Digital Commons Network^™

Problem-Based Learning: A Necessity For Social Studies Education, Judson T. Kidd

Teaching Social Studies in the Peach State

Abstract:

This paper explores the design and implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL) for middle and secondary classrooms, emphasizing its role in fostering critical thinking and postformal reasoning. A successful PBL framework consists of three interconnected stages: problem identification, evaluation, and solution development. Contextualization, the first stage, should be designed to engage learners and root them in the issue that is under study. The second stage focuses on the student being exposed to and evaluating multiple perspectives and actors. This step requires carefully designed guiding questions so that students have a model of interpretation that allows them to practice critical thinking …

Fostering Student Inquiry With Perspective Taking And Music: The Geography Detective Activity, William Gary G. Cole

Teaching Social Studies in the Peach State

This article introduces the Geography Detective activity, an inquiry-based instructional strategy that integrates perspective taking and music to foster student engagement and disciplinary thinking in a ninth-grade World Geography classroom. Centered on the song “Cecilia” by The Mulligan Brothers, the activity invites students to analyze lyrics as historical evidence, investigate geographical and historical contexts, and construct evidence-based interpretations of time, place, and events embedded within the narrative. Through guided and open-ended inquiry, students adopt the role of “history detectives,” grappling with ambiguity, evaluating sources, and defending plausible conclusions rather than seeking predetermined answers. Grounded in research on inquiry-based learning, perspective …

Finding Your People, Finding Your Place: Institutional Collaborative Writing Groups As A Compassionate Approach To Developing A Professional Sotl Identity, Ruth L. Healey, Sean A. Morrissey, Mick Healey

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Practising the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) has been shown to help staff from non-traditional backgrounds (e.g. professional backgrounds) develop a sense of belonging within academia. This article examines how institutional collaborative writing groups support inexperienced SoTL practitioners in finding their place within their institution. Drawing on literature about SoTL identity and collaborative writing groups (CWGs), we consider how these CWGs assist colleagues in shaping their professional identities. We found that some staff did not see themselves as ‘academics’ or ‘researchers’, especially when their job emphasised teaching, such as ‘Teaching Fellow’. However, they strongly desired recognition and appreciation for …

The Impact Of A 14-Day Writing Challenge On Self-Regulation Skills, Nicole M. Mishnick, Ron Rhone, Kayla Reed

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This mixed-methods exploratory study, conducted with eight Ed.D. students at a single U.S. university, examines the impact of a 14-day writing challenge, an intervention designed to foster self-regulation and promote progress among doctoral students working on their dissertations. The writing challenge included daily writing tips, goal-setting prompts, and an opportunity for students to reflect on their writing practices. While exploratory, quantitative findings revealed significant growth in students’ use of goal-setting strategies and adaptive writing behavior. Qualitative analysis found that the writing challenge increased students' motivation, accountability, and self-awareness. The study findings suggest the environment created by the writing challenge positively …

Fostering Partnerships: Lessons From A Collaborative Course Design Learning Community, Sarah M. Ginsberg, Shanna R. Callewaert, Jeffrey L. Bernstein

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

As partnerships between educators and learners become more common in teaching and learning in higher education, partners find themselves considering how to foster effective collaborations. Qualitative data for this study were drawn from the experiences of educators and learners who were part of a university learning community in which they engaged in the collaborative course redesign process to collaboratively design a course. Results revealed key facilitators of partnership work, finding communication, relationships, and mutuality as essential to promoting partnership success. A new model is presented which expands these factors, offering more distinct characteristics of successful educator-learner partnerships. With these specific …

"Better Than A Boring Textbook": Studying Development Through Middle-Grade Literature, Heidi A. Sackreiter

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

College students are sometimes reluctant to purchase textbooks for various reasons, but they still must study the necessary content in a course or academic program. This Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research project examined college students’ perceptions of reading middle-grade novels in place of a traditional, formal textbook within an Adolescent Development course. All participants were part of a teacher education program at a four-year, public institution in the Midwest United States. Questionnaires were administered at the conclusion of two semesters, and respondents shared impressions about the middle-grade reading. Response to studying middle-grade novels instead of a textbook was …

Bayesian Or Frequentist? Testing The Association Between Statistical Approach In A Research Methods Class Project And Research Attitudes, Jacob B. Rode

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Research methods courses commonly include an empirical project. This quasi-experimental study examined whether using Bayesian statistics to analyze data would be associated with more positive student perceptions of research methods projects. At a private university in the U.S., two research methods courses were taught using frequentist statistics and two using Bayesian statistics for the project analyses. Students (N = 88) reported their attitudes towards research three times across the semester, and their perceptions of the project at the end of the course (Time 3). At Time 3, there were no significant differences between frequentist and Bayesian classes in their …

Student Experience Of Ai-Driven Discussion Boards In An Undergraduate Course, Blake C. Colclasure, Jamie Greig, Taylor K. Ruth, Victoria Beasley

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Instructional platforms that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) are emerging in higher education. Scholarship of teaching and learning should not only examine student learning outcomes from the use of novel AI technologies but should also investigate student perceptions of these technologies. We employed the user experience (UX) framework to investigate students’ UX of the instructional AI-driven platform, Packback, as a mode for online discussion boards. A survey using the User Experience Questionnaire was developed and employed in a general elective arts and humanities undergraduate course offered online and in-person. Data from 96 undergraduate student responses were analyzed and large variability was …

Curriculum Negotiation: Supporting Student Autonomy To Enhance Student Engagement, Brenda L. Thomas, William Reynolds, Jonathan Ponce De Leon, Caroline Sorbara

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Student disengagement has become a prominent concern across higher education in the five years since the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet students who are engaged in learning tend to be more successful academically. Therefore, pedagogies that enhance student engagement increase the probability of students’ success. This qualitative study explored curriculum negotiation as one such pedagogy. Results demonstrated similar behavioral and cognitive engagement from students in traditional and negotiated classes, but greater affective and agentic engagement from those who negotiated the curriculum with their classmates. Additionally, more students in negotiated classes indicated transformative learning than students in traditionally taught classes. We examine the …

The Growth And Influence Of Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning Publications, Duane Knudson

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Limited narrative reviews and bibliometric studies of SoTL were extended by a study of the size, growth, and bibliometric performance analysis of published research using three of the most comprehensive, next-generation database services. Multiple searches of Google Scholar, Dimensions, and OpenAlex were performed using nine keyword search combinations. Additional searches of ScopusÒ and Web of ScienceÔ were also performed. There has been exponential growth in indexed SoTL research since the early 2000s with up to 110,000 articles, chapters, and books indexed by Google Scholar. This body of research is larger than previously documented by reviews …

Deep Or Surface? Understanding Learning Approaches Among Undergraduate Students, Kelzang Tentsho, Jigme Wangchuk, Kencho Pelzom

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Student approaches to learning (SAL) have a significant impact on the quality of their learning and academic achievement. In this study, we examined the preferred learning approaches of undergraduate students and how these approaches change over time. The Revised Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) was administered to 75 students enrolled in the Anthropology program to evaluate students’ preferred learning approaches. The qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions involving 20 participants. Results showed a significantly higher deep score than surface score. Final year students had the highest deep approach score compared to other cohorts. The results also indicated that students …

Letter From The Editors, Larissa Oliveira Pires, Selcuk Dogan, Hui Jin, Joe Pellegrino

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This letter introduces the first issue in volume 20 of the International Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ijSoTL). This issue marks 20 years of sustained SoTL efforts at Georgia Southern. In those two decades the higher education landscape has changed significantly, bringing us to a time that is challenging and fraught with anxiety, but also full of promise and potential. The common threads that run through the articles in this issue, agency, engagement, and community, remind us that, although the means by which we achieve it are always shifting, our fundamental goal is to help …

The Mosaic, Georgia Southern University

George-Anne Media Group: Newsletters & Magazines

No abstract provided.

The Mosaic, Georgia Southern University

George-Anne Media Group: Newsletters & Magazines

No abstract provided.

Navigating The Generative Ai Wave: Ai Literacy Instruction In Academic Libraries Today, Lili Li, Kay G. Coates

University Libraries: Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

Effects Of A Context-Based Intervention On Sidelining Teacher Bias Towards Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Marisa Kortright

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

This study aims to investigate the impact of an empathetic intervention on pre-service teachers to minimize bias against students diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Behaviors typically associated with ADHD, such as inattention and hyperactivity, correspond to two primary categories that teachers identify as disruptive in the classroom (Sun & Shek, 2012). Numerous studies have demonstrated evidence of discrimination in the classroom against students diagnosed with ADHD (Cortnett-Ruiz & Hendricks, 1993; Metzger & Hamilton, 2021). Moreover, teachers frequently report feeling unprepared to support these students and experience increased stress levels (Green et al., 2002; Kirchhoff, 2023). Context-based interventions have successfully sidelined …

Assessing Decision Making Under Risk And Dynamic Task Environments In Humans, Dylan J. Cato

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

This research evaluates the theoretical foundations of recent embodied and enacted decision- making models(Baker., et al  2022) , specifically investigating whether "urgency" serves as a domain-general mechanism for reward-rate maximization. Across three experiments using a reward-performance contingency, we compare traditional decision-making frameworks with urgency-based theories to determine how participants navigate task demands and whether optimality assumptions hold (Reynaud, et al 2020). A primary focus involves testing whether motor excitability increases directly with evidence, or if "higher-level" deliberation occurs in parallel with se Using the Generalized Drift-Diffusion Model (GDDM) framework via PyDDM  (Shinn, et al 2020), we will …

Modeling Social Media Mob Dynamics Using A Hybrid Scvir System With Time-Varying Parameters And Recurrent Neural Networks, Noushin Gauhar

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

In this work, we develop a discrete-time susceptible-counter-infected-vaccinated-recovered (SCIVR) epidemiological framework to model the spread of mob-like information on social media. The model captures the interaction between susceptible neutral attention, infected mob-spreading narratives, counter or corrective discourse, low-visibility (vaccinated) content, and collective disengagement. COVID-19 twitter data were transformed into daily compartmental aggregates using sentiment polarity and retweet-based visibility thresholds, facilitating high-resolution modeling of information diffusion processes. The dataset comprises globally collected tweets between April and June 2021, filtered using keywords including “COVID19”, “coronavirus”, “quarantine”, “socialdistancing”, “staysafe”, “stayhome” and “lockdown”. Qualitative analysis of the SCIVR system includes derivation of the mob-free …

Assessment Of Airborne Cultural Fungi Indoors And Outdoors In A Rural Veterinary Clinic, Elena Ortez, Oluwatosin Jegede, Dorothy Seybold, Daeshjea Mcgee, Atin Adhikari, Ally Holmes

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Background and Objectives: Veterinary clinics can inadvertently release and propagate bacteria through several mechanisms, primarily due to contaminated surfaces, insufficient cleaning protocols, and, in some instances, direct transmission from infected animals or staff. Given that these clinics are high-traffic environments, they can serve as hotspots for clinic-acquired infections if rigorous hygiene practices are not upheld. This study evaluated airborne bacterial concentrations in different areas of a veterinary clinic compared to outdoor ambient air by calculating the indoor-to-outdoor ratios.

Methods: Airborne culturable bacterial samples were collected using a Biostage Impactor across eight internal zones including waiting areas, treatment rooms, and wards …

Effects Of Exercise And Neuromuscular Stimulation On Neuroplasticity And Inflammation In Those With Dementia Risk, Kaitlyn J. Tanner, Collis D. Grace, Morgan A. Gragg, Lisa B. Niles-Meunier, Nicholas J. Siekirk

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

BACKGROUND: Cognitive decline, prevalent in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), heightens fall risk. Exercise interventions can reduce fall risk by slowing or delaying cognitive decline. Use of multi-waveform neuromuscular electrical stimulation (MWF-NMES) as an exercise adjunct may enhance neuroplasticity in areas associated with postural control. Whether NMES can improve postural control outcomes is not well-documented. Therefore, we will examine the effect of multi-waveform NMES on postural control in adults at risk for ADRD. METHODS: Participants will be recruited from an assisted living community in Southeast Georgia. Interested participants who meet the inclusion criterion will be stratified by sex …

Determinants Of Infant Birth Weight In Georgia: An Analysis Of The Prams 2016–2020 Study, Purbasha Biswas, Jing Kersey

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

The Georgia PRAMS 2016–2020 data were used to assess whether maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with infant birth weight among singleton live births while accounting for key sociodemographic factors. Birth weight recorded in 250-gram midpoints was converted to a continuous gram measure and analyzed with maternal smoking status, age group, education, and marital status. A complete-case strategy was used because missingness was < 10%, yielding an analytic sample of 3,175 observations. We fit an ordinary least squares multiple linear regression with categorical predictors represented by indicator variables. After adjustment, infants born to non-smoking mothers weighed, on average, 163.5 g more than infants born to mothers who smoked (SE=66.2; p = 0.0136). Infants of mothers who were not married weighed 150.4 g less than those of married mothers (SE=30.9; p < 0.001). The maternal age group was not statistically significant in the adjusted model. Education showed a non-monotone pattern, with one notable contrast indicating lower birth weight for 12 years of education compared with 0–8 years (mean=−190.3 g; SE=76.3; p = 0.0127), suggesting education may be acting as a proxy for heterogeneous social, behavioral, and healthcare pathways rather than a purely linear gradient. Model diagnostics indicated acceptable linear model assumptions and minimal multicollinearity (adjusted variance Inflation Factor (VIF) near 1), though the overall explained variance was modest (R² ≈ 0.02). These findings are consistent with fetal growth restriction linked to prenatal tobacco exposure and broader social disadvantage. From a public health perspective, even modest average shifts in birth weight can meaningfully affect the population burden of low birth weight. Results support reinforcing prenatal smoking-cessation interventions and pairing them with strategies that address upstream determinants (e.g., stress, support, and access to care). Future work should incorporate survey weights and additional clinical covariates (gestational age, parity, comorbidities, prenatal care) to strengthen causal and population-level inference.

The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) On The Development Of Reckless Behavior In Adulthood, Cheyenne Harvey

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Current literature suggests that there is a correlation between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and behaviors in adulthood (e.g., substance use, crime). Research also shows that childhood trauma can lead to increased risk-taking or reckless behavior later in life. A study by Assini-Meytin et al. (2021) found that having a higher number of ACEs is linked to more risky behaviors in adulthood. These risky behaviors are often ways to deal with emotional problems caused by early stress. Anda et al. (2006) points out that these experiences can cause lasting changes in brain development, especially in areas that handle impulse control. The …

How Is The Use Of Ai Impacting Nursing Students Education?, Lorna H. Strain

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education is rapidly increasing and reshaping how nursing students learn and engage with content. This thesis proposal takes a look at the impact of AI on the education of nursing students and explores students' perceptions of its use in their learning and education. As AI becomes more prevalent, many students are using it for study aids and content personalization, while schools are using it in simulations and textbook platforms. Many recognize its benefits, such as enhanced critical thinking, improved accessibility of materials, and more immersive learning. Concerns persist around ethical use, academic integrity, …

Bringing Worlds Together: How Social Studies Teachers Make Content Meaningful, Harley A. Payne

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Secondary educators in social studies classes face the challenge of maintaining the attention of twenty to thirty students while they instruct them about content that often seems irrelevant or unimportant. These educators know, however, that the material these students are disinterested in is useful and crucial for developing adolescents who are learning to interact with the world. Research suggests that bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world has been linked to greater classroom engagement (Cooper 2014, Tagliaferro, 2012). Students who are engaged and exert more effort in class derive academic benefits, such as placement in advanced pathways …

The Role Of Mentorship In Reducing Burnout In New Nurses And Nursing Students, Omari Andry

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Burnout among new nurses and nursing students is a consistent issue affecting the healthcare system by adding to early career turnover, emotional exhaustion, and decreased quality of patient care. Structured mentorship programs have emerged as a promising intervention to alleviate burnout by giving emotional support, professional development, and coping strategies. This proposal explores the role of mentorship in reducing burnout symptoms, improving job satisfaction, and promoting emotional resilience among new nurses and nursing students alike. Based on existing scholarly articles, the project will investigate how structured versus informal mentorship affects burnout rates, the qualities of effective mentors, and the outcomes …

Honoring Survivors’ Wholeness: Recommendations For University Offices Of Wellness, Maeve Jillian King

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Rates of child abuse are nationally significant, especially after considering how much violence goes unreported. Many college students have experienced sexual violence prior to arriving on campus, where incidents of sexual victimization are prominent. With this in mind, how can university offices of wellness support survivors wherever they are in their journey of survivorship? Previous research rarely considers both realities of victimization, but displays large concerns surrounding survivor’s mental health and educational obtainment. Additionally peer and social support play significant roles in survivor outcomes. This interdisciplinary literature review examines current university practices, mental health realities, and impacts of culture on …

Thinking Under Pressure: Does Mindset And Mood Affect Cognitive Performance?, Pamela Kplivi, Hannah Nowicki, Emmy Carmichael, Charlie Guri, Abigail Blanda, Brandon Sookkasem, Shayne Alexander, Hope Williams, Gabriella Tossah, Meeraben Patel, Michael Woodcock, Virginia Wickline

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Cognitive performance, particularly on tasks requiring creative problem-solving, can be influenced by both individual and situational factors. Prior research highlights intrinsic beliefs about intelligence and external factors such as mood states as determinants of problem solving outcomes (Baumeister & Vohs, 2016; Okon-Singer et al., 2015). The present study utilizes a 2 x 3 between-subjects experimental design to examine how mindset (growth vs. fixed) and temporary mood state (positive, neutral, negative) interact to shape performance on a creative problem solving task. Mindset is assessed using the Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale (ITIS; Dweck, 1999), cognitive performance is measured using a shortened …

Preserving The Pump: Extensive History Of Cardiothoracic Surgery In A Cadaver, Joshua Lindsey, Lillian Hequembourg, Anna Brown, Thien Duy Chen

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

During the dissection of the 85-year-old female cadaver by the medical students at the Medical College of Georgia, Savannah at Georgia Southern University, evidence of significant cardiovascular health conditions, prior surgeries, and a left-sided inferior vena cava (IVC) were discovered; providing a unique educational reservoir of anatomical and clinical knowledge. Routine dissection of the heart revealed cardiomegaly and findings consistent with a history of numerous surgical interventions. A triple coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) was indicated through surgical staples along the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, left circumflex artery, and right coronary artery with graft vessels in place to maintain …

Short Time, Lasting Impact: Teaching Pediatric End-Of-Life Care In One Day, Mckenzie Taliaferro

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Background: Pediatric nurses working in specialities that experience end-of-life, death, and post-mortem care, often feel unprepared for the emotional toll and lack adequate support systems (Camera et al., 2024). Nurses report feeling under prepared due to a lack of hands-on opportunities before graduation (Richoux, et al., 2022).  Pediatric death is a traumatic experience for families and nurses. Previous studies have shown that hands-on education increases nurses' confidence in caring for patients at the end of their lives (Cole & Foito, 2019; Noyes et al., 2023).

Method: A one-day, hands-on workshop on pediatric end-of-life was created and offered to nursing students …

Navigating Through Covid: How Has Covid Impacted College Student Adjustment?, E'Lena E.H Johnson

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

College adjustment is the way incoming and continuing college students cope with the demands of college life, including academic, mental, socioemotional, and developmental components. The purpose of this research project is to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on college students' ability to adjust to college living across three distinct phases: pre-pandemic, during the pandemic, and post-pandemic. A cross-sectional sample of 1,515 participants from Georgia Southern University completed the Wooster-Wickline College Adjustment Test (WOWCAT; Wickline et al., 2009) between 2019-2024, which was administered online via Qualtrics, a secure web-based survey platform. Although the WOWCAT has been successfully …