Digital Commons Network^™

Red Blood Cell Transfusion Causes Brain Inflammation In Murine Pups With Phlebotomy Induced Anemia, Pramod Shrestha

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

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Surgical Outcomes And Decision Making For Bicuspid Aortic Valve, Adam Larsen

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

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Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis Masquerading As Refractory Intertriginous Rash, Nicole Wozny

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

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Survey Of Current Clinical And Imaging Practices Amongst Regional Obstetric Providers In Nebraska: A Discussion Of Future Application Of Artificial Intelligence In Fetal Echocardiography, Farhath Sulthana

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

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Illuminating Two Secondary Schoolteachers’ Praxes On A ‘Terrain Of Freedom:’ Lessons For Teacher Education, Paul Tarc, Nicholas Ng-A-Fook, Tasha Ausman, Catherine James

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

This paper attunes to the stated focus of this special issue—teacher subjectivities on a terrain of freedom—to consider the qualities, possibilities and limits of teachers’ praxes and development upon this ‘terrain.’ In response to the call, we explore three critical questions: 1) Where does the teacher’s freedom lie amidst required protocols and standardization?; 2) Can teachers transcend how they have been conceived and conditioned?; and 3) How can teachers engage in transformative development? Through a "poetics of teaching," inspired by Hansen (2004), we frame teaching as a curricular and pedagogical art form that melds interdisciplinary, intellectual, aesthetic, and …

Wisdom Responses To Troubled Times: Healing Through Contemplative And Somatic Approaches, David Smith, Thomas Falkenberg, Remy Y.S. Low, David Chang, Åsa Jarskog, Jason Brown, Randy Persad, Anna Rumjahn, Charles Scott, Heesoon Bai

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

Humanity is facing troubled times, as witnessed by increased polarization and division that are exploding into various forms of violence. Collectively, we are facing unprecedented ecological and environmental disasters. On campuses throughout North America, and closer to home, student anxiety, depression and other mental health issues are increasingly prevalent. The academic fields of contemplative inquiry and somatic studies, which highlight holistic approaches to education, are responding to these troubled times by showing how we can accomplish presence of mind, promote healing, and embrace the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and ecological dimensions of wellness.

Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura Association With Epstein-Barr Virus, Amer Aldamouk, Bachr Masri, Ali Khan, Pulkita Uppal

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), also referred to as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, is an acquired form of thrombocytopenia caused by antibodies directed against platelet glycoproteins, particularly anti-GpIIb/IIIa antibodies. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a herpes virus infecting a large majority of the population before adulthood, has been implicated in various immune-mediated disorders, including ITP. In this report, we present a case of a young adult female with a history of thrombocytopenia who was found to have severe thrombocytopenia attributed to chronic EBV infection. Despite initial treatment with corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), the patient's condition necessitated second-line therapies, including rituximab and thrombopoietin receptor agonists. …

Digital Infrastructure For The Regenerative Movement: A Case Study Of The Mycelium Learning Network, Abigail Karparis

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

The regenerative movement is gaining momentum worldwide, driven by communities working to restore ecological and social systems through place-based, culturally rooted action. Yet many of the groups leading this work, especially in the Global South or in hyper-local contexts, remain digitally invisible due to structural barriers, including limited access to appropriate technology, funding constraints, and misalignment between available tools and local values. Conventional digital infrastructures often exclude or marginalize these efforts, leaving regenerative practitioners disconnected from each other and from potential sources of support.

This article explores these challenges and presents a case study response: the co-creation of accessible, relational …

A Call For Change: Supporting Children With Tourette Syndrome, Matt Reall

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Tourette Syndrome affects 1 in 100 U.S. children but remains widely misunderstood due to stigma, delayed diagnosis, and media misrepresentation. This neurological disorder is characterized by involuntary tics and often co-occurs with ADHD, anxiety, and sleep disorders. Children with Tourette Syndrome face disproportionate challenges in social, academic, and emotional settings—despite having average or above-average intelligence. One-third engage in self-harm, and suicide rates are four times the national average. Peer-education programs like the Tourette Association of America’s Youth Ambassador initiative have shown promise in reducing stigma, but unequal access and weak institutional support limit their impact. This paper calls for early …

Living Heritage, Resilience And Ethically Informed Infrastructures In Malawi, Martha B. Lerski, Frank Puluputu Mwale

Publications and Research

Rooted in a rural community’s needs, this paper explores how historically, and ethically informed infrastructures can support community engagement towards identification, documentation, and dissemination of local, traditional, and indigenous knowledge relating to climate change. The paper examines climate adaptation and sustainability issues through the lenses of community organizing and Library & Information Science best practices. It draws on a growing body of literature identifying a role for expanded epistemological and subject discipline perspectives. While the impacts of climate on material culture are increasingly recognized, intangible, and biocultural heritage have not received as much attention. Living heritage traditions and knowledge systems …

Demanding More From Distance Learning: The Virtual & Democratized Futures Of Legal Education, Antonio M. Coronado, Gabriela Elizondo-Craig

Seattle University Law Review Online

Antonio M. Coronado and Gabriela Elizondo-Craig examine the transformative potential of online legal education through their work at Innovation for Justice, where they lead virtual legal training programs for community-based justice workers. They trace the development and limitations of ABA Standard 306, highlighting how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed both the rigidity of traditional legal education and the possibilities of technology-enabled learning. Drawing on adult education theory and best practices in online pedagogy, Coronado and Elizondo-Craig challenge prevailing critiques of distance legal education and advocate for a learner-centered, accessible, and inclusive model. Their experience demonstrates how online legal education, when intentionally …

Pedagogical Beliefs Of The Form Five Biology Teachers In Trinidad And Tobago On Teaching Strategies: Chalk And Talk, Ict, Cooperative Learning, And Concept Map, David Chand

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

This study explored the pedagogical beliefs and teaching strategies of Biology teachers in high-performing secondary schools in Trinidad. Teachers believed Chalk and Talk was an effective method for students’ high achievement in Secondary School’s Board Examination. Teachers’ inherent beliefs about their teaching practices should be integrated in Teacher Education curriculum.

Pinterest Can Help Teachers Cook A Casserole, But What About Lgbtqia+ Affirming Lesson Plans For Students Of Color?, Denise Villarrial Nealon

Deliberately Queer Journal

We have learned to be crafty homemakers, small space decorators, and even teachers through the eye-catching appeal of sites like Pinterest or Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT). The accessibility and ease of searching for a preset lesson saves time, and in a society where teachers are paid far less than what they are worth and asked to work longer hours than they are paid for, this makes sense. Using the theoretical frameworks of CRT, QueerCrit, and CRP, along with the concepts of intersectionality, can build learning tools for new teachers to disrupt previous exclusionary practices that prevent LGBTQIA+ students of Color …

Sustainable Pedagogical Space: Water Risk Reduction Management Through Permaculture Pedagogy, Susi Andriani Simanjuntak, Yuqin Zhou, Si Wen Li

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

This study explores a Permaculture design approach to promote water conservation and reduce water dependency, particularly in response to plastic pollution. Permaculture emphasizes water ethics, conservation principles, rainwater harvesting (via tanks, soil, land, and biomass), greywater reuse, and biological remediation techniques for water recycling and purification. The study applies a contextually adapted environmental pedagogy based on Permaculture for primary school students in North Sumatra, Indonesia, focusing on sustainable water conservation and plastic litter risk reduction. A case study method was employed, targeting schools that voluntarily participated. The approach highlights three commonly overlooked dimensions in environmental education: community connection, place-based authenticity, …

Development Of An Innovative Virtual Reality Laboratory Media For Promoting Concepts On The Relation Between Force, Mass, And Accleration Of Upper Secondary School Students, Kulaphat Eiamtharachai, Parinda Limpanont Promratana

Journal of Education Studies

Experimentation is a key process in promoting scientific conceptual understanding. However, when studying physics concepts related to force and motion, real classroom experiments face several limitations. This research aimed to 1) develop innovative virtual experimental media on the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration, and 2) study the conceptual development of 14 grade 10 students in the science-mathematics program, selected through voluntary sampling. Data collection tools included expert focus group discussions, user focus group discussions, media suitability and consistency evaluation forms, and a two-tier multiple-choice conceptual test. Data analysis revealed that the developed media received an average suitability and consistency …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Arkansas Rise Initiative Regarding Student Performance And Teacher Training, Susan Hoffman Lawrence

Student Theses and Dissertations

The Arkansas Reading Initiative for Student Excellence [RISE] works to build a culture of reading for students in Arkansas through the coordination of a statewide reading campaign that utilizes the Science of Reading, which incorporates a wide body of scientifically-based research that informs stakeholders of how students can effectively learn to read. In addition, tenets of the RISE Initiative encourage building a community of partners and teachers to establish the importance of reading in homes, schools and communities. This mixed-method study explored teacher perceptions of the Arkansas RISE Initiative regarding its effectiveness in terms of students’ reading achievement, as well …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session Thursday June 26, 2025, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Acceptance of the Agenda
Approval of the Minutes (April 17, 2025 and April 23, 2025)
Remarks by the Chair of the Board
Remarks by the President
Updates by the Faculty Senate President
Updates by the Western Student Association President
Updates by the Graduate Student Association President
Western Michigan University Employee Graduates
Montgomery Essential Needs Program Presentation
Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

• Academic Tenure and Promotion
• Student Housing and Meal Rates 2025/26
• Fall 2025 Differential Tuition Rates
• Fall 2025 Tuition and Required Fee Rates
• General Fund Fiscal Year 2025/26 Operating Budget
• President Emeritus Status for Edward Montgomery

Consent Items …

Learning Analytics: An Innovative Technological Tool To Help Increase Student Retention And Graduation Rates In Us Higher Education Institutions, Fednold Thelisdort

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have embarked on a journey of innovation by adopting learning analytics (LA) in their operation, offering a more sustainable and innovative technological tool to increase student retention and graduation rates in US HEIs. LA, an emerging academic and technological tool, equips HEIs to gather, analyze, and interpret their students’ data. Since the publication of the first (conceptual) framework by Burke (2019), LA has matured into a research focus and practice, implemented in several institutional contexts at different scales and disciplinary/pedagogical contexts. This study explored the impact of the use of LA on student retention and graduation …

Special Operations Forces Cadre Self-Efficacy: Insights From A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study On Education And Training, Edward O. Funes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of the special operations forces’ cadre self-efficacy throughout their educational journey at the Special Operations Forces Training Center (SOFTC). The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s self-efficacy, based on the social cognitive theory, which posits that individuals’ belief in their capabilities is crucial to their success. The central research question is: What are the experiences of the special operations forces’ cadre self-efficacy throughout their educational journey? The methodology used in this study ensures that all its chapters are interconnected with a robust, cohesive, and rigorous approach to …

Ties That Bind: A Study Of Relational Networks And Spiritual Formation, Joshua Michael Leborious

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In His earthly ministry, Christ tasked the church with the responsibility of making disciples. Today, God calls leaders into professional ministry to discern specific means of doing so. The calling does not make that task easy and the methods for making disciple vary greatly, leaving Christian leaders overwhelmed by trying to figure out how to disciple the people in their care. A mountain of sources suggest that a relational approach has remarkable potential for making disciples. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to explore the potential relationship between relational networks and quantifiable habits of spiritual formation for adult, …

Effects Of Blended Learning On The Self-Directed Learning And Academic Achievement Of First-Year Nursing Students Studying Metabolic Biochemistry, Yuree Chaopipat, Pimrat Tokun, Jerapa Srithahai

Journal of Education Studies

This study examined the impact of blended learning on the self-directed learning and academic achievement of the first-year nursing students studying metabolic biochemistry. This quasi-experiment research recruited 150 first-year nursing students at one of the nursing college. A blended learning intervention, combining face-to-face instruction and various online activities, was implemented. Data were collected using a self-directed learning scale, pretest and posttest, and a final exam. Results indicated that blended learning significantly enhanced students' self-directed learning (t = -2.847, p = 0.005) and academic performance. Post-test scores across all chapters significantly improved after the intervention (t = -10.63, p …

An Artist Takes Flight, Sarah Moss

The Voice

No abstract provided.

Using Facebook To Discuss The Science Of Reading, Erica Barnes, Jaime Puccioni, Abigail Ferris

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Students in U.S. elementary schools continue to experience difficulty learning to read, with some attributing these difficulties to a lack of alignment with the Science of Reading (SOR). Social media plays a prominent role in disseminating information about the SOR, serving as a platform for discussion and debate that reflects many tenets of effective online professional development (OPD). The current study examines how one group of educators on social media sought out and discussed information related to the SOR. Content analysis was utilized to determine how contributors engaged with the group and what pedagogical content knowledge and SOR topics were …

Supporting The “Feelings And Language Of Thinking” And Meaning-Making In Elementary Student-Directed Inquiry Projects, Katarina N. Silvestri

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

This qualitative study investigates how three teachers attend to and pedagogically support socioemotional aspects of fifth-grade students’ learning during student self-directed inquiry projects called the Kids Inquiry Conference (KIC) using Spradley’s domain and taxonomic analyses of classroom observation and interview data. Theoretical underpinnings meet at the intersection of affective neuroscience, socioemotional competencies, and a Deweyan perspective of inquiry learning, emplacing this study within literature exploring the range of affective factors impacting elementary learners engaged in student-centered inquiry projects (e.g., identity work, motivation, self-regulation, etc.). KIC involved students self-selecting and developing research questions, designing a science activity, writing up a scientific …

Mediating Role Of Self-Efficacy In The Association Between Fatigue And Depressive Symptoms In Females With Rheumatoid Arthritis, I-Yu Hsiao, Hanoch Livneh, Chieh-Tsung Yen, Ming-Chi Lu, Wei-Jen Chen, Tzung-Yi Tsai

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background and Objectives: Extant research on the relationship between fatigue and depression in people with rheumatic diseases portrays a divergent picture. While caring for persons with this medical condition, one issue that represents individual confidence in carrying out specific tasks, namely self-efficacy level, has attracted significant attention. Yet, the information regarding whether self-efficacy may pose a clue linking these two major symptoms is still unknown. The aim of this study, therefore, is to examine whether self-efficacy mediates the association between fatigue and depressive symptoms among persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and Method: A cross-sectional study of 224 …

A “Teaching As Emergent Learning” Approach To Teaching Deep Creativity, Steven Greenstein, Iain Kerr, Emily Olson

LASER Journal

Creativity is the process by which a change that is new and different emerges. We call it deep when it yields novel forms of both quantitative and qualitative change. If we are to take on the most pressing and persistent challenges to our social, global, and planetary well-being, we need novel approaches of a qualitatively different kind than those that have failed to bring about radical change in the past. In other words, we need deep creativity. The paradox at the heart of ``ideation-first" approaches to creative practice (e.g., brainstorming or ideating) is that if creativity aims to produce outcomes …

The Roots Of Our Food: Relationships Are The Seeds Of Care-Based Food Heritage, Nicole E. Post, Raena D. Parsons, Adrian Boone

Dissertations

The purpose of this co-authored, general qualitative research

study was to examine food relationships between individuals,

communities, and Earth. We explored the concept of relational food

systems pertaining to engagement ideas at EarthDance Organic Farm

School and Hawai’i Institute of Pacific Agriculture. Our research

furthers understanding about how to engage people, individually and

collectively, with the land to inspire action. We argue that care-based

relationships can inspire action, helping individuals reconnect with

their food heritage by engaging with land, community, and self.

Heritage site leaders in food systems who center interconnectedness

create places where relationships between people, land, and food …

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Under Siege Worldwide: Moving Beyond Limiting Notions Of Gender And Sexuality In Education Organizations And Leadership, Margaret Grogan

Education Faculty Books and Book Chapters

As 2025 gets underway in the United States, educators across this country, like in many others, are bracing for unprecedented opposition to their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and policies. Newly elected President Trump is rapidly dismantling many federal agencies, cutting off aid to foreign entities, and causing major apprehension across the globe. His stated agenda to eradicate progressivism echoes many other international ultraconservative and far-right movements, who applaud his authoritarian regime. To mount the best possible resistance to these disturbing developments, and, indeed, to expand and strengthen DEI work, this chapter argues for collective action across all the …

Perspectives Regarding Creating A Community Of Inquiry In Online Versions Of Lab Courses, Yuna Buhrman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) college labs due to the restricted physical access to resources. The problem that was addressed in this study was that there is a lack of understanding of how the three presences of the community of inquiry were implemented by STEM lab instructors when developing online lab courses during emergency remote teaching (ERT). The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore perspectives of college STEM lab instructors regarding social, teaching, and cognitive presences in online versions of their lab courses during ERT. Data were collected using semistructured interviews …

Board # 363: Effective Strategies To Support Student Success In An Nsf S-Stem Program, Diana Samaroo, Urmi Duttagupta, Nadia E. Stoyanova Kennedy, Armando R. Solis, Viviana Acquaviva

Publications and Research

This paper reports on the success of an NSF S-STEM grant, which builds on two successful previous programs at “our institution”. The initiative aims to improve retention and graduation rates, increasing the participation of minority and female students in STEM fields and the NYC workforce, thereby reducing socio-economic disparities.

From Spring 2020 to Spring 2024, the project awarded an average of 40 scholarships annually to academically strong and financially disadvantaged students in various STEM programs, benefiting 93 unique students. It also enhanced early research experiences, internships, and provided robust academic advisement and mentoring. Seminars and meetings with STEM professionals expanded …