Digital Commons Network^™

Media Representation And Public Perception Of Supreme Court Decisions, Estrella G. Romero Barriola

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This research project explores how inadequate, or oversimplified media portrayals can distort public understanding of the United States Supreme Court’s (the Court) intricate decisions. Through a close examination of notable cases like Bush v. Gore and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, in addition to other important rulings from the current 6-3 Court majority, the study investigates how partisan narratives and selective information shape public perception. It examines how media framing can obscure essential legal principles and foster misunderstandings about the judiciary’s function and neutrality. Furthermore, the project considers how the current Court, frequently viewed as favoring a particular ideological …

Modeling The Function Of Ryanodine Receptor 2 And Its Role In Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (Cpvt) Heart Disease, Harani Athwale, Dillen-Preetesh Patel, Sai Puneeth Kothuru

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT) is a potentially fatal condition linked to a mutation in the Ryanodine receptor (RyR2), the largest calcium ion channel known, which is crucial for heart function. The RyR2 protein is made of four similar subunits. Mutations in RyR2 can cause the channels to "leak," disrupting normal heart rhythms. In individuals with this mutation, the combination of caffeine intake and exercise can worsen these effects, leading to sudden cardiac arrest. With the RyR2 receptor located on the sarcoplasmic reticulum of cardiac muscle, the mutation prevents the receptor from fully closing, which hyperpolarizes the membrane and disrupts …

Quantifying Coral Live Tissue Cover At Cano Island, Costa Rica, Tehya Fulcher, Abigayle Groth

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Coral reefs are essential marine ecosystems, serving as a reservoir of biodiversity while providing habitat and nourishment for associated benthic and demersal species. This research quantifies scleractinian coral live tissue cover at Caño Island, Costa Rica. Two study sites encompassing 225m², one shallow (4m depth) and one deep (11m depth), were each surveyed in January 2024 using GoPro Hero 11 cameras. Two photomosaics were created from several thousand smaller images (3,644 shallow and 3,888 deep) using AgisoftMetashape. Live coral tissue area was calculated using TagLab, documenting 53.09 m² and 58.16 m² in the shallow and deep …

Size At Sexual Maturity Of The Bluntnose Stingray (Hypanus Say) And The Atlantic Stingray (Hypanus Sabinus) From The Indian River Lagoon, Florida, Katelyn Mckimmy, Jordan Zulli, Jessica Schieber

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Bluntnose (Hypanus say) and Atlantic (Hypanus sabinus) stingrays in Family Dasyatidae are benthic species found in abundant numbers in the Indian River Lagoon, a major estuarine ecosystem along the Atlantic coast of Florida. Although the Indian River Lagoon ecosystem is experiencing increasing anthropogenic pressures and effects on local habitats from climate change, data specifically regarding H. say and H. sabinus life histories are currently lacking. Using specimens collected monthly from a collaboration with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, average size at sexual maturity was assessed for both sexes of H. say (n = 126) …

The Impact Of A Healthy Intervention And Psychotherapy On Cardiovascular Disease In Ptsd Individuals, Radiah Patwary

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Significant research indicates a relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Those affected with PTSD have been found to show higher patterns of CVD risk earlier in life compared to the general population. Interventions need to be developed to reduce the risk of CVD in PTSD individuals. Although there has been research regarding the elevated CVD risk in PTSD, little research has been done addressing CVD risk reduction in the same population. To tackle this issue, adjunctive treatments, such as health behavior interventions, may be required in addition to traditional psychotherapy for PTSD to reduce overall …

Trends And Disparities In Preventative Oral Health Across Demographics: Unveiling And Analyzing 24 Years Of Data In The Us (1999-2023), Tania Anousheh

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Oral health is a fundamental component of our overall well-being. Not only can it greatly influence our physical health but also the emotional, psychological, and socioeconomic aspects of our lives. Despite advancements in dental care, we have noted that there is limited research on how demographic factors impact our oral health behaviors, with underrepresented populations often excluded from large-scale studies. Recognizing this critical gap, we will examine trends in oral health preventive behaviors in the United States from 1999 through 2023, using data from over 106,289 surveys in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We will use RStudio …

The Role Of Attachment And Self-Esteem In Identity Development Among Emerging Adults, Akhila Nalluri, Preetham Gopu, Charvi Thumati

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Emerging adulthood, a transitive period between 18 and 25 years, is widely considered a period marked by change, experimentation, exploration, and development. Attachment theory postulates that relationships between children and their caregivers are crucial for the organization/representation of the self. Extant research indicates that secure parent-child-relationships and identity-development co-exist during emerging-adulthood. Self-esteem has also been associated with secure identity-formation. While there is considerable research on the associations between parent-child relationships and identity formation, as well as self-esteem and identity-formation, relatively little is known about the combined effects of parent-child relationships and self-esteem on identity-development during emerging-adulthood.

The present study explores …

Adoptive Transfer Of B10 Cells Promotes Resolution Of Periodontal Inflammation, Jayant Ari

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Regulatory B cells (Bregs) play a crucial role in reducing the inflammation of periodontitis. It has been shown that specialized pro-resolving mediator (SPM) synthesis and production mediate the resolution of periodontitis inflammation and alleviate bone resorption. Bregs has been reported alleviate the inflammation in periodontitis, but little is known about their function in SPM production. The present study aims to investigate whether IL-10 expressing regulatory B cells (B10) can inhibit periodontitis progression by promoting the production of SPMs. Experimental periodontitis models were established in mice by ligation combined with periodontal pathogen P. gingivalis bacteria inoculation for 14 days, and B10 …

Eat-26 As A Stable Measure Of American College Athletes: Diet, Food, Preoccupancy, And Calorie Counting As Predictors Of Health, Simrin Raju

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This study examines the structure and reliability of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) in a sample of 144 college athletes. The EAT-26 is commonly used to measure eating attitudes but is not intended to diagnose eating disorders. The study aims to confirm if the test's factor structure, which has been stable since its development in 1979, remains consistent in this new group. The results show that the EAT-26 continues to reflect three main factors—Dieting, Preoccupation with Food (Others Notice) and Calorie Counting (Oral Control). These factors accounted for the majority of the variation in responses, with "Dieting" being the most …

Identifying Key Characteristics In Aspiring Healthcare Professionals: A Strengths And Preference Profile Analysis On Emotional Intelligence, Abbygail Salcido, Emily Young

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Topic: As undergraduate students in a pre-health path or an advisor for these students, understanding one's priorities, strengths, and motivations is crucial for self-awareness and career clarity. This understanding is pivotal in guiding students toward a fulfilling and appropriate career choice. Purpose: Our study aims to identify the characteristics of students with the potential to excel as Optometrists - a profession known for its emphasis on patient care, attention to detail, and creative intuition. In our current investigation, we assessed 125 students aspiring to become Optometrists. Each participant completed a strengths inventory and a positive psychology-based personal preference test. According …

“Engaging With Paradigmatic Stances In Social Science Research”: A Book Review Of Bunmi Omodan’S Research Paradigms And Their Methodological Alignment In Social Sciences, Norma R. Romm Prof.

The Qualitative Report

IIn the book, Research Paradigms and Their Methodological Alignment in Social Sciences, Bunmi Omodan explores in depth the philosophical foundations of five paradigms (which he points out are not fixed or univocal in their content), namely positivism; interpretivism/constructivism; transformative paradigm; postcolonial Indigenous paradigm; and pragmatism. Examples of the kinds of research questions, research designs, and attendant data collection and analytic processes, as well as ethical positions, that align with paradigmatic positions are presented to us. At the same time, we are urged to “engage with critiques and debates surrounding each paradigm” (Omodan, 2024, p. xii). The book thus hopes …

The Current - Volume 35 Issue 2, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Transformative Visions Of Qualitative Inquiry: Performative, Philosophical, And Artistic Transformations, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

I am writing this review, Transformative Visions for Qualitative Inquiry, considering performative, philosophical, and artistic transformations as an essential reading for faculty and students—novice and veteran. It inspires readers, writers, and novice and veteran researchers in various social sciences disciplines and educational landscapes to envision innovative approaches to healing from crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and/or earthquakes. These processes encourage resisting, recovering, connecting, finding joy, and embracing life. Likewise, Transformative Visions for Qualitative Inquiry centers on the concept of transformation and its potential for the future of qualitative research amidst a world grappling with the multifaceted implications of COVID-19, …

Social Vulnerability, Built Environments Conducive To Physical Activity, And Adult Obesity Int He State Of Florida, 2021, Shreeya Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Social vulnerability, or a community’s ability to respond to stressors on health, might contribute to disparities in obesity rates. For officials to better target anti-obesity efforts, it is also important to understand the contextual factors surrounding social vulnerability from an environmental justice perspective. This study’s purpose is to investigate the role of social vulnerability and environments not conducive to physical activity on adult obesity at the county level in Florida. We conducted an ecological, cross-sectional study among the 67 Florida counties. To measure county-level social vulnerability, we utilized the 2020 CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). Environments not conducive to physical …

“Khi Mô Về?” (When Will You Go Home?) Evocative Autoethnography On Death, Impermanence, And Time-Space Extension, Kien Nguyen-Trung

The Qualitative Report

This article is motivated by my personal wish to pay tribute to my beloved grandfather, who passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic while I was stranded in Australia. Relying on an evocative autoethnography of a grandson, a father, a PhD candidate and graduate, and a researcher, and in reference to the concepts of place-making theories such as time-space expansion, I tried to embrace my experience of grief and loss as well as to make sense of my feelings of distance, impermanence, and death during this chaotic period. The story I will tell below chronicles my emotional and spiritual journey from …

Reflections Upon Our Way Of Invoking An Indigenous Paradigm To Co-Explore Community Mobilization Against Irresponsible Practices Of Foreign-Owned Companies In Nwoya District, Uganda, Francis A. Adyanga Ph.D., Norma Ra Romm Prof.

The Qualitative Report

This article offers our reflections upon how we invoked an Indigenous paradigm in undertaking/facilitating qualitative research in a setting in Northern Uganda (2020/2021). The research was aimed at co-exploring with participants how they mobilized as a community against social and environmental injustices attendant with the entry of certain foreign enterprises into their community. We set up four focus group sessions in three villages to generate discussion in regard to how they had built up a community protest (with some success) against the operations of two enterprises who had been operational in the community. In our article we do not concentrate …

University Social Responsibility From The Transformative Ecofeminism Perspective, Luky Patricia Widianingsih, Iwan Triyuwono, Ali Djamhuri, Rosidi Rosidi

The Qualitative Report

This study aims to find conceptual innovations, with a focus on the scope of University Social Responsibility in the perspective of transformative ecofeminism. The basic belief that guides action in this research is the transformative worldview. The research approach is based on feminism with the data collection process carried out by observation, in-depth interviews, documentation, and FGDs. The two data research rigour strategies chosen were to maintain the credibility (internal validity) and reliability of the research data through triangulation of techniques and sources and to carefully review the documentation of research procedures/protocols and databases. The presentation of data and the …

Learning With Peaceful, Heterogeneous Communities: Lessons On Sustaining Peace In Mauritius, Naseem Aumeerally, Allegra Chen-Carrel, Peter T. Coleman

Peace and Conflict Studies

Our scientific understanding of peaceful societies – and of the conditions and processes conducive to sustaining peace in multicultural societies in general – is fragmented at best. This paper addresses this gap, presenting a case study of a multicultural society often hailed for its high levels of peacefulness– Mauritius. Through a systematic review of the literature on Mauritius and qualitative interviews and focus groups with a wide range of Mauritian stakeholder groups, the study focused on gleaning insights from the lived experiences of a broad swath of Mauritian society around what it takes to maintain peace in a multicultural context. …

National Coral Reef Management Fellows Newsletter Volume 4 | Issue 1, National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) Coral Reef Conservation Program

National Coral Reef Management Fellowship Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Justice-Oriented Learning: Reconfiguring Experiential Education With A California Farmworker Community, Judith Hope Munter Dr., Nathan Harkleroad, Manuel Cervantes, Andrea Tinajero

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education

This community-based research project examines a land-based education program which creates opportunities for contextualized learning, acknowledging the value of immigrant farmworkers’ lived experiences. The study highlights how this culture of learning can be a means for promoting social and environmental justice. Participatory research methods involved collective inquiry in which co-researchers and community stakeholders engaged in all steps of the process with the goals of improving practice and bringing about transformative change.

Advocating For Experiential Learning Programs As Change Agents In Higher Education: Imagining A Justice Orientation That Centers Students And Partners While Enriching Practice, Patrick M. Green, Theresa Castor, Dale J. Leyburn, Don Demaria, Andres Jaime

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education

Excerpt

The National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) Fellows are academic professionals who engage in a community of practice and explore their practitioner-scholar identity through research and scholarly inquiry into experiential education. During some monthly meetings, the discussion focused on how to infuse equity, diversity, and inclusion in internship programs. The fellows ruminated on strategies to create quality internship programs and how to embed experiential learning opportunities into the curriculum so more students could access them. Collectively, these comments highlight what is not always stated but ever-present; that is, the fellows’ justice orientation. The monthly meeting of NSEE Fellows consistently …

“Advancing Our Collective Awareness In Doing Social Justice Research”: A Book Review Of Anna Cohenmiller And Nettie Boivin’S Questions In Qualitative Social Justice Research In Multicultural Contexts, Norma R. A. Romm

The Qualitative Report

In the book, Questions in Qualitative Social Justice Research in Multicultural Contexts, the authors, Anna CohenMiller and Nettie Boivin, ask provocative questions meant to stimulate us as qualitative researchers to strengthen options for conducting “better” research which is likely to advance inclusion and equity for communities who have been historically marginalized, colonized and/or oppressed. The book is adeptly structured so to invite us to (re)consider possible answers to their questions posed. As part of explicating the diversity of approaches to questions that can and should be asked regarding the doing of inclusive qualitative research, they include vignettes of a …

Social Justice Through Service-Learning In Parks & Recreation Management Education, Anne L. Demartini

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education

This practice-based approach argues service learning can teach social justice in parks & recreation management education. The US parks system creation and history is rooted in injustice. Use of US parks and park service employment remain inequitable today. Significant work must be done in the provision of recreation and park services to all members of the community, including those who have been traditionally marginalized or underserved. The industry requires recreation and parks professionals at all levels who are informed and intentional about inclusion and social justice, which starts with parks and recreation management education.

Service-learning, a form of experiential learning …

Fostering Self-Authorship And Changemaking: Insights From A Social Entrepreneurship Practicum, Anke K. Wessels, Sarah J. Brice, Kelsey P. Chan, Emily S. Desmond, Deana Gonzales, Chelsea Lee, Ryan J. Stasolla

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education

The question we are explore in this paper is how a collaboration between a practicum-based course and a social enterprise encourages students to examine, discuss, and apply complex social justice concepts and frameworks. We also investigate how this fosters in them a sense of self as changemaker, a form of self-authorship that includes the confidence to tackle justice issues in collaborative and practical ways. Applying the framing of Baxter Magolda’s Learning Partnerships Model, we first describe our experiential pedagogical practice and then illustrate outcomes by drawing exemplars from student reflections. These reflections confirm that a community-based learning practice can support …

Reimagining Scripts For Human And Environmental Justice In Experiential Learning, William F. Heinrich, Benjamin Lauren, Sandra Logan

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education

This article shares a case study of an experiential learning framework designed specifically for supporting learning in courses focused on human and environmental justice. We argue that our educational practices must substantially change to be accountable to each other as we address social issues and explore societal solutions. Findings from qualitative analyses of student reflective writing led us to a new framework and repeatable pattern for planning and implementing courses with justice-oriented outcomes. Implications for the ways we engage and empower students are considered in light of dominant scripts of power and control in classrooms.

Justice Isn’T One-Size-Fits-All: Working Toward Justice In Service-Learning Courses, Chelsea Lauder, Becca Berkey

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education

Service-Learning is a form of experiential education and a teaching tool that can both enhance student learning outcomes and contribute to community goals. When this type of learning intersects with social justice education, or liberatory education, different types of student outcomes may arise; specifically, those contributing to the development of social and critical consciousness. In this thought piece on praxis, we conduct a content analysis of multiple first- and second- year service-learning courses to determine if there is an observable difference in the development of student social consciousness and commitment as it pertains to the extent to which justice is …

Making Explicit Connections Between Experiential Learning And Justice: New Approaches To Teaching And Learning Through An Imagination For Justice, Patrick M. Green

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education

Excerpt

Beyond simply being a form of active learning, experiential learning, in its many iterations, has been promoted as a philosophy, a community development model, a theory, a professional skill training opportunity, a global education and civic development approach, and a pedagogical strategy that leads to deep, high impact learning. Indeed, experiential learning has become increasingly specialized in the last several decades with the evolution of numerous sub-fields, such as study abroad and global immersion programs, outdoor education programs, community-based learning (both domestic and global service-learning), internship and work-integrated learning, undergraduate research experiences, and a myriad of other high-impact learning …

Table Of Contents

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Environmental Topics In Physics By Inquiry Course: Integration Models Used By Physics Teachers, David A. Kimori, Gillian Roehrig

The Qualitative Report

As we approach the second quarter of the twenty-first century, one may predict the environment will be among the dominant themes in political and educational discourse. This study investigates how three physics teachers integrated environmental topics and issues in their classroom. Data collection methods including field notes taken from observations, teachers’ interviews, and a collection of artifacts and documents were used. The data were coded, analyzed, and organized into categories utilizing Fogarty’s models of curriculum integration. Findings of this study indicate teachers acknowledge the importance of teaching environmental issues in their classrooms; however, implementing and utilizing effective integration strategies and …