Digital Commons Network^™

Staying The Course: A Mixed-Method Exploration Of Social And Emotional Learning Skills For First-Year College Student Retention, Verna Henry

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Across the nation, thousands of first-year college students begin their journey full of hope, yet far too many do not reach their second year. Only 74% of full-time students continue, and fewer than seven in 10 remain at the same college. For many, the struggle is not simply academic. It is emotional, social, and deeply personal. Students who face challenges with time management, stress, and self-regulation are often overwhelmed, uncertain, and at risk of dropping out before achieving their goals. To help ease this transition, many colleges offer first-year experience courses that connect students to tutoring, counseling, and campus resources. …

Summer 2026, Augustana College, Rock Island Illinois

Augustana Magazine

No abstract provided.

Freewrite: Synchronizing Mind, Hand, And Pen – An Excavation Of A Basic Practice, Ibrahim Marazka

GHEA21 Publications

No abstract provided.

Pharmed. System Manual: Hololens Application, Eden Woldeselassie

Systems Manuals - 2026

This document provides the full life cycle of PharmEd HoloLens. PharmEd stands for Pharmacy Education. The overall document will go through the complete system manual by going over requirements, followed by design, how to install the application, how to upload the application to Microsoft store, troubleshooting and source code. The first section will explain the background, the existing problems and why the need to develop PharmEd.  Here techniques of requirement gathering and some statistics will elaborated. The following section discusses about functional requirements. The requirement section includes subtopics: functional and nonfunctional requirements for both -programmer and end user- and the …

E Classroom+, Ami B. Jariwala

Systems Manuals - 2026

A software platform that enhances many processes correlated with learning is called a learning management system (LMS). It is also known as a management software package that enables the delivery of learning content, resources and activities and also that handles the correlated administration operations. In classrooms, today, teachers, are being commenced with convenience to remodel learning from a traditional transmission model to a student-centered model where students are mostly responsible for their learning. The research conveys that in order to remodel learning, schools require to support a student-centered approach where students can be supported in finding, analyzing, organizing, evaluating, internalizing, …

Kta System Manual, Cayden Garcia

Systems Manuals - 2026

The purpose of this document is to explain the ins and outs of KTA. This includes but not limited to:

- The problem that colleges face when it comes to data analysis and collection

- The history of data analytics at a collegiate level

- Software and hardware requirements for KTA – Developer and User

- The overall design of KTA, how the software is structured and how the stack interacts with one another

- How to install KTA on your machine

- Sample Sessions – including issues that the user may run into and how to fix them

Idioma Tutor, Oralia Mijares

Systems Manuals - 2026

The Idioma Tutor was developed specifically for individuals who desire to learn English through a non-traditional approach, eLearning. Idioma Tutor is an interactive game designed to strengthen individual’s English language adaptation, using an individual-learner approach. The game uses immediate feedback to provide self-analysis for learners. It captivates users and applies best-practices in eLearning and game development to retain and fully engage learners. This system manual outlines provides detailed information for using the Idioma Tutor. This system will be used as a catalyst to support the success of individuals who desire to learn the English language in a fun and interactive …

Building Community Leadership Capacity Through Extension Partnerships: An Evaluation Case Study, Paul A. Hill, Lendel K. Narine

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This evaluation study examines the effectiveness of the Leadership Dixie program in enhancing leadership capacity among participants in Washington County, Utah. As a program partner, Utah State University (USU) Extension conducted the evaluation on the program’s 25th class, comprising 27 participants (N = 27). The program, characterized by 10 monthly “Challenge Day” field tours, was evaluated using two instruments to collect data on participant learning and satisfaction levels, overall program experience, demographics, and impacts on social capital, interpersonal leadership skills, community engagement, and volunteerism. Results indicate strong positive outcomes in social capital, community engagement, and volunteerism while highlighting areas for …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Community-Based Prenatal Education Program On Maternal Knowledge And Intentions In Utah, Aaron T. Hunt, Jenna Dyckman, Kaylee Cox

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Maternal and infant health in the U.S. has worsened, with rising rates of maternal mortality, gestational diabetes, postpartum depression, and infant mortality. Prenatal education is a proven strategy to improve outcomes, yet many expecting parents rely on unvetted information or lack access to reliable resources. To address this gap, a pilot prenatal education program was implemented through Utah State University Extension to improve knowledge, attitudes, and intentions related to breastfeeding, nutrition, mental health, and other key topics. The program consisted of 3 1-hour, evidence-based workshops incorporating lectures and interactive activities. A retrospective pre-post survey was completed by 28 pregnant participants …

Perspectives Of Scholars, Families, And Advisors On 360-Degree Video Technology In Graduate Education, Oluwatobi A. Mogbojuri, Bridget A. Walsh, Matthew Aguirre

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This study explored the experiences of scholars in creating and sharing 360-degree videos, as well as the perspectives of families and advisors who viewed the videos. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted online using a videoconferencing platform. Perspectives from 20 participants (15 scholars, three advisors, and two family members) were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three primary themes were identified: (1) barriers to 360-degree video use, (2) perspective shifts and limited change, and (3) storytelling and scholar visibility. Findings suggest that 360-degree video technology may be an innovative tool for enhancing recruitment and retention, especially for historically marginalized groups, through …

Trauma-Informed And Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices To Support Multilingual Learners In K-12 Classrooms, Emily Johnson

Graduate Teacher Education

This Capstone paper examined how trauma-informed (TI) and culturally responsive (CR) belonging of multilingual learners (MLs) in K-12 classrooms. This study evaluated the intersection of TI education and CR teaching as a framework to support MLs. With MLs representing approximately 10% of the U.S. student population (NCES, 2024), schools faced an urgent need to address the academic, linguistic, and social-emotional challenges due to adverse childhood experiences, migration-related stress, displacement, and cultural adjustment. The literature review included qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, and intervention-based studies examining MLs, refugee-background students, teacher perceptions, professional development, school-based interventions, and CR instructional practices. This paper explored how …

Female Athletes With Differences Of Sex Development (Dsd): A Christian Perspective On Fairness And Compassion, Angela M. Robles

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

One of the most significant controversies in elite women’s sport relates to the participation of female athletes with differences of sex development (DSD), as demonstrated by recent Olympic debates surrounding athletes like Imane Khelif and Caster Semenya. Today, a complex challenge continues to evolve at the intersection of DSD and competitive sports, and it requires careful consideration. The central argument of this paper is that DSD athletes are worthy of compassionate treatment grounded in their inherent dignity, and is founded on the understanding of what it means for humans to be created in the image of God (imago Dei). The …

A Holistic Christian Perspective On Wellness For College Students - A Qualitative Analysis, Shari L. Jurgens, Deb Majewski, Jessica Clevering

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Aim: This study sought to explore the impact of a Christ-centered, holistic wellness course on college-aged students’ understanding of key wellness principles. The goal was to gain insight into how students comprehend and apply these principles considering their spiritual and personal development.

Background: Wellness education for undergraduate students is both timely and essential, especially within Christian higher education, where nurturing the whole person is a core value. A common misconception is that wellness pertains only to physical and mental health. However, Scripture affirms that human flourishing involves a harmony of body, mind, and spirit. A holistic, biblically informed approach to …

The Virtue Of Hope In Sports Through Spe Salvi And Its Role In Faith, Resilience, And Character Formation In Student-Athletes, Hansson G. Labisig, Arvin D. Eballo

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Pope Benedict XVI, in Spe Salvi, presents hope as a transformative and redemptive virtue that enables believers to live and suffer differently, rooted in faith in God. He writes, “The one who has hope lives differently.” This study develops a theological-pastoral framework for integrating the virtue of hope into the faith formation of student-athletes within Catholic educational institutions, positioning sport as a genuine locus theologicus for Religious Education and evangelization. Employing the See–Judge–Act methodology, it draws from Spe Salvi, Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae, and the Vatican document Giving the Best of Yourself, in dialogue with C. R. Snyder’s psychological theory …

History Of The College Of The Holy Cross Naval Rotc Unit, O'Callahan Society, College Of The Holy Cross

85th Anniversary of NROTC at Holy Cross

The Holy Cross Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Unit reached its 85th anniversary in July 2026 and, to commemorate this event, the Holy Cross O’Callahan Society has updated the history of the Unit that was prepared for the Unit’s 75th anniversary and now revised twice. The O’Callahan Society grew out of the vision of Reverend John E. Brooks, S. J., President of the College of the Holy Cross 1970-94, who invited several graduates of the NROTC Unit to meet in the early 1990s and discuss how NROTC alumni could support the NROTC Unit. From these discussions, the O’Callahan Committee …

State-Mandated Principal Mentoring And Its Relationship To Leadership Efficacy, Working Conditions, And Student Achievement Across Contexts, Ellen Willoughby

Education Theses and Dissertations

Although principal mentoring has been widely studied, far less is known about whether state-level mentoring mandates function as effective policy levers for improving principal or student outcomes. This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study examined the relationship between state mentoring mandates in principal preparation programs and four outcomes: principal leadership efficacy, occupational stress, pay satisfaction, and student achievement. Phase 1 employed multiple linear regression with state-level data from the 2020–2021 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and 2023 Education Commission of the States mentoring mandate classifications. Phase 2 used semi-structured interviews with four practicing principals …

From Crisis To Capability: The Evolution Of Leadership Models And Essential Competencies In The Post-Pandemic Era, Mimi Bekele

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for organizations and leaders, requiring rapid responses to uncertainty. This qualitative study examined how leadership models evolved in response to lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) essential for effective leadership in a post-pandemic environment, guided by Heifetz's Adaptive Leadership Theory. Chapter 2 situated the study within four leadership models: situational, skills, transformational, and adaptive. It also examined three pandemic-era drivers of workplace change: the multigenerational workforce, the Great Resignation, and employee mental health. Chapter 3 employed a mixed-methods design consisting of a survey of 43 respondents …

I Didn’T Think Teaching Was For Me: An Autoethnography Of Teaching Other People's Children, Jaquinetta Mitchell

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This autoethnographic study examines how the cooperating teacher-student teacher relationships shapes professional identity, culturally responsive practice, and long-term teaching efficacy, particularly when preparing educators to work with students of color. Drawing on my own reflective narrative as a Black woman who navigated a predominantly White teacher preparation program and entered the profession inadequately prepared to serve diverse students, alongside three rounds of data collected from former student teachers, this study asks: How does the student teaching experience affect teachers’ educational journeys? What support do cooperating teachers need to effectively mentor student teachers working with students of color? How does the …

The Role Of Mindfulness In Building Sustainable Educational Leadership, Joe Mueller

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Educational leaders work in environments characterized by sustained responsibility, complex decision-making, emotional demands, and persistent stress. While these demands are well documented in the current literature, the question of how educational leadership might remain healthy, effective, and sustainable still remains. Mindfulness has emerged as a potential resource for managing and navigating stress across multiple professional fields. Despite a growing interest in mindfulness, little research has directly examined the connection between dispositional mindfulness and perceived stress among practicing educational leaders. The purpose of this study is the examination of that connection among educational leaders in the state of Minnesota. This research …

Sharing The Voices Of Latine Students: Their Experiences Of Community, Belonging And Joy In A Suburban Public High School, Ashley Acosta-Meyers

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenological and ethnographic study explored how seven Latine high school students in a suburban public high school defined and experienced community, belonging, and joy, asking what school spaces, experiences, and practices build or diminish these three concepts. Data was collected through four interview sessions per participant, reflective journaling, and three culturally and linguistically responsive walkthrough observations, and were analyzed through layered linguistic, narrative, and thematic coding. Findings showed that belonging and joy were tied to specific spaces rather than felt evenly across the school day. Institutional fairness shaped belonging as much as any relationship. Latine identity was contested, …

Beyond Casebooks: Law School’S Hidden Curriculum, Nubia Nelly Esparza

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods study sought to understand how the hidden curriculum affects first-generation, marginalized, and underrepresented law students and attorneys, what educational and career opportunities they have missed as a result of not knowing these unwritten rules, and what law schools could do to better prepare this population for the realities of legal education and practice. Data were collected through an anonymous online survey and a focus group with first-generation law students and attorneys who have been in the profession for ten years or less. Analysis of the data was mapped against the Conceptual Framework of the Hidden Curriculum in …

Automated Scoring Of Prosody In Oral Reading Fluency: Integrating Acoustic And Sentence/Chunk-Level Silence Features With Machine Learning, Kuo Wang

Education Policy and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

Prosody, the ability to read with appropriate variation in pitch, duration, pausing, and stress, is an important (and challenging to measure) dimension of oral reading fluency (ORF) and comprehension. ORF prosody is currently measured through human raters and rubric-based scoring systems (e.g., the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) or the Multidimensional Fluency Scale (MDFS scales). The rating process is labor and resource-intensive and introduces rater bias. Recent work has shown acoustic features to predict prosody ratings; however, their models had low generalization performance on cross-domain data (unseen passages and student samples).

The present study investigated the automated assessment of …

A Proposed Typology Of Nos Empirical Research: Trends And Implications, Maryam Saberi, Noushin Nouri, William F. Mccomas

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

Nature of Science (NOS) is a vital school subject with extensive publication record including results from many empirical investigations. This project examined the range, nature, and trends in empirical NOS studies from six major science education research journals over a recent 25-year period with additional recent data. Using systematic literature review techniques (SLR) and subsequent qualitative methods, we developed a comprehensive typology of empirical NOS articles. Ten categories emerged: Teaching NOS to students; Teaching NOS to teachers; Teachers’ NOS classroom practices and knowledge transfer; NOS assessment development and application; Analyses of textbooks and science curricula; Relationships between NOS knowledge and …

Native American Speech-Language Pathologists: Voices And Perspectives, Lexi Woods

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: This narrative inquiry centers the lived experiences and professional voices of Native American speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working with students with disabilities on tribal lands, a population that remains unheard within special education and speech-language pathology research. Grounded in Indigenous epistemologies that honor relationality, storytelling, and community accountability, this study explores how Native American SLPs navigate systemic inequities, cultural and linguistic mismatches, and institutional constraints while providing services in public, tribally controlled, and Bureau of Indian Education schools. Through in-depth narratives, the research illuminates how participants resist deficit-based approaches by reframing silence, communication styles, family engagement, and disability through culturally …

Idenscarty: Sewing As A Coping Mechanism Beyond Reductive Aesthetics And Capitalism, Edward Berchie Osei

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The act of sewing, an intergenerational craft often subordinated to aesthetics and capitalism, is being recognized for its benefit to emotional well-being, identity (re)formation, cultural continuity, and communal interconnectedness. In this context, this thesis emerges from my lived experiences and artistic inquiry into how sewing, slow-sewing in particular, can serve as a therapeutic practice, with special consideration for contemporary art pedagogy. Central to the thesis is the concept of IDENSCARTY, which combines themes of identity, scars, and transcultural influence to project the responsive abilities of Therapeutic Sewing Practices (TSP), a term that highlights the workability of slow-sewing practices. Informed by …

Beyond Ai Detection: A Pilot Study Of Integrevise And Viva-Based Verification Of Student Understanding In Ai-Mediated Assessment, James Hutson, Kyle Poyer, Kelvin Adshola Atologun

Faculty Scholarship

This article examines the Integrevise platform through a repeated cross-sectional, multicycle pilot case study of viva-based verification in AI-mediated assessment environments. Integrevise pairs a submitted written artifact with a short adaptive viva in which students explain their work, reasoning, and application in their own words. Rather than functioning as an AI detector or automated grading system, the platform operates as a diagnostic assessment layer intended to surface comprehension, authorship confidence, and disengagement risk before final grades become the only available signal. The pilot was conducted across Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 at a private liberal arts college in the Midwest; …

Voices Unheard: A Phenomenological Study Of Access And Inclusion Of College Students With Autism In The Southeastern United States, Janet L. Kuchinski

Dissertations

Although access to higher education has expanded for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), many continue to encounter barriers to meaningful inclusion, belonging, and participation within the college environment. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study was to explore the lived experiences of college students with ASD regarding access and inclusion in higher education. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit five college students with ASD who were at least 19 years of age, currently enrolled in college, and registered with disability services. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted via Microsoft Teams and analyzed using established IPA procedures. …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 41. Violet Wallace’S ‘Natural History For Infants’, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

In 1893 Violet Wallace (1869-1945), daughter of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913), published a serialized work entitled ‘Natural History for Infants’.

Adjustment Challenges In The International Student Population At A Rural Mid-Size Midwestern University, Sara El Bizri Hussein

All NMU Master's Theses

This qualitative descriptive study explored the adjustment experiences of non-athlete international students attending a rural, mid-size Midwestern university and identified the challenges and supports that shaped their transition.

Guided by Berry’s acculturation framework and informed by theories of student integration and coping, data were collected through an initial survey and semi-structured interviews. Seven participants were interviewed. Interview transcripts were analyzed using open and focused coding procedures to identify recurring patterns and themes.

Analysis revealed that international student adjustment is multidimensional and influenced by social, academic, emotional, cultural, environmental, and structural factors. Three major themes emerged from the data: (1) Social …

Highly Confident But Slightly Uncertain: A Long Overdue Reinvention Of The School Scientific Method, Teaching - Volume 4, Stephen Demeo

Publications and Research

In Volume 4, the last book of the series, I continue the argument for greater parity between conceptual knowledge—the "what" of science—and methodological knowledge—the "how" of science—but in the context of teacher instruction. To this end, two literature reviews are presented: One on how students build confidence, specifically regarding the reliability or consistency of measurement or results, and the other on scientific uncertainty. Research studies focusing on student misconceptions are summarized and organized from the elementary to the college level. These literature reviews describe invaluable ways for teachers to improve their instruction, while providing examples of experiments that can be …