Digital Commons Network^™

Inclusion In Education: Supporting All Students, Sarah E. Cannon

Masters Projects

Inclusion has become a prominent topic in today’s education sector. However, it is far more than just a buzzword, it is federal law. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that students with disabilities be educated in their Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), “Each public agency must ensure that—To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are nondisabled,” (U.S. Department of Education, 2017, para 1).  In summary, public schools must provide opportunities for students with disabilities to be educated alongside their general education peers …

Cv: Erica Dávila (Educational Leadership), Erica Dávila

Education Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

The Higher Education Classroom And The Digital Native: Are We Prepared?, Marc Wharton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Among the challenges facing higher education (HE) today is the entrance of digital native students into the HE classroom. At the turn of the 21st century, the term “digital native” was popularized, along with the claim that the immersion of digital natives in the digital universe, through mobile phones and social media, would determinately alter the manner in which these students learned. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the learning experiences of nine digital native students attending a southeastern public research university, as well as the perspectives and/or teaching methods of five of their faculty. This …

Learning At Scale As Infrastructure: Lms Platforms, Data Pipelines, And Language-Based Evidence For Educational Measurement, Danielle S. Mcnamara, Michelle Banawan, Renu Balyan, Rod D. Roscoe, Tracy Arner

Chinese/English Journal of Educational Measurement and Evaluation | 教育测量与评估双语期刊

The increasing scale of digital learning environments has transformed the data available for educational measurement, learning analytics, and the learning sciences. However, learning at scale is often treated as a matter of sample size or novel analytic methods rather than as the outcome of institutional infrastructure that governs how learning data are generated, curated, transformed, and accessed. This paper offers an infrastructure-centered description of learning at scale, focusing on learning management systems (LMSs), platform-integrated tools, and data pipelines that produce research-ready educational data. As an illustrative exemplar, we draw on the design and operation of the Arizona State University Learning@Scale …

International Measures Of Student Growth In Mathematics And Science Achievement: The Timss 2023 Longitudinal International Database, Bethany Fishbein, Ummugul Bezirhan, Matthias Von Davier

Chinese/English Journal of Educational Measurement and Evaluation | 教育测量与评估双语期刊

The TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal International Database represents a major advancement in international large-scale assessment by providing the first student-level longitudinal extension of TIMSS. By linking achievement and contextual data from TIMSS 2023 with a follow-up data collection in 2024, the database enables direct measurement of student growth in mathematics and science over one year of schooling. The study follows cohorts from Grades 4 to 5 and Grades 8 to 9 across participating education systems. Rich contextual, curriculum, and process data support investigations into how instructional practices, system-level policies, student attitudes, and test-taking behaviors relate to learning trajectories. As a freely …

The Item Response Warehouse: What It Is, How To Use It, And Targets For Potential Improvements, Savira D. Nadela, Hansol Lee, Nishka Jain, Ayaan Gupta, Xingyi Zhang, Benjamin W. Domingue

Chinese/English Journal of Educational Measurement and Evaluation | 教育测量与评估双语期刊

The Item Response Warehouse (IRW) is a repository of harmonized item response datasets designed to support secondary analysis and methodological research in psychological and educational measurement. This paper serves as a practical guide for researchers interested in using the IRW. We describe the structure of IRW datasets and the quantitative and qualitative metadata available for dataset selection, and we demonstrate how researchers can navigate the IRW website to explore and compare available tables. We further show how the IRW R and Python packages can be used to filter datasets programmatically, download response-level data, and generate standardized citations for reproducible research …

Advancing The Anesthesia Workforce: The Md Anderson Anesthesia Technology Fast Track Program, Miranda M. Phillips, Mary Sizemore, Sally Raty, Tanveer Khan, Homero Lozano

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

The Anesthesia Technology Fast Track Program (ATFTP) at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was initiated in 2024 to mitigate a significant national deficit of trained anesthesia technologists. This 40-hour continuing education program, developed in accordance with the American Society of Anesthesia Technologists & Technicians’ (ASATT) Practical Experience Pathway, assists experienced yet non-certified anesthesia technicians in obtaining the Certified Anesthesia Technologist (Cer.A.T.T.) credential. The fully online, asynchronous 10-week CEU program is tailored for working professionals. The course focuses on patient safety, evidence-based practice, and certification preparedness and concludes with two extensive practice examinations and an ASATT CEU requirement–aligned …

Implementing Retrieval And Distributed Practice In A Rotating Block Schedule: Boosting Students’ Memory And Metacognition, Terra A. Caputo, Kaitlyn C. Hoffmann, Cindy Reagan, Guy D. Savastano, Brandon J. Foster, Kathryn Hallal, Kristin Miller-Gecsi, Thomas A. Yarcusko

Journal of Catholic Education

An all-boys secondary Jesuit Catholic school in the Midwest, recently transitioned to a rotating block schedule with the goal of supporting deeper learning for all students. Though the transition to longer class meetings helped achieve this goal, less frequent class meetings presented a new challenge in that it tended to exacerbate the natural “forgetting curve.” Retrieval practice, one of the most widely cited high-impact learning strategies to boost student memory, is most beneficial when used alongside spaced practice. A team of teachers implemented and tested the impacts of retrieval and distributed practice on memory in a rotating block schedule. Our …

Rest For The Weary Soul: A Mixed Methods Psychospiritual Exploration Of Faith As A Path To Mental Health Recovery Among Students, Fremativo A. Vergara, Melvin G. Barete, Evan P. Taja-On

Journal of Catholic Education

Many individuals turn to faith for strength, guidance, and resilience, particularly at times of emotional hardship. As concerns continue to grow about mental health, particularly that of students, exploring how faith influences coping mechanisms and recovery offers valuable insights into alternative approaches to emotional wellbeing. The study found that students exhibit high levels of resilience and spiritual intelligence, suggesting that faith-based beliefs are crucial in students’ ability to cope with adversity. A strong positive correlation between resilience and spiritual intelligence indicates that students who integrate faith into their lives are more likely to develop the psychological strength needed to navigate …

The Ignatian Cybergogical Experience Model: Fostering Competence, Conscience, Compassion, And Commitment In The Digital Age, Theresia Y. Setyawan, Chatarina A. Budiningsih, Sugeng B. Wahyono

Journal of Catholic Education

Despite advances in educational technology, learning models that effectively integrate digital tools to develop not only competence but also learners’ conscience, compassion, and commitment remain limited. This article introduces the Ignatian Cybergogical Experience (ICE) model, a novel framework designed to foster these four essential characteristics in digital learning environments. Rooted in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, the model deliberately integrates Ignatian Pedagogy’s proven framework for values formation and reflective practice with cybergogy’s capacity to engage digital learners through technology-mediated experiences. This synergistic blending addresses critical limitations in existing approaches: the ICE model simultaneously develops technological competence and moral character, which neither …

Effective Leadership Of Catholic Microschools, Jill Wierzbicki

Journal of Catholic Education

This study aimed to understand effective school principals’ perceptions of their leadership of Catholic schools. It focuses on Catholic schools with student populations of fewer than 150 students and addresses which attributes of their successes may be replicable for other small Catholic elementary school leaders, with focused attention on operational vitality. It is a phenomenological, qualitative research study accomplished through interviews with Catholic school principals whose schools have seen success during their period of leadership.

Principal Coaching Impact: Elementary Principals' Perspectives On Their Coaching Experience, Kyle L. Hoopes

Theses and Dissertations

School principals face increasing complexity as they navigate instructional leadership, organizational change, and the emotional demands of supporting staff and students. Traditional professional development--often episodic and compliance-driven--has proven insufficient for helping principals translate knowledge into practice. This qualitative phenomenological study examined how 20 elementary principals in a large intermountain district experienced a dual-coach, team-based leadership coaching model and how coaching influenced their leadership practices and well-being. Semi-structured interviews and iterative thematic analysis revealed that coaching shaped three core areas of leadership practice: gaining clarity and direction, prioritizing instructional and organizational goals, and strengthening collaboration within school leadership teams. Principals also …

2026 Undergraduate Research Symposium Program, Coastal Carolina University

Undergraduate Research Symposium Programs

17th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 21-22, 2026.

The 2026 CCU Undergraduate Research Symposium included 72 oral presentations, 127 poster presentations, and 22 team pitch presentations comprising 50 students who participated in the Wall College’s Chant’s Tank Pitch Competition.

Presentations at the Undergraduate Research Symposium were judged by almost 90 faculty and staff, and prizes were awarded in three categories: Best Oral Presentation, Best Poster Presentation, and Best Chant’s Tank Pitch Presentation. Here are the following award winners and their mentors in their respective categories:

Best Oral Presentation:

• 1st Place: Ryan Ryan Avallone, Applied Mathematics. Faculty Mentor: Bong Jeong (Management …

Preliminary Evaluation Of A Dialectical Behavior Therapy-Based Skills Training Class For High School Students, Jared T. Izumi, Bethany Walczak, Jamie K. Elizalde, Matthew Hayes

Education Faculty Articles and Research

School mental health issues have become an increasingly important issue for our youth. Schools are a vital resource for providing prevention-based services to students. This study evaluated a pilot implementation of a dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) based skills intervention in a single high school in the Midwest. The sample included a convenience sample of 39 students from three different teachers across three trimesters. Social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, DBT skill use, dysfunctional coping, fidelity, and intervention attendance information were collected. We used a hybrid fixed effects/multi-level model to evaluate the effects of the intervention (McNeish, 2023). Students increased their use …

An Act To Amend {An Act} Entitled "An Act To Incorporate The Florence Wesleyan University, " Approved February 14, 1856, W.W. Screws (State Printer)

Documents on Education and Progress of the University

Amended Act of 1856- "the university shall be subject to the superintendence of the Alabama, Tennessee and Memphis conferences."

Acts of the Session of 1870-1871, of the General Assembly of Alabama Held in the City of Montgomery (No. 170)

An Act To Incorporate The Florence Wesleyan University, Bates & Lucas (State Printers)

Documents on Education and Progress of the University

Act of Incorporation for Florence Wesleyan University, 1856.

Acts of the Fifth Biennial Session of the General Assembly of Alabama Held in the City of Montgomery.

Understanding And Alleviating Teacher Burnout: A Focus On Supports For Teacher Candidates, Meghan Glahn

Honors Projects

This Honors Project begins by analyzing the overall patterns of burnout, and then narrowing to the experienced pressures by special educators. This research topic highlights how stress arrives early during teacher preparation and increases for individuals entering special education. Research from various sources emphasize the prevalence of burnout and the contributing factors that often lead to mental and physical consequences. This study also has results from a survey involving Intervention Specialist majors that captures their college experiences with academic demands, emotional labor, and field placement expectations. The outcomes supported by literature and the survey demonstrate that teacher burnout is severe, …

Teaching The Rainbow: An Educator's Guide To Implementing Lgbtq+ Inclusive Curriculum In The Early Childhood Classroom, Alice Prosser

Honors Projects

This resource serves as a guidebook for early childhood educators interested in implementing LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum in their classrooms. The guidebook includes rationale, addresses common objections educators may have, and provides examples of standards aligned lesson plans by grade level, as well as additional resources and suggestions.

Early Childhood Educators’ Experiences Teaching Literacy Acquisition Skills, Dena Renee Crews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem investigated through this study was that early childhood educators struggle to help students with literacy acquisition skills in a Title 1 elementary school. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate early childhood educators’ experiences with the challenges of teaching literacy acquisition skills and their suggestions for improving resources and training for teaching literacy acquisition skills. The study was grounded in Clay’s emergent literacy theory and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews with 14 participants were conducted with the following themes emerging: Early childhood educators were challenged due to (a) students’ background …

April 21, 2026 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Teacher Voices In Ethnic Studies: Bridging Policy And Practice Through Educator Insights In California, Isiah Peter Iniguez

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study explores ethnic studies teachers’ perceptions of implementing ethnic studies as a required course in California. This study used both critical pedagogy (Freire , 1970) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK; Shulman, 1986) as theoretical frameworks. Through interviews with thirteen ethnic studies teachers across California, this research uncovered the pedagogical demands, implementation challenges, and transformative potential of ethnic studies education. The findings illuminated a fundamental tension between ethnic studies’ community-centered nature and pressures toward standardization. Teachers emphasized that ethnic studies had to be rooted in community, describing powerful outcomes when the curriculum reflected students’ identities, local histories, and lived experiences. …

Journey Of Becoming: Risk And Self-Determination In The Story Of Self For Adults With Intellectual, Developmental, And Learning Disabilities A Phenomenological Case Study Employing Narrative Inquiry And Thematic Analysis, Christopher R. J. Worth

Dissertations

This phenomenological case study, employing narrative inquiry and thematic analysis, captured the first-person voice of emerging adults (ages 20–28) with intellectual, developmental, and learning disabilities to explore how experiences of risk and self-determination shaped their personal narratives, or story of self. Guided by Critical Disability Theory, Foucault’s concept of relational power, and Shogren’s Causal Agency Theory, the study challenged the systemic bubble-wrapping that denies this population the "dignity of risk" (Perske, 1972). Data were collected from six participants through semi-structured interviews, adapted photovoice submissions, and participant selfreflections. The findings revealed that the phenomenon of becoming, catalyzed by intellectual adaptive risk-taking, …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preventing Teacher-Directed Violence In Urban Title I Schools, Allison Mashburn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was investigated through this study was the increase in suspensions for teacher-directed violence at two urban mid-Atlantic Title I elementary schools. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore elementary teachers’ perceptions of preventing and managing teacher-directed violence in two Title I mid-Atlantic schools. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework was used as the foundation for environmental explanations. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews with 10 teacher participants were conducted. The thematic analysis resulted in three themes based on the teacher request for (a) classroom management resources and supports, (b) clarifying the code of conduct, and (c) improving …

Students' Preferred Teaching Methods, Hannah Lancaster

Honors Theses

This paper focuses on students’ preferences for teaching and instructional methods in the social studies classroom. From previous literature, it became apparent that students have a variety of unique needs within each classroom, and individual students require different methods to best support effective learning. This study was conducted within an urban high school in Southwest Michigan. Students completed a cross-sectional survey that encouraged them to express their desired teaching and instructional methods within the classroom. Data revealed a shift from standard teacher-focused learning to more student-focused learning to better accommodate students’ learning styles. With survey data focusing on a limited …

Sowing Imbalance From The Start: Power, Role Socialization, And Graduate Assistants In Ncaa Division I Power Four Athletic Departments, Kaitlin Pericak, Daniel Springer, Brittany Washington, Rachel Silva

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Graduate assistantships represent early entry points into intercollegiate athletics and serve as critical sites of professional socialization. Guided by Mead’s (1934) role theory and Foucault’s (1975/1977) concept of power, this study examined how graduate assistants (GAs) negotiated their dual roles as students and employees within Division I Power Four athletic departments. Semi-structured interviews with 10 current GAs revealed how organizational expectations normalized overwork, positioned the master’s degree as a compulsory credential, and sowed imbalance that shaped participants’ identities and well-being. Findings demonstrate how GAs internalized structured constraints and reproduced organizational norms, framing overwork as a necessary rite of passage. These …

Feedback Menus: Expanding Student Choice In Response To Writing, Andrew Testa

Journal of Response to Writing

This Teaching Tip introduces the Feedback Menu, a flexible protocol designed to promote student agency and feedback literacy in writing instruction. By allowing students to select the focus and mode of feedback they receive, the Menu helps tailor response to individual learning needs and supports meaningful revision at any stage of the composition process. The protocol is adaptable for use in first-year composition, professional writing, multilingual, and upper-division courses, in both face-to-face and online formats. Concrete implementation steps, sample menu items, and considerations for different teaching contexts are provided.

More Than Treating Errors: Bridging The Gaps And Expanding The Agenda For Scholarship On Teacher Written Feedback For L2 Writers, Lynn Goldstein, Robert Kohls

Journal of Response to Writing

Teacher written feedback is a central area of L2 scholarship and writing teacher education yet considerable research has focused on written corrective feedback (WCF) with considerably less attention paid to discourse-level (DLF) teacher written feedback. Our article identifies the gaps in the current teacher written feedback scholarship, explains why these gaps are problematic, and provides detailed recommendations for an agenda that examines teacher DLF and students’ use of this feedback. Our goal is to encourage scholars to explore new avenues of research that better take into account what writing “is” and “does” as well as take into account the linguistically …

Composing In Relation: Rethinking Multimodal Feedback As Rhetorical Design, Angela Laflen

Journal of Response to Writing

This qualitative study investigates how writing instructors compose feedback in multimodal digital environments, focusing on the rhetorical and relational dimensions of their design choices. Drawing on social semiotics and multimodal composition theory, the study analyzes feedback artifacts, instructor interviews, and student surveys from six first-year writing courses. Findings reveal that instructors engage in complex feedback design work across communication modes, often without formal training or shared frameworks. Instructors tended to default to text-based habits shaped by genre memory but adapted their strategies in response to communicative breakdowns and student needs. The study identifies three core themes: reliance on print-era conventions, …

Examining Automated Writing Evaluation Error Coverage In Relation To Uptake And Retention, Mohaddeseh Mehrzad, Mohammad Rahimi, Stephanie Link

Journal of Response to Writing

Despite the current widespread use of Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) feedback, many issues regarding its efficacy still remain unresolved. Recent studies mainly focus on correctly detected errors with a lack of attention on the comprehensiveness of error detection, or error coverage. Error coverage is interesting because little is known about the capacity of AWE systems to fully detect common second language (L2) errors. It is also important to investigate the potential effect of such capacity on student uptake and retention, which are important constructs in fostering L2 writing development. To this end, the present study compared teacher feedback and AWE …

Navigating Feedback In Collaborative Writing: The Impact Of Student Backgrounds And Expectations On Transitions To New Academic And Social Spaces, Lindsey Gruber, María Fernández–Agüero

Journal of Response to Writing

This article examines how international students navigate feedback from a supervisor while working on a group writing project in a diverse English medium of instruction (EMI) bachelor’s program at a public university in Denmark, where no formalized writing or language support resources are offered in the students’ first year of instruction. Data were collected in qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 11 students who were identified through a survey of a first-year bachelor of arts cohort. Results from the survey showed that despite using a supervision model of education, few students perceived changes in feedback compared to their secondary school experiences, and …