Digital Commons Network^™

Unreasonable Steps: Trying To Make Sense Of R. V. Morrison, Isabel Grant, Janine Benedet

All Faculty Publications

Children and youth routinely have easy, unsupervised access to the internet through smartphones and tablets. This connectivity increases the danger that adults will sexually exploit them. Adult chat rooms, which may require nothing more than a child checking a box indicating that they are over the age of 18, are a common site for such exploitation. In most cases, this behaviour only comes to light when either a parent becomes aware of the activity, or when an in-person sexual offence against a child is detected and the online communications are discovered in the course of the investigation.

Consumer Remedies For Civil Rights, Kate Sablosky Elengold

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Breath Practices For Survivor And Caregiver Stress, Depression, And Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder: Connection, Co-Regulation, Compassion, Patricia L. Gerbarg, Richard P. Brown, Chris C. Streeter, Martin Katzman, Monica Vermani

NYMC Faculty Publications

Does compassion itself benefit the healing process or does the activation of neurophysiological processes, from which the experience of compassion arises, trigger a cascade of physical and psychological changes that support health and well-being? Exploration of the neurological substrates of compassion reveals multiple healing pathways that can be activated by mind-body practices. Furthermore, these pathways affect physical health, emotion regulation, and how we perceive and relate to others.

Physiological states affect the capacity for empathy, compassion and understanding. A state of calm alertness based on sympatho-vagal balance may support such high-level prosocial functions. Evidence suggests that polyvagal-informed mind-body practices, particularly …

Problem Based Learning Resources And Exposure In Higher Education: Evidence From The Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi - Ghana., Richard Bruce Lamptey, Gaberial Okyere, Richard Tawiah, William Oduro

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The limited literature on problem based learning (PBL) in the context of Ghana instigates the doubt as to whether universities in the country apply this educational strategy. To clear this doubt, the present study is conducted to outline the experiences and review the resources that are inclined to the environments of PBL, using survey data from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Survey participants were educational managers, teachers and students of the university. In our results, we identified experiences among teachers and students that agree with the principles of PBL. The participants largely admitted that the university …

Leadership Challenges And Issues Facing Academic Libraries, Mohammad Aslam, Mohammad Aslam

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The main objective is to determine academic library leaders' perspectives regarding the key challenges facing academic libraries and leadership, and how library professionals can meet these challenges effectively. The study explores the leadership development opportunities and challenges for senior library professionals and academic libraries of the future, and what type of skills and abilities they need. A semi-structured, telephone and face-to-face interviews were arranged, the author interviewed library directors, managers and most senior librarians, a total of 16 library leaders and administrators were selected to this study. Results identify that a shared vision is key to leadership in academic library …

The Electromagnetic Brain A Review Of Em Theories On The Nature Of Consciousness By Shelli Joye, Pryzdia, Michael, Radin, Dean

Journal of Conscious Evolution

No abstract provided.

Health Information Behaviour Of Graduate Students On The Internet: Sources, Trust And Reliability Of Information, Setsoafia A. Y. Humphrey-Ackumey, Musah Adams, Michael Ahenkorah-Marfo

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study sought to investigate the health information behaviour of graduate students on the internet. A quantitative method using a cross-sectional survey was used to solicit information from 256 graduate students studying courses related to health in the Arts, Social, and applied Sciences. The results showed that most of the respondents preferred the Internet because it is timely, fast and provides information from different sources simultaneously. The type(s) of health information mostly sought for were general information on healthy lifestyle, specific disease or treatment, side effects of medications, new development in the medical field among others. Majority (90.9 %) of …

Factors That Influence Maternal Feeding Decisions For Toddlers: Extending The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Elizabeth Lucas Combs

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Establishing healthy eating behaviors is vital in the early years to help combat the development of obesity and other chronic diseases. Mothers play an invaluable role in shaping their children's eating habits through controlling what and when children eat as well as the overall food environment, which is why a better understanding of what influences mothers’ decisions about these behaviors is important.

The purpose of the dissertation was to gain a better understanding of what impacts maternal feeding decisions regarding toddler nutrition behaviors. This was a two-phased mixed methods study. The aim of the initial study was to explore, using …

An Oral History Exploration Of Change At The University Of Kentucky Following The Virginia Tech Shooting, Marianne R. L. Young

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Following the mass shooting at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, institutions of higher education appeared to restructure themselves and change the way that they worked with students who may pose a risk to self or others. They formed committees, sometimes known as Communities of Concern, to help review these concerns and respond appropriately. The purpose of this study was to examine how the Community of Concern Committee at the University of Kentucky was developed following the incident at Virginia Tech. Particular attention was focused on the change and learning that took place. Using the frames of single-loop and double-loop …

The Effects Of The Usda Summer Food Service Program On Rural Adolescents’ Nutrition Attitudes, Knowledge, Behavioral Intentions And Nutrition Behaviors, Mary Rachel Harrington

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Rural adolescents suffer from poor nutrition, increasing their risk for obesity and other chronic diseases. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), an off-shoot of the National School Lunch Program, provides meals to qualifying children, including low-income, rural adolescents, under the age of 18. The purpose of this study was to: 1) examine the impact of the SFSP on the nutrition–related knowledge, self-reported fruit and vegetable (SRFV) consumption, and the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions) of rural, low-income adolescents; and 2) examine the relationship between nutrition behaviors (quality food selection …

Circadian Rhythm Phase Shifts Caused By Timed Exercise Vary With Chronotype In Young Adults, J. Matthew Thomas

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

The circadian system controls 24-hour cycles of behavior and physiology, such as rest-activity and feeding rhythms. The human circadian system synchronizes with, or entrains to, the light/dark cycle (sunrise/sunset) to promote activity and food consumption during the day and rest at night. However, strict work schedules and nighttime light exposure impair proper entrainment of the circadian system, resulting in chronic circadian misalignment. Numerous studies have shown that chronic circadian misalignment results in poor health. Therefore, therapeutic interventions that could shift circadian rhythms and alleviate circadian misalignment could broadly impact public health. Although light is the most salient time cue for …

Heart Rate Dynamics During And After Simulated Fire Ground Tasks: Effects Of Physical Fitness And Training, Anssi Ilmari Saari

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Firefighting is a strenuous occupation that increases the risk of cardiovascular events. Greater levels of physical fitness and training improve firefighters’ occupational performance, but little is known whether they are related to lower physiological stress and recovery from fire ground tasks. Heart rate, heart rate recovery and heart rate variability have been used to evaluate physical stress in association with exercise and fire ground tasks. However, there is a paucity of research evaluating the effects of physical fitness and training on heart rate dynamics during a simulated fire ground test (SFGT). Therefore, the primary purposes of this study were to …

Women Into Advanced Manufacturing: Can Community College Open This Door?, Carissa Bradley Schutzman

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Women still rarely choose to seek employment in advanced manufacturing. Lack of familiarity with manufacturing jobs and education programs, lack of role models, and too few experiential opportunities contribute to women not choosing manufacturing jobs as well as other jobs traditionally held by men (Reha, Lufkin, & Harrison, 2009; St. Rose & Hill, 2013; Starobin & Laanan, 2008). Nontraditional jobs for women often provide higher wages and more opportunity for advancement than traditional jobs for women. This study is a qualitative thematic narrative analysis of factors that influenced women who chose an advanced manufacturing program at a community college to …

A Partial Simulation Study Of Phantom Effects In Multilevel Analysis Of School Effects: The Case Of School Socioeconomic Composition, Hao Zhou

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Socioeconomic status (SES) affects students’ academic achievement at different levels of an educational system. However, misspecified Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM) may bias school SES estimation. In this study, a partial simulation study was conducted to examine how misspecified HLM model bias school and student SES estimation.

The result of this study can be summarized by four important points. First, based on partial simulation procedure, phantom effects of school SES and student SES are real. Second, characteristics of phantom effects are generalized. The stronger the correlation between prior science achievement measure and present science achievement measure, the greater the decrease in …

Assessing The Model Fit Of Multidimensional Item Response Theory Models With Polytomous Responses Using Limited-Information Statistics, Caihong Rosina Li

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Under item response theory, three types of limited information goodness-of-fit test statistics – M₂, M_ord, and C₂ – have been proposed to assess model-data fit when data are sparse. However, the evaluation of the performance of these GOF statistics under multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) models with polytomous data is limited. The current study showed that M₂ and C₂ were well-calibrated under true model conditions and were powerful under misspecified model conditions. M_ord were not well-calibrated when the number of response categories was more than three. RMSEA₂ and RMSEA_C2 are …

The Influence Of Patient-Provider Interaction, Self-Concept, And The Socio-Physical Environment On Pelvic Exam Seeking Behavior, Anxiety, And The Health Care Experience, Julie Lasslo

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Regular gynecological screenings are critical for women in promotion of health and preventing diseases like cervical cancer. Despite the importance of such examinations, many women fail to adhere to recommended screening protocols. As a result, women experience an increased disease risk. The current study examined the relationship between patient-provider communication quality, skill, and empathy on pelvic exam seeking behavior and exam-related anxiety and satisfaction. Additionally, negative self-concept, perceived poor genital self-image, and various elements of the socio-physical clinic environment were explored to better understand their impact on a women’s care seeking behavior.

A total of 350 women 19 through 80 …

At The Heart Of Policies And Programs: Community College Faculty Members And Peer Mentors As Human Levers Of Retention, Kimberly Russell

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Student attrition prior to the completion of a credential is an issue that has increasingly demanded the attention of stakeholders in higher education, particularly in the community college sector, in which less than half of all students complete a credential after six years. The costs of student attrition are high and widespread, ranging from the financial costs for institutions and federal and state governments to the personal and monetary costs paid by those students whose personal and professional goals are not achieved. With the ever-increasing focus on accountability for institutions of higher education and the growing movement toward performance-based funding, …

Exploring The Impact Of Work-Based Learning Opportunities From The Student Perspective: The Development Of Career Pathways, Workforce Expectations, And The Transmission Of Cultural Capital, Robert Boone

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Understanding the practical implications of work-based learning opportunities (WBLOs) is complex. Although WBLOs are not new learning environments, understanding and clearly defining them is increasingly necessary. In Kentucky, WBLOs are part of the political discourse in post-secondary education. The Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) and local/regional economic and workforce development agencies have incorporated strengthening and growing WBLOs into their strategic plans.

By interviewing students that have completed WBLOs at three colleges in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), this study intended to explore student perspectives of WBLOs by asking the following research questions: 1) What role do WBLOs …

Believing In Achieving: Examining African American Women’S Doctoral Attainment, Reshanta Camea Hazelbaker

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

This research explored the intersectionality of race, class, and gender within the sources of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997) underlying the socialization messages influencing African American women’s doctoral attainment beliefs. Twenty African American female/woman doctoral achievers completed an online survey, consisting of open-ended and multiple-choice response items, designed to identify and explore the sources of self-efficacy influencing African American women’s doctoral attainment beliefs. Eleven participants participated in focus interviews to expand upon and clarify initial survey responses.

Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) and tenets of critical race theory (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995; McCoy & Rodricks, 2015) were used to analyze the …

The Stakeholder Gap Lens: Teacher And Parental Perceptions Of The Achievement Gap In Kentucky's Public Schools, Heather Renee Brown Chapman

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

The research around the achievement gap is extensive. However, regardless that the term “achievement gap” is so widely used in academia today, there is often confusion surrounding what the achievement gap is. This study seeks to answer three research questions: (1) To what extent does an achievement gap exist among different subgroups of students in Kentucky’s K-12 public schools? (2) How do the perceptions of parents and teachers interact with decision-making? (3) How do the ideas of parents and teachers regarding closing the achievement gap compare?

This research examines perceptions of the existence of an achievement gap in Kentucky’s public …

Improving Undergraduate Statistics Education: Educational Lessons From Two Pedagogical Experiments, Anushka Karkelanova

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

The ultimate goal of statistics education is to create a statistically literate society in which people can appropriately use statistical thinking. Although the need to improve the teaching of introductory statistics courses is not a new one, with increased demand on these courses, there has been constant effort to seek out better ways of teaching these courses. The University of Kentucky (UK) began a reform of its general education program in November 2005. Thinking and reasoning are the central themes of this well-designed general education curriculum.

The main goal of this dissertation is to fill in some gaps in the …

The Content Of Coercion, Michael M. Oswalt

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

This Article is about a new approach to one of the law's most basic questions: what is coercion? Under its traditional framing, coercion is about transactions. One person makes an offer to another person, who, under the circumstances, has no realistic option but to say "yes." But that conception has not helped courts articulate a way to test when pressures cross the line from lawful persuasion to illegal compulsion. Without a metric, critics charge that coercion analyses are inevitably normative. This Article challenges that inevitability. Using the workplace as a case study, it argues that it is possible to weigh …

Job Satisfaction Of College Librarians: A Study Of Kashmir, Javaid Wani, Jaffer Kabir Najar

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of the study is to ascertain the job satisfaction among the library professionals. Survey method was carried to achieve the goal study besides questionnaire was used as the data collection tool. The study shows both positive and negative signs of satisfaction among the professionals but the dominant signs were positive job satisfaction among professionals. This paper may benefit society by encouraging librarians to contribute more to their jobs and may help them in their personal growth and development. Hence, it is essential for library administrators to motivate their library professionals to work hard for achieving organizational goals and …

Knowledge Resources For Visually Impaired Persons: An Indian Perspective, Sufia Khowaja, Nishat Fatima Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of the study is to identify the sources provided by the universities of India to visually impaired persons to cater their educational requirements. There are 49 Central Universities in India, out of which 15 were selected for the study. The data from selected university libraries was collected using bilateral approach i.e. questionnaire and telephonic interview. It was found that central universities of India are not providing appropriate sources to their visually impaired users to fulfill their educational requirements. Though some universities had taken initiatives in providing the information resources and services, but still there are many aspects which …

Antecedents For The Utilisation Of Web 2.0 Tools For Knowledge Management Practices In Academic Libraries Of Tanzania, Neema Florence Mosha, Patrick Ngulube, Edda Tandi Lwoga

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the antecedents for the utilisation of Web 2.0 tools to enhance Knowledge Management (KM) practices in academic libraries of Tanzania. Eight out of the twelve academic libraries were selected. Data gathered through questionnaires distributed to library staff (n= 278), with a response rate of 91.36%. The study used the DeLone and McLean Information System (IS) Success Model to come up with KMS Success Model. Thus, the KMS Success Model was empirically via a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach to examine the antecedents for the utilisation of Web 2.0 tools for the KM …

Study Of The Correlation Between Emotional Intelligence (Ei) And Project Success In Nonprofits, Celene M. Kalivoda

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Project managers use both hard and soft skills to manage projects and people. When a project manager lacks the necessary competencies, there is a risk of project failure. The purpose of projects in nonprofit organizations is to increase the efficiencies of the organization or gain additional funding through fundraising, friendraising, and image enhancement efforts. The soft skill of emotional intelligence is linked to enhanced leadership in project management. This quantitative correlation study examined the relationship between the project managers’ emotional intelligence and their nonprofit project success. The analysis determined there is not a significant correlation between project managers’ emotional intelligence …

Social Health And A Healthy Social Life Based On Wisdom And Intellectuality, Alireza Atarodi, Meisam Dastani, Ahmadreza Atarodi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Introduction:

Human kinds are social animals, and are pleased living together pleasantly and positively in mental and physical forms. Without positive living and to live in challenges and clashes is bad and catastrophic, but what’s the way out? One of the way that seems not so costly, with no war and seems that can direct and put the world in peace or in a good running order will be wisdom and intellectuality transfused by many scientific centers and the wise men, then we intended to survey the social health and a healthy social life based on wisdom and intellectual …

Marketing Of Information Products And Services Through Library Websites: An Analytical Study Of Indian Central University Library, Abdul Baquee Research Scholar, R Sevukan Associate Professor

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper examines the present status of Indian Central University Library websites especially pertaining to marketing of library and information products and services. The purpose of this study is to assess the libraries’ efforts in marketing of library products and services through their websites.

In this study library websites were analyzed and evaluated using a checklist prepared with the help several studies. A total of 48 central university library websites were examined during 15th March 2019 to 10th April 2019. The Websites were observed multiple times to insure the outputs.

The study bore it out that the websites are not …

Need Of Professional Development And Ict Skills For Medical Library Professionals In Gujarat, S. D. Parmar Dr., Shishirkumar H. Mandalia Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Professional development is the process where professionals stay up-to-date information, skills, and abilities which required working effectively in their profession. It is assumed that professionals have to maintain professional competency, involve in professional development and skill enhancement activities. The library professionals are catering library services to its users with growing demand of users; there are not enough studies are conducted about the need for professional development and ICT skills for medical library professionals in Gujarat. It is very much important to evaluate the needs of professional development and skills enhancement programme in medical educational institutions. The cross-sectional study was conducted …

Investigating The Social Media Presence Of Articles In Altmetrics Field Indexed In Scopus Database: An Altmetrics Study, Faridokht Salahshoori, Zahra Abedini

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Introduction: Altmetrics is one of the novel measures of citation in social media which can be used to investigate scientific and research output. The current study was carried out in order to determine the presence of articles in Altmetrics field in social media, determining superior articles in this field based on Altmetrics criteria and determining the relation between Altmetrics measure and citation performance of these articles.

Method: This is a descriptive study with scientometrics approach using altmetrics method. The study population consisted of 337 articles in the altmetrics field indexed in Scopus database. Among these articles, 53 lacked Digital Object …