Digital Commons Network^™

Child Development Homes, Play-Based Learning, And Academic And Social-Emotional Skills, Hollie Fairholm

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research study was based on my own need to discern if children who attend child development homes, also known as family childcare homes, are effective spaces for children to learn academic and social-emotional skills using play-based learning. In this action research child development home, family childcare and play-based learning were defined, with a review of how children learn. My study was conducted in my own child development home family childcare program with chilren ranging in age from 12 months to 4 years old. In total, nine children attend my program Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 …

Exs 2000 Exercise, Energy Balance, And Weight Management Oer Syllabus, Shannon Caravello

Open Educational Resources

Concepts and principles of energy balance, body composition, weight management, and physical activity as they relate to personal health. Examines the causes of obesity, and its impact on human health and explores weight loss and diet options for the individual from a holistic perspective, including social, emotional, and physical dimensions of human health. Students will complete a lifestyle and nutritional analysis, develop nutritionally sound dietary plans, and design a specialized exercise program tailored to address their personalized weight management goals.

Social-Emotional Learning Skills Embedded Within Math And Reading During The Primary Years, Cassandra Sutherland

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question asked in this capstone project was: How can social-emotional learning skills be taught within academic lessons to promote academic progress in primary years? Just like it is necessary to teach reading and math concepts; students need to be explicitly taught social-emotional learning skills. Students should feel a sense of belonging, feel successful and treat others with respect. All of these skills should lead to encountering academic success. This capstone project explores research about the importance of teaching social skills during primary years. The project portion of this capstone is a supplemental curricular resource that includes math and …

Using Diverse Literature To Increase Empathy And Cultural Understanding In The Classroom, Joanna Sevre

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research demonstrates a direct connection between reading literature and building empathy, aiming to foster a more inclusive classroom. This capstone explores the pivotal role of diverse literature in nurturing empathy and cultural understanding within a classroom. The first part of this project will focus on personal and professional insights to understand the significance of this topic. Then, the research delves into the origins of empathy as well as the connection between curating empathy during key points of adolescent development as a way to positively impact relationships and social understanding. Research also emphasizes the critical need for educators to create inclusive …

Outcomes Of Virtual Diabetes Cook Along Classes, April Litchford, Jenna Dyckman, Cindy Jenkins, Andrea Schmutz, Carrie Durward

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

USU Extension Diabetes Cook Along classes provide diabetes education to the public while removing barriers to participation. These classes teach relevant topics through hands-on activities to increase participants’ ability to effectively self-manage their diabetes symptoms. Evaluation results show that participants experienced high satisfaction (86%) and substantial knowledge gain (92%) after the classes.

Nourishtank: An Innovative Program On Solving Hunger, Palak Gupta, Ashley Sullivan, Kristin Hoch, Lea Palmer, Jocelin Gibson, Mateja Savoie-Roskos, Heidi Leblanc

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

NourishTank, a Shark Tank-style event, saw students propose food and nutrition insecurity solutions. Twenty-eight students formed 11 teams, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration. The winning idea, 'Farm2Fork Gone Mobile,' earned $1,000 toward their proposed project. NourishTank, through partnerships and media, highlights student-driven efforts combating food insecurity and raising awareness.

Service Learning In The Secondary Classroom, Kristine Putz

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project is entitled “Service Learning in the Secondary Classroom” and explores the question: How can service learning be integrated into high school units to strengthen the connection between the classroom and the community and to make instruction more relevant? This question is answered through the creation of a six to seven week length unit that integrates service learning into a research and writing unit within an upper-level writing course. Specifically, this project is intended for students taking a concurrent enrollment course at their high school through a local community college partnership. Key influences in the creation of this …

Youth Sparks Via 4-H: Relations With Program Quality, Dosage, And Involvement, Alexandra Skrocki, Gary Ellis, Andrea Ettekal, Darlene Locke

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Using a statewide sample of participants in 4-H programs, we tested associations among youth sparks, program quality, program dosage, and four types of involvement (breadth of participation in out-of-school-time beyond 4-H, scope of learning strategies, degree of specialization, and cumulative program immersion). Participants were 180 Texas 4-H alumni who graduated from high school in 2013 and 2014 and had two or more years of involvement in Texas 4-H programs. Data were collected via an electronic questionnaire based on a database of former Texas 4-H members. Twelve hypotheses were tested, linking program quality to sparks through indirect and direct relations. Eleven …

A Mindful And Sustainable Eating Intervention To Improve Attitudes Related To Mindfulness, Sustainability, And Fruit And Vegetable Consumption In Elementary Schools, Amy Schachtner-Appel, Heejung Song

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Excessive plate waste is generated in elementary school cafeterias. Adapting nutrition promotion strategies to target waste reduction and encouraging mindful and sustainable eating (MSE) are possible strategies to encourage students to reduce waste during school lunch. Farm to Tray, Tray to Farm is a 16-week intervention that aims to encourage elementary school students to develop mindful and sustainable eating behaviors. An educational curriculum was delivered to eight 5th-grade students, who served as peer leaders and disseminated messages throughout the school. Additional strategies included cafeteria reinforcements and opportunities for food recovery. A pilot test of the program was conducted in two …

Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska Chapter Newsletter, Issue #64 Spring 2024

Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska Chapter: Newsletters

President-Elect's message, John R. Ruberson

Nominations form for Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska chapter

2023 Outstanding Graduate Student Award nominations solicitation

2023 Teaching Award nominations solicitation

2023 Research Award nomination solicitation

2023 Extension Award nomination solicitation

2023 Award of Merit nomination solicitation

Annual dues notice

List of active members with expiration terms

Membership renewal form

Outstanding Graduate and Undergraduate Student Award fund solicitation

In memoriam:

Raymond "Gene" White (October 10, 1930-May 28, 2021)

ΓΣΔ pledge

How College Graduates Decide To Remain In A Rural Community Post-Graduation, Benjamin J. Lamb

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Rural Brain Drain is a critical issue facing hundreds of non-metropolitan communities across the country. Existing research that addresses the outmigration of college graduates from rural areas primarily focuses on the reasons the graduates leave, and not on what influences the decision making of those who stay. This study adds to existing retention research by; establishing an initial understanding of the influential experiences rural college students have that contribute to their decision to stay in the rural community post-graduation, and providing an emergent theory for practice to help coalitions better assess and strategize efforts to create improved pathways to rural …

Best Practices In Professional Learning Communities That Influence Teacher Self-Efficacy, Silian Molly Hornsby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined best practices in professional learning communities (PLCs) that influence teacher self-efficacy. Participants were primary and intermediate teachers and teacher leaders from a large suburban elementary school in Texas. Participants had to have at least 1 year of teaching and PLC experience. The semistructured teacher and teacher-leader interviews were recorded and transcribed in real time using Otter.ai software. After members checked the transcription, the transcription was uploaded into the NVivo software for coding and identifying common themes. The findings were separated into themes based on the study’s research questions. Research question 1 explored what teachers and …

Co-Constructing Physical Education Resources And Recommendations With Blind Adults, M. Ally Keene

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Blind youth have reported unfavorable PE experiences, however, are optimistic that positive changes could be made. Despite recommendations to involve students in learning decisions, those made for teaching blind youth in PE have largely been constructed from nondisabled adults. This dissertation used a participatory research method and positioned blind people as research partners, amplifying their voices as knowers, collaborators, and researchers, to help construct resources and recommendations to disseminate to PE teachers. With that, the overall aim of this dissertation was to construct a product that provides PE teachers with useful and relevant resources and recommendations, in an attempt to …

The Impact Of Kangaroo Care On The Weight Gain Of Premature Infants, Heather Vincequere

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Premature birth remains a global health concern, affecting approximately 15 million infants annually (WHO, 2023). Kangaroo Care (KC), involving skin-to-skin contact between caregivers and infants, was developed as a promising intervention to mitigate the adverse effects of prematurity. This study aimed to investigate the impact of KC on weight gain among preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Doctors Hospital of Augusta (DHOA). A quasi-experimental quantitative posttest-only design was employed, with eight preterm infants (< 37 weeks gestation) participating in KC for at least 30 minutes daily. Daily weight measurements were collected over a four-week period and compared to the expected weight gain for infants receiving traditional incubator care. Results revealed a statistically significant increase in weight gain among infants receiving KC compared to the historical average for infants in traditional incubator care (t (7) = 2.443, p = 0.022). A large effect size (Cohen's d = 0.864) further supported the significance of these findings. Despite limitations such as a small sample size and convenience sampling, this study emphasizes that KC enhances weight gain in preterm infants, thus improving overall health outcomes. Implementation of KC requires ongoing support from nurse leaders to ensure proper education and successful integration into routine care practices. Nonetheless, continued research with larger samples and improved randomization is warranted to fully understand the long-term benefits of KC in neonatal care settings.

‘You Have To Respect The Water’: Participant Experiences Of Appreciating And Managing The Risks Associated With Open Water Swimming – A Rapid Ethnographic Study, Mark A. Christie, David Elliott

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Open water swimming (OWS) has rapidly grown in popularity, driven by the purported health benefits of cold-water immersion. A paucity of research remains specifically considering the notable risks inherent in OWS participation, and a lack of qualitative research on freshwater swimming experiences, and safety-related issues therein. This rapid ethnographic study, based at a dedicated OWS lake in the UK, conducted semi-structured interviews with OWS participants (n=17; female=11, male=6). Two core themes emerged: environmental issues impacting OWS experiences and behaviours; and knowledge and education of OWS which highlighted safe/unsafe practices, levels of education for managing risks, personal preparedness, swimming solo/with others, …

2024-03-29 Agenda Book, Morehead State University. Board Of Regents.

Morehead State Board of Regents Agenda Books and Meeting Minutes

Agenda booklet for the Board of Regents meeting of March 29, 2024, which includes the meeting minutes for February 2, 2024.

Childcare Center Principals’ Decision-Making Regarding Participation In A Quality Assurance Program, Rosa M. Flores

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Unrealized Promise Of College-In-Prison: Financial Hurdles To Reenrollment And Completion In The Era Of Pell Reinstatement, Julia Bowling, Pavithra Nagarajan, Kristen Parsons, Neal A. Palmer

Journal of Student Financial Aid

College-in-prison programs are positioned to expand substantially under the reinstatement of Pell Grant eligibility for people in prison. While this change will enable more students who have been systemically excluded from higher education to attend college, degree completion is rare during incarceration and post-release. Student perspectives can shed light on both the value of college-in-prison and the financial barriers to realizing its value. This study analyzes data from 12 focus groups with 105 total college-in-prison student participants, 114 student survey responses, and 45 stakeholder interviews. The data were collected between 2018-2022 during a process evaluation of the College-in-Prison Reentry Initiative, …

The Organizational Socialization Of K–12 Classified Employees, Steven Dunlap

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify to what extent newly employed classified staff in K–12 school districts in Southern California experienced organizational tactics (content, context, and social) to support their socialization process during the 1st year of employment (G. R. Jones, 1986). In addition, it was the purpose of this study to identify and describe the degree to which newly employed classified staff saw these tactics as effective in supporting their socialization to their new role (role clarity, social acceptance, and task mastery).

Methodology: This study used a sequential explanatory mixed methods design to engage …

The Physiological And Perceptual Responses To Continuous- And Interval-Based High-Intensity Functional Training, Jessica Smith

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

The purpose of this study was to compare the acute physiological and perceptual responses to rest intervals during high-intensity functional training (HIFT) using a “rounds for time” (RFT) and an “every minute on the minute” (EMOM) design. Two studies were conducted in twelve trained and nine untrained individuals who performed two HIFT trials (EMOM and RFT). Blood lactate, oxygen consumption, heart rate, and rating of perceived exertion were significantly higher for the RFT compared to the EMOM. There was no difference between the EMOM and RFT for muscle damage responses. Lastly, there was no difference between the EMOM and RFT …

Nebraska Women In Agriculture Conference Marks 39 Years, Ryan Evans, Sarah Treffer, Jessica Groskopf

Cornhusker Economics

The Nebraska Women in Agriculture program marked 39 years of educating and empowering females in farming, ranching, and agribusiness, with nearly 380 people attending its annual conference on February 22 and 23, 2024 in Kearney, Nebraska, with a pre-conference session held on February 21. Including 25 workshops, 5 keynotes, and activities to help learn about risk management, farm and ranch improvement, and successful business practices.

Opportunities For Maximizing The Dietary Quality Of Fad Diets, Jessica M. Phelan, Jill Joyce, Katherine Bode, Sara K. Rosenkranz

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The quality of American diets, measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), has remained stable and low since 2005. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 call for research analyzing dietary patterns to determine how guidelines might be altered to increase healthy eating. The present paper seeks to determine the dietary quality of popular fad dietary patterns among Americans. A definition of “fad diet” was created, and Google Trends© was searched for popular diets to determine popular dietary patterns based on the fad diet definition. Finally, eight dietary patterns were identified for inclusion. One-week sample menus were created for each dietary …

Examining The Influence Of Teacher And Student Variables On Teachers’ Levels Of Self-Efficacy, Rachel Pugh

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive correlational quantitative study was to examine contributing factors of students and teachers affecting teacher self-efficacy and students' reading achievement in rural Oklahoma elementary schools in grades first through fifth. The contributing factors of students being analyzed included (a) poverty and (b) race or ethnic backgrounds. The teachers’ contributing factors include their self-efficacy levels on students' reading achievement, instructional strategies, classroom management, and student engagement levels. The proposed theory was that student and teacher variables beyond their control influenced teachers' self-efficacy levels in poverty-stricken classrooms. The study employed a quantitative approach, which used an online questionnaire …

Overcoming The Achievement Gap: Arkansas' Utilization Of Weighted Student Funding To Support Students Of Poverty, Michael G. Mcfetridge

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

With over 63% of its students living in poverty, the state of Arkansas has a challenge when it comes to equitable funding and opportunities for its students. One funding mechanism that has been in place in Arkansas for over 20 years now is a categorical funding allocation known as Enhanced Student Achievement Funds (ESA). School districts receive these funds based on their percentage of students in poverty. While this weighted student funding model of allocating more funds to identified characteristics has been in place in Arkansas for over two decades, little research exists to gauge whether these allocation mechanisms successfully …

Lanthorn, Vol. 58, No. 15, March 25, 2024, Grand Valley State University

Volume 58, August 7, 2023 - April 15, 2024

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Chimes: March 25, 2024, Calvin University

Chimes

Social media company Fizz makes a buzz at Calvin by Ewan Parker

Understanding Title IX, at Calvin and beyond by Savannah Shustack & Liana Hirner

Calvin's summer H.E.A.L.T.H. Camp expands to include boys by Jacob Westra

Chapel underutilized by faculty due in part to scheduling conflicts, other faith commitments by Nolan Cowan

Women's tennis team finishes non-conference schedule strong by Dillion Baumchen

"Gotcha": A new campus tradition? by Ashley Hamons

Implementation Of Mindfulness & Stress Reduction Training For Medical Students, Jill Berenato

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Abstract

This proposal advocates for implementing mandatory mindfulness and stress reduction training sessions for surgical students at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). It is well-documented that medical students, particularly those in surgical disciplines, experience high levels of stress, which can negatively impact their mental health, academic performance and overall well-being. Mindfulness-based interventions have shown promise in reducing stress and enhancing resilience among medical students. By integrating mindfulness training into the surgical curriculum, PCOM aims to equip students with essential coping skills to effectively manage stress, thereby promoting their mental health and academic success. This handout serves to accompany the …

Caregiver And Professional Experiences With Social-Emotional Learning In The Classroom For Young Children With Inherited Bleeding Disorders: A Phenomenological Study, Christy L. Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenology is to explore caregivers’ and professionals’ experiences of supporting young children’s social-emotional learning in the classroom and its impact on early education in Western Pennsylvania. The theory guiding this study is Bowlby’s theory on attachment as it focuses on how positive interactions with caregivers boost the psychological health and feelings of security that lead to expansion of positive social-emotional relationships with others. This qualitative research design was completed by interviewing eight caregivers and three professionals of young children with inherited bleeding disorders who are members of the local chapter of the Hemophilia Federation of …

Exploring Perceptions Of Lived Experiences Of Nursing Program Students With Grant Funding Investment In A Community College, Brian Richard Michel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutical phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of nursing program students with grant funding investment in a nursing, allied, and physical health program at a rural community college in Western New York. This rural institution is a member institution of the State University of New York system. The research was guided by the underlying central research question, “What are the perceptions of lived learning experiences made possible through grant funding investment of nursing program students at a rural community college?” Three different data collection methods were used in interviews, a focus group, and …

Sharing Stories Of Development: How School Leaders Perceive Developing A Trauma-Informed School, Mandy L. Cyr

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This narrative inquiry explored how educational leaders perceive the development of a trauma-informed school. A trauma-informed school acknowledges the impact of trauma and responds by integrating effective practices, programs, and procedures to build resilience. The problem addressed by this study is, with rising numbers of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), school staff lack targeted skills to help students mitigate trauma. Further, this qualitative study fills the gap in literature by providing the lived experiences of educational leaders in developing trauma-informed schools. Through narrative research, semistructured interviews which lasted up to 60 minutes were individually conducted with five educational leaders who …