Digital Commons Network^™

Meeting Students Where They Are: Using Rubric-Based Assessment To Modify An Information Literacy Curriculum, Brianne Markowski, Lyda Mccartin, Stephanie Evers

Communications in Information Literacy

The authors conducted a performance-based assessment of information literacy to determine if students in a first-year experience course were finding relevant sources, using evidence from sources effectively, and attributing sources correctly. A modified AAC&U VALUE rubric was applied to 154 student research papers collected in fall 2015 and fall 2016. Study results indicate that students in the sample were able to find relevant and appropriate sources for their research papers; however, they were not using evidence to effectively support an argument or attributing sources correctly. The authors discuss changes to the library instruction curriculum informed by the assessment results.

Borscht, Bliny, And Burritos: The Benefits Of Peer-To-Peer Experiential Learning Through Food, Naomi Caffee, Colleen Lucey

Russian Language Journal

Like other disciplines in the humanities, Russian Studies faces an ongoing crisis of recruiting and retaining majors and minors for the longevity of undergraduate programs (Looney and Lusin 2018). Shrinking budgets and limited resources compound the problem as language and culture departments across the United States are asked to do more with fewer resources (Gerber 2015). In the context of an increasingly corporatized academy where language and cultural studies are marginalized, faculty in Russian Studies have a powerful means at their disposal to attract new students and build cross-campus alliances: the common language of food. Courses on foodways can reinvigorate …

Aecn 376-Rural Community Economics: Engaging Students In Learning, Daniela M. Mattos

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

AECN376-Rural Community Economics attracts students with different economics background and interests. In the three previous years I taught this course I was struggling to find a balance in class activities to make the course more engaging and effective to all students. The usual method of delivery is lecture along with PowerPoint slides. While this is the dominant form of pedagogy, particularly in higher education (Harvard Magazine 2015, Time Magazine 2012), an increasing amount of research indicates that the somewhat passive learning environment of the lecture does not reach all students with the same efficiency. In creating this portfolio, my goals …

Prisons, Policing, And Pollution: Toward An Abolitionist Framework Within Environmental Justice, Ki'amber Thompson

Pomona Senior Theses

Environmental Justice defines the environment as the spaces where we live, work, and play. The Environmental Justice (EJ) Movement has traditionally used this definition to organize against toxics in communities. However, within EJ work, prisons or policing have often not been centralized or discussed. This means that the approximately 2.2 million people in prison are excluded from the conversation and movement. Additionally, communities and activists are identifying police and prisons as toxics in their communities, but an analysis of policing and prisons is largely missing in EJ scholarship. This thesis explores the intersection between prisons, policing, and pollution. It outlines …

Volunteering For Vegetables: Community Agriculture And The Prospects For Building A More Democratic Food System, Kali Orton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Scholars and activists hold varied ideas about what a more just and equitable food system might look like. Food democracy, one of these alternative food system theories, centers around the idea that all people should have equal opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the shaping of their food systems. Community farms, due to their socially-oriented qualities, present one possibility for people to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to function as food citizens and build food democracy.

This research explores and seeks to inform food democracy theory through case studies of two urban community farms – one in Missoula, Montana, and …

Binghamton's Missing Teeth: A Study Of City-Owned Vacant Lots In Binghamton, New York, Pauline Helene Berkowitz

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Vacant land prevails in shrinking cities that have experienced urban outmigration and economic decline. Low-income neighborhoods and blight lead to conditions where vacant lots exist, consequently producing disamenities for the residents that live near them. Considered magnets of crime and stigmatized for their association with urban decay, vacant land is an environmental justice issue not often directly addressed by municipal governments. Despite this, vacant lots can still be seen as potential opportunities to improve social, environmental and economic qualities of life for surrounding residents. Urban agriculture, rain gardens and pocket parks are examples of how vacant lots can be reused …

Household Determinants Of Malaria In Mutasa District Of Zimbabwe, David Takudzwa Zinyengere

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Malaria is a vector borne, acute febrile illness, caused by Plasmodium parasites. Malaria impacts the medical and socioeconomic development programs of affected communities, as it diverts both individual and national resources into managing the disease burden. The purpose of this study was to explore and evaluate household determinants of malaria in Mutasa District, Zimbabwe. The precede-proceed theoretical model guided the study. Secondary data from Demographic Health Survey and District Health Management Information System, and current data from household determinant questionnaires, were used to evaluate the influence and significance of identified household determinants. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine …

Our Regionalism, Jessica Bulman-Pozen

Faculty Scholarship

This article provides an account of Our Regionalism to supplement the many accounts of Our Federalism. After describing the legal forms regions assume in the United States — through interstate cooperation, organization of federal administrative agencies, and hybrid state-federal efforts — it explores how regions have shaped American governance across the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.

In the years leading up to the New Deal, commentators invoked regions to resist centralization, arguing that state coordination could forestall expansion of the federal government. But regions were soon deployed to a different end, as the federal government relied on regional administration to …

Pembangunan Yang Terbayang: Imajinasi Sosio-Teknikal Dalam Implementasi Pembangunan Berbasis Komunitas Di Indonesia, Hetsu Prahara

Antropologi Indonesia

This paper discusses the involvement of imagination in the implementation of several techniques for societal improvement introduced by intervention programs in Indonesia. Using the perspective of socio-technical imagination, I contend that the implementation of the World Bank’s Community- Driven Development (CDD) in Indonesia does not only revolve around technical matters, but also structured by collective imagination held by various development actors regarding the formation of desired social order. This paper is part of my reflexivity regarding my involvement as a researcher and filmmaker in a research project designed to evaluate the impact of the implementation of CDD program in health …

นวัตกรรมระบบประเมินความพร้อมชุมชนเพื่อความยั่งยืนทางด้านการเกษตรและการท่องเที่ยว, ธนัยนันท์ ธนันท์ปพัฒน์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาความพร้อมชุมชนเพื่อความยั่งยืนทางด้านการเกษตรและการ ท่องเที่ยว ศึกษาเกณฑ์การประเมินความพร้อมชุมชน ออกแบบและพัฒนาระบบประเมินความพร้อมชุมชนที่เป็นที่ ยอมรับและสามารถนำระบบไปสู่การใช้ประโยชน์ของนวัตกรรมในการประเมินความพร้อมชุมชนเพื่อความยั่งยืน ทางด้านการเกษตรและการท่องเที่ยวตามหลักปรัชญาของเศรษฐกิจพอเพียง วิธีดำเนินการวิจัยแบบผสมผสานทั้งเชิงคุณภาพและเชิงปริมาณ โดยนำกระบวนการสร้างนวัตกรรม 5D คือ 1. การค้นหาโอกาสทางนวัตกรรม (Discovery) 2. การทำความเข้าใจและระบุปัญหา (Define) 3. การออกแบบแนวคิดนวัตกรรม (Design) 4. การ พัฒนานวัตกรรม (Develop) 5. การนำนวัตกรรมไปใช้ให้เกิดประโยชน์ (Deploy) มาเป็นกรอบในการวิจัย โดยการศึกษาเอกสารตำรา หนังสือและข้อมูลทุติยภูมิต่างๆ ที่เกี่ยวข้อง การศึกษาข้อมูลปฐมภูมิจากการสัมภาษณ์ เบื้องต้นผู้มีส่วนเกี่ยวข้องกับการพัฒนาชุมชนและการสนทนากลุ่มผู้นำชุมชนต้นแบบตามหลักปรัชญาของเศรษฐกิจ พอเพียง 5 ชุมชน การสัมภาษณ์เชิงลึกผู้นำชุมชนต้นแบบด้านการเกษตรและการท่องเที่ยว 12 ชุมชน การสัมภาษณ์ เชิงลึกผู้เชี่ยวชาญ 7 ท่าน และการเก็บรวบรวมข้อมูลจากกลุ่มตัวอย่างชุมชนด้วยแบบสอบถามจาก 251 ชุมชน จำนวน 602 ตัวอย่างจากทุกภูมิภาคของประเทศ และนำผลมาวิเคราะห์เนื้อหา วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลด้วยหลักการวิเคราะห์องค์ประกอบเชิงสำรวจ การวิเคราะห์การถดถอยเชิงพหุ และการถ่วงน้ำหนักองค์ประกอบ ผลการศึกษาพบว่า ความพร้อมชุมชนเพื่อความยั่งยืนทางด้านการเกษตรและการท่องเที่ยว ประกอบด้วย 9 ด้าน ได้แก่ ด้านความร่วมมือและการบริหารจัดการ ด้านการผลิตและการตลาด ด้านคุณธรรมและ ความเป็นเจ้าของ ด้านวัฒนธรรม ด้านผู้นำชุมชน ด้านกฎระเบียบและวินัยชุมชน ด้านการสื่อสาร ด้านการสนับสนุน จากหน่วยงานภายนอก และด้านความรู้ที่จำเป็น ทั้ง 9 ด้านนี้มีปัจจัยที่เป็นเกณฑ์ประเมินจำนวน 40 ข้อ ต้นแบบ นวัตกรรมระบบประเมินความพร้อมชุมชนเพื่อความยั่งยืนทางด้านการเกษตรและการท่องเที่ยวเพื่อชุมชนประเมิน ตนเองผ่านเว็บไซต์สามารถรายงานผลความพร้อมชุมชนฯ ให้ชุมชนรับรู้ โดยแสดงระดับความพร้อมชุมชนฯ 3 ระดับ คือ น้อย ปานกลาง และมาก ทั้งรายด้านและภาพรวม รวมทั้งเสนอแนวทางการยกระดับความพร้อมชุมชนฯ ทั้งรายด้านและภาพรวมด้วย ผลจากการทดสอบการยอมรับการใช้ระบบและการนำระบบไปสู่การใช้ประโยชน์ของ นวัตกรรมระบบประเมินความพร้อมชุมชนฯ จาก 30 ชุมชน พบว่าชุมชนร้อยละ 90 ให้ความสนใจนำนวัตกรรม ระบบประเมินความพร้อมชุมชนฯ ไปใช้ ซึ่งประเมินผลตอบแทนทางสังคมจากการลงทุนในรูปแบบการคาดการณ์ ล่วงหน้า …

A Research And Evaluation Capacity Building Model In Western Australia, Roanna Lobo, Gemma Crawford, Jonathan Hallett, Sue Laing, Donna B. Mak, Jonine Jancey, Sally Rowell, Kahlia Mccausland, Lisa Bastian, Anne Sorenson, P.J. Matt Tilley, Simon Yam, Jude Comfort, Sean Brennan, Maryanne Doherty

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Evaluation of public health programs, services and policies is increasingly required to demonstrate effectiveness. Funding constraints necessitate that existing programs, services and policies be evaluated and their findings disseminated. Evidence-informed practice and policy is also desirable to maximise investments in public health. Partnerships between public health researchers, service providers and policymakers can help address evaluation knowledge and skills gaps. The Western Australian Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Applied Research and Evaluation Network (SiREN) aims to build research and evaluation capacity in the sexual health and blood-borne virus sector in Western Australia (WA). Partners’ perspectives of the SiREN model after 2 …

Learning Together In Highland Park To Build Civic Capacity, Grace Leonard

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the work of nonprofit organizations collaborating with communities to build civic capacity in North Highland Park, a neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Place-focused planning strategies during the twentieth century diminished civic capacity in the community and fostered isolation. Today, collaborative community work in Highland Park is incorporating the assets, resources and knowledge held in the community into strategies to improve quality of life using collaborative learning. A case study approach closely analyzes community engagement and revitalization processes in North Highland Park between 2011 and 2017. Nonprofit organizations mobilized and led a group of community-based collaborators, including nonprofit staff …

Changing Parental Perceptions Of Children With Disabilities Physical Capability In Physical Activity Through A Family Fitness Program, Katelyn R. A. Knupper

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Children with disabilities are not participating in enough physical activity to meet the recommendations for health benefits. Parental perceptions of their child’s physical competence has a role in influencing physical activity levels. Parental perceptions can be improved through observations of their children in successful physical situations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze change in parental perceptions of their child’s physical competence after participating in a family-centered physical activity program. Five parents with a child aged six to 21 years with a disability participated in this study. Parental perceptions were assessed with the Perceived Competence Scale for Children, …

The Effects Of Engaging In Family Centered Physical Activity Program On Physical Activity Levels Of Families With A Child With A Disability, Mia Owens

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Problem: Children with disabilities are less likely to reach the daily recommendation (60 minutes) of physical activity a day. Participating in physical activity every day can significantly decrease the chances of developing chronic, secondary and associated conditions while also increasing moral, cognitive function, and wellbeing. Parental support and role modeling of positive physical activity behaviors can influence the activity levels of their child. Purpose: To analyze the effects of engaging in a family centered physical activity program on physical activity levels of kids with disabilities and their families. Method: A 7 week summer program where a family self-reports …

Linking Microbial Phylogenetic And Functional Gene Diversity To Microbial Mat Ecosystem Function Following Environmental Disturbance, Eva Christine Preisner

Theses and Dissertations

The ability of ecosystems to adapt to environmental perturbations depends on the duration and intensity of change and the overall biological diversity of the system. In this study, a microbial mat ecosystem located on San Salvador Island, the Bahamas was used as a model to examine how environmental disturbance affects microbial community resistance, their protein synthesis potential (PSP), ecosystem function as measured by biogeochemical cycling, community stability, and resilience. This ecosystem experienced a large shift in salinity (230 to 65 g kg-1) during 2011–2012 following the landfall of Hurricane Irene on San Salvador Island. High throughput sequencing and analysis of …

Conflicts Over Extractivist Policy And The Forest Frontier In Central America, Anthony J. Bebbington, Laura Aileen Sauls, Herman Rosa, Benjamin Fash, Denise Bebbington

Geography

Central America is characterized by an asymmetric forest transition in which net deforestation is a product of both forest loss and patches of forest resurgence. Forest loss is also associated with rights violations. We explore the extent to which extractive industry and infrastructure investments create pressure on forest resources, community rights and livelihoods. Drivers of this investment are identified, in particular: constitutional, legislative and regulatory reforms; energy policies; new financial flows; and ideas of development emphasizing the centrality of infrastructure in combining geographical integration and economic growth. We discuss forms of contentious action that have emerged in response to these …

Social Influences Of Suburban Black Residents Food Purchasing Decisions Using Snap Benefits, Carolyn Mccummings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In low-income, suburban Black communities, the prevalence of diet-related chronic illnesses is alarming. Various influences often increase diet-related illnesses among this population. One influence is the use of SNAP benefits to purchase food. In this study, the influences of SNAP as well as other influences affecting food purchase decisions among the study population was examined. A qualitative multicase study approach was used and, face-to-face interviews were conducted, to understand the experiences of 20 low-income, current recipients of SNAP who were Black and lived in suburban, New York. The data indicated the most significant influence, communicated by the participants, was that …

Strategies For Virtual Sales Leaders To Increase Productivity Of Remote Employees, Tamera Monai Gaines

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An employee's contributions toward the success of organizational results and objectives are essential to how virtual sales leaders implement strategies to improve productivity. In 2014, 21% of virtual leaders received formal training to manage remote employees, and 17% of remote employees received formal training on how to work productively. The purpose of this single qualitative case study was to explore strategies virtual sales leaders used to improve remote sales employees' productivity. The population included 6 virtual sales leaders in 1 staffing organization located in Michigan. The conceptual framework for this study included the job demands-resources model. Data were collected through …

Exploring Restorative Factors For Trafficked And Sexually Exploited Women, Carol C. Chilaka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Many women who survived sex trafficking continue to suffer from severe and persistent psychological distress even after the traditional treatment and rehabilitation program. The lingering psychological symptoms that these survivors suffer make reintegration into their families and communities difficult. This phenomenological study identified the restorative factors that helped some women who were earlier engaged in sex trafficking to recover, readjust, and reintegrate into their families and communities. Six female survivors of human trafficking and six program directors/counselors at different rehabilitation centers were individually interviewed in in-depth with semi-structured questionnaires and audio recorded. I kept diary of my readings and …

Developing Ecological Citizenship: The Role Of Political Agents Using Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Model, Teresa Victoria Grabs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite decades of research on environmental behavior, it is unknown how various political actors aid in the development of ecological citizenship (EC). The purpose of this correlational study was to determine the relationship between environmental worldview (NEP) and willingness to take action (WTTA) among political actors within 5 states: Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The overarching research question examined how EC can be increased within the 5-state region by identifying the similarities and differences in NEP and WTTA between state legislators, state partners, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model provided the theoretical framework for the study. …

Strategies For Sustaining Small Businesses In The U.S. Health Care Sector, James Utobunwa Nwachukwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, many small businesses fail within the first 5 years due to poor implementation of sustainability strategies. Researchers and business practitioners have indicated that small business owners face challenges on how to maintain their businesses beyond 5 years due to lack of sustainability strategies. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies that health care small business owners and managers in New York State use to maintain their businesses beyond 5 years. Sustainability development theory was used for the study's conceptual framework. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 6 purposively-selected participants who …

Parents' Perceptions Of Transition And Postsecondary Services For Their Children With Disabilities, Elizabeth Joyce Strong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with intellectual and other disabilities who age out of transition programs or graduate from high school may experience marginalization as young adults. There exists scant literature on the perceptions of parents about access to employment and services for their adult children with disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how parents perceived educational services, financial burdens, social isolation, and lack of access to employment for their children with intellectual and other disabilities. Critical disability theory and transformational theory constituted the study's conceptual framework. The research questions concerned how parents perceived access to services related to financial …

Determining Pathways And Connections Between Access To Water And High School Noncompletion Rates For Communities Along The U.S.–Mexico Border, Margie R. Vela, Sarah E. Lind, Paul H. Gutierrez

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Lack of access to potable water through a conveyance system impacts all aspects of modern life. Many colonias, communities in the Southwestern United States along the U.S.–Mexico border, continue to lack access to piped and treated water. This article discusses a model for the pathway from lack of access to water to lack of high school completion, including intermediary conditions impacting wellness, health, and quality of life for community members. A facilitated discussion with five environmental and public health experts who frequently work in the colonias of El Paso County, Texas (border communities that resemble the developing world), established …

Exploring Critical Success Factors Of Community Development Projects, Kevin Wanjama Muchiri

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The utilization of Community Development Projects in developing nations continues to increase in significance. In the wake of the latest Sustainable Development Goals, developing nations are working towards eliminating poverty, promoting sustainable cities and communities, gender equality, and health and well-being. Although Community Development Projects have become prevalent, the challenge has been that some are successful, while others fail. This dissertation investigates what makes Community Development Projects successful.

This dissertation implemented a comprehensive quantitative analysis using data collected from over one hundred community development projects obtained from The World Bank database. These projects took place in developing nations around the …

“An Awakening Of Critical Consciousness: Unfurlings Of (Re)Memory, Resistance And Resiliency”, Prisma L. Herrera

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis does not adhere to “traditional” academic criteria which I feel tends to be rigid, constrained ways of regurgitating knowledge. It is not easily digestible, nor is it something that offers concrete answers. Rather it is a critical understanding of many of my experiences in the last four years of education, with a specific focus on the most recent events that have unfolded in my personal and academic life. This thesis is a journey. It is by witnessing communities in New York City, Bolivia, Tlaxcala, Mexico City, Chiapas and Southern California that continue to struggle and hope in the …

Risk Governance In Metro Manila: De-Politicising State-Civil Society Relations In Crafting Housing Resilience For/With The Poor, Emma E. Porio

Sociology & Anthropology Department Faculty Publications

The 1990s decentralization and democratization movements saw the rise of civil society engagements with the state in crafting/implementing its social reform agenda. Partnership with civil society was the key in making urban governance an effective foil for the rising informality in Metro Manila and other rapidly urbanizing areas (Karaos 2018; Porio 1997, 2004). But the increasing climate disasters (e.g., Ketsana 2009, Haiyan 2013) that inundated millions of urban-rural poor had led to shifting spaces of power (Porio 2012) in state-civil society engagements, revealing the complexities of urban governance in the era of climate disasters and heightened state-capital partnerships. Mayors, for …

The Effects Of Physical Activity On Sleep Patterns In Children With Developmental Disabilities, Rebecca Griffith

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Individuals with developmental disabilities should be engaged in 150 minutes of physical activity every week to experience health benefits including an increase in duration and quality of sleep. Individuals with developmental disabilities who get quality, regular sleep have a lower frequency of challenging behaviors. One way to increase physical activity engagement among individuals with disabilities is to engage their family in physical activity together. To analyze the effects of engaging in a family centered physical activity program on the duration and quality of sleep in a young adult with Down syndrome. Method: The participant engaged in the Humboldt State Fitfam …

Transferring Sustainability Solutions Across Contexts Through City–University Partnerships, Lauren Withycombe Keeler, Fletcher Beaudoin, Amy M. Lerner, Beatrice John, Richard Beecroft, Kaidi Tamm, Arnim Wiek, Daniel J. Lang

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

The urgency of climate change and other sustainability challenges makes transferring and scaling solutions between cities a necessity. However, solutions are deeply contextual. To accelerate solution efforts, there is a need to understand how context shapes the development of solutions. Universities are well positioned to work with cities on transferring solutions from and to other cities. This paper analyses five case studies of city–university partnerships in three countries on transferring solutions. Our analysis suggests that understanding the interest, the action on sustainability, and the individual and collective sustainability competences on the part of the city administration and the university can …

Assessment As Critical Programmatic Reflection, Vicki Reitenauer, Rowanna L. Carpenter

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article argues that general education assessment is an opportunity for engaging faculty and the general education program as a whole in critical reflection on the practices and pedagogies that affect the entire undergraduate body. Through intentional assessment practices tied to learning outcomes, pedagogical expectations, and faculty and student classroom experience, an assessment program can meet accreditation expectations while serving as a rich location for critical reflection and continuous improvement. To illustrate, this article takes the reader through a year in the life of University Studies' assessment at Portland State University. It provides details about the individual elements of our …

"Diversity," Anti-Racism, And Decolonizing Service Learning In The Capstone Experience, W. Tracy Dillon, Judy Bluehorse Skelton, Vicki Reitenauer

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This retrospective on service learning in the development of University Studies Capstones, the senior-level requirement in the University Studies general education program at Portland State University, explores how the original framers of University Studies anticipated the pitfalls of "pedagogies of whiteness" in deploying service learning as the hallmark pedagogical feature of the program; includes a case study of a Capstone course that centers on Indigenous ways of knowing, learning, and teaching through its pedagogy; and identifies the formative presence of Capstone faculty committed to anti-racist and anti-imperialist pedagogies. From a variety of institutional and disciplinary standpoints and through long association …