Digital Commons Network^™

Navigating Success In Higher Education: Generative Ai, Financial Well-Being, And Parental Support, Tanya Gardner

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

Postsecondary education is viewed as a sure path to economic mobility. This dissertation contains three essays which examine correlates of postsecondary value. Postsecondary students face a variety of stressors throughout their college career which may impact their ability to be successful. They must complete their coursework and pass their classes while balancing work, social, and familial obligations. Tools such as generative AI may help students achieve their goals even in the face of personal challenges such as low financial stability or the inability to afford the high costs of college. Together these essays add to the body of literature which …

The Relationship Between Internet Addiction Test Scores And Academic Achievement, Michael L. Houston, John Foubert

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) score and academic performance in college students. The IAT measured the students’ addiction to the internet based upon their use. Academic performance was measured by grade point average (GPA). A sample of 692 traditional-aged college students from both public and private institutions was used to examine if IAT scores were related to and predictive of GPA. This study found a negative relationship between students’ IAT scores and GPAs. As IAT scores increased, students’ GPAs decreased. A better understanding of how internet addiction is related …

Exploratory Study Of Students’ Creative Mindset, Perceived Values Of Open Educational Resources, And Flow, Hungwei Tseng, Mark Sciuchetti, Yingqi Tang

Research, Publications & Creative Work

As the awareness, benefits, and adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER) in various fields have increased, so have efforts to conduct research on its impact on students learning behaviors, experience, and engagement. However, limited research has been conducted regarding the efficacy of using OER on students’ perceived enjoyment in learning and interactions with educational materials. This study aimed to examine the relationships between creative mindset, flow experience, and perceived values of OER among 88 online undergraduate students. First, results revealed that students who have a growth-oriented creative mindset are more likely to understand and embrace OER’s intrinsic worth. Their willingness …

Champagne Wishes And A Domestic Beer Budget: Assessing And Supporting Serials Access At A Carnegie R2, Chad E. Buckley, Julie Murphy, Rachel E. Scott, Cassie Thayer-Styes, Anne Shelley

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

As library budgets are cut or remain flat, librarians asked to do more with less are considering diverse data to investigate how best to invest limited funds. The data available to librarians are extensive but they may also be contradictory. In this presentation, we contextualize findings from interviews conducted with Illinois State University faculty with institutional and collections data. Using the words of faculty members across disciplines, we highlight some of the tensions around discovery and access to scholarly literature, perceptions of urgency, and engagement with open access. The interview results--triangulated with institutional usage and cost data—suggest a variety of …

Health Literacy And Maternal Health: A Rapid Systematic Review, Goldy Olivier

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In comparison to other high-income nations, the U.S. maintains the highest maternal mortality rate, especially among Black women. Factors like the growing maternal age and restricted family planning clinics have been noted to contribute to this phenomenon. However, the impact of health literacy on maternal has yet to be reviewed. Health literacy in the U.S. has long been determined to be a social determinant of health more broadly, and it may likely play a role in maternal health as well. Consequently, a systematic review of health literacy and its association with maternal health outcomes is warranted. The goal of this …

In Pursuit Of Consumption-Based Forecasting, Charles Chase, Kenneth B. Kahn

Marketing Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Today's most mature, most sophisticated, best-in-class forecasting is what we call consumption-based forecasting (CBF). In contrast, the least sophisticated companies typically do not forecast at all, but rather set financial targets based on management expectations. Companies beginning to use statistical forecasting techniques usually take a supply-centric orientation, relying on time series techniques applied to shipment and/or order history. The next stage of progression is to incorporate promotions data, economic data, and market data alongside supply-centric data so that regression and other advanced analytics can be used. Companies pursing CBF utilize even more advanced capabilities to capture, examine, and understand …

Transdisciplinary Doctoral Training To Address Global Sustainability Challenges, Zoie Taylor Diana, John Virdin, Michelle B. Nowlin, Nishad Jayasundara, Daniel Rittschof

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Manifesto For Teaching And Learning In A Time Of Generative Ai: A Critical Collective Stance To Better Navigate The Future, Aras Bozkurt, Junhong Xiao, Robert Farrow, John Y. H. Bai, Chrissi Nerantzi, Stephanie Moore, Jon Dron, Christian M. Stracke, Lenandlar Singh, Helen Crompton, Apostolos Koutropoulos, Evgenii Terentev, Angelica Pazurek, Mark Nichols, Alexander M. Sidorkin, Eamon Costello, Steven Watson, Dónal Mulligan, Sarah Honeychurch, Charles B. Hodges, Mike Sharples, Andrew Swindell, Isak Frumin, Ahmed Tlili, Patricia J. Slagter Van Tryon, Melissa Bond, Maha Bali, Jing Leng, Kai Zhang, Mutlu Cukurnova, Thomas K. F. Chiu, Kyungmee Lee, Stefan Hrastinski, Manuel B. Garcia, Ramesh Chander Sharma, Bryan Alexander, Olaf Zawacki-Richter, Henk Huijser, Petar Jandrić, Chanjin Zheng, Peter Shea, Josep M. Duart, Chryssa Themeli, Anton Vorochkov, Sunagül Sani-Bozkurt, Robert L. Moore, Tutaleni Iita Asino

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This manifesto critically examines the unfolding integration of Generative AI (GenAI), chatbots, and algorithms into higher education, using a collective and thoughtful approach to navigate the future of teaching and learning. GenAI, while celebrated for its potential to personalize learning, enhance efficiency, and expand educational accessibility, is far from a neutral tool. Algorithms now shape human interaction, communication, and content creation, raising profound questions about human agency and biases and values embedded in their designs. As GenAI continues to evolve, we face critical challenges in maintaining human oversight, safeguarding equity, and facilitating meaningful, authentic learning experiences. This manifesto emphasizes that …

Doordash, Inc. Strategic Audit, Brenna Paul, Nihaela Ponnatha, Pyper Haarala, Summer Liu, Abigail Mathiasen

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This case study analyzes DoorDash, an innovator of online delivery in the software publishing industry. We conducted a strategic audit using principles from prominent strategic management to guide our process. Our research is based on publicly available information, including IBIS World reports, industry reports, DoorDash’s SEC filings and website, academic articles, and news articles. This case study aims to collect data from a prominent business and analyze it through strategic management to evaluate the firm’s potential for competitive advantage.

Our research includes firm analysis, industry analysis, external analysis, internal analysis, performance analysis, competitive dynamics, business level strategy, corporate level strategy, …

Whole Human Pedagogy: A Novel Framework For Education Abroad Praxis, Anna N. Kelly

Dissertation Collection

This dissertation theoretically derives and qualitatively explores a novel framework called whole human pedagogy for education abroad. Drawing on Thompson (2017) and hooks (1994), as well as decolonial theory and critical pedagogy, this dissertation sets forth whole human pedagogy with four tenets—embodiment, emotions, belonging, and becoming—which collectively provide a framework for designing and analyzing education abroad programs. This qualitative study collected data from seventeen practitioners who work with undergraduate, U.S.-based, outbound education abroad programs via semi-structured interviews about their perspectives on theory and practice regarding whole human pedagogy. Findings offer preliminary confirmation of whole human pedagogy’s applicability to education abroad …

Fact Book, Academic Year 2023, Systems Intelligence And Data Analytics, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Fact Book

The Fact Book presents important campus information in data tables and charts. Included are details regarding students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Generally, data are broken out by college, rank, level, gender, age and ethnicity for both spring and fall semesters, past to present. There are a few academic year tables that include information on tuition & fees, student credit hours by program, and degrees conferred. We wish to thank the many individuals and departments at the University for their contributions to the Fact Book.

University Of Central Florida Graduate Catalog, 2024 - 2025, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Success Factors And Challenges Faced By First And Second-Year Undergraduate Female Students In Computer Science-Related Majors, Oscar Navarro

Theses and Dissertations

There is a significant gap in the number of women who go into college as computer science majors and decide to pursue the field in the workforce. There are challenges present for female students since the start of their education that their male counterparts do not face, which ultimately contributes to this gender gap. Such challenges include a lack of mentorship, a feeling of not belonging, and a dearth of resources to engage students in computer science. Research and studies that explore the first two years of college for female students who are majoring in computer science or computer science-related …

Four Lessons To Build Upon: A Study Of Postsecondary Composition Classroom Curriculum, Tucker D. Nielsen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Soft skills in technical professions may be valued by employers, but post-secondary students engage with a dichotomy arguing against the blend of soft and hard skills. This study utilized activities with LEGO® bricks to determine how plausible kinesthetic learning methods are within university composition classes. Four in-class activities based on the class’s four core assignments were spread across the Spring 2024 semester at Michigan Technological university. Through written reflections, lists, posters, and photos of students’ builds, students practiced and demonstrated engagement with identified composition and critical thinking skills.

Two criteria (Audience Expectations and Genre Expectations, were not demonstrated as clearly …

Reconciling Calculus Students’ Understanding Of Average Across Multiple Contexts, Franklin Yu

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

The idea of average is utilized in a variety of scenarios, yet the literature has indicated that students have multiple disconnected understandings for the concept of average. In this study, I provide an account of two students who reconciled their meanings for average by considering an average as a replacement with a constant value. This report discusses an intervention that teachers can leverage to help their students make their meanings for average coherent and conceptually based.

Full Issue

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.

Biology News 2024, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Biology.

Biology News

Contents:

Letter from the Department Head --- 2
Bolton Award Winner --- 3
Goldwater Scholarship Winner --- 3
Purple and Old Gold Award Winner --- 3
Faculty News Roundup --- 4
New Hires --- 6
UNI Botanical Center --- 7
Alumni Information Request --- 7
Support Our Programs --- 8
Floyd Fellowship Award Winner --- 8

The Impact Of Course Format On Performance In Intermediate Algebra: Exploring Potential Moderating Effects Of Student Background Characteristics, Andrew Pitcher

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Students have often struggled in developmental math courses. Educators and policymakers have engaged in efforts to improve student learning and pass rates in these courses. One instructional model that has shown promise in improving student outcomes is the Emporium Model. The traditional lecture model of teaching is still the predominant model in practice. Research has found that student background characteristics are important factors in predicting success in developmental math. Some studies have been done investigating the comparative effectiveness of the Traditional and Emporium models, but little research has been performed in whether the effect of course format on student outcomes …

University Biology Classrooms As Spaces For Anti-Racist Work: Instructor Motivations For Incorporating Race, Racism, And Racial Equity Content., Nicole L. Scheuermann, Candice Idlebird, Sayali Kukday, Vance J. Mccracken, Rachel E. Bradley, Heather E. Bergan-Roller

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Science is often portrayed as a meritocratic endeavor, but university biology programs exhibit high rates of student attrition, particularly among students of Color, despite similar interest and aptitude for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as White students. Culturally relevant pedagogy is associated with student persistence in STEM. One way to practice culturally relevant pedagogy in biology courses is to engage students in discussions of race, racism, or racial equity. Guidance exists to help instructors incorporate race-related topics into the biology curriculum, but the reasoning behind the decision of whether to adopt this practice is not well characterized. Understanding instructors’ …

An Evaluation Of Statistical Approaches Within A Higher Education Research Framework: How Does Online Distance Learning Impact Student Outcomes?, Nathaniel P. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Appropriate methodology choices are of the utmost importance in research, particularly in measurement and education research. When higher education administrators and researchers study topics related to student outcomes, choosing a statistical approach that produces unbiased estimates is of primary concern. Additionally, studying student outcomes in the context of nationally representative samples provides valuable insights into the state of higher education in the U.S. When examining these data, it is critical that the nested structure be taken into consideration prior to making methodological decisions.

The purpose of the following manuscripts is to demonstrate how education researchers can develop, implement and evaluate …

Learning Technology Professors’ Experiences With National Science Foundation (Nsf) External Grant Funding In Higher Education, Mitchell Gurick

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the experiences of learning technology professors with National Science Foundation (NSF) external grant funding focused on education. The study investigated stories related to using NSF grants by learning technology professors across the United States, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It enumerated the need for collaboration between industry, government, and higher education institutions (HEIs). The study aimed to establish how more grants lead to increased opportunities for learning technology professors to pursue academic research and impact society. The research questions were: What outlier stories emerge from learning technology professors by securing NSF grant funding? How …

Math Department Newsletter 2023-2024, Mathematics Department

News, Magazines and Reports

WELCOME to our annual Mathematics Department Newsletter. We had an exciting year with many activities and accomplishments. Our students have received awards, attended conferences, conducted research, and have really contributed to the life of the department. Our faculty have had many accomplishments in teaching and scholarship. We conducted several events such as First 50 Days, Alumni Night, hosted a guest speaker for the university community, had our Pi Mu Epsilon induction and awards ceremony, and much more. We have heard from several alumni and are happy to report what they are doing.

The Impact Of Performance Based Funding On Institutional Financial Priorities In Public Two-Year And Four-Year Institutions, Ebony T. Spearman

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the impact of performance-based funding (PBF) policies on institutional financial priorities at 2-and 4-year colleges and universities. PBF is a policy mechanism used by states to incentivize higher education institutions to achieve specific performance outcomes, such as increased graduation and retention rates, by tying a portion of institutional funding to these outcomes. This research aims to determine the efficacy of PBF policies on institutional change and outcomes. More specifically, this research seeks to find the extent to which colleges and universities subjected to PBF policies change their financial priorities and how, if at all, these changes impact …

2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog, Morehead State University. Registrar's Office.

Morehead State Catalog Archive

2024-2025 undergraduate catalog for Morehead State University.

Seven Properties Of Highly Effective Problems, Thomas Ales, Kevin Peterson, Constantine Roussos

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

In an effort to provide more critical thinking opportunities in their courses, instructors are embracing the power of problem- and project-based learning (PBL). In this paper we address the importance of problem quality when utilizing PBL. We list seven important properties that a high-quality problem should have. We conclude with an example of a problem that possesses all seven properties.

Introducing Flexible Assessment Into A Computer Networks Course: A Case Study, Joe Meehean

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

With overall positive results and limited drawbacks, I have adapted modern pedagogical techniques to address a common difficulty encountered when teaching a computer networks course. Due to the tiered nature of the skills taught in the course, students often fail unnecessarily. Using mastery learning, competency-based education, and specifications grading as a foundation, I have developed a course that allows students with varied skills and abilities to pass. The heart of this approach is the flexible assessment of programming assignments which eliminates due dates and allows students to have their work graded and regraded without penalty. Flexible assessment also defines an …

Student Use Of Anchors And Metacognitive Strategies In Reflection, Anu Singh, Heidi A. Diefes-Dux

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Context: Self-regulation, a skillset involving taking charge of one’s own learning processes, is crucial for workplace success. Learners develop self-regulation skills through reflection where they recognize weaknesses and strengths by employing metacognitive strategies: planning, monitoring, and evaluating. Use of anchors assists learners’ engagement in reflection. Purpose or Goal: The purpose of this work was to gain insight into students’ use of anchors when reflecting on their learning. The two research questions: (1) To what extent do students link their self-evaluation and learning objective (LO) self-ratings to their reflections? and (2) What dimensions and level of metacognitive strategies do students use …

Dueling Abilities, Behaviors, And Characteristics Of Gifted Learners, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Using the Star Wars’ characters, R2-D2 and C-3PO as analogies, educators can better conceptualize the diverse ability, behaviors, and characteristics of gifted learners. Gifted learners do not fit a single profile and this essay aims to help challenge stereotypes teachers may have of gifted learners and highlight the diverse cognitive, social, and emotional needs gifted learners may have.

Understanding The Importance Of Brand Equity On Higher Education: An Empirical Study Of Irish Public Universities, Javier Casanoves-Boix, Ana Cruz-Garcia, Sonia García-Lafuente, Mónica Pérez-Sánchez

Dept. of Marketing & International Business Publications

The today’s university education exposes that the argument that stu- dents have an authentic and valuable voice in the decisions that impact their learning and education has become a phenomenon known as 'stu-dent voice' (Matthews and Dollinger, 2023). Furthermore, Boy-murodova y Qosimova (2024) call to action for stakeholders in higher education to prioritize and invest in quality assurance initiatives as in-dispensable components of institutional effectiveness and academic ex-cellence. According to Lafuente, Cifuentes, and Faura (2024), higher education curricula must incorporate competencies that prepare gradu-ates with the necessary knowledge and values.

In Ireland, there are nine universities that account for a …

Reflecting On Addressing Academic Integrity Through Authentic Assessment, Sharon Lehane, Angela Wright

Conference Materials

With the advancement of Artificial Intelligence and chatbot technologies such as ChatGPT, little else is discussed currently by colleagues in Higher Education. Why? – because their potential disruption for assessment practices in higher education are so uncertain. Advances in these artificial intelligence technologies threaten the legitimacy of assessment and academic integrity, calling conventional assessment methods into question. The widespread utilisation of ChatGPT emphasizes the need for sustainable educational practices such as authentic assessments that focus on higher-order critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In terms of the methodology for this study, a critical examination of the association between authentic assessment design …