Digital Commons Network^™

Session F: Ai And Agency: Guiding Students In Responsible Use Of Generative Tools, Jennifer Colby

Learning Together at the Forefront of Change: GenAI Summit 2026

Help your students make choices that enrich their learning, not diminish it! This workshop shows teachers how to support student agency in deciding when AI use is appropriate and to recognize signs of AI misuse in student work and address them constructively.

Learning Together At The Forefront Of Change: Gen Ai Summit 2026 (Program), Office Of Campus & Community Writing, Eastern Michigan University, Faculty Development Center, Eastern Michigan University

Learning Together at the Forefront of Change: GenAI Summit 2026

No abstract provided.

A Data-Driven Framework For Automation Readiness In Minnesota State University, Mankato Course Scheduling, Prisca Bongu Payanzo Maba

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

University course scheduling is one of the most complex optimization problems in higher education institutions. With universities growing in size and offering a broad spectrum of majors and disciplines, the number of possible course scheduling combinations increases exponentially, rendering traditional ways of scheduling ineffective.

Although operations research has extensively studied automated scheduling algorithms, there has been limited investigations into the organization readiness of academic departments to implement such systems. This paper offers a hybrid data science framework that assesses departmental readiness for scheduling automation.

The study combines qualitative Zoom interview data from 19 academic departments with institutional scheduling rules from …

Trigger Warnings And A Pedagogy Of Trust, Morgan Read-Davidson

English Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"While the larger conversation about difficult content and trigger warnings is not new, the sudden need for urgently scheduled meetings with me did not begin until the COVID- 19 pandemic crisis and our move to remote instruction, and the subsequent adjustment back to the classroom. This seems to coincide with the increase of online and social media interaction during the pandemic, where the use of trigger warnings and content warnings on social media, particularly on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, have made the conversation far more visible. For students, this seems to have given them validation and confidence, as well as …

Introduction To Trigger Warnings: Teaching Through Trauma, Ian Barnard, Ryan Ashley Caldwell, Jada Patchigondla, Aneil Rallin, Morgan Read-Davidson, Ethan Trejo, Kristi M. Wilson

English Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"The individual histories of both trigger warnings and trauma have evolved rapidly in the overlapping wakes of COVID, mental health crises, attacks on educational institutions in the United States, climate apocalypse, evergrowing economic inequities, and, more promisingly, attempts at political redress and educational equity. At the same time, trigger warnings and trauma have become exponentially more intimately linked in the past few years. But however often the topic of trigger warnings provokes heated discussion, the appeals and alignments of the interlocutors equally as frequently defy neat political binaries. Critiques of trigger warnings come from all sides of the political and …

Winter 2026, Southwestern Oklahoma State University Office Of Institutional Advancement And Alumni

Echoes from the Hill

From The Interim President

Fellow members of the SWOSU Community,

I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve Southwestern Oklahoma State University for nearly three decades. As the Spring 2026 semester gets underway, we welcome the opportunity to pause and reflect on what we have learned—and what we continue to achieve together.

The bonds formed among our students, faculty, and staff as we deliver high quality, affordable programs of instruction and training are deep and enduring. The Southwestern Spirit—marked by friendly cooperation, thoughtful inquiry, and hard work—gives SWOSU a distinctive strength and instills in our graduates a lasting sense …

Spring/Summer 2026, Southwestern Oklahoma State University Office Of Institutional Advancement And Alumni

Echoes from the Hill

From The President

SWOSU Community,

SWOSU is 125 years old this year, and 2026 has been an exciting year here on the Hilltop! We are gearing up for a great Fall Semester!

This issue of Echoes highlights the wonderful time we had in the Spring when our students, faculty, and staff joined donors, alumni, dignitaries, and community leaders from throughout Oklahoma and beyond for the dedication of the Jerry & Margaret Hodge Center for Pharmacy & Rural Health. The Center represents an innovative private-public partnership that will enable our university to graduate more healthcare professionals to meet the workforce needs …

Wilson, Issue 02, 2025-26, University Of Northern Iowa. Wilson College Of Business.

Wilson

Contents:

From the Dean --- 3
Auditing Students Learn Emerging Technologies and Real-World Analysis --- 4
How Real Estate Students are Learning Industry Software in the Classroom --- 8
Marketing in the Age of Data --- 14
Building Communities, Shaping Futures --- 18
Data Drives Business Success for UNI Student Entrepreneurs --- 22
Data to Assist in Iowa Stomr Response --- 23
Ethical Considerations of Data Breaches --- 24
How Ethics and Data Management Intersect In Today's Business Climate --- 26
Students Dominate Advertising Competition --- 28
AACSB Supplemental Accounting Accreditation --- 30
A New Era for Business: UNI's Wilson …

Construction Industry Preparedness For Generation Z And Millennials: Aligning Industry Characteristics With Workforce Job Preferences, Ameenullah Amiri, Dhaval R. Gajjar, Jason D. Lucas

The Professional Constructor

The construction industry in the United States suffers from workforce shortages, partly due to younger generations being hired more slowly than baby boomers retire. Generation Z’s (Gen Z) lack of interest in joining the construction industry, coupled with the retirement of older workers, has amplified the problem. This paper investigates existing literature to identify the work and career preferences of Gen Z and Millennials and determine where the industry may focus efforts to attract these two generations. Through a systematic literature review, this study identified overlaps and gaps between the current construction industry workforce’s perceptions of the industry and the …

Hear & Now: Culturally Responsive Music Education Through Digital Audio Workstations & Musique Concrète, Benjamin T. Connolly

Pitzer Senior Theses

Hear & Now: Culturally Responsive Music Education Through Digital Audio Workstations & Musique Concrète is a two-part ethnomusicological study of how the capacities and affordability of modern electronic instruments could be utilized within school curricula as an affordable alternative to traditional music classes. I explore the musique concrète movement from mid-20th century France, aiming my examination towards the movement’s emphasis on the materiality of sound production and utilization of modern technology during the composition process. From there, the paper transitions into a study on the affordances of contemporary music technologies through a series of interviews with electronic composers, tracing the …

Entre Nos: A Three-Part Study Exploring The Experiences Of The American Association Of Hispanics In Higher Education Members, Monique Posadas

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Membership and participation in national associations or professional societies are the cornerstone of academic and career advancement in higher education. These organizations allow faculty and career professionals to connect and grow their networks. However, like other social structures, they can also reflect, reinforce, and reify exclusionary colonial, hegemonic norms. Professionalization for people of color in the academy, through formalized organizations and societies, was grossly delayed, despite the emergence of “mother societies” at the turn of the century. Academics of color took matters into their own hands to build professional networks. While associations are assumed to be academic and professionally rich …

Institutional Responses To Racial Incidents In California Public Higher Education: A Qualitative Historical Document Analysis, Shannon Dominique Quihuiz

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Despite stated commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion, racial incidents remain a persistent structural problem on college and university campuses. These incidents encompass a wide taxonomy of racialized harm, ranging from bias-motivated violence and hate symbols to controversial White supremacist speakers, structural inequities, and interpersonal microaggressions. Administrators responding to these incidents must navigate complex, often competing tensions between fostering safe, inclusive learning environments and upholding civil liberties protections, all while operating under intense political scrutiny, public relations pressures, and legal risk. To understand how these tensions are rhetorically managed, this qualitative historical document study examined how California public higher education …

Reading The Birds: Critical, Multimodal, And Queer Meaning-Making In Literacy Teacher Education, Kris Benefield

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation explores critical, multimodal, and queer literacies and related pedagogies in teacher education. In it, I engage in both critical analysis and theorizing at the intersection of teacher education, literacy, and pedagogy, producing insights and tools that may be of use to teachers, teacher-educators, and researchers interested in resisting oppression in and through literacy and composition education. The findings contribute to the research on literacy teacher education by detailing the situated processes involved in both critical meaning-making and pedagogical enactment among a group of K-12 teachers in and beyond two literacy methods courses. I draw on thematic analysis …

Social Justice In The Linguistics Classroom, Reed Blaylock, Miranda Mccarvel, James A. Berry, Evan D. Bradley, Emily Graham, Jill Hallett, Sarah E. Hercula, Lisa Morgan Johnson, Kahdeidra Monét Martin, Ebi Poweigha, Md. Abusalah Sakender, Allison Taylor-Adams

Education and Child Study: Faculty Publications

In the current political and social climate, diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice initiatives in higher education face pushback and at times abolition. Educators within the field of linguistics face a paradox: vulnerability of the classroom versus the fundamental duty to promote linguistic and social justice. This organized session aimed to support community and coalition building, helping linguists build capacity to engage in the work of linguistic and social justice through their teaching. The session was structured into four areas: diversity and inclusion, justice and equity, resistance and response, and lifelong learning and engagement. The first session introduced strategies for decentering …

Why Stay? A Qualitative Case Study Of Parents Who Choose Local Public Schools Over Alternative Options, Michael Antonio Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Public schools face challenges that directly impact the quality of education and educational programming. Declining student enrollment trends affect school funding and resource allocation for school improvement. This qualitative case study identified key factors influencing parents' perceptions of school quality and explored how these perceptions shaped school choice decision-making. Guided by Rational Choice Theory, the study examined how individuals make enrollment decisions by weighing perceived costs, benefits, constraints, and available resources to achieve desired educational outcomes. Semi-structured interviews, an open-ended survey, and archival school performance data were used to explore the perspectives of parents with children enrolled in public high …

University Of Central Florida Graduate Catalog, 2025-2026, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Reading Comprehension And Secondary Education, Noah W. Hillman

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review is designed to look at how reading takes place in a classroom setting and how teachers might support students as they read - primarily in secondary education (middle and high schools). Students at all levels need scaffolding and support to be successful when interacting with challenge texts. The instructional role of the teacher as it pertains to reading comprehension impacts the success of students’ skills. The literature review examines teacher practices and instructional strategies that can be used to support students’ reading comprehension at the secondary level.

Teaching Primary Sources To Increase Engagement And Build Literacy, Lindsey L. Beaulieu

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reviews the use of primary sources in education. This literature review analyzes 30 articles regarding educators’ use of primary sources. There are four major themes within the articles: literacy with primary sources, engagement with primary sources, comprehension with primary sources, and examples of primary source units or lessons. While specific teaching topics vary, the overall consensus is that primary sources can help students’ skills with literacy, engagement, and comprehension. A main topic among the research is the educators’ understanding of scaffolding, pre-teaching, choosing primary sources, and re-using the primary sources, to be able to teach students effectively.

Teachers' Perceptions And Professional Uses Of Artificial Intelligence In Education, Lexie Coartney

Masters Theses

This study explores Illinois teachers’ perceptions and professional uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. A mixed methods approach was implemented, including a survey completed by 137 Illinois teachers and four interviews. The research questions examined teachers' perceptions of AI, their professional use of AI, and their approach to students’ use of AI. Findings concluded that participants generally hold positive perceptions of AI, especially its time-saving abilities and being supportive, while also holding concerns including reliability, accuracy, and ethical issues. Results showed that 77% (n = 106) of teachers use AI tools mostly for lesson planning, creating assessments, differentiation, …

From Glass Ceilings To Balustrades: The Barriers And Supports In Gender-Balanced Corporate Boards Through The Lens Of Activity Theory, Erica Joy Thompson Dias

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine, through the lens of activity theory (AT), barriers individuals on public company boards of directors experienced in achieving or maintaining gender balance and supports that mitigated those barriers.

Methodology: Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 16 directors representing 13 gender-balanced public company boards. Data were coded using the AT framework, which conceptualizes human activity through interacting components including subject, object, rules, tools, community, and division of labor. In this study, barriers were tensions that obstructed progress toward gender balance, and supports were methods, resources, or actions that mitigated those …

Four Feedback Tips For A Fifth Year, Annika Nielson

The Utah English Journal

Over the past four years of teaching writing, I’ve picked up a few lessons. One is that students will wait until the very last minute to submit a piece, no matter how much in-class drafting time I build into the schedule. Another is that many students see writing as big, bad, and boring: they have been trained to think that their writing will be corrected with red pens and long lists of mistakes.

The Utah English Journal, Volume 54, 2026: Full Issue

The Utah English Journal

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Book Report: Finding Student Voice Through Podcasting, Gaby Dawson, Johnny Allred

The Utah English Journal

“Mrs. Dawson, I never want to write another essay again,” a student groaned after class, clearly worn out by the end-of-term pileup of assignments. As a student teacher in a ninth-grade English Language Arts (ELA) classroom, Gaby could relate to her student’s fatigue— she only had one last reading unit to plan and teach before the end of the semester. However, with thoughts of winter break at the forefront of her students’ minds, Gaby noticed it was getting increasingly difficult to keep them engaged. To finish the semester strong, she needed a high-interest project and summative assessment that could reenergize …

Exploring Factors Predicting Teachers’ Intentions To Use Digital Games In Saudi Elementary Schools, Thamarah M. Alqahtani

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Despite the potential benefits of integrating digital games in teaching and learning environments, little research has been carried out to understand the perception of elementary school teachers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) towards integrating digital games into the classroom. This study aims to understand Saudi elementary teachers’ intention of using the digital games in elementary school classrooms using Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model, and to provide crucial insights for the KSA’s Ministry of Education’s (MOE) administrators in developing evidence-based teacher training and effective school technology-integration policies. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used to assess Saudi …

The Evolving Roles Of U.S. Academic Librarians: A Snapshot Of Job Responsibilities In 2023, Russell Michalak, Laura Rose Taylor, Michelle Reed, Amanda Koziura, Devon Ellixson

Library Faculty Research

This study examines the evolving roles of academic librarians across North America. Adapting a survey tool published in a prior Canadian study, it surveys over 350 librarians in the United States, analyzing shifts in Research Support, Teaching and Learning, Digital Scholarship, User Experience, and Scholarly Communication. Results indicate significant engagement in information discovery and digital scholarship with a growing need for training in digital tools and data management. The resulting report highlights the crucial role of academic librarians in adapting to technological and educational changes, underscoring the necessity for ongoing professional development.

(Critical) Hope As An Arrow: A Mixed Methods Study On Student-To-School Counselor Ratios And Student Outcomes In High-Poverty School Districts, Hien Pham

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

School counselors serve on the front line of student support in K-12 public school settings. However, not all school districts are adequately resourced nor require school counselors as essential members of the school team. Review of extant literature found that school counselors’ service delivery is affected by issues related to role clarity, program evaluation and existing policy. A lack of understanding of school counselors’ work and inconsistent training in program evaluation hinders the implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program, with high student-to-school counselor ratios remaining the status quo. In California, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) legislation holds local …

A Qualitative Case Study Exploring The Processes And Criteria For Presidential Leadership Selection In Three United States Higher Institutions Of Learning, Gabriel Kofi Boahen Nsiah

Dissertations

Background of the Problem

Today, research on U.S. higher education presidential search processes is limited, and existing literature characterizes these searches as reactive postures that are secretive, closed-door practices that have not adapted to the early signals of external seismic change. According to Quincy Martin (2021), “the world has evolved (p. 99).” Therein lies the problem. Quincy Martin insists, “Higher education has entered a period of upheaval, aided by new technologies, but hampered by political and cultural shifts. These are only amplified by modern, warp-speed information-sharing practices. All of this has exacerbated the consequences of scandals that threaten the stability …

Methodological Insights And Trends: Participatory Positioning Of Children And Youth In Visual Art Education Research, Angela Eckhoff

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Participatory research methods have a focus on facilitating research processes that engage with participants and, as such, aim to promote individual voice, facilitate richer reflection and dialogue, and enable the articulation of participants' unique experiences. To explore the degree to which participatory practices are enacted in visual art education research, the present study critically examines the agentic positioning of children and youth in school‐based, visual arts experiences through a systematic, methodological literature review. Findings from this review serve to ground proposed recommendations for the inclusion of supportive research practices that carefully attend to the unique considerations that arise during participatory …

Integrating Design Thinking In A Stem Methods Course, Demetrice Smith-Mutegi

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Design thinking, a problem-solving approach, has been offered as a strategy to address the challenges of growing and complex teaching expectations. In this narrative, I describe an adapted model of design thinking that was implemented in a secondary STEM methods course for teacher candidates in a graduate program. A description of the key activities, including the fundamental role of empathizing, is shared. Design thinking, when implemented by teachers and teacher candidates, allows the teacher to design and improve a lesson or unit based on student feedback and engagement. This is especially important in today's rapidly evolving educational landscape, where educators …

Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Science Content Knowledge And Confidence: Teaching Science Methods With Metacognitive Awareness Activities, Demetrice Smith-Mutegi, Erika Wise

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Few elementary teachers are confident in teaching science or in their science knowledge. This study sought to address this concern by investigating the impact of a science methods course on confidence and science knowledge for pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs). In this study, 23 participants enrolled in a teacher education program at a Midwest US university participated in a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design. The participants engaged in course content, including metacognitive awareness activities, for a full semester and qualitatively described their confidence within the pre-post assessment survey. Results were analyzed using an independent samples t-test, mean content assessment scores, and paired samples …