Digital Commons Network^™

Motivational Systems In Education That Encourage Academic Achievement And Student Leadership, Hannah Lockhart

2026 Research Poster Competition

This research investigates the role of motivational systems in education and their impact on students’ academic achievement, leadership development, and overall engagement following the implementation of school-based motivational frameworks. Grounded in an expanded review of educational and psychological literature, this study builds upon substantial evidence demonstrating that motivation is a critical determinant of both academic performance and personal development. While prior research consistently establishes positive correlations between student motivation and achievement, there remains a notable gap in empirical examination of how specific motivational systems are implemented in school contexts and how they function across diverse student populations. Drawing upon established …

To Examine The Effects Of Integrating Cultural Responsive Teaching (Crt) Into Special Education Classrooms, Nkem Akaemeh

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis writer examined the Cultural Responsive Teaching (CRT) strategies for working with students who are identified with special education needs in particular emotional behavioral disabilities and autism spectrum disabilities (EBD & ASD). The strategies have been reviewed throughout this thesis. It is a very well organized instructional system which considers a number of learning areas namely: academic, social/emotional, and cultural aspects. This method has been defined from a variety of references/writers and supported by a review of the literature. The system incorporates a number of strategies addressing academic, social/emotional, cultural and other areas/needs as indicated in this thesis.

Analyzing Educators’ Roles In Preparing Students For Civic Engagement In Arkansas Communities, Mia Hastings

2026 Research Poster Competition

Individuals aged eighteen to twenty-nine accounted for only thirteen percent of the voting electorate in the 2018 election, despite representing nearly twenty-two percent of the voting age population (Making Young Voters, 2020, p. 3). Although the percentage of students enrolled in at least one high school government course has remained relatively constant since the late 1920s, most state standards, including those in Arkansas, require only a single civics course to graduate (Branson, 2003, p. 3). As a preservice teacher, I am struck by how civic education often focuses on reciting facts about government and political institutions rather than equipping students …

Stream Education: How It Can Enrich The Expansion Of Social-Emotional Learning., Madalyn Menke

2026 Research Poster Competition

This research project investigates the implementation of a STREAM Education curriculum – integrating science, technology, reading/writing, engineering, arts/humanities, and mathematics, with a group of fourteen elementary-aged students. The study explores how the intentional inclusion of Reading and the Arts within a traditional STEM framework - guided by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL framework - can enrich students’ social-emotional wellbeing and engagement in learning. In partnership with SOAR Afterschool Care, an eight-week instructional project was implemented in which students read What Do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada as a central text. The book served …

Sustaining Success: Strengthening The Capacity Of The Office Of Student Advocacy To Support Students During Financial Emergencies, Sean P. Carlin, Erick U. Lainez-Villanueva, Diane C. Williams

Doctor of Education Capstones

For many college students, unanticipated financial expenses such as medical bills, transportation failures, or housing insecurity pose immediate threats to academic persistence and overall well-being. Literature has demonstrated student emergency funding can mitigate financial stress and support persistence; however, literature has been limited in examining how institutional structures, communication practices, funding models, and eligibility systems shape equitable access to these resources. This mixed-methods study examined the Virginia Commonwealth University Office of Student Advocacy’s Student Emergency Fund (SEF) and the systemic factors that influenced its effectiveness in supporting students experiencing short-term financial hardship. Guided by the financial stress theory, theory of …

Stuck In The Middle?: A Design Project To Support Do Not Qualify (Dnq) And Other Struggling Students At The Elementary Level, Steven T. Hartnett, Kevin M. Parkinson, Whitney M. Wayman

Doctor of Education Capstones

This dissertation in practice is designed to support New Kent County Public Schools, which noticed an increase in students being referred for special education services without a concomitant increase in students being found eligible for such services. Systems mapping revealed a root cause of this discrepancy is that the division lacked a comprehensive intervention plan consistently implemented, and - as a result - some students were referred for special education services not due to the presence of a potential learning disability, but merely for lack of other available options. Using tenets from design thinking and design-based research, the project co-created …

Bridging The Gap: Strategic Leadership For Student-Centered Advising And Retention At A Community College, Dina Abdul Rahman, Wenjun Chi, Katelynn Jarrells, Janet Ping

Doctor of Education Capstones

Community colleges serve as the most accessible gateway to higher education for millions of Americans, yet persistent dropout rates continue to undermine both student opportunity and institutional mission, particularly for first-generation students, students of color, adult learners, working students, and those experiencing financial precarity. This dissertation in practice examined high dropout rates at Delaware County Community College (DCCC), a multi-campus institution serving diverse communities across Delaware and Chester Counties in Pennsylvania. Guided by improvement science and grounded in critical pragmatism, Team RISE partnered with DCCC's Student Affairs division to investigate the systemic roots of student attrition and retention to develop …

Make It Maritime: A Simulation-Based Engineering Design Challenge Using Multimodal Technologies, Jessica M. Johnson, Jennifer Renne, Jason Dudley

Virginia Digital Maritime Center (VDMC) Faculty Publications

This paper presents The Incredible Bulk, a multimodal, simulation-based engineering challenge that introduces Grades 4–12 to maritime careers and digital transformation. Students assume the roles of different maritime careers to assemble aircraft carrier bulkhead systems using: VR for spatial orientation and task preview; a 3D model as visual work instruction; paper blueprints for part identification and dimensioning; 3D-printed components for hands-on assembly; and an AR app for quality assurance/inspection. Grounded in constructionism and cognitive apprenticeship, the plan–build–inspect loop externalizes thinking and situates coached, authentic practice that advances engineering design, systems thinking, and technological literacy.

Neoliberalism In Education: Three Studies On The Intersection Of Neoliberalism, Science Of Reading, And Policy, Candace Bechtold

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three linking projects that study the intersection of neoliberal ideology, American education policymaking, and the Science of Reading (SOR). I sought to understand how neoliberal mechanisms like standardization and accountability have shaped past and current education policies in the United States. In the first project, I take an historical approach to conceptualize neoliberal ideology to explain how it is manifested in Standards-Based Accountability (SBA) reform and demonstrate how its implications have progressed over time. In the second project, I focus on one state's SOR policy–the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA)– to conduct a discourse analysis of documents …

What Is School For? Interpreting Purpose And Practice In A Microschool Case Study, Cammie D. Justus-Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how one microschool interprets and enacts the purposes of schooling through a qualitative case study of Summit School, an Acton Academy affiliate in a mid-sized Southern city. Situated within broader debates about school choice and alternative education, the study explores how Summit’s vision, structures, and participant experiences illuminate enduring tensions in schooling: civic versus economic aims, public good versus private benefit, and innovation versus institutional continuity. Drawing on interviews, focus groups, observations, and school documents, the study treats Summit not as representative of microschools broadly, but as a bounded case through which larger questions about educational purpose …

The Impacts Of Mentoring On Mentor Teachers In A Teacher Residency Program, Eric J. Lindley

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher shortages across the United States have made educational researchers consider strategies for teacher retention. Teacher Residency Programs (TRPs) are a compelling focal area in which to study mentorship as it relates to teacher shortages and teacher retention because of their intentional preparation, development, and support for participating mentor teachers. For my dissertation study, I was interested in exploring mentors’ perceptions of their roles, relationships, and preparation as well as the impacts that mentoring had on them beyond what has already been reported in the literature. Using a qualitative interview design study approach, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 experienced …

Who Cares? A Critique Of Digital Classrooms In K–12 Education And What It Means For Students And Teachers, Jade R. Mccobb-Pratt

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis presents a critical analysis of digital classrooms, i.e., pre-made digital curriculum modules being used in in-person K–12 schools as a replacement for face-to-face instruction. By applying Martin Heidegger’s critique of modern technology, I will demonstrate that digital classrooms fundamentally alter the traditional classroom structure, centering it around domination and exploitation. I will expand Heidegger’s critique by drawing on Albert Borgman’s work to explain how digital classrooms commodify education, thus removing the possibility of a meaningful and enriching educational experience. These critiques run parallel to Michel Foucault’s critiques of discipline in schools. I will recount Foucault’s critiques, apply them …

Evaluating The Comparison Of Different Body Locations For Data Collection Using Galvanic Skin Response Of Forensic Chemistry Students When In Lecture And Laboratory Environments, Elisa Guerrero

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Anxiety is the response that humans can have when exposed to a stimulus. It can be caused by a multitude of factors, such as psychological, biological, or physiological stimuli. Anxiety can be presented as a state or as a trait in a person. Trait anxiety is typically seen as a more stable personality trait, whereas state anxiety is a more intense temporary emotional state. In our study, anxiety was regarded as a more state-like characteristic. A galvanic skin response (GSR) Shimmer3+ device can measure skin electro-conductance changes following stimulation. In a situation where a participant is experiencing anxiety, levels of …

Enteral Nutrition Guidelines Improve Critically Ill Patients’ Outcomes: A Quasiexperimental Study, Marwa Abdo, Sara Elsayed Hegazy

Nursing

Background: Optimal nutritional support is a fundamental element of treatment for critically ill patients. Adherence to evidence-based enteral nutrition guidelines is essential to promote patient care and prevent potential complications. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of enteral nutrition guidelines in improving critically ill patients’ outcomes. Method: A quasiexperimental study evaluated 68 critically ill patients divided into 2 groups. The intervention group received their nutrition based on the evidence-based enteral nutrition guidelines, while the control group received their nutrition based on the unit’s routine care. The study was conducted in the surgical intensive care units of Mansoura Emergency Hospital in Egypt. …

Examining Explicit Professional Development As A Means To Change Inclusive Mindsets, Mitchell E. Elatkin

Theses and Dissertations

Inclusive education requires educators to hold beliefs that support the participation and success of students with disabilities in general education settings. Although federal policy mandates access to the least restrictive environment, educator attitudes toward inclusion continue to influence the implementation of inclusive practices. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine whether explicit professional development (PD) focused on inclusive mindsets influenced school stakeholders’ attitudes toward inclusion across a school year. Participants included representatives from various roles within a charter school organization in the Midwest. The researcher collected data through two administrations of the Adapted Teacher Attitudes Toward Inclusion Survey …

Performance-Based Funding’S Influence On Higher Education Through The Eyes Of Department Chairs, Jonathan W. Lackland

Theses and Dissertations

Performance-based funding (PBF) has become a widely adopted policy in higher education, linking state appropriations to measurable outcomes such as graduation rates, degree completions, and workforce alignment. While PBF aims to enhance institutional accountability and efficiency, its implementation has raised significant concerns about equity and political influence. This dissertation examines the political equity and implications of PBF policies through a mixed-methods approach, including surveys, interviews with department chairs, and critical discourse analysis of state statutes and legislative debates. The findings reveal that PBF often exacerbates inequities, particularly for non-flagship universities serving diverse and under-resourced student populations. Department chairs expressed concerns …

"I Didn't Teach It Again Because It Wasn't Worth It": How Grades 6-12 English Language Arts Teachers Select Texts And Navigate The Obstacles That Impede Them, Steve Poggendorf

Theses and Dissertations

Classroom texts not only function as tools through which teachers can build curricula, but they can also engage and empower learners. Despite the importance of engaging texts in the classroom, teachers encounter obstacles, both social and institutional, that impede their ability to select the texts they believe will best foster student engagement and empowerment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how teachers make text selections, as well as the nature of the obstacles that stand in the way of teachers who hope to inspire and engage their students through lessons built around texts of their choosing. The …

Sdrc Update (Volume 7, Issue 1), Joanna Cayton-Velante

SDRC Publications

No abstract provided.

“What Am I Reading This Draft For?” Using Reading Filters To Enhance Your Peer Feedback, Kaitlin Clinnin, Mellisa Huffman, Benjamin Keating

English Faculty Research

Reading is a key part of the peer feedback process, and yet how to read peer drafts often receives less attention than other stages of this process.1 As a result, students may ask, “What am I reading this draft for?” Within this question are student concerns about the rhetorical and pedagogical purposes of reading peer drafts as well as the students’ own credibility and ability to read peer work compared to other presumably more “expert” sources of feedback. The chapter helps students grasp the social and rhetorical purposes of reading for peer workshops. It then presents a set of reading …

Psychometric Properties Of The Revised Snijders- Oomen Non-Verbal Intelligence Test (Son-R 6–40), Among Sixth And Ninth Grade Students, In The Sultanate Of Oman, Fatma Said Alharthi, Yousef Abu Shindi, Hussain Ali Alkharusi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The revised Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test (SON-R 6–40) provides a standardized measure of intelligence. The test’s author, Nan Snijders-Oomen (1943), conceptualized intelligence as the ability to learn and the extent to which children can benefit from school education. This test is widely used in Europe, Latin America, and Asia, but its application remains limited in Arab environments, particularly in Oman, where there is a scarcity of psychometric evaluations of nonverbal intelligence tests. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the revised Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test (SON-R 6–40) among a sample of sixth and ninth-grade students in Muscat …

The Effectiveness Of A Group Counselling Program Based On The Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (Act)In Improving The Body Image Among A Tenth Grade Adolescent Female Students In The Governorate Of Muscat In Sultanate Of Oman, Nasra Aziz Khalaf Alriyami, Jalal Damra Kaid

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a group counselling program based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in improving the body image of adolescent female students in the tenth grade in Muscat Governorate. The Body Image Scale and the group counselling program based on acceptance and commitment therapy were used to achieve the study objective. The program consisted of ten sessions, two sessions per week. The research used the semi-experimental approach in two equal groups, with pre, post, and follow-up tests. Sixteen female adolescent students were involved purposely in the study procedures from the tenth grade, which …

The Effectiveness Of An Educational Program Based On The Argumentative Theory In Developing Media Discourse Skills Among Female Students Of The Media Department At Taif University, Azizah Makhdhur Makhdhar Al-Harthi, Mohammed Abduljabbar M. Alsulami

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to reveal the effectiveness of an educational program based on the argumentative theory in developing media discourse skills among female students of the Media Department at Taif University. To achieve the goal, the researchers used quasi-experimental design and prepared the following materials: a list of the written media discourse skills, a test of the written media discourse skills, provided with a rubric, a list of the oral media discourse skills, a test of the oral media discourse skills, equipped with a rubric, a general framework for the program, the student’s book, and the teacher’s guide. The random …

Understanding And Mitigating The Impact Of Childhood Trauma: A Guide For Educators, Kirsten L. Sands

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic experiences that occur during childhood with lasting effects on students’ academic, social, emotional, and behavioral development. Although childhood adversity typically occurs outside of the educational setting, difficulties with emotional regulation, peer relationships, concentration, behavior, and engagement impact education. Teachers are uniquely qualified to observe these behaviors and provide support. However, educators may lack the foundational knowledge and resources necessary to recognize potential signs of adversity. Teachers need foundational information on ACEs, knowledge of potential signs, and how to provide practical, trauma-informed strategies for responding to students who may be experiencing effects of childhood …

Course Improvement Strategies For Effective Learning, Omar Ahmed Raheem Al-Shebeeb

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Poster Session Papers

Manufacturing processes Lab (IENG 302L) is one of the courses that is taught in the Industrial Engineering Department. The students perform several manufacturing processes in this course and for every one of these manufacturing processes, the students need to submit a project report. One of these manufacturing processes is a CNC turning process. The turning project of this course has historically had extensive average time for completion. As such, it was deemed necessary that a way to improve the quality of a turning project be generated. Industrial Quality Control (IENG 316) is also taught as part of the industrial engineering …

From Needs To Action: Designing Inclusive Writing Workshops For Academics, S. Alison Bolling, Julie Hicks Patrick

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Poster Session Papers

Being productive in academic writing is a critical component of success for graduate students and faculty, yet many scholars report persistent barriers that interfere with successful writing (Kaslow et al., 2025, Sweet et al., 2017). Few faculty and graduate students receive formal training on the art of writing and those who have attended writing programs vary in success (Dankoski et al., 2012). The present study reports results from multiple institutions to inform workshops on writing needs of graduate students, faculty, and postdoctoral scholars.

Data was collected online through a Qualtrics survey distributed by WVU listserv. Participants (N = 26) included …

Teaching Strategies In The First-Year Engineering Seminar Course, Akua Oppong-Anane, Wen Juan Mo, Marshal Miezah, Gia Huy Pham, Susie Huggins, Lizzie Santiago

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Poster Session Papers

This poster highlights the teaching strategies that are implemented in the First-Year Engineering Seminar Course at West Virginia University (WVU). The teaching team incorporated active learning techniques into the course to enhance student engagement, promote critical thinking, support the development of engineering identity, and encourage major and career exploration.

A Rapid, Accessible Active Learning Framework For Stem At Wvu Tech, Somenath Chakraborty, Zahmeeth Sayed Sakkaff

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Poster Session Papers

Many undergraduates find it difficult to move from listening to doing—especially in STEM courses that require sustained practice, timely feedback, and confidence. This poster describes a rapid, low-cost active-learning routine that can be added to existing lectures at WVU Tech with minimal redesign. Instructors insert brief engagement micro-cycles every 10–15 minutes: a concept question or mini-problem, a one-minute individual attempt, a short pair discussion, and a concise explanation that targets common misconceptions.

Forming Groups With Ai Coding, Dimas Abreu Archanjo Dutra

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Poster Session Papers

The poster will detail the creation and deployment of a custom computer-based team formation tool using an Artificial Intelligence (AI) coding agent. The students respond to a survey administered on the LMS about knowledge, skills, availability, and course of study. The survey results are downloaded from the LMS, anonymized, and given to a coding agent as a sample input. The agent is instructed to create groups that have diverse skills, a common time availability for meeting, and are in different majors. Students enrolled in Honors section are grouped together, and groups all belong to the same lab section. Results are …

Gamification For Learning At Wvu Tech: Examples From Engineering And Biology, Tamara Floyd-Smith, Aida Elisabet Jiménez-Esquilín

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Poster Session Papers

At WVU Tech, gamification is intentionally implemented by many faculty as a broad, multi-modal instructional approach rather than a single tool or activity. Faculty employ a range of gamification strategies, including the digital platform Kahoot but also analog, hands-on games (e.g., discipline-specific board games). These approaches are used for multiple instructional purposes, including supporting students in checking their understanding, practicing recall, working through challenging concepts, and developing problem-solving skills. Here we present applications of gamification for learning in engineering and biology courses at WVU Tech. Student feedback was collected regarding the use of Kahoot quizzes as a valuable and enjoyable …

Towards Increasing The Retention Of Freshman Engineering Students: Implementing A New Course, Ee 101 Introduction To Electrical And Computer Engineering, Omer Lateef, Mingyu Lu, Waseem Alaqqad, Charan Litchfield, Kenan Hatipoglu

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Poster Session Papers

To assist with improving student retention in the undergraduate electrical and computer engineering program, a course was developed and implemented at the freshman level in the Spring of 2021.  This course was named EE 101: Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering and served to give freshman students an opportunity to meet the professors of the ECE department and experience live sessions dedicated to presenting “upcoming” topics and research endeavors of their expertise.  Students typically will not be attending the electrical or computer engineering subjects until their sophomore year and this course, set in second semester for a freshman, attempts to …