Digital Commons Network^™

Rickettsia Africae Discovered In A Short-Term Urban Traveller To South Africa: A Case Report, Zunairah Sikder

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Rickettsia Africae is a pathogen that causes African tick-bite fever (ATBF). Transmission typically occurs from ticks within the Central and South African regions. Previous studies suggested that ATBF is not uncommon amongst travelers to rural sub-Saharan Africa, especially during the rainy months of November through April. However, this case report highlights a woman who contracted ATBF in novel conditions. The 70-year-old woman reported travelling strictly to and from the local church and hotel for her four-day stay in July. After returning to America, the patient experienced extreme irritation on her arm, as well as complaints of headaches. She presented to …

A Message From The Managing Editor, Carissa Bayack

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

A message from the 2025-2026 Managing Editor of the Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal, Carissa Bayack.

Infographic: The Lasting Impact Of Teachers, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

A national survey in the UK has looked into the long-lasting effects teachers have beyond the classroom. Adult respondents were asked about the qualities teachers have helped them carry into adult life, and their view of the profession.

Building Fluent Readers: Developing Comprehensive Reading Fluency In K-2 Classrooms, Erika Yersak

Masters Projects

Despite extensive research establishing reading fluency as essential to literacy development, many early elementary students fail to achieve grade-level fluency, compromising their reading comprehension and academic success.  Fluency instruction has been narrowed to measuring reading speed, dismissed beyond third grade, and taught as an isolated skill disconnected from authentic reading across content areas.  While research demonstrates that fluency encompasses accuracy, automaticity, and prosody and should be integrated meaningfully across disciplines, many K-2 teachers lack practical resources and guidance for implementing comprehensive fluency instruction in their classrooms.

To address this gap, this project presents a research-based fluency integration guidebook for K-2 …

Establishing Partnerships Between Families, Schools, And Communities To Support Family Involvement In Literacy Education, Matraca Bourdo

Masters Projects

As the percentage of fourth grade students reading at a proficient level continues to decline, schools are seeking effective ways to improve literacy education and student achievement. Research emphasizes the importance of early literacy development in supporting academic success and lifelong learning. However, not all families have the same background knowledge of literacy skills and how to develop them with their children. Partnerships between schools, families, and communities can provide the support and resources needed while working toward the goal of improving student achievement.

The purpose of this project is to implement a team that partners with families to educate …

Imsa Summer Symposium 2026, Student Inquiry And Reserach Reserach (Sir)

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

For nearly four decades, IMSA has worked to advance the human condition through educational innovation. The Summer Symposium is our annual showcase for the research projects that were conducted in IMSA’s experiential learning programs between May and August. These programs include Student Inquiry and Research (SIR), IN2 Business Internships, and the Student Research and Experiential Learning Opportunity (SRELO) program. For the first time, we are also excited to welcome IMSA Research, Inquiry Skills, and Experimentation (RISE) students to present at the Summer Symposium.

Cover Design

Luke Berryman

The Application Of Knowledge Graphs In Education: A Bibliometric Analysis, Rui Yin, Jundi Teng, Ningwei Sun, Huimin Li, Ting Cheng

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as ChatGPT, the use of knowledge graphs (KGs) has increased substantially in educational applications. As a technology for knowledge representation and management in AI, KGs play a pivotal role in personalized learning, educational resource integration and management, and learning performance prediction. Their scalability and semantic interpretability were particularly evident in online education during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, systematic reviews of their application in education remain limited.

To address this gap, our study analyzed data from the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection (high-quality Social Sciences Citation Index …

Community School Hubs: A Path To Literacy For English Learners And Families, Elizabeth Ortiz-Wright

The Reading Professor

This qualitative narrative study examined the perceptions of community school hub members and Hispanic English learner parents at an elementary school in a suburban district. Eighty-four percent of the students at the study site were economically disadvantaged. The inquiry drew on sociocultural theory and Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory to explore how these hubs support families. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and field observations and analyzed using Quirkos software. The findings demonstrate the overall value of community school hubs in addressing basic needs, increasing the potential for academic success. However, a significant lack of clarity exists; many parents were unaware …

Beyond The Deficit Lens: Black Family Literacy As Social, Cultural, And Historical Practice: Implications For Literacy Teacher Education, Tasean D. Baldwin

The Reading Professor

Literacy education in the United States has long centered on standardized English and formal classroom instruction. While intended as a universal benchmark, this approach systematically overlooks and delegitimizes the rich literacy history and traditions rooted in Black families and communities. Through the application of frameworks such as New Literacy Studies, Gee's Theory of Discourse Communities, Yosso's Community  Cultural Wealth model, and Critical Race Theory, this article reframes Black family literacy through a social, cultural, and historical lens. It is forged and perpetuated by resistance to racial oppression, through the intergenerational exchange of knowledge, and oral traditions within the community. This …

Beyond Screening: Using Multiple Sources Of Evidence To Inform Early Literacy Instruction, Cheryl Kahn

The Reading Professor

Educators today collect more literacy data than at any previous point in history, yet many students continue to experience reading difficulties that are identified far later than they should be. This article argues that the problem is not a lack of information but a failure to integrate available evidence to prompt timely instructional action. Drawing on research in reading development, early identification of reading difficulties, teacher knowledge, assessment literacy, instructional decision-making, and responsive literacy instruction, this article proposes the Multiple Sources of Evidence Framework to strengthen early literacy decision-making. Rather than relying on any single assessment or screening result, the …

Interrupting The Retention Cycle: The Impact Of Relationship-Centered One-To-One Literacy Tutoring On Affective And Cognitive Outcomes For At-Risk Third-Grade Readers, Amy Nussbaum

The Reading Professor

Third grade serves as a critical literacy benchmark in Indiana, where students who do not pass the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD) assessment may face retention. The consequences of retention are particularly pronounced for students living in high-poverty communities, where inequitable access to literacy opportunities often compounds existing academic challenges. This article examines a six-week, relationship-centered literacy intervention implemented at an underserved Catholic school in South Bend, Indiana. Through a partnership with Tutor-ND, trained community tutors provided one-to-one, evidence-based literacy instruction to students at risk of retention following unsuccessful performance on IREAD. Drawing upon research related to high-impact tutoring, …

Beyond The Label: Investigating The Relationship Between Ell Placement And Teacher Expectations For Academic Rigor, Bruce A. Torff, Audrey Figueroa Murphy

The Reading Professor

Urban teachers (N=142) completed a survey assessing how placement of English learners in common pedagogical settings that vary in ESL models (self-contained, pull-out, push-in, bilingual, and dual language) was associated with teachers' beliefs about rigor of curriculum. Teachers significantly favored low-Critical Thinking (CT) curricular activities over high-CT ones consistent with "rigor gap" research showing that teachers tend to view ELLs in need of low-CT curriculum. Beliefs consistent with the rigor gap also emerged within the ELL population, based on placements. Teachers preferred curriculum tilted toward low-CT instruction for students with the greatest challenges--those given the most ESL-sequestered placements (self-contained and …

Trp Staff, Editorial Board, Table Of Contents

The Reading Professor

No abstract provided.

About The Cover

The Reading Professor

No abstract provided.

Cover

The Reading Professor

No abstract provided.

Advancing Occupational Therapy Practice: Evaluating A Continuing Education Module To Support The Integration Of 3d Printing Into Clinical Care, Sophia Wilkes, Rebecca Ozelie

Student Journal of Occupational Therapy

This study aimed to evaluate whether a continuing education module could improve occupational therapy practitioners’ perceived knowledge, awareness, confidence, and clinical utilization of 3D printing in occupational therapy practice, while also examining how access to resources may influence implementation A 14-week cross-sectional pre–post design was used with occupational therapy practitioners participating in a one-hour educational session followed by a three-week trial of 3D printer access. Participants completed pre- and post-surveys assessing perceived knowledge, awareness, and confidence, and maintained a utilization log to track clinical use.

Results indicated a statistically significant increase in perceived knowledge and awareness of 3D printing following …

The Current - Volume 37 Issue 01, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

シオンからの便り（１）, Ryuichi Inouye

Spiritual Proficiency

長年教会の教育部門に携わり、とりわけ若い世代との関わりを大切にしてこられた井上兄弟は、豊かな福音知識だけでなく、日々の小さな出来事にも心を配る「実践の人」として知られています。伝道会長、地区代表、神殿会長など、多岐にわたる奉仕を通して培われた独自の視点が、本書のいたるところに息づいています。

収録されているメッセージの数々は、井上兄弟が率いる「シオンのグループ」へ宛てて書き送られた記事を、ほぼ原文のまま年代順にまとめたものです。１つ１つが２～３分で読める分量なので、まずは通読して全体の流れをつかみ、その後トピックごとに立ち止まりながら、日々の生活に少しずつ取り入れていただければと思います。今後は音声やビデオ、エッセイなど多様な形での展開も計画しており、本資料はBYU ScholarsArchiveの「Spiritual Proficiency」セクションに掲載されます。皆さんご自身の霊的な経験も、ぜひお寄せください。

編集者：有泉芳彦

シオンからの便り（２）, Ryuichi Inouye

Spiritual Proficiency

長年教会の教育部門に携わり、とりわけ若い世代との関わりを大切にしてこられた井上兄弟は、豊かな福音知識だけでなく、日々の小さな出来事にも心を配る「実践の人」として知られています。伝道会長、地区代表、神殿会長など、多岐にわたる奉仕を通して培われた独自の視点が、本書のいたるところに息づいています。

収録されているメッセージの数々は、井上兄弟が率いる「シオンのグループ」へ宛てて書き送られた記事を、ほぼ原文のまま年代順にまとめたものです。１つ１つが２～３分で読める分量なので、まずは通読して全体の流れをつかみ、その後トピックごとに立ち止まりながら、日々の生活に少しずつ取り入れていただければと思います。今後は音声やビデオ、エッセイなど多様な形での展開も計画しており、本資料はBYU ScholarsArchiveの「Spiritual Proficiency」セクションに掲載されます。皆さんご自身の霊的な経験も、ぜひお寄せください。

編集者：有泉芳彦

シオンからの便り（４）, Ryuichi Inouye

Spiritual Proficiency

長年教会の教育部門に携わり、とりわけ若い世代との関わりを大切にしてこられた井上兄弟は、豊かな福音知識だけでなく、日々の小さな出来事にも心を配る「実践の人」として知られています。伝道会長、地区代表、神殿会長など、多岐にわたる奉仕を通して培われた独自の視点が、本書のいたるところに息づいています。

収録されているメッセージの数々は、井上兄弟が率いる「シオンのグループ」へ宛てて書き送られた記事を、ほぼ原文のまま年代順にまとめたものです。１つ１つが２～３分で読める分量なので、まずは通読して全体の流れをつかみ、その後トピックごとに立ち止まりながら、日々の生活に少しずつ取り入れていただければと思います。今後は音声やビデオ、エッセイなど多様な形での展開も計画しており、本資料はBYU ScholarsArchiveの「Spiritual Proficiency」セクションに掲載されます。皆さんご自身の霊的な経験も、ぜひお寄せください。

編集者：有泉芳彦

シオンからの便り（３）, Ryuichi Inouye

Spiritual Proficiency

長年教会の教育部門に携わり、とりわけ若い世代との関わりを大切にしてこられた井上兄弟は、豊かな福音知識だけでなく、日々の小さな出来事にも心を配る「実践の人」として知られています。伝道会長、地区代表、神殿会長など、多岐にわたる奉仕を通して培われた独自の視点が、本書のいたるところに息づいています。

収録されているメッセージの数々は、井上兄弟が率いる「シオンのグループ」へ宛てて書き送られた記事を、ほぼ原文のまま年代順にまとめたものです。１つ１つが２～３分で読める分量なので、まずは通読して全体の流れをつかみ、その後トピックごとに立ち止まりながら、日々の生活に少しずつ取り入れていただければと思います。今後は音声やビデオ、エッセイなど多様な形での展開も計画しており、本資料はBYU ScholarsArchiveの「Spiritual Proficiency」セクションに掲載されます。皆さんご自身の霊的な経験も、ぜひお寄せください。

編集者：有泉芳彦

シオンからの便りシリーズへのリンク, Ryuichi Inouye

Spiritual Proficiency

長年教会の教育部門に携わり、とりわけ若い世代との関わりを大切にしてこられた井上兄弟は、豊かな福音知識だけでなく、日々の小さな出来事にも心を配る「実践の人」として知られています。伝道会長、地区代表、神殿会長など、多岐にわたる奉仕を通して培われた独自の視点が、本書のいたるところに息づいています。

収録されているメッセージの数々は、井上兄弟が率いる「シオンのグループ」へ宛てて書き送られた記事を、ほぼ原文のまま年代順にまとめたものです。１つ１つが２～３分で読める分量なので、まずは通読して全体の流れをつかみ、その後トピックごとに立ち止まりながら、日々の生活に少しずつ取り入れていただければと思います。今後は音声やビデオ、エッセイなど多様な形での展開も計画しており、本資料はBYU ScholarsArchiveの「Spiritual Proficiency」セクションに掲載されます。皆さんご自身の霊的な経験も、ぜひお寄せください。

編集者：有泉芳彦

Fellowship Graduates’ Perceptions Of The Professional Competencies Developed In A Local Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Program In The Southern United States, Margaret Elaine Lonnemann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Orthopedic manual physical therapy (OMPT) fellowship programs focus on improving clinical skills and professional development in physical therapy. OMPT fellowship programs are 1–3-year postprofessional subspecialty training programs in manual physical therapy requiring prior orthopedic clinical experience. The problem that was addressed in this study is that professional competencies are not adequately assessed after program completion of an OMPT fellowship in the Southern United States. Grounded in Dreyfus’s skill acquisition model, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore OMPT fellowship graduates’ perceptions of the professional competencies developed and recommendations for assessing these competencies in future graduates. Data were …

Kindergarten Classroom Educators’ Perceptions Of Social Emotional Learning Implementation, Thomasina A. Millner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that research on social emotional learning (SEL) has largely focused on student outcomes, program effectiveness, and implementation practices, but limited research has examined kindergarten classroom educators’ perceptions of implementing SEL. Grounded in the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning framework, the purpose of this study was to explore kindergarten classroom educators’ perceptions of SEL implementation. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews with nine kindergarten educators who had at least 1 year experience implementing SEL were conducted. Through thematic data analysis the following five themes emerged: Educators noted (1) that SEL is …

Prekindergarten Teachers' Perspectives On Coaching Following Professional Development On Early Childhood Programs, Donna Renee Morton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Coaching is recommended for prekindergarten (PK) teachers following professional development (PD) to increase implementation of instruction practices with fidelity in early childhood (EC) programs. The problem addressed in this study was PK teachers were challenged to engage in coaching experiences after PD to implement instructional practices with fidelity in a large EC program located in the Mideastern United States. Framed by Knowles’s adult learning theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore PK teachers’ perspectives on coaching experiences after receiving PD to implement instructional practices with fidelity. Semistructured interview data were collected from eight PK teachers who …

Increasing Internal Teacher Capacity Through Instructional Support And Professional Growth, Kelly Compher

Masters Projects

The state of Michigan has long invested in early literacy by supporting K-2 teachers in professional learning and early literacy coaching. This project focuses on the need to develop upper elementary teachers in grades three through five on their knowledge of the science of reading and foundational skills. Providing professional learning on the science of reading will increase knowledge and self-efficacy, which upper elementary teachers need in order to implement a Tier 1 curriculum as mandated by PA 146 of 2024. This project outlines a series of three professional development sessions that help build content knowledge around the science of …

Excelling In An Entry-Level Job, Paul Hill, Osei Vega-Sandoval

All Current Publications

Experience in an entry-level job becomes more valuable over time, especially when performance is exceptional. Managers conduct periodic performance reviews to provide feedback that entry-level employees can use to improve. Performance reviews are an opportunity for employees to learn, share career goals, and seek tailored guidance for their career development. This fact sheet provides insights into the character and qualities an employee should demonstrate to become a high performer, and what organizations can do to retain such employees.

Advancing Beyond An Entry-Level Job, Paul Hill, Osei Vega-Sandoval

All Current Publications

Entry-level positions are a gateway into the workforce, yet advancing beyond an early-career role is necessary to broaden one’s professional experience and earn a higher salary. Whether following the traditional path of moving up within an organization or developing extensive expertise, there are a variety of career paths and concepts to consider. This fact sheet provides strategies and insights for advancing to higher-level positions within organizations.

Obtaining An Entry-Level Job, Paul Hill, Osei Vega-Sandoval

All Current Publications

Entry-level jobs are designed for people with little to no work experience. These jobs do not require previous education or training. Entry-level roles range from labor-intensive jobs (e.g., stocking shelves, preparing food, cleaning equipment) to customer service jobs (e.g., cashier, bank teller, retail associate). Entry-level jobs are the most common gateway into an organization. This fact sheet explains how to find entry-level jobs and outlines the fundamentals to improve one’s prospects of gaining employment.

Rethinking Education For Sustainable Development: The Role Of Blended Learning Within Skill-Based Higher Education, Nessrin Shaya, Sandra Baroudi, Serena Aoun, Rawan Abukhait

All Works

Purpose – Drawing on Social Cognitive Career Theory, this study positions blended learning not merely as a technological enhancement but as a strategic pedagogical mechanism for operationalizing sustainable development. It examines how blended learning within interdisciplinary and skill-based higher education environments cultivate employability skills that support sustainable educational practices. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopts a survey design. Where data were collected from 782 undergraduate students across five universities in UAE. Two institutions offered blended, interdisciplinary and skill-based courses, while three delivered the same courses through traditional face-to-face formats. The structural model was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) with bootstrapping …