Digital Commons Network^™

2025 Acssc Program, Acssc Planning Committee

Annual Celebration for Student Scholarship and Creativity

No abstract provided.

Cartoons From The 2000s: The Representation Of Disability And A Culture Of Inclusion, Alessia Rosa, Claudia Chellini

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Representations of diversity and otherness in cartoons offer metaphors for identity that can affect children’s perceptions and attitudes towards the potential and challenges associated with various forms of disability. This contribution analyses a corpus of animations made up of feature films, series, and short films with a focus on how disability is represented. It examines the role that characters with physical or mental disabilities play in the story, the structure of narratives in which disability is presented as an integral part of reality, and the types of disability explored in the stories. The image that emerges is one in which …

Digital Literacy For Participating In Presidential Election: A Study On Indonesian Students, Marwiyah Marwiyah, Labibah Zain, Aliva D. Kamila, Thoriq T. Prabowo

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Digital literacy is needed during the presidential election. This study aims to determine the level of digital literacy of Indonesian students concerning what they do with social media information in facing the 2024 presidential election. We conducted a survey in which questionnaires were used as a research instrument to measure the four digital competencies: technical skill, information usage, communication, and creation. The questionnaires are sent to four Indonesian public universities. One hundred ninety-seven students from four State Islamic Universities (Universitas Islam Negeri) participated in this study. We used the mean and percentage score for the data analysis. The research result …

Assessing The Impact Of Media And Information Literacy On Creative Video Content Production, Reem M. Al-Zou’Bi

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study explores the impact of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) on developing creative video production skills among undergraduate students at Al al-Bayt University, Jordan. The sample consisted of 60 students divided into an experimental group (MIL course) and a control group (Educational Foundations course). Using a quasi-experimental design, students’ video production skills were evaluated using a rubric covering nine key criteria, weighted based on expert input. Results showed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in creative video production, highlighting MIL’s role in enhancing these skills. Notably, both groups emphasized content integrity similarly, while the MIL group …

Assessing Media And Information Literacy: Scale Development And Measurement Among College Students, Erlis Cela, Alban Tufa, Melsena Danglli

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Media and Information Literacy (MIL) is a topic discussed by many authors in recent years. Several authors have developed measurement scales and validated them mainly among students and teachers who have media and information literacy knowledge. Although no evidence is tracked for any research conducted, MIL has been an unexplored field in the Western Balkans region. This article delves into developing and testing a scale for measuring the level of Media and Information Literacy among students in Albania. Firstly, it employs an exploratory qualitative approach, with the use of focus groups, the results of which contributed to the design of …

2025 April 23 - Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes, Undergraduate Curriculum Council, East Tennessee State University

Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

2025 Otterbein University Honors Convocation Program, Otterbein University

Honors Convocation

No abstract provided.

Central Habits Of Highly Effective Tutors: Hospitable Practice, Rhetorical Listening, And Emotional Validation In The Writing Center, Edward A. English

The Writing Center Journal

This article explores hospitality as a theoretical framework for valuing emotional engagement and rhetorical listening in writing center consultations, challenging traditional views that prioritize rationality and detachment. Anchored in a university writing center, the study investigates how writing tutors engage with writers, adopting hospitality as a core principle. Semi-structured postconsultation interviews and a focus group allowed tutors to reflect collaboratively on their application of the hospitality framework. Thematic analysis with in vivo coding ensured participants’ voices remained central to the findings. By examining the lived experiences of tutors, the study highlights the dynamic relationship between emotional and rational responses in …

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Young Learners With Special Needs: Implementation Of The Resilience Based Interaction Model, Laura Knotts

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

No abstract provided.

Rethinking Human Rights: Critical Insights From Palestinian Youth, Mai Awad

International Journal of Human Rights Education

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted in 1948, articulating a bold vision of a future in which every human being has the essential rights of dignity, freedom, and justice. But so much of that promise may now be at risk, especially with regard to how the UDHR addresses systemic inequities rooted in colonial legacies. This contradiction is especially evident in the lived experiences of marginalized communities in the Global South—where structural inequalities are entrenched in the everyday fabric of life. In the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), for example, principles of human rights appear light years from the …

Fierce Love And Resistance: Lgbtqia2s+ Youth Thriving In The In-Between Spaces, Linsay Demartino, S. Gavin Weiser

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This article presents the preliminary ruminations of an ongoing project to build critical inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, asexual, two-spirit, and the countless affirmative ways in which people choose to self-identify (LGBTQIA2S+) youth. This article begins with a brief review of the current data on the LGBTQIA2S+ experience in preK-12 schools and pivots to the literature on hopeful practices, like gender and sexuality alliances (GSAs) and critical inclusivity, or the policies and processes that fully integrate the intersectional queer experience. This work is framed by the criticality of queering space by creating a nepantla, an …

(Don’T) Fight For Your Right To Party: Exploring The Educational Significance Of Trans Joy At Prom, Annaliese Devita

International Journal of Human Rights Education

Prom, a hallmark of American adolescence, is often dismissed as a frivolous tradition, yet it holds profound significance as a space for youth identity formation, social belonging, and cultural navigation. For trans and gender-expansive youth, the stakes of participation in this rite of passage are heightened amidst escalating attacks on their existence. This essay, drawing from graduate thesis research at the University of Edinburgh, examines the historical roots of prom, its embedded cis-heteronormative structures, and how Queer Youth Proms (QYPs) function as sites of resilience, joy, and self-determination for trans youth. While QYPs offer a critical refuge, their existence underscores …

Queer Youth Futures Now! Education And Research As A Transformative Praxis For Queer Youth Globally, Cody Freeman

International Journal of Human Rights Education

Despite growing movements, queer youth find themselves in the spotlight of intense backlash. While anti-queer activism becomes increasingly visible, queer youth activists engage in worldmaking practices through their educational activism. This narrative literature review examines how scholarly literature discusses education and research as a transformative praxis to further queer youths’ envisioned ways of being and their activism in the future. Employing the concept of queer futurity, this article highlights how queer youth move through time and space, co-create knowledge through participatory research, and engage in activism within and beyond school settings. It also underscores the need for critically reflexive, relational …

We Lift As We Climb: An Intervention Method Proving The Efficacy Of Mentorship In Higher Education, Dogan Copeland

Masters Projects

This project examines the lack of mentorship programs for first-generation Black students in higher education. It aims to develop a structured peer mentorship program tailored to their unique needs. Given the systemic barriers that first-generation Black students may face, this project explores how culturally relevant mentorship can improve academic success, retention, and professional development while fostering a sense of belonging. The research involves a literature review of existing mentorship programs, an analysis of student success markers (retention rates, academic performance, and professional development), and qualitative data from mentorship initiatives. In addition, the project assesses student experiences and satisfaction levels to …

2025 Undergraduate Research Competition Program, Coastal Carolina University

Undergraduate Research Symposium Programs

16th Annual Undergraduate Research Competition, April 15-16, 2025.

The 2025 CCU Undergraduate Research Symposium included 168 oral and poster presentations (51 oral presentations and 117 poster presentations) and an additional 20 team pitch presentations composed of 57 students who participated in the inaugural year of the Wall College’s Chant’s Tank Pitch Competition.

Presentations at the Undergraduate Research Symposium were judged by over 80 faculty and staff, and prizes are awarded in three categories: Best Oral Presentation, Best Poster Presentation, and Best Chant’s Tank Pitch Presentation. Here are the following award winners in their respective categories:

Best Oral Presentation:

• 1st Place: …

Challenges And Strategies For Caribbean Students Pursuing Education In The United States, Keyeria Mccormick

Masters Projects

Caribbean students who come to study in the United States face significant obstacles that shape their college experience. These students struggle with more than typical academic challenges; they deal with financial pressures, the complexities of adapting to a new culture, strict visa rules, and a lack of targeted support from their institutions. This project examines their experiences, drawing from research on how factors like emotional and cultural intelligence, mental health, peer relationships, and systemic inequalities affect their educational paths. Using Critical Race Theory and Social Identity Theory as foundations, this work shows how deep-rooted inequities in U.S. higher education make …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 100, No. 3, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald for the period February 17 - April 20, 2025.

• Wilborn, Price. You Matter & You Are Not Alone
• Smith, Kane. Peggy Crowe Reflects on Counseling Center in Face of Staff Shortages
• Stafford, Hallie. Help with Horses – New Beginnings Therapeutic Horse Riding
• Hawkins, Kaylee. How a WKU Professor Helps Improve Student Mental Health – Jay Gabbard, National Alliance on Mental Illness Recovery Support Group
• McMahon, Jake. More Than a Coach – Brent Chumbley, Track & Field
• Simpson, Libby. WKU’s American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Brings Mental Health Into the Light
• Hardesty, Emma. Trans …

Indiana Prison Writers Workshop: The Power Of Group Cohesion And Creative Expression Among Incarcerated Individuals, Lindamarie Olson, Debra Des Vignes, Amy Mclean, Bailey Wester, Uche Nwatu

Journal of Prison Education Research

Objective: The present study describes the development of the Indiana Prison Writers Workshop (IPWW), a creative writing workshop, based in group theory and designed for incarcerated settings. Methods: Quantitative evaluation data from IPWW workshops conducted from 2023-2024 were analyzed using IBM SPSS V. 29. Prior to the workshop, 149 men responded to questions on class expectations and goals, and 115 men responded at workshop conclusion. Open-ended qualitative responses from post-workshop data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Quantitative data demonstrates the effectiveness of IPWW in teaching writing skills and reflects participants’ agreement that the workshops provide opportunities to share their …

Dress Codes And High School, Robert Johnson

Graduate Teacher Education

This paper examined the impact of dress codes and uniforms within high schools. Dress codes affect many high school students. Proponents of dress codes argue that they establish safety within a school, and this safety allows students to focus on learning. Research shows, however, that dress code enforcement disproportionately affects girls and minorities within a school. In looking at this research, the following research question emerged: In light of what is known about pedagogy in the contemporary educational setting, what is the relationship between the use of dress codes in high schools and student relationships with school? In attempting to …

Relationship Between University Internal Quality Assurance Practices And Employability Of Graduates Of Educational Management In South-West, Nigeria, Peter Olumide Oshinyadi, Hammed Idowu Adeyanju Prof., Olusegun Samuel Olaniyi Phd

Academic Leadership Journal in Student Research

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between internal quality assurance practices and employability skills of graduates of educational management in public Universities in South-West, Nigeria. Descriptive research design of the survey type was adopted. The population comprised 1,036 final year full-time students in 9 public universities in six states in South-West, Nigeria. The study sampled 354 final year students using a multistage random sampling technique. Two research instruments tagged as Internal Quality Assurance Practices Questionnaire for Students, and Graduates Employability Skills Rating Scale with reliability coefficients of 0.81 and 0.70 respectively were used for data collection. The demographic …

The Relationship Between Parental Engagement And Student Hope In Adolescent Students: A Multiple Linear Regression Analysis, Monique Danielle Ray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative, predictive, correlational study aims to determine the influence of parental engagement, comprised of its multiple individual factors, on psychological hope in adolescent students. The importance of this study is grounded in the development of national programs such as the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), which seeks to support the family-school relationship as a critical component in student success and in the research literature that strongly links parental engagement to student academic achievement and social outcomes essential to children’s educational attainment. In this study, 112 students were randomly selected from two schools. Parents completed an anonymous, digital version of the …

Investigating Faculty, Students, And Diversity Officers' Attitudes Towards Cultural Diversity: A Causal-Comparative Study, Kerry Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study is to investigate the difference in cultural competence scores among students, faculty, and diversity officers who participated in cultural competence training and those who did not. Research on diversity has seldom examined the effectiveness of cultural competence training on attitudes toward cultural diversity. The study participants (n = 411) were undergraduate students, n = 148, faculty, n = 129, and diversity officers, n = 134) from 4-year private non-profit universities in the Northeastern United States. The present study employed critical race theory to explore the effectiveness of cultural competence training programs and assess …

The Relationship Of Christian Spirituality And Sustained Recovery From Trauma-Related Substance Addiction, Carol Beatrice Bradley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation contains information regarding research that has been done on integrating spirituality into addiction recovery and trauma recovery. Research shows a strong relationship between addiction and trauma experiences and that when recovery counselors integrate spirituality into recovery the chances of relapse decrease. There is a need for additional research and education for recovery counselors and the support systems that help people to recover from addiction. This can help lead people to a life with purpose to prevent further addiction, relapse, overdose, and death. There has been some research that shows that integrating Christianity into recovery can help increase the …

A Qualitative Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Nazarene Compassionate Ministries' Holistic Model Of Education, Phillip Jason Dixon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to assess the effectiveness of the holistic model of Christian education in the development and preparedness of ministerial leadership roles as used by the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries’ child sponsorship program (NCMCSP) in Armenia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Philippines. According to Moustakas (1994), transcendental phenomenology research seeks to understand human experiences (Moustakas, 1994). The participants in this study were delimited to graduates who experienced the NCMCSP from 2000 to 2020 and actively serving in ministerial leadership to assess their perceptions of the NCMCSP’s effectiveness in educating and preparing them for …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of Missouri K-12 Public School Educators' Expression Experiences On Social Media, Jacob Murphy Small

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand how Missouri public school educators experience their expression regarding social media, seeking to understand their views and lived experiences with expressing themselves on social media. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s social cognitive theory as it explains the learned behavior of teachers exercising their agency through social media. The central research question for this study was, what are the lived experiences of Missouri K-12 public school educators regarding their expression on social media? This study examined the lived experiences of Missouri public school teachers, gaining an insight to teachers’ …

The Lived Experiences Of Elementary Teachers' Use Of Positive Behavior Intervention Supports And Social-Emotional Learning With Emotionally Disturbed And Behaviorally Challenged Students: A Phenomenological Study, Chandra Yvette Madden

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of elementary teachers' use of PBIS and SEL with students with emotional behavioral needs and to gain insight into what supports are needed for teachers in a school district in the southern United States. There is a need to examine elementary teachers' implementation of PBIS and SEL with students who have emotional and behavioral needs to understand what supports are needed. A positive academic environment for students and teachers is generally defined as such. The theory that guided this study was the social constructivist theory (Vygotsky,1978). …

Experiences Of Black Students With Disabilities Suspended For Violating A Zero-Tolerance Policy: A Transcendental Phenomenology, Lee Benedict

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenology was to describe the experiences of Black students with disabilities suspended for violating a zero-tolerance policy. For this study, zero-tolerance policies were defined as rules and regulations put in place by a school system for which (alleged) violators must be suspended immediately with no administrative discretion. The theory that guided this study is geneticist Luigi Cavalli-Sforza and biologist Marcus Feldman’s cultural transmission theory (CTT), often called enculturation, which states that cultural elements such as attitudes, behaviors, beliefs and values are transmitted to individuals and groups. The central research question asked, what plausible evidence suggests …

Navigating Gender And Equity In Education: Challenges, Personal Experiences, And Pathways For Change, Chloe Ballow

Honors Projects

This project examines how gender stereotypes influence the educational experiences of high school girls, focusing on the combined effects of gender, race, and socio-economic status. Using sources from feminist theory, educational research, and real-world examples, this study explores how societal expectations shape girls’ behavior in the classroom, their academic self-image, and their future goals. Special attention is given to African American girls and students from low-income backgrounds, who often face additional challenges due to both racial and gender biases.

The research draws on a mix of scholarly articles, reports from organizations like UNESCO and the OECD, and insights from a …

Impact Of Hiv/Aids Stigma On University Students' Education: A Phenomenological Investigation, Ralph Ayuk Etchu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental, phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of 10-12 university students living with HIV/AIDS in the cities of Ndekville, Tontoh, and Kenyang of Southwest Ekong. Goffman’s social stigma theory guided this study and helped operationalize the research questions. The central research question was: What is the impact of HIV/AIDS stigma on the educational journey of university students in Ndekville, Tontoh, and Kenyang of Southwest Ekong? Sub-questions explored categorizing and characterizing participants' experiences and challenges of stigma and discrimination as per sex, gender, socioeconomic status, and cultural background. The researcher collected data through participant interviews, focus …

29. Dragaganza 2025 [Poster, October 27, 2024], Eugene Vander Leest Ev

LGBTQIA+ Archive Class Projects

Poster showcasing the Drag-a-ganza event which took place on October 27, 2024.