Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating Oer Resources As An Inclusive Teaching Practice, Hannah Ray

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Open Educational Resources (OER) have become a popular alternative to traditional textbooks for university students throughout the U.S. due to their affordability and positive educational outcomes. To better determine the outcomes of OER usage, this study evaluates the implementation of OER at an individual course level and across courses at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Student success was measured by the DFW rates, which refers to the number of students who received a grade letter of D, failed, or withdrew from the course, before and after the implementation of OER resources in various courses. At the individual course level, students’ …

T-Mobile Strategic Audit, Naren Narasimhan, Kathryn Kraemer, Alex Nydahl, Carlos Fuentes, Cole Swofford

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This strategic audit delves into the performance and competitive landscape of T-Mobile within the wireless communications industry. The research question driving this study was to assess T-Mobile's position and prospects across various facets of its business operations. The research methodology was gathered from T-Mobile's official sources such as its website, annual reports, press releases, and other publicly available information. The audit offers a comprehensive examination of T-Mobile's strategic landscape, encompassing industry dynamics, the company's mission, and its overarching objectives. It proceeds with an extensive external and internal analysis, culminating in insights into T-Mobile's competitive advantage and future positioning vis-à-vis other …

First Solar Strategic Audit, Sydney Pelster, Abigail Cota, Katherine Schoenfelder, Nolan Mauk, Eli Waring

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This case study explores First Solar, a global leader in the photovoltaic solar module industry. Using strategic management strategies and principles, we have curated a strategic audit to analyze the company’s competitive position. We used First Solar’s publications and website as well as general articles on the solar industry, analyst findings, and additional public findings as the basis of our analysis. Overall, our goal was to apply the learned strategic management concepts to a complex organization and identify First Solar’s potential competitive advantages.

We looked at many factors for First Solar, including firm analysis, industry analysis, external analysis, internal analysis, …

Proposing Urban Agroforestry Designs For Lincoln, Nebraska: A Model From Berlin, Germany, Noah Johnson

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Given the threat of a worsening climate crisis, there is a strong need for community and ecosystem resilience. Diverse urban agroforestry systems have the potential to accomplish both and meet many of the objectives outlined in the city of Lincoln, Nebraska’s climate action plan. Additionally, Berlin, Germany could provide an effective model for Lincoln in this regard given the city’s extensive history of established urban agroforestry systems. The objective of this study then is to develop a design for an urban agroforestry site modeled on Berlin’s allotment gardens and tailored to Lincoln’s needs. The methods for creating this design included …

2024 Nsu Commencement Schedule Of Ceremonies, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Commencement Programs

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) welcomes graduating candidates, their families, and friends to its Fort Lauderdale/ Davie campus for the 2024 commencement ceremonies.

This guide offers important information regarding NSU commencement, academic regalia, recognition events, and accommodations for your visiting family and guests.

2023-2024 Common Data Set, Systems Intelligence And Data Analytics, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Common Data Sets

The Common Data Set (CDS) initiative is a collaborative effort among data providers in the higher education community and publishers as represented by the College Board, Peterson’s, and U.S. News & World Report. The combined goal of this collaboration is to improve the quality and accuracy of information provided to all involved in a student’s transition into higher education, as well as to reduce the reporting burden on data providers.

The Experiences Of Postsecondary Students With Disabilities Utilizing One Stop Student Services: A Grounded Theory Approach, Ivan Noe

Education (PhD) Dissertations

The number of students with disabilities attending postsecondary institutions of higher education continues to rise. With it, it is necessary to understand better how they experience their institution beyond curricular spaces. Presently, there exists a gap in the knowledge of how these students experience co-curricular support, including assistance with enrollment services through one stops. This study sought to understand the multiple ways in which this population of students experiences the one stop at one of three four-year public research universities in California. This qualitative research study utilized the constructivist grounded theory methodology and methods to aid in the emergence of …

Promoting Successful Industry Academic Partnerships For Curriculum Development: Integration Of Multiple Streams Framework And Stakeholder Theory, Jennifer D. Gudapati

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

There is a widening gap between traditional higher education and the needs of the industry workforce. Higher education has lately been criticized for having too few voices playing a role in most curricula development, with the voices being used consisting largely of career academics (Nature Editorial, 2023). Both industry and academia have found a disconnect between academic training and preparedness to enter the labor market (Jackson et al., 2016). Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) and Stakeholder Theory (ST) have been offered as potential frameworks for guiding elements of policy or strategy development and implementation in this context. However, in this dissertation, …

Impostor Phenomenon, Perfectionism, Psychological Distress, And Burnout In Pre-Health Undergraduate Students, Victoria Lee

Honors Theses

Preparing for a career in the healthcare field is incredibly strenuous and demanding, and previous research endeavors have demonstrated that students in professional healthcare programs show an increased susceptibility to impostor phenomenon, perfectionism, psychological distress, and burnout. Previous studies have indicated a possible link between impostor phenomenon, perfectionism, psychological distress, and burnout; however, these studies only considered two or three constructs at a time in graduate students (Rosenthal, et al., 2021; Seong, et al., 2020; Garratt-Reed, et al., 2018). The current study’s purpose was to investigate the whether or not impostor phenomenon, perfectionism, and psychological distress could be potential predictors …

Simulacra Alligoría Spílaio Socráti A Reconsideration Of The Allegory Of Socrates Cave: Game-Based Theory In Inclusive Higher Education, Barry Karrh

Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the use of Game Based Learning (GBL) and Game Based Pedagogy (GBP) implemented in higher education and considers what effects may be measured on retention and learning.

Using the allegory of Socrates Cave, a story which challenges how learners’ perspectives differ according to each individual’s unique understanding, this study considered how participants reacted in similar scenarios during ‘serious games’ implemented in college level classes to reinforce and review material before testing. This study used a pre- and post-test model to assess the difference games used as an intervention had on short-term retention. The final credential scores of …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Undergraduate College Students, Rebecca C. Madson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic created significant disruption across the world. These two studies provide a mixed methods approach to understanding how undergraduate college students at one university were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The first, a quantitative study, examines changes in mean, median, and standard deviation of GPAs in the semesters leading up to and during the pandemic (Fall 2018 - Spring 2022). The second, a qualitative study, involves interviewing students (n = 13) who began their undergraduate college career in Fall 2019, prior to the pandemic, and graduated in Spring 2023. Findings from these studies suggest that undergraduate students performed …

Disrupting Negative Representations Of Queerness In Genre Cinema, Mark Gambino

Postgraduate

The stigmatisation of queer identities is a constant in cinematic history, especially so in horrorgenre movies. A transgressive and confronting medium, horror cinema presents numerous opportunities to align queer identities with cultural symbols of degeneracy; perpetuating associations that contribute to negative cultural attitudes towards queerness. While public discourse on such topics has advanced to entertain ideas of equity and authenticity in these representations, negative values and attitudes are yet evident in contemporary cultural texts. Therein lay an opportunity to examine how these attitudes and values are perpetuated through history by deconstructing how societal attitudes inform the creation of a text …

2024 School Of Law Commencement Information And Photographs, Roger Williams University School Of Law

School of Law Commencement (1996- )

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Exploration Of Social Capital And Its Influence On Baccalaureate Degree Completion Of First-Generation African American Men At The University Of Louisville., Joseph Marshall Goodman Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation was designed to examine influences which various forms of social capital have on post-secondary degree attainment of first-generation individuals who self-identify as African American men. Additionally, the sample population consisted of Black men who successfully matriculated to earn baccalaureate credentials across differing academic disciplines at a public historically White institution located in the mid-south region of the United States. The research data was extracted from one-on-one, semi-structured interviews using authentic dialogue through open-ended questions. Theoretical paradigms of the study involved a phenomenological approach and an ontological philosophical assumption, integrated with critical theory, critical race theory and social …

An Analysis Of Child Valence Bias Trajectories As A Result Of Parental Factors: A Longitudinal Perspective, Kaylee Brooke Donner

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Valence bias is an important part of how individuals perceive the world around them, and this is especially influential in terms of children’s development. This study used data from longitudinal data collection surveys consisting of 197 participants, ages 6-17, to investigate correlations between valence bias, puberty, parental conflict, emotion regulation, temperament, interpersonal regulation, trait anxiety, and personality. This research provides much sought-after knowledge in terms of how parental factors impact children’s development, specifically children's valence bias development. Previous research has shown that emotion regulation in parents, along with different parenting styles with equal levels of discipline and loving support largely …

Increasing Nursing Aide Knowledge On Benefits Of Light For Sundowning Syndrome, Grace Hilfiker, Julie Masters

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

In this study, the knowledge of nursing aides on the benefits of light for sundowning syndrome was investigated. While dementia and sundowning syndrome is discussed during nursing aide training in the state of Nebraska, there is no discourse focused on how light plays beneficial role in lessening the symptoms of sundowning syndrome for those who are afflicted with dementia. This study asked what the current knowledge base surrounding dementia and sundowning syndrome is of nursing aides in the state of Nebraska. The aim was to justify adding a focus on concrete methods to use when caring for patients with dementia …

Stronger Together Newsletter, May 2024, Office Of Inclusive Excellence

News, Magazines and Reports

What Happened in the Office for Inclusive Excellence, Multicultural Center Updates, Pride Night Collab/Kyle’s Article, End of Year Celebration, S.A.G.E. Center Updates, Lavendar Graduation, 11 Inclusive Excellence Departmental Spotlight, Inclusive Excellence Individual Spotlight

School Counselors’ Perspectives On Preparing Students Experiencing Homelessness For College, Stacey A. Havlik, Dana Brookover, Patrick Rowley

Journal of College Access

The purpose of the study is to investigate school counselors’ support of youth experiencing homelessness going to college. Using survey methods, school counselors reported their knowledge, perceived competence, advocacy, and actions related to supporting students experiencing homelessness in their college preparation. The results suggested that training and the number of students experiencing homelessness on counselors’ caseloads were significantly related to their knowledge and competence. Knowledge, competence, and advocacy all impacted the number of interventions utilized by participants. The implications of these results for school counselors and counselor educators are discussed.

(Non)Cognitive Dissonance? A Stakeholder-Based Exploration Of The Consideration Of Graduate Admissions Applicants' Personal Skills And Qualities, Reginald M. Gooch, Joseph H. Paris, Sara B. Haviland, Jose Sotelo

Journal of College Access

Prospective graduate students’ noncognitive attributes are commonly evaluated as a part of a holistic review of their admission applications. Yet it is difficult to determine which noncognitive attributes are considered by those who evaluate graduate admissions applications and what approaches they take to measure applicants’ noncognitive attributes. It is even less clear to what degree prospective graduate students understand how they are evaluated for graduate admissions and how the evaluation of their noncognitive attributes factor into admissions decisions. Drawing on surveys of graduate enrollment management (GEM) professionals and prospective graduate students in the United States, our study investigates the noncognitive …

Burnout And Work Fatigue In Contingent Faculty During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Gina Dimartino

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic and immediate shift to remote learning had a major impact on faculty and students in higher education institutions (HEIs). As a result of the pandemic, many stakeholders in HEIs have experienced burnout and work fatigue, specifically, contingent/adjunct faculty. Contingent/adjunct faculty comprise a majority of faculty who serve students in colleges and universities across the country.

As the needs of students increased during the pandemic, contingent/adjunct faculty experienced increased workloads due to the additional support needed by diverse and challenged students. This further intensified the unique challenges faced by contingent faculty that existed prior to the pandemic in …

Does My Voice Matter? Understanding The Lived Experiences And Turnover Intentions Of Professional Academic Advisors, Keith Kanard Douglas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academic advising has been a vital aspect of the higher education setting for at least a century. Academic advising has evolved from the vocational development of young men to a full-time profession, especially after the creation of the National Academic Advising Association in 1979. Although the academic profession has developed through research, master’s programs, and courses designed to expand the field of academic advising, researchers still question whether full-time academic advising is a profession. Questions regarding the legitimacy of the work of academic advisors have led to miscommunication between upper administrators within the university. Universities have experienced a trend of …

Campus Ministry And Spiritual Self-Efficacy: A Phenomenological Study Of Academic Achievement Among Black Male Students At An Historically Black College And University, Mitchell Stevens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which emphasizes the importance of self-efficacy in motivation and achievement (Bandura, 1994), provided a lens through which to analyze the influence of Historically Black Colleges and University’s (HBCUs) campus ministry on the development of spiritual self-efficacy and academic achievement among Black males. Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have a long history of providing higher education opportunities to Black students, and they have been instrumental in fostering academic, personal, and social growth (Smith & Allen, 2014). However, little is known about the specific impact of campus ministry programs on the development of Black males’ spiritual self-efficacy and …

Optimizing Adult Learner Success: Applying Random Forest Classifier In Higher Education Predictive Analytics, Emily Barnes, James Hutson, Karriem Perry

Faculty Scholarship

This study examines the application of the Random Forest Classifier (RF) model in predicting academic success among adult learners in higher education. It focuses on evaluating the model's effectiveness using key statistical measures like accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score across a comprehensive dataset from 2013–14 to 2021–22, which includes variables such as age, ethnicity, gender, Pell Grant eligibility, and academic performance metrics. The research highlights the RF model's capability to handle large datasets with varying data types and demonstrates its superiority over traditional regression models in predictive accuracy. Through an iterative process, the study refines the RF model to …

Using Multiple Methods To Explore Antiracist Practices In A Cross Institutional Online Community, Mark Diacopoulos, Amanda Burbage, Kristen H. Gregory, Mary F. Rice

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

In this chapter, four white, cis-gender, teacher-educators engaged in a multiple method, cross-institution online collaboration during the dual pandemic of Covid-19 and structural racism. Using a book club reading schedule, arts based responses, problem posing, and memory work, the authors examined their experiences and reactions to the pandemic and concurrent incidences of structural racism. Drawing inspiration from Robinson and Robinson’s (2022) Imagine If, followed by Kendi’s (2019, 2023) How to be Antiracist, the authors describe how their online collaboration influenced their understanding of their past, helped them to unpack considerations of present problems in their practice, and helped them consider …

Examining The Potential Of Online Community-Based Learning To Foster Global Citizenship Capacities In College Students: A Mixed-Methods Multi-Institutional Study, Caitlin Ferrarini

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Global citizenship education is one way to better prepare individuals to learn about global systems, understand their own place in those systems, and act with others to create a more just world. While global citizenship education has big aspirational goals, for this to be effective, educators must better understand what pedagogical strategies impact the development of global citizenship capacities in students. This study aims to understand the potential of one emerging pedagogical strategy in the context of higher education –online community-based learning– for fostering global citizenship capacities in an increasingly interconnected and digitized world. This research is guided by a …

The Relationship Between Role Models, Socioeconomic Mobility Beliefs, And Academic Outcomes, Christian Koeu, Marisol Espinoza Garcia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Objective: This study aims to provide insights into the relationships between role models, socioeconomic mobility beliefs and the education outcomes of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. While previous studies highlight the positive influence of role models on academic and career aspirations, the specific relationship between role models and socioeconomic beliefs remains unexplored. Our study addresses this gap by examining whether the presence of role models relates with more optimistic socioeconomic beliefs and how these beliefs, in turn, affect academic outcomes (academic engagement, academic intentions, and grade point average [GPA]). Additionally, we investigate the influence of role model characteristics to …

With Great Power: Using Comics To Facilitate Discussion Of Systemic Oppression In Higher Education Literature Classes, Keri Crist-Wagner

All Dissertations

Undergraduate student participation in general education classes constitutes a point of struggle for many educators, especially when it comes to lessons centered around systems of oppression like racism, sexism, or heterosexism. Using both constructivism and counter storytelling as theoretical frameworks, this multi-method phenomenological case study explored the experiences of undergraduate honors students in a semester long general education literature class. The purpose of this study was to 1) explore how comics can be used as a pedagogical tool in higher education classrooms to facilitate discussion of systems of oppression, 2) assess the ways in which students interacted with comics, and …

Vmed 531: Introduction To Animal Welfare A Faculty-Led Inquiry Into Reflective Scholarly Teaching Benchmark Portfolio, Amy Walton

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This benchmark portfolio documents course design, student learning, and reflection of teaching methods for VMED 531 Introduction to Animal Welfare. This one credit hour course provides an overview of animal welfare topics and assessment through a veterinary medical lens. Participants are first year veterinary students that have been accepted into Professional Program of Veterinary Medicine (PPVM). This course creates a foundational knowledge base regarding animal welfare topics and fosters critical thinking with how veterinary treatments, surgeries, and animal-use practices influence animal welfare. The ability to utilize critical thinking skills and science-based evidence to create a sound solution is essential regarding …

Complete Issue, Patrick J. O'Connor Phd, Laura Owen, Moya Malcolm, Diana Camilo, Christopher W. Tremblay

Journal of College Access

No abstract provided.

Introductory Pages, Christopher W. Tremblay, Patrick J. O'Connor Phd, Diana Camilo, Laura Owen, Moya Malcolm

Journal of College Access

No abstract provided.