Digital Commons Network^™

Women’S Political Leadership And Adult Health: Evidence From Rural And Urban China, Hongwei Xu, Nancy Luke, Susan E. Short

Publications and Research

This study examined the role of women’s political leadership at the community level in China, a context that has experienced recent political and socioeconomic change and has a distinctive rural-urban divide. Drawing on longitudinal data from the China Family Panel Studies (N = 40,918~52,406 person-year observations), we found that female community directors outnumbered male directors in urban China but were much less common in rural areas. Female community directors had higher levels of human capital regardless of rural or urban location. Residents living in female-directed communities reported better mental health, but not physical health or life satisfaction, compared to those …

Computable Procedures For Fields, Russell Miller

Publications and Research

This tutorial will introduce listeners to many questions that can be asked about computable processes on fields, and will present the answers that are known, sometimes with proofs. This is not original work. The questions in greatest focus here include decision procedures for the existence of roots of polynomials in specific fields, for the irreducibility of polynomials over those fields, and for transcendence of specific elements over the prime subfield. Several of these questions are related to the construction of algebraic closures, making Rabin's Theorem prominent.

Toward Transformable Photonics: Reversible Deforming Soft Cavities, Controlling Their Resonance Split And Directional Emission, Mark Douvidzon, Shai Maayani, Harel Nagar, Tamir Admon, Vladimir Shuvayev, Lan Yang, Lev Deych, Yael Roichman, Tal Carmon

Publications and Research

We report on reversible and continuously deformable soft micro-resonators and the control of their resonance split and directional emission. Assisted by computerized holographic-tweezers, functioning as an optical deformer of our device, we gradually deform the shape and change the functionality of a droplet whispering-gallery cavity. For example, we continuously deform hexagonal cavities to rectangular ones and demonstrate switching to directionally emitting mode-of-operation, or splitting a resonant mode to a 10-GHz separated doublet. A continuous trend of improving spatial light modulators and tweezers suggests that our method is scalable and can control the shape and functionality of many individual devices. We …

Are Covid-19 Vaccine Boosters Needed? The Science Behind Boosters, Rachel M. Burckhardt, John J. Dennehy, Leo L. M. Poon, Linda J. Saif, Lynn W. Enquist

Publications and Research

Waning vaccine-induced immunity coupled with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has led to increases in breakthrough infections, prompting consideration for vaccine booster doses. Boosters have been reported to be safe and increase SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody levels, but how these doses impact the trajectory of the global pandemic and herd immunity is unknown. Information on immunology, epidemiology and equitable vaccine distribution should be considered when deciding the timing and eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine boosters.

Misremembering Risk In The Age Of Hurricanes: The Rhode Island Coast In The 1930s-1950s, Kara M. Schlichting

Publications and Research

This paper explores the lost history of New England hurricanes and how the “return” of hurricanes challenged understandings of the environmental vulnerabilities of coastal communities and weather. A series of severe New England hurricanes from 1938-1954 forced Rhode Islanders to reassess coastal vulnerabilities and protection strategies. Before the hurricane of ’38, Rhode Islanders lived with the vulnerability of seasonal erosion and winter storms, but believed their state was, and would remain, safe from hurricanes. In a new era of the shore-at-risk, the Army Corps of Engineers re-wrote the forgotten history of coastal dangers. Dense development along Narragansett Bay and the …

Translanguaging To Understand Language, Marcela Ossa Parra, Patrick Proctor

Publications and Research

Translanguaging pedagogy is gaining widespread recognition as an approach that recognizes and builds on multilingual students’ linguistic resources. Research on translanguaging pedagogy has predominantly focused on classroom language practices, while studies on the design and enactment of translanguaged instruction are limited. This pilot study contributes to the knowledge base on translanguaged instruction through the design, implementation, and examination of students’ engagement with the content taught in a set of translanguaged lessons. These lessons were based on a language-based English reading curriculum for Spanish-English bilingual upper elementary students. Our approach to translanguaging pedagogy was characterized by: a) use of bilingual texts; …

Beyond Crisis Moments: Mediating Instructor-Student Conflict Through Anti-Racist Practice, Amy J. Wan, Christopher John Williams

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Cultivating Multimodality From The Multilingual Epicenter: Queens, “The Next America”, Eunjeong Lee, Sara P. Alvarez, Amy J. Wan

Publications and Research

Understanding that multimodality is a critical part of language work, this article
examines the conditions for uptaking multimodality. With a focus on the material
conditions and/of the labor crucial in building a culture of multimodality, we discuss how our context of Queens College (QC), a senior college in the public-serving CUNY system, where the majority of the students represents what Hall (2009) has described as the “Next America,” shapes the implementation and the impact of multimodal work for our students and educators. Particularly for multilingual students, whose multimodal meaning-making potential is often disregarded as irrelevant to their “language needs” (Sánchez-Martín …

Rotavirus A Genome Segments Show Distinct Segregation And Codon Usage Patterns, Irene Hoxie, John J. Dennehy

Publications and Research

Reassortment of the Rotavirus A (RVA) 11-segment dsRNA genome may generate new genome constellations that allow RVA to expand its host range or evade immune responses. Reassortment may also produce phylogenetic incongruities and weakly linked evolutionary histories across the 11 segments, obscuring reassortment-specific epistasis and changes in substitution rates. To determine the co-segregation patterns of RVA segments, we generated time-scaled phylogenetic trees for each of the 11 segments of 789 complete RVA genomes isolated from mammalian hosts and compared the segments’ geodesic distances. We found that segments 4 (VP4) and 9 (VP7) occupied significantly different tree spaces from each other …

Potential Solar Replacement Of Hydroelectricity To Reopen Rivers: Maine As A Case Example, Shailesh Sharma, John Waldman

Publications and Research

Hydroelectricity provides 6% of U.S. electrical power needs, but hydro-dams also cause environmental harm, including the retardation or complete blockage of spawning runs of anadromous fishes. To facilitate fish movements, engineered-fishways have long been used but many have performed poorly. Dam-removal is the most effective way of restoring dwindling migratory fish populations by allowing unrestricted pathways to their spawning areas and for the downstream migrations of post-spawning adults and juveniles. However, removals of hydro-dams result in a loss of electricity production. For the replacement of energy foregone from hydro-dam removals, various alternative energy installations are now feasible. We present one-to-one …

The Rise Of Prepping In New York City: Community Resilience And Covid-19, Anna Bounds

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Creating A Culturally Relevant Statistics Assignment On Z-Scores, Grace Pai

Publications and Research

Culturally relevant teaching or pedagogy has become increasingly popular both in practice and in research, but there are still few curricular resources for instructors to use, particularly for a college-level mathematics course. Departing from the question “relevant to whom,” this article illustrates how to design a statistics assignment on z-scores that is culturally relevant to students based on their prior experiences. Ultimately, the author shares design principles—which includes the importance of considering student trauma—that can be transferable to any statistics or quantitative analysis/reasoning class.

A Transdisciplinary Approach To International Teaching Assistants: Perspectives From Applied Linguistics, Heidi Fischer

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Critical Media Literacy And Black Female Identity Construction: A Conceptual Framework For Empowerment, Equity, And Social Justice In Education, Petra A. Robinson, Ayana Allen-Handy, Kala Burrell-Craft

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This paper addresses the issues of knowledge production, which interrogate and disrupt dominant narratives that subjugate Black females related to their identity. We contextualize our discussion through the lens of critical consciousness and critical media literacy by exploring the role of popular media in identity development/imposition for Black females. We outline issues of Black female identity politics by framing them through the description of critical media literacy as a 21st century literacy, with Black Feminist Theory as our theoretical lens. Similar discussions have remained centered in the field of Media Studies and there has been inadequate attention to these issues …

Online Accelerated Learning Experiences And Self-Regulated Learning Skills Amoung Undergraduate Students, Cherng-Jyh Yen, Emrah Emre Ozkeskin, Moussa Tankari, Chih-Hsiung Tu, Hoda Harati, Laura E. Sujo-Montes

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Many institutions have adopted an online accelerated learning model in which intensive online instructions are offered during the course of a normal semester to help students complete classes. Current research has focused on comparing different instructional lengths. Mixed findings have been reported. Accelerated instructions are not necessarily superior or inferior to traditional 16-week instructions. Research should focus on what is crucial and how to prepare students to succeed in accelerated online courses. This study examines whether self-regulated learning (SRL) skills may serve as predictors of positive accelerated learning experiences. It concludes that five SRL skills can predict success in online …

Language Revitalisation In Gaelic Scotland: Linguistic Practice And Ideology, Woloyat Tabasum Niroo

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Through their native languages, certain groups of people claim political, social, geographical, and ethnic identity and a legal base for their existence. Colonialism, however, has vanished minority spoken languages in many parts of the world. Additionally, despite claims of a “global village,” the advent of internationalization has further isolated indigenous languages in some parts of the world. Revitalizing and preventing those languages from dwindling from their spoken communities is crucial for scholars of linguistics, sociology, cultural studies, and education. Dunmore, in the book Language Revitalisation in Gaelic Scotland: Linguistic Practice and Ideology, offers profound perspectives on preventing the potential …

Ambitious And Anxious: How Chinese College Students Succeed And Struggle In American Higher Education, Minghui Hou

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

In this new publication, Syracuse University Associate Professor Yingyi Ma employs a mixed-method research design to examine and analyze the educational motivations, experiences, and trajectories of a new wave of Chinese undergraduate students from diverse family backgrounds with an emphasis on “the duality of ambition and anxiety” (p. 7). This book challenges the stereotyped expectations of Americans in regards to Chinese students (for instance, that all are from well-off families and have poor English skills). Ma argues that it is pivotal to consider the educational, social, and cultural backgrounds of Chinese internationals in their processes of self-formation in order to …

Cultivating A 'Community Of Practice' In An Educational Leadership Preparation Program: Experiences And Roles Of Adjunct Faculty, Karen Swann, Karen L. Sanzo, Jay Paredes Scribner, Michael Cromartie

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Educational leadership preparation programs increasingly rely on adjunct faculty to teach aspiring leaders. Although the percentage of adjunct faculty serving as instructors continues to grow relative to full-time, tenured faculty, the role of part-time instructors/K-12 practitioners remains confined to instruction. This study explored how one educational leadership preparation program attempted to include adjunct faculty in roles beyond teaching to include course and curriculum development, program redesign, and recruitment and marketing. Informed by the communities of practice literature, this study illustrates ways that programs can foster meaningful professional community among full- and part-time faculty in ways that contribute to program quality. …

Covid-19 Impact Research Brief: Virtual Exchanges At Community Colleges, Kimberley Cossey, Heidi Fischer

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected higher education worldwide. Two NAFSA member leaders, Kimberley Cossey, MA, (2021 registrar for Region VIII) and Heidi Fischer, PhD (2021 chair for Region VIII), have coauthored a research brief detailing how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted virtual exchange program development and delivery at community colleges in the United States. The research brief summarizes key takeaways from mixed-methods research (i.e., survey and interviews) with practitioners from U.S. community colleges, requesting information about:

The pandemic's impact on existing virtual exchange programs (VEPs), The impact on developing new VEPs, and New (virtual) models for international education. Key takeaways include …

How Instructors Can Enhance Biology Students' Motivation, Learning, And Grades Through Brief Relevance Writing And Worked-Example Interventions, Kyle R. Mara, Avi Kaplan, Michael J. Balsai, Jennifer G. Cromley, Tony Perez, Ting Dai

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The high failure rate of students in "gateway" science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses has been a persistent problem for biology programs nationwide. Common wisdom contends that addressing this problem requires major curricular overhauls. While desirable, such large systematic changes are often expensive or impractical. We propose an alternative approach: supplementing the regular instruction with brief online modules targeting specific cognitive (learning) and motivational mechanisms. We conducted an intervention study to test the effects of different combinations of cognitive and motivational modules on undergraduate introductory biology students' learning, motivation, achievement, and intentions to remain in science. Introductory biology students …

Assessment And Learning In Knowledge Spaces (Aleks) Adaptive System Impact On Students' Perception And Self-Regulated Learning Skills, Honda Harati, Laura Sujo-Montes, Chih-Hsiung Tu, Shadow J.W. Armfield, Cherng-Jyh Yen

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Adaptive learning is an educational method that uses computer algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) to customize learning materials and activities based on each user's model. Adaptive learning has been used for more than 20 years. However, it is still unique, and no other system could bring more or even similar capabilities than the ones adaptive technology offers, including the application of AI, psychology, psychometrics, machine learning, and providing a personalized learning environment. However, there are not many studies on its practicality, usefulness, improving students' learning skills, students' perception, etc., due to the limited number of institutes investing in this new …

The International Student Experience At U.S. Community Colleges At The Onset Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Melissa Whatley, Heidi Fischer

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This study’s purpose is to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international students who were studying at U.S. community colleges at the onset of this public health crisis. While previous work has explored the impact of the pandemic on international students generally, we argue that community college international students deserve focused attention due to their potentially marginalized status on their campuses. Using a mixed methods research approach, we analyze survey and interview data provided by community college international educators. Our results speak to two overarching themes: the supports provided to students at the onset of the pandemic (and …

Factors Influencing Student Enrollment In Career Academy Programs, Whitney Ketchledge, Michael Kosloski, Philip Reed

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

There is considerable research demonstrating strong benefits of the career academy model to students and teachers, but there is little indicating why students enroll in academies and what methods of recruitment may work best. This study assessed factors influencing students' decisions to enroll in career academy programs by looking at factors that influence students to apply for academy programs and reasons students have for choosing not to enroll in academy programs. A survey was used to collect the necessary data with n = 401 responses from students enrolled in an academy and n = 2,421 responses from students not enrolled …

Re-Imagining The Future Of Experiential Learning Through A Campus-Wide Design Thinking Initiative, Karen L. Sanzo, Tancy Vandecar-Burdin, Tisha M. Paredes, Lisa Mayes, Brian Payne

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

In 2020, Old Dominion University was awarded a State Council for Higher Education for Virginia grant in order to re-imagine the future of experiential learning at the institution. This campus-wide effort is led by a taskforce to create a vision, framework, and plan for the future of experiential learning at Old Dominion University. The taskforce is composed of stakeholders that include students, faculty, administrators, and community and business partners. In this chapter, the authors report on process and progress, with particular attention to the first three phases of the design thinking process. In the empathy phase, they have engaged in …

A Sociological Perspective On Pidgin's Viability And Usefulness For Development In West Africa, Victoria M. Time, Daniel K. Pryce

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This essay examines the viability and usefulness of pidgin for development in West Africa. Pidgin in West Africa has endured as a unifying medium of communication among people who do not share a common language. It has been lauded as a neutral language that facilitates trade, commerce, and everyday dealings among people of all walks of life. Some have proposed supplanting English, which is the official language in most of the West African countries where the use of pidgin is prevalent, with either pidgin or some other indigenous language. Contrarians, however, consider pidgin to be a limiting factor, in that, …

If Not Otitis Externa...Then What?, Elizabeth A. Flasch, Sadia Ansari, Timothy Martin

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Ear pain is one of the most common presentations in urgent care, especially among pediatric patients. Further, acute otitis media (AOM) is the most common condition for which antibacterial agents are prescribed for children in the United States. Clinician visits make up 634 per 100 children during 2005-2006. It is imperative that clinicians differentiate AOM from new onset of otorrhea not due to acute otitis externa (AOE), the most common diagnoses made by clinicians with regional variations based on age and geography.1

The majority of AOE-related visits occur during the summer months (June through August); visits occur most commonly in …

Effectiveness Of Using A Simulation Combined With Online Learning Approach To Develop Discharge Teaching Skills, Marianne E. Weiss, Linda B. Piacentine, Lori Candela, Kathleen L. Bobay

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Despite evidence of the impact of discharge teaching on patient outcomes, nursing students are poorly prepared in the pedagogical skills necessary for their role as patient and family educators in clinical practice. This study evaluated the effectiveness of simulation combined with online learning to improve nursing students’ discharge teaching skills.

Methods

The module included simulations before and after an online module on patient/family teaching for hospital discharge. Evaluation measures were student and independent rater evaluations using the Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale- Evaluation form (QDTS-E).

Results

Students (n=153) improved their performance on both content and delivery subscales of the …

Youth And Parent Health-Related Quality Of Life And Association With Glycemic Outcomes In Preadolescents And Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes, Joan P. Totka, Julia A. Snethen, Elizabeth D. Cox

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction

We explored differences in Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and the youth's glycosylated hemoglobin (A1c) of preadolescent and adolescent youths with type 1 diabetes (T1D) by individual (age, sex, race) and family (socioeconomic status) factors, and associations between youths’ HRQOL, their parents’ HRQOL, and youth's A1c.

Method

Correlational secondary analysis of baseline data from a randomized controlled trial testing a developmental intervention for youths with T1D and their parents from two diabetes clinics.

Results

Better adolescent HRQOL was associated with better glycemic control. Better preadolescent HRQOL was associated with better parent HRQOL. Non-White adolescents had worse HRQOL than White …

When Pandemics Collide: The Impact Of Covid-19 On Childhood Obesity, Nancy T. Browne, Julia A. Snethen, Cindy Smith Greenberg, Marilyn Frenn, Jill F. Kilanowsky, Bonnie Gance-Cleveland, Pamela J. Burke, Linda Lewandowski

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

• Children with obesity face increased biopsychosocial risks during COVID-19.

• Stress exacerbates inflammation and immune response in obesity and COVID-19.

• The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly interrupted children's daily routines.

• The health effects of the obesogenic environment are exacerbated by COVID-19.

• Access to timely, comprehensive healthcare is critical during COVID-19.

An Engaged Community-Academic Partnership To Promote Positive Youth Development, Kristin Haglund, Angela Ortiz, Johanna De Los Santos, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal, Ruth Ann Belknap

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

In this paper, we discuss how we cultivated a sustainable community-academic partnership and describe how our community-based participatory research project, Bembé Drum and Dance, contributed to youth development. Bembé Drum and Dance is an Afro-Latino performing arts program based on the positive youth development theory. Thirteen children ages 9–13 participated in the ensemble. We used a multimethod descriptive design. Data were gathered using surveys, participant observation, and interviews. Increases in the Five Cs (competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring) were noted among youth, most notably in competence and confidence. Recognizing that the project belonged to the community and supporting this …