Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of Virtual Reality In Distance Learning, Rashana Weerasinghe

Honors Scholar Theses

This study focuses on the applicability of emerging technologies in education. To explore this, our research was conducted through an “Intro To Emerging Technology” course taught by the OPIM Department at the University of Connecticut. The class meets in two modalities: virtual reality environment and video-conferencing platform. Our research explores the learning outcomes produced by the different classroom environments, seeking to better understand the impact of virtual reality in distance learning. The purpose of this is to identify and predict how virtual reality will be integrated into a distance learning environment and understand if it can be used as a …

Food Insecurity Among College Students: Perception Of College Administrators, Ibiyemi Adesanya

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

While food insecurity among college students has existed for decades, only in recent years has the focus on the impact of food insecurity on student success emerged. However, most of the research has been quantitative, conducted at public two-year and four-year colleges and focused on predictors, prevalence, and impact of food insecurity among college students. Although prior student-based research has been beneficial to understand the problem, there is inconsistency in how institutions and higher education professionals address this issue with their students.

A transcendental phenomenological single case study design was used in this study to explore the lived experience …

Exploring Nurses' Confidence In Providing Support To Bereaved Families Following Stillbirth Fetal Loss, Silvia E. Salazar, Priscilla Kahn, Jill Costley, Roxana Linares, Natalie Bermudez

Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal

Introduction: Stillbirth fetal loss (SFL) is a significant cause of infant death in the US, with 23,000 reported in 2017. Negative psychological and emotional repercussions of SFL, for parents and nurses, may be mitigated by nurses’ preparedness to provide bereavement support (BS). Several studies exploring BS for miscarriage-related fetal loss were found. However, studies exploring SFL BS and nurses’ preparedness for providing SFL BS are sparse. The purpose of this study was to assess nurses’ confidence and knowledge for providing BS to families experiencing stillbirth fetal loss.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional quantitative descriptive study. Postpartum registered nurses (RN) were …

A Concept Analysis Of Moral Comfort In Nursing, Natalie Bermudez

Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal

Introduction: Nurses are the most trusted professional group in the United States. As such, examination and exploration of concepts or phenomena, either positively or negatively affecting nurses’ ethical decision-making and moral actions, are needed. While nursing literature is abundant on moral distress and its negative impact, literature on moral comfort (a positive phenomenon) is sparsely available. The purpose of this concept analysis is to explore MC within nursing literature and other disciplines to identify moral comfort’s defining attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents.

Method: Walker and Avant’s eight-step concept analysis approach was used.

Results: Six articles were included in this …

How Universities Use Twitter To Communicate About Mental Health, Sarah Elizabeth Polhill

Theses and Dissertations

From a sample of over three million tweets from universities in the US, we described the characteristics of universities' communication about mental health on Twitter, including common keywords, bigrams, linked resources, and hashtags, as well as the frequency of dialogic communication and mental health tweets over time, especially in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This study uses data mining to collect tweets from official university Twitter accounts and selected accounts of university wellness and counseling programs. Relevant tweets were collected from a large sample using keywords and bigrams relevant to mental health from the Twitter accounts of IACS accredited …

Asecret Charting And Sensory Processing Disorder - A Tool For Parents And Teachers, Taylor Lerman

Honors Theses

When considering the results of research from this study, the reader should note this specifically applies to elementary school aged students but could be applicable outside of this study for the purpose of added ages. The cumulative ASECRET charts do not explicitly apply to that of a typical child and added disabilities to consider are discussed within the discussion section of research. Conditions left unmentioned should not be considered inapplicable, but for the purpose of this research, discussion points focus on sensory processing and conditions with higher rates of comorbidity to sensory processing compared to others. The purpose of this …

2 Years On: Loss And Grief Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Eman H. Nabulsi

Psychology and Counseling Theses

This study sought to examine the variability and impact of different kinds of losses experienced during COVID-19 and how people reacted to and coped with those losses. The most common loss reported by individuals was the loss of social connection, while death-related losses were identified as the most impactful loss experienced. Results suggest that people responded in a myriad of ways, including increased cautiousness for health safety, refocusing their attention on important life matters, and finding alternative ways to connect with others. Furthermore, this study found that individual factors such as intolerance of uncertainty and perceived social support may play …

The Effects Of Survival, Pleasantness, And Storytelling Conditions On True And False Memory Recollection, Rachel Daniels

Honors Theses

The purpose of the present study was to analyze the extent to which various processing scenarios influenced participants' rates of true and false memory recollection. Participants were placed in one of three conditions, storytelling, survival, or pleasantness, and then studied a list of common nouns. They were then instructed to comment on the words in a specific manner depending on the condition to which they were randomly assigned. Following this, participants completed a math distractor task, and were then asked to complete a free recall test for the previously studied words. The results indicated that participants in the storytelling condition …

International Comparative Education: A Case For Russia, Kirill A. Strakhov

Pepperdine Policy Review

Moscow State University (MSU) in Russia does not have an adequate general education curriculum as part of the undergraduate requirements. The curriculum does not cover classical topics such as the exploration of human nature. At the college level, Russian students are not able to change their specialization even as freshmen. The policy recommendations are going to be grounded on the various philosophical understanding of education and its role in our society. MSU should include more open discussion seminars in order to develop crucial virtues of character. At the same time, MSU should implement a general education curriculum, which would keep …

Imagining And Reimagining The Future Of Special And Inclusive Education, James M. Kauffman, Dimitris Anastasiou, Garry Hornby, Joao Lopes, Mack D. Burke, Marion Felder, Bernd Ahrbeck, Andrew Wiley

More Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Research

“Reimagination” is required to create a new vision of education that better serves individuals with disabilities. Imagination is a way of conceiving possibilities and probabilities. The future of special education is imagined within the limits of possibility and probability of “appropriate” education for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Education is reimagined for full inclusion without special education and an alternative reimagination of inclusive special education. Particular attention is given to the administrative structure of public education and to the training of teachers for the imagined approaches to special education. The importance of imagining special and inclusive education being …

Algorithmic Solutions To Combat Online Fake News, Xinyi Zhou

Dissertations - ALL

The unprecedented growth of new information producing, distributing, and consuming every moment on the Web has fostered the rise of ``fake news.'' Because of its detrimental effect on democracy, global economies, and public health, effectively combating online fake news has become an essential and urgent task.

This dissertation starts with making typological, theoretical, and empirical efforts to promote the public's comprehension of fake news and lay the foundation for algorithmically combating fake news. As there has been no universal definition of fake news, this dissertation discusses the definition of fake news from three dimensions: veracity, intention, and news, comparing it …

The Effects Of Holistic Modalities On Stress Reduction In Nursing Students Attending School During The Pandemic, Rachel Kamp

Honors Theses

Nursing students tend to experience high levels of stress due to the pressures and demands of nursing school, including exams, clinical, and interactions with professors and preceptors (Labrague et al., 2017). Recently, the COVID-19 Pandemic has created additional stressors. Both mind and body modalities (yoga, meditation, deep breathing etc.) and exercise modalities (running, walking, etc.) are some of many health promoting, stress reducing activities that were proven to be effective in reducing stress in nursing students prior to the pandemic. This study aims to determine if these modalities are still effective now, and how nursing faculty supports stress reduction in …

Localization Of Open Educational Resources By Facilitators Of A Human Rights Course In Ghana, Emily Durham Bradshaw

Theses and Dissertations

Research on the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) often notes the potential benefits for users to revise, reuse, and remix OER to localize it for specific learners. However, a gap in the literature exists in terms of research that explores how this localization occurs in practice. This is a significant gap given the current flow of OER from higher-income countries in the Global North to lower-income countries in the Global South (King et al., 2018). This study explores how OER from one area of the world is localized when it is used in a different cultural context. As part …

Board Of Trustees Agenda, Dec. 9 2022, Indiana State University Board Of Trustees

Board of Trustees

No abstract provided.

Recruiting More U.S. Women Into Engineering Based On Stories From Morocco: A Qualitative Study, Soundouss Sassi

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this project is to examine the differences between Moroccan and American students with regards to the cultural influences that led them to pursue an engineering degree. Annually since 2015, a partnership between a university in Morocco and MSU allows senior engineering Moroccan students to study at MSU to obtain their graduate degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering. The roughly equal gender representation in most Moroccan cohorts prompted our research question: “How do students from Morocco and the United States describe the cultural reasons that factored into their choice to pursue an engineering degree?” This exploratory qualitative study …

Empathy And Cultural Involvement As Pathways To Resilience In The Face Of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Native American Indians, Joy Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine two specific pathways to resilience for Native American Indians (NAIs) that have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) and are seeking behavioral health services on the Choctaw Indian reservation: empathy and cultural involvement. The study is an examination of the effects of empathy and cultural involvement on the resilience of NAIs with one or more ACEs. The researcher also investigated the type of ACEs reported among adult NAIs seeking behavioral health services on the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indian (MBCI) Reservation. Lastly, the association between ACEs and resilience was …

The Effect Administrators Have On Employee Morale Within The University Of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Sherry L. Beaty-Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between Arkansas County Extension County staff morale and their perceived relationship county staff had with their County Staff Chair. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service (UAEX) can utilize the results from this research to identify individuals who have the capacity to build high-quality relationships with staff members, thereby promoting higher levels of morale within the organization. Administrators can use this study to identify current or future leaders within the organization by identifying those who can promote high-quality relationships with county-level staff. Results from this study may also be used …

Classified: How Inequality Shapes The ‘Need To Know’ Question In Sex Education, Sarah Thornton

Theses and Dissertations

Schools are a critical site of socialization in which young people learn both formal curricular materials and informal lessons about social structure, agency, and inequality. This study examines the meaning making patterns of teachers and students in sex education classrooms and considers how these patterns reflect the structure and agency relationship between people and the institutions in which they are embedded. Through a series of interviews and using qualitative thematic analysis, I identify themes in how students and teachers discuss their experiences, how these themes relate to broader patterns of social hierarchy, and how sex education can act as a …

Latent Profiles Of Psychopathic Traits Among Emerging Adult College Students: Functional And Dysfunctional Psychopathy And Related Outcomes, Lydia J. Stanhope

Theses and Dissertations

Psychopathy research continues to study the adaptability of psychopathic characteristics and differentiate between functional and dysfunctional features. The current study identified latent profiles in emerging adults and compared them across behavioral/cognitive correlates, functional outcomes, aggression types, and also examined gender differences. Results demonstrated that men scored higher across cold-heartedness and fearless dominance profiles, but not self-centered impulsivity. The low psychopathy group had lower proactive aggression than the high psychopathy group; no other differences were observed. Additionally, men and women in the high psychopathy group did not significantly differ regarding experienced outcomes. Lastly, higher psychopathy was not associated with higher proactive …

Agile Enterprise Simulation – A Framework For Organizational Decision-Making Analysis, John P. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Decision-making by one or more individuals to select a course of action is predicated on the values and preferences to identify, choose options, and finally select the option that is evaluated to be the “best option.” Decision theory provides the means to model and analyze both the processes and options available to the decision-makers. This dissertation assembled in three phases: 1) An effort to collect and review existing literature relating to the concept of expanding decision analysis options to provide a model of decision-making made with time-dependent factors along with uncertainty and risk. Further, adding the concept of a decision …

White Savior Projects: An Examination Of The Antitrafficking Social Movement, Jennifer A. Cheek

Theses and Dissertations

For this dissertation, I conduct an ethnography of three antitrafficking programs; interview 38 activists and survivors of trafficking; and analyze organizational texts, websites, and social media. I examine the history of the antitrafficking movement. Among the three organizations, activists provide housing; food, clothing, and hygiene items; medical services; mental health services and counseling; mentorship; education for survivors; a 24-hour hotline; outreach; case management and referrals; training for law enforcement; a drop-in center; and education and awareness events. I examine activists’ diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational framing of sex trafficking, and other framing tactics, such as frame alignment, frame diffusion, frame resonance, …

Testing Competing Theories To Develop A Linguistic Assessment On Online Extremist Content, Matthew Dean

Theses and Dissertations

The development of threat assessment protocols has largely neglected a theoretical
foundation, leading to a multitude of protocols with little shared in the way of scientific
foundation. The focus of this study is to test components of two theories – Sternberg’s (2018) FLOTSAM Model and Maynard and Benesch’s (2016) Integrated Model of Dangerous Speech (IMDS) – as potential criteria to use in assessing the seriousness of online threats. This study utilized a dataset of 500 open-source online communications linked to the extremist QAnon movement. An EFA was used to pull an empirical model from the data. Three CFA and SEM …

The Use Of Single-Subject Research Design For Assessment, Evaluation, And Research In Higher Education, Jordan C. Spencer

Theses and Dissertations

While enrolling in a college for a degree is still considered to be more of the expectation than the rule in households across the United States it is facing public criticism regarding its overall cost versus long-term benefits. This has prompted researchers to reevaluate practices in higher education to determine ways in which post-secondary institutions can improve their overall outcomes. In part, research indicates that this should include revisions to assessment, evaluation, and research (AER) practices. Currently, higher education faces many challenges associated with rigorous AER practices, which include an institutional focus on accountability measures, organizational challenges, and difficulties in …

The Effects Of Professional Experience On Ethical Profiles Of Housing And Residence Life Staff, Sirena L. Cantrell, Sirena L. Cantrell

Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this study was to explore and understand the effects of professional experience on the ethical profiles of housing and residence life staff. Through a survey design, this study used the Managerial Ethical Profile (MEP) to analyze the professional experience of members of the Association of College and University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I). The MEP scale measures the range of influences on respondents and describes the major tendencies by placing respondents in ethical profiles. Results from this study indicated that professional experience does influence respondent ethical profiles. This study contributes to the field of higher education by …

A Novel Test Of Emotion Recognition Bias Using Dynamic Facial Morphing, Michael R. Gallagher

Theses and Dissertations

Depressed persons have demonstrated emotion based cognitive biases, specifically surrounding vigilance of negative information and avoidance of positivity. These biases are sometimes operationalized through emotion recognition tasks. However, previous emotion recognition tasks lack in their ability to accurately measure and decompose positivity avoidance with enhanced negativity, while accounting for basic cognitive processes that can drive the results. Therefore, we developed a novel emotion recognition task that examines emotional intensity thresholds, while accounting for general response bias. Linear mixed effects modeling revealed substantial individual differences on all conditions in the task, using both frequentist and Bayesian approaches. Additionally, the findings suggest …

The Effect Of Childhood Maltreatment On Psychotherapy Effectiveness In Adulthood: Implications For Counselors, Michael Hillerman

Theses and Dissertations

Recent gains in understanding the effects of childhood maltreatment on the development of the brain and nervous system, combined with the revelation that nearly all psychiatric neuroimaging studies have had an unrecognized confound in childhood maltreatment, imply the possibility that psychotherapy treatment effectiveness studies have been similarly confounded by childhood maltreatment. This study examines whether treatment-seeking adults exposed to childhood maltreatment respond differently to psychotherapy than do individuals who report no history of childhood maltreatment. Response to therapy is conceptualized in this study as reduction in symptom measures pre- and post- treatment, as well as client dropout. It is hypothesized …

Examining The Malleability And Influence Of Attributions On Discipline Responses To Child Misbehavior, Jenna E. Russo

Theses and Dissertations

Attributions of child behavior have been shown to influence discipline responses and ultimately, child developmental trajectories. Research highlights various social-psychological factors in the formation of attributions, largely characterized as stable. However, research also demonstrates the efficacy of attribution retraining (AR) programs in restructuring individuals’ explanations for various outcomes. This study examined a trauma-informed training intervention with an AR component designed to evoke balanced and contextual attributions of child behavior among child-serving professionals. Of particular interest was the malleability and stability of attributions, and their influence on discipline responses. From pre- to post-training, there was a significant decrease in hostile attributions …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Personal Health Care Challenges Experienced By Iranian Divorcees, Farzaneh Golboni, Zainab Alimoradi, Bengt Fridlund, Liselott Årestedt, Mark Griffiths, Anders Broström, Amir Hajiagha Pakpour Ahp

The Qualitative Report

Divorce, nowadays an increasingly more prevalent life event in Iran, can create poor general health among Iranian women, possibly due to bigger challenges for health-related behaviors. The aim was to explore challenges to achieve health-related behaviors as experienced by divorced Iranian women acting as household-heads. An inductive exploratory design based on qualitative content analysis was utilized. Twenty strategically selected divorced women acting as household-heads in Tehran were interviewed between September 2019 and January 2020. The divorced women experienced individual-centered and social and environmental-centered challenges concerning their health-related behaviors. Lack of competence, lack of personal control, and lack of emotional support …

A Text-Based Smoking Cessation Intervention For Sexual And Gender Minority Groups: Protocol For A Feasibility Trial, Irene Tami-Maury, Rebecca Klaff, Allison Hussin, Nathan Grant Smith, Shine Chang, Lorna Mcneill, Lorraine R Reitzel, Sanjay Shete, Lorien C Abroms

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Smoking among sexual and gender minority (SGM) groups, which include lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals, has been reported to be highly prevalent. This is attributed to several factors, including minority-specific stress and targeted tobacco marketing. Therefore, this population is at an increased risk for tobacco-related diseases. SMS text messaging programs have been found to be effective for smoking cessation and appeal to traditionally hard-to-reach populations over other interventions. It has also been suggested that targeted and tailored interventions could be more effective among SGM smokers because they can be designed to assure a safe, validating health care …

Vol. 19 No. 11 - Whole No. 30, David Bratman

Mythprint

Mythprint is the monthly bulletin of the Mythopoeic Society, a nonprofit educational organization devoted to the study, discussion and enjoyment of myth and fantasy literature, especially the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams. To promote these interests, the Society publishes three magazines, maintains a World Wide Web site, and sponsors the annual Mythopoeic Conference and awards for fiction and scholarship, as well as local and written discussion groups.