Digital Commons Network^™

Academic Performance In College Students: The Roles Of Physical Activity, Perceived Academic Control, And Bmi, Erin Vanderbunt, Jenna Woolley

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Volume 7: Issue 1, Article 3, 2026.  Background: Health behaviors and motivational factors are increasingly recognized as contributors to academic performance in college students. Physical activity (PA), perceived academic control (PAC), and body mass index (BMI) have each been linked to academic outcomes, yet their combined effects remain understudied. Purpose: To examine the relationships between PA, PAC, BMI, and academic performance in undergraduate students. Methods: A total of 299 undergraduates from a regional Midwestern university participated in this study. Students completed a survey assessing demographic variables, physical activity (via IPAQ-SF), PAC, BMI, and self-reported academic performance on a …

The Public Speaking Survival Kit: A Personalized And Holistic Approach To Managing Speech Anxiety, Sydney Kamm

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Speech anxiety is a common stressor for students in public speaking classes (McCroskey, 1977) and is a particular worry for Gen Z students (Wahed & Palmer-Wackerly, 2026), yet it is often treated superficially in curricula and textbooks. When instruction centers on generic advice, students are left unequipped to manage anxiety that directly affects performance. Although delivery is graded, many “poor delivery” habits—fidgeting, filler words, lack of eye contact—stem from unmanaged anxiety (Bodie, 2010). This activity addresses that gap through a holistic approach that integrates cognitive, behavioral, and physiological dimensions. Informed by my experience with a neurological condition that causes physical …

"From An Activist Spirit And History": An Examination Of Midwest Professors Who Teach Gender Studies In The Current Political Climate, Mena Faber

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Gender studies is an interdisciplinary field spanning higher education institutions globally. Yet the experiences of scholars within specific regional contexts remain understudied. This study examines the lived personal and pedagogical experiences of gender studies and gender communication scholars in the Midwest. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore participants’ experiences, perceived pressures, and responses to the current political and academic climate. Interview questions focused on the challenges scholars face as well as the communicative practices they adopt in response to shifting attitudes toward gender studies. This research seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of how scholars …

Illinois Model Programs Of Study Guide: Education, Education Systems Center

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

This guide is designed to support the design and implementation of high-quality programs of study in education that lead to in-demand, living-wage careers, in alignment with Illinois statute. The recommended programs of study should be customized by local K-12 and community college partners.

Illinois Model Programs Of Study Guide: Physical Health, Education Systems Center

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

This guide is designed to support the design and implementation of high-quality programs of study in physical health that lead to in-demand, living-wage careers, in alignment with Illinois statute. The recommended programs of study should be customized by local K-12 and community college partners.

Illinois Model Programs Of Study Guide: Digital Technology, Education Systems Center

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

This guide is designed to support the design and implementation of high-quality programs of study in digital technology that lead to in-demand, living-wage careers, in alignment with Illinois statute. The recommended programs of study should be customized by local K-12 and community college partners.

2026-10-23 Agenda Booklet, 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 October 23, 2026, which includes the meeting minutes of the Board meeting, and committee meetings, held on August 7, 2026.

Volume Cxlvi, Number 5, October 23, 2026, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.

Preserving Threatened Wisdom In Indigenous Houses As Living Archives: An Ethnographic Study Of Spatial, Gendered Knowledge, And Community-Based Preservation Strategies In The Philippines, Lalin Abbacan Tuguic

The Qualitative Report

This qualitative study explores how Indigenous houses function as living archives of identity, ecological wisdom, and gendered knowledge in Kalinga communities in the Cordillera region of the Philippines. Using an ethnographic design grounded in prolonged engagement and reflexive practice, the research documents how historical experience, social and cultural meanings, environmental adaptation, and community‑based preservation strategies are materially and symbolically embedded in Indigenous house construction and use. Data were generated through participant observation of everyday life and rituals in and around traditional square and octagonal houses; semi‑structured interviews with elders, women, builders, youth, and community leaders; focus group discussions in local …

What Can Horses Teach Us About Becoming Better College Instructors? More Than You Might Think, Laura Collander

Colloquiums

Professor Collander discusses the surprising connections between equine behavior and the art of teaching. Drawing on lessons from horses' remarkable sensitivity to trust, communication, emotional intelligence, and learning environments, we will explore practical strategies for fostering student engagement, psychological safety, and meaningful academic relationships. Effective teaching depends on more than content expertise. It requires trust, communication, emotional awareness, and the ability to create environments where learners feel safe to grow.

State Of Illinois Model Programs Of Study Overview Guide, Education Systems Center

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

This guide provides foundational information that underpins all of the State of Illinois Model Programs of Study Guides, including their purpose, intended audiences, key terminology, the development process for identifying high-priority occupations and credentials, cross-sector competencies, the work-based learning continuum, and how to implement the guides.

Learning On The Move: A Quick Fix For Active Classrooms, Rachel Dolechek, Jessica Phelan, Derek Mesa

Applied Business Faculty Publications

College students frequently exhibit prolonged periods of sedentary behavior while completing course-related work. Walking meetings offer an alternative classroom engagement approach that integrates movement to enhance learner productivity, drawing on evidence that physical activity supports mental health, creativity, memory, and executive function. This article uses a pilot study approach to gauge the student perspective of incorporating walking meetings in the college classroom. After participating in a walking meeting, student participants completed a survey reflecting on enjoyment, learner productivity, and overall experience. Participants consistently described walking meetings as energizing, productive, and conducive to meaningful interaction. Findings indicate that walking meetings can …

How To Publish Open Access For Little To No Cost, Sue Ann Gardner, Melissa Gomis

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Presentations

Slides of a presentation about how to publish your scholarly works for little to no cost. Part of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Open Access Week training series for 2026.

How to Publish Open Access for Little to No Cost, Thursday, October 22, 2026, 12:00-1:00 pm, Online

Increase the visibility and impact of your research without paying high publication fees. Open access publishing helps your scholarship reach readers around the world, but article processing charges (APCs) can be costly. The University Libraries can help you take advantage of publisher agreements and other resources that may cover most—or even all—of your publishing …

The Life Of A Showgirl As A Cultural Artifact: What's Hidden By The Lipstick And Lace?, Crystal F. Haryanto

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This paper develops a collage-based framework to holistically assess Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated first release after the Eras Tour concluded. The Life of a Showgirl, with sparkling promotional materials leading up to its October 2025 drop and polarizing critical reception following it, represents an entertainer’s lifestyle while still concealing what was alluded to behind the Eras Tour curtain. Rather than engage in a direct response to Showgirl, I critically evaluate positive and negative commentary from listeners regarding the album, and I thematically analyze lyrical concepts throughout Swift’s discography to contextualize Showgirl within the arc of her work. I …

(Re)Membering As Resistance: Learning From My Grandma’S Story In A Time Of Historical Erasure, Akilah K. Lyons-Moore

Occasional Paper Series

In the current moment of historical erasure—marked by book bans, curricular restrictions, and political efforts to sanitize discussions of race—(re)membering becomes a pedagogical imperative. Drawing on Morrison’s (1987) articulation of (re)membering and Black feminist theories of memory (Collins, 2000; Hartman, 2008; hooks, 1994), this paper uses narrative inquiry to trace the intergenerational educational journeys of a Black rural Southern woman born in 1914 and her granddaughter, a contemporary teacher educator. Through autobiography and lived experience, this paper examines how personal and communal histories counter disremembering (Trouillot, 1995) and the politics of being forgotten. By weaving together these two lives—rooted in …

Beyond The Chalkboard: Black Oral Traditions And The Kitchen Table As Pedagogy, Gerald D. Smith Jr

Occasional Paper Series

This article positions the kitchen table as a vital pedagogical archive within Black educational history. Drawing on the work of various Black scholars, it argues that domestic spaces—kitchen tables, living rooms, basements, and barbershops have long functioned as fugitive classrooms where Black communities cultivated knowledge, identity, and political consciousness beyond the constraints of formal schooling. Using Carrie Mae Weems’ Kitchen Table Series as a central metaphor, the article traces how oral traditions, storytelling, and community dialogue preserved Black intellectual traditions during eras of segregation, educator displacement, and systemic erasure throughout history. Highlighting Black feminist educators such as Anna Julia Cooper, …

Voices From The Atrato: Reclaiming Afrocolombian Education From The Riverbank, Siris Sulay Mena-Rivera, Karen Chaverra-Mosquera, Maure Aguirre Ortega

Occasional Paper Series

This article reconceptualizes the Atrato River as a living pedagogical archive that participates in the formation of Black education in Chocó, Colombia. Drawing on Black feminist oral methods, it centers a dialogue among Black educators to examine how educational knowledge emerges through relationships with the river, territory, memory, and community life. The analysis argues that river-based pedagogies distinct Afro-Colombian epistemologies that challenge White/Mestizo-centered and standardized models of schooling. Storytelling, river travel, intergenerational memory, and everyday territorial practices are examined as pedagogical processes through which Black communities sustain identity, historical consciousness, and collective sovereignty. The article further contends that the Atrato's …

Black Women Educators: An Exploration Of Liberatory Pedagogical Practices At The Oakland Community School, Renée Wilmot

Occasional Paper Series

The aim of this paper is to analyze the autobiographical development and pedagogical practices of educators at the Oakland Community School (OCS). The OCS, in alignment with the Black Power Movement, developed revolutionary pedagogical practices that resisted Eurocentric curriculum which sought to normalize and reinforce white middle class values. Specifically, this paper will consider previous interviews and autobiographies with founding members of the school such as David Hillard and Huey P. Newton. As well as interviews with veteran school director, Ericka Huggins, and alumna, Kellita Smith. This information can reveal the ways K-12 experiences of the OCS school leaders became …

Freedom Is Taught Here: Freedom Schools And The Radical Tradition Of Intergenerational Community Learning In Black Education, Trayc D. Freeman, Wintre F. Johnson, Tiffany D. Meadows, Christine Onyinyechi-Uju Emuka, Naila A. Smith

Occasional Paper Series

The Black American community has always understood the power of literacy and education, and the importance of Black self-sufficiency to attain these. The establishment of Freedom Schools during the 1964 Freedom Summer in Mississippi is an actualization of that understanding. Since 1995, the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) has carried on the work and legacy, with Freedom Schools still taking place all over the United States. For two summers, we, researchers from the University of Virginia, have had the opportunity to partner with a CDF Freedom School as part of a mixed-method research study. This essay serves as a reflection and …

College Students’ And Teachers’ Biases Regarding School Children Based On Appearance, Sex, And Clothing, Lauren K. Decoste, Terry F. Pettijohn Ii

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This research explored how appearance, sex, and clothing differences influence adults’ perceptions of primary school students across two studies. Male students were predicted to be rated higher in academic ability, behavior, and likeability compared to female students, while formally dressed students were expected to receive more favorable ratings than informally dressed students. Study 1 included college students (N = 160), and Study 2 included employed teachers (N = 112). Participants rated formally and informally dressed male and female students on perceived behavioral, academic, and social skills, likeability, and engagement. Results showed that model sex influenced several perceptions, with male students …

Uplifting And Shifting Graduate Professional Preparation Programs In Higher Education At Hbcus, Pietro A. Sasso, Justin Alexander, Ashley Gray, Adriel Hilton, Fred Bonner

New York Journal of Student Affairs

Scant research elucidates the contributions of both master’s-level and doctoral higher education administration professional preparation programs at HBCUs. These programs exist across only approximately 20% of these institutions. In this conceptual research piece, the researchers will explore the historical legacies and contemporary status of HBCU higher education graduate programs in higher education. Recommendations and future directions are provided to enhance capacity and amplify the contributions of these significant programs. These include strategies for program distinction, professional connectivities, and increasing scholarly contributions.

Chatgpt Employment Anxiety And Career Confidence: Discipline-Contingent Evidence From Malaysian Undergraduates, Fahd A. Raza, Abtar D. Singh, Rabia Anwar, Jonathan Js Kovilpillai, Analisa Hamdan, Fumiko Konno, Husna Hr Azami, Murali Raman

Higher Learning Research Communications

Background: The rapid diffusion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has raised concerns about graduate employability, yet evidence on how ChatGPT employment anxiety relates to career confidence remains limited, particularly in non-Western contexts.

Objectives: We examined whether ChatGPT employment anxiety is associated with career confidence among Malaysian undergraduates and whether academic discipline or usage intensity moderates that association.

Methods: Using the Malaysian subset of the 2024–2025 Global ChatGPT Student Survey (Aristovnik et al., 2025; N = 315 ChatGPT users), we constructed a four-item employment anxiety index (α = .80) and estimated hierarchical ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions predicting a single-item measure …

Spectrum, Volume 57, Issue 5, Sacred Heart University

Newspapers (Obelisk & Spectrum)

Highlights include: Students and Faculty on the Cornell Case -- ProjectConnect -- Master of Public Health Program -- Camaraderie, Chemistry and Consecutive Wins -- Women’s Rugby Makes a Comeback

Assessment Of The Potential Training Population Within Selected Neighborhoods In The City Of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Kathleen Bolter, Gerrit Anderson, Kyle Huisman

Upjohn Institute Technical Reports

This report provides a strategic analysis of the potential job training population of prime-age (25–54) “Recompete” residents within 14 identified census tracts in South and East Chattanooga, Tennessee. The data reveal a distinct population facing compounded physical and economic barriers that require a multisectoral approach beyond traditional skills training. The report offers neighborhood-specific strategies to improve stable employment through better access to training and other forms of transportation, childcare, and language assistance.

Hots Based Innovative Assessment Of Listening Skills In The 2020 Arabic Textbook For Grade X Madrasah Aliyah, Yanda Rismawati, R Umi Baroroh

Al-Arabi: Journal of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language

This study analyzes the distribution of cognitive levels in listening (istima’) questions and identifies which language skill demonstrates the least integration of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). Employing a qualitative content analysis approach within a library research design, the primary data source is the 2020 Arabic Language Textbook for Grade X published by the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs (KEMENAG). Secondary data include theoretical and empirical literature on HOTS-based assessment and Arabic language pedagogy. The findings indicate that listening (istima’) is the skill with the lowest representation of HOTS-oriented items. Out of 79 questions examined, most fall into the LOTS …

Tathbīqu Ṭarīqati At-Ta‘Allumi Al-Mumti‘ Bi-Istikhdāmi Wasīlati Biṭāqāti Ad-Domīnū Fī Māddati Al-Lughah Al-‘Arabiyyah Li-Zīyādati Dāfi‘Iyyati Wa Fahmi Aṭ-Ṭullāb, Nur Imana Khofiyani Sasmi, Ainur Rofiq, Mohammad Baihaqi

Al-Arabi: Journal of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language

This research aims to determine how effectively the joyful learning strategy, incorporating domino cards as a learning tool, enhances students’ motivation and understanding in Arabic language instruction. The study utilized a quantitative method with a quasi-experimental approach, specifically adopting a one-group pretest-posttest design, and involved 31 eighth-grade students from MTsN 2 in Surabaya. Data were obtained through both pretest and posttest evaluations, as well as through observation during the learning process. The statistical results demonstrated a marked improvement in student achievement, with the average score increasing from 29.42 in the pretest to 74.74 in the posttest. The Paired Sample T-Test …

Formative Assessment Of All Through Independent Curriculum-Based On Lks At Mts Miftahussa’Adah Mijen Semarang, Siti Rodliyah, Inayah Inayah, Pakuamudin Muhammad

Al-Arabi: Journal of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language

This study examines the implementation of formative assessment in Arabic language learning and the role of Student Worksheets (LKS) as an evaluation tool that supports active learning at MTs Miftahussa'adah, Semarang City. The approach used is an explanatory qualitative. Data collection techniques include observation, interviews, questionnaires, and documentation with data analysis of the Miles and Huberman model. The results showed that formative assessment was implemented through collaborative activities, language skills practice (maharah), and immediate feedback. The worksheet is used as the main means of assessment. However, problems were still found in the aspects of language comprehensibility and appearance. Although 100% …

Namūdzaj At-Taqyīm Al-Hajīn Li-Ta‘Līm Al-Lughah Al-‘Arabiyyah Fī Al-Ma’Āhid Al-Islāmiyyah: Damj At-Tal‘Īb Fī Wordwall Ma‘A At-Ta‘Allum Al-Qā’Im ‘Alā Al-Musykilāt, Achmad Farouq Abdullah, Ahmad Kali Akbar, Luthfi Muhyiddin

Al-Arabi: Journal of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language

This study aims to develop a Hybrid Evaluation Model for Arabic language learning in Islamic boarding schools by integrating Wordwall gamification with the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach. The innovation responds to the growing need for an evaluation system that not only measures learning outcomes but also promotes reflective, collaborative, and engaging learning experiences among students. Employing a Research and Development (R&D) approach with the ADDIE framework—comprising Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation—the study involved expert validation, classroom observation, and field trials. The results of expert validation indicated a high level of feasibility, with media and content scores of 86.9% and …

Fines, Fees, And The Carceral Economic Conditions Of Public Education, Thalia González

Washington and Lee Law Review Online

In this Article, I apply an expanded concept of education carcerality to identify and analyze a largely unexamined modality of punitive economic governance—intra-system educational fines and fees. Distinguished from other forms of childhood financial sanctions, including the criminalization of ordinary child and adolescent behavior in schools through the use of municipal fines and fees, these carceral-penal practices are exclusively defined, imposed, and collected within school systems themselves. Drawing on original data from 101 publicly available policies governing the two largest school districts by student population in each state and the District of Columbia, this Article contributes to the literature with …

Constructing The Cyber Workforce Gap: Measurement And Its Consequences, Ryan Straight

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Cyber workforce-gap figures steer federal strategy, industry advocacy, and the growth of educational programs. Rather than estimating the U.S. gap, this review examines how the estimates are made: through job-posting analytics, survey-based estimation, and federal accounting, each of which must assume its way from instrument to labor market. A census of this journal's complete run illustrates what those figures underwrite in one venue: of 176 items published across eleven years, 51 invoke a labor-market workforce claim, 46 treat it as settled fact, and only one, an editorial, interrogates it. Meanwhile, the producers and auditors of those figures have diverged. Between …