implementation in rural Appalachian school districts. Parent engagement and parent advocacy in Individualized Education Program (IEP) development and implementation are persistent challenges in special education. By intentionally grounding this research in rural Appalachia, the researcher responded to calls for education research that is attentive to the complexity and diversity of rural communities. Parents in rural areas face unique challenges related to poverty, isolation, and limited resources that can influence their engagement and advocacy in the IEP process. The …

Modernizing United States Marine Corps Enlisted Professional Military Education: Benefits Of Transitioning From Industrial To Technological Learning, Michael W. Hensley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Within organizational and societal contexts, there persists a belief that technologically infused asynchronous or synchronous educational programs, such as online, blended, or seminar-style formats, are inferior to in-person courses. Despite recent shifts in attitude caused by factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and global threats, the perception of such programs as substandard remains prevalent. This dissertation addresses the necessity of researching the applicability and benefits of these formats, particularly within the United States Marine Corps Enlisted Professional Military Education programs. Emphasizing the potential enhancement of warfighting abilities and leadership skills, this research investigates how technology-based educational programs can benefit enlisted marines …

Intimate Partner Violence In The Queer Community, Kathleen A. Oslé

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Queer college students face unique barriers to receiving intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention services, of note the instability of emerging adult life. At question is whether or not targeted intervention services appropriately serve the queer community in this regard. A new digital media landscape for the romantic world creates potentially harmful life goals by glorifying unhealthy behaviors and ostracizing survivors, all for the sake of money. Previous research shows that early intervention and education provides a preventative factor in IPV. Data from an in-person intervention workshop is used to determine the feasibility of targeted intervention services, and provides means-tested results. …

Cultivating Connection: A Culturally Responsive Mental Wellbeing Curriculum For Latine Youth In Santa Cruz County, Suzzy Landeros

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Latine adolescents experience high rates of stress, depression, and stigma surrounding mental health, in part due to limited access to culturally responsive support and safe spaces for connection. The purpose of this internship project was to develop and implement a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, mental wellbeing curriculum to address barriers related to stigma, limited culturally responsive support, and disconnection, while supporting emotional awareness, connection, and use of grounding strategies among youth. The project was implemented through United Way Santa Cruz County in partnership with Watsonville High School and Soquel High School and served high school-aged youth. Development of the curriculum included …

Exploring The Impact Of University-Recognized Spaces On Racial Battle Fatigue Among Black Faculty & Staff At Historically White Institutions, Tiffany M. Courseault

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Black Faculty and Staff (BFS) at Historically White Institutions (HWIs) navigate environments shaped by racial microaggressions, systemic inequities, and institutional marginalization. These conditions contribute to Racial Battle Fatigue (RBF), a psychological, behavioral, and physiological response to sustained exposure to racialized stress. While institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are often positioned as mechanisms for improving campus climate, existing research suggests they frequently fail to address the lived realities of BFS. This study examined how university-recognized communal spaces function as critical sites of support, resistance, and mitigation within these environments.

Using a narrative inquiry methodology, this study explored the lived …

Benefits Of Being Bilingual On The Academic Success Of The Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners, Shary Vaca

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Reframing bilingualism as an academic asset rather than a limitation, this senior capstone research project examines how bilingualism supports the academic success of Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) in early education within California’s diverse and growing Hispanic student population. Using a combination of literature reviews, teacher interviews, and surveys from former English language learners, the findings indicate that bilingualism is one of three key benefits for English language learners: enhancing communication skills, strengthening critical thinking, and increasing language competence. In addition, bilingual students demonstrate a unique ability to collaborate effectively, think flexibly across languages, and transfer linguistic knowledge to support …

Empowering English Language Learners For Academic Success, Tiger L. Rendon

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone explores how future educators in California can best support English Language Learners, who make up a large portion of the student population that strives for academic success. Despite ELL students being common in elementary school classrooms, the strategies that service teachers use are based on their own knowledge and experience, which, although beneficial, can be difficult to adapt in an ever-changing environment. This research was conducted to help future educators understand that, even without resources, many classroom strategies can empower ELL students and promote success. Through a literature review, an anonymous survey, and interviews with seven elementary school …