Digital Commons Network^™

Death And Grief In 21st Century America: A Literature Review On Bereavement & Attitudes Toward Death, Jordan Whitney

Honors Program Theses

In modern Western society, death has been dissected and neatly packaged like meat at the grocery store. The unsavory aspects are hidden and our discomfort around dying has turned death into a commodity. In typical consumerist fashion, we are sold the “proper way” to die and grieve as a result. Funeral homes guide us through this new experience with the goal of assisting us through our grief. While most report positive experiences with funeral directors’ services, there remains evidence of overcharging and pressuring into the purchases of unnecessary additional services. This thesis explores modern attitudes and practices towards death, grief, …

We Did What? To Whom? An Analysis Of How Us Educational Materials Present The Philippine-American War And Occupation, Jude Beekman

Honors Program Theses

Since the turn of the 21st century, decisions of American leaders have continued traditions of American exceptionalism and general attempts at dominance, although this is continuously brought into question. A generation has since passed through school and experienced curriculums that have implied such American exceptionalism and dominance. Acknowledged for decades, the military-industrial complex has extended into the 21st century with involvement across the globe, but notably in the Middle East. For those indigenous to the Pacific, militarism extends to how people perceive the bodies and selves of indigenous peoples. There exist multiple definitions of colonialism and imperialism, but in essence, …

Gender And Student Motivation In Domestic And Foreign Language Study, Macey Overturf

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Between Two Schools Implementing Trauma-Informed Classroom Management, Maddie Steffen

Honors Program Theses

Traditional classroom management methods are ineffective with students who have or are experiencing trauma. Students will not physically be able to learn until they feel like they are in a safe space. A trauma-informed classroom provides students with a safe environment to facilitate learning. This approach to classroom management focuses on more than academics, but also the student’s well-being. It involves teachers trained in trauma awareness and strategies to help students cope with their emotions and engage in learning effectively. This project will study how two schools in a large urban public school district in the Midwest part of the …

Why Play? Exploring The Realities Of Play-Based Learning In Kindergarten, Sofia Josephine Steele

Honors Program Theses

By nature, children are curious and love to explore the world around them. Play is one way that children can fulfill that innate curiosity. Through play-based learning, educators can utilize that innate curiosity and wonder in children to create valuable learning experiences that will engage and teach them. This pedagogical approach is used in early childhood education to help children develop their academic, social, and emotional skills through appropriate learning experiences that consider their abilities and interests. However, in recent years, there has been a shift away from play-based learning in kindergarten classrooms. The reasoning behind this shift may be …

Concert Band Methods And Supplemental Ensemble Material For The High School Band, Carissa Blumka

Honors Program Theses

In a school band setting, most music educators will begin a rehearsal with a warm-up routine. When a unified group warm-up is desired, rather than allowing open time for students to warm up individually, a resource is needed. Many supplemental method books and materials have been published to provide exercises to organize this desired ensemble warm-up. After physically preparing students to play through a warm-up, many effective band directors choose to devote additional rehearsal time to the development of fundamental musical skills. Though much of the school band curriculum is taught through the repertoire selected for the ensemble to perform, …

An Analysis Of Artificial Intelligence's Potential In Assessments Of Math Learning, Casandra Tounjian

Honors Program Theses

Many aspects of math teaching could be impacted by the implementation of AI in schools, but I chose to focus on the implementation of AI in assessments of mathematical learning. A large part of teaching mathematics is determining how students are progressing in their understanding of mathematics. There are typically certain benchmarks that students are expected to reach. For example, in middle school math, students typically learn about equivalent ratios before they learn about proportional relationships. Thus, when students are discussing proportional relationships—think recipes—they can use the language for equivalent ratios to describe proportional relationships—for every 3 cups of water …

A Qualitative Case Study Of Montessori Approaches To Learning Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic In Iowa, Ellie Penick

Honors Program Theses

This research focused on the unique and innovative ways two Montessori Schools handled the pandemic in the context of Iowa’s COVID-19 regulations. Research focused on the state of Iowa due to its relevance and proximity to the researcher and its notably relaxed approaches to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the purpose and scope of this study, research focused on two Montessori contexts within the state of Iowa. While this research is not representative of all Montessori schools in Iowa, it provides useful insight into the topic that can support further research on Montessori approaches to COVID-19.

The driving question behind this …

The Role Of Flo11 In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Colonization Of The Lepidopteran Gastrointestinal Tract, Kayla Jeanette Minor

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

University Student Worker Productivity: A Qualitative Analysis, Amanda S. Mansfield

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Student worker productivity is an important aspect of higher education, since many functional units rely on student employees to operate. Student workers communicate with all stakeholders of universities, including incoming and current students and their families, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members. Universities facing issues related to budgeting, enrollment, retention, and employability of their graduates can combat those issues by strengthening the largest labor pool on campus, student workers. The study explored what it means to be a productive university student worker within the framework of Social Exchange Theory and Grounded Theory. The study sought to provide recommendations to universities …

Perceptions Of Available Funding Opportunities For West Tennessee’S Young And Beginning Row Crop Farmers, Logan Meeks

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Research quickly identified many different avenues of funding available to new and beginning traditional row-crop farmers in Tennessee, but questions surrounding local farmers’ knowledge of these opportunities are in question. Many programs specific to the New and Beginning Farmer demographic boasted the potential benefits of using these programs as well as the good work these programs are accomplishing. The current increase in cost of traditional row-crop funding continues to drive the need for more funding resources with New and Beginning Farmers. Providing resources of where farmers can find the best available funds for their operation will expand the level of …

Relationship Analysis Of Storyline Curriculum Engagement And Academic Performance, Cassandra Shockley

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Secondary educators are responsible for moving students from dependent learners to independent individuals who can solve problems and be productive members of society. Science education has changed since 2012 when the PISA and TIMSS results were analyzed and showed that American students perform significantly lower than other countries. In 2013, Kentucky adopted new science standards that replaced the extensive lists of facts to be memorized with a set of performance expectations. Students are now tested on their ability to apply content knowledge to solve a phenomenon. Seventh-grade science teachers in classrooms with wide ranges of academic readiness have resisted switching …

Factors That Influence Males To Teach Agricultural Education, Ashley Thoron

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The need for more males entering the teaching profession is linked to the idea of the gender gap in school with females outperforming males, and the need for young men to have strong role models. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine factors that influence males to teach agricultural education. This study utilized an adapted version of the Ag-Ed FIT Choice Instrument to collect data through a modified version of Dillman’s Tailored Design Method, with three contacts of a pre-notice letter, emailed instrument, and a thank you/reminder. The population consisted of male agricultural education students enrolled in teacher …

A Statewide Examination Of Racial Equity, Culturally Responsive Teaching, And Career Technical Education Outcomes In Kentucky, Reginald L. Mcdaniel Jr.

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the implementation of Racial Equity Policies (REP) and Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) practices in Career and Technical Education (CTE) across the Commonwealth of Kentucky's public school districts. This quantitative research incorporates perspectives from district leaders, educators, and administrators, exploring the interplay between racial equity policies and teaching practices. The study highlighted the influential role of district leaders in shaping positive perceptions and awareness of the tools available to support equity work. The study also revealed disparities among districts, with urban areas leading integration, while rural districts express confidence in their commitment to racial equity.

The study's practical …

Sociosexual Orientation And Dark Triad Personality Traits Impact On Deception In Relationships, Kristin Lena

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Within the last 10 years, research has suggested that it has become more common for individuals to engage in casual sex. Research has consistently shown that sociosexual orientation, dark triad traits, and deception are all related. This study sought to examine the linear relationship between sociosexual orientation, dark triad personality characteristics, and the use of deception in a relationship. Participants (n = 135) completed this study online and were recruited from a midsize university. Findings did suggest a positive correlation between sociosexuality and deception, as well as a positive correlation between dark triad traits and deception. The findings of …

Assessing The Transformative Influence Of Chatgpt On Research Practices Among Scholars In Pakistan, Nayab Arshad, Mehran Ullah Baber, Adnan Ullah

Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data

This article investigates the transformative impact of ChatGPT on research practices within the scholarly community in Pakistan. ChatGPT, a powerful AI language model, has added significant consideration for its possibility of improving academic research. Survey data was gathered via a structured questionnaire distributed to researchers in Pakistan. A total of 278 questionnaires were distributed for the randomly chosen sample, of which 223 were returned. For calculating descriptive statistics, SPSS was utilized.  Results of the study indicated that 90% of scholars are familiar with the practice of ChatGPT in research activities. 86% of scholars used 3.5 (Basic version) of ChatGPT for …

Regulating Driving Automation Safety, Matthew Wansley

Articles

Over forty thousand people die in motor vehicle crashes in the United States each year, and over two million are injured. The careful deployment of driving automation systems could prevent many of these deaths and injuries, but only if it is accompanied by effective regulation. Conventional vehicle safety standards are inadequate because they can only test how technology performs in a controlled environment. To assess the safety of a driving automation system, regulators must observe how it performs in a range of unpredictable, real world edge cases. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is trying to adapt by experimenting …

Antitrust Regulation Of Copyright Markets, Jacob Noti-Victor, Xiyin Tang

Articles

Late last year, a federal court sided with the Department of Justice and blocked the planned merger of book publishers Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House. The decision was a rare collision between antitrust law and the deeply consolidated copyright content industries. Over the course of the past decade, acquisitions and mergers in the recording, music publishing, and audiovisual space have left just a handful of juggernaut content producers in their wake. Moreover, new technology companies that have entered the content-creation and distribution markets have begun to leverage their scale to further their own industry consolidation.

This Article examines …

On The Social Validity Of Teaching Children To Give A Polite Response, Nancy V. Ramirez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Some children, including individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may respond rudely when expressing their opinions about nonpreferred gifts or aspects of someone else’s appearance (Bergstrom et al., 2016; Saarni, 1984; Talwar et al., 2007; Xu et al., 2010). One proposed solution discussed in the literature to decrease rude responses in children involves teaching children to tell a socially appropriate lie, often referred to as prosocial lies, as an alternative response. These types of lies are defined as “lies that have some benefit for the lie recipient and are not intended to cause harm to another individual” (Popliger et …

Plasticity In Response To Temperature Magnitude And Variation---From Life History To Thermal Tolerance And Coloration, Austin Rex Hoffman

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Warming associated with climate change has many direct and downstream effects on animals. For example, warmer developmental temperatures can improve heat tolerance and reduce insect melanization, which is related to coloration, thermoregulation, immunity, desiccation resistance, and potentially life-history traits, such as investment into reproduction and dispersal. Increased temperature variation is also a feature of climate change, and it may have a larger impact on animals than warming. However, I lack insight into the combined effects of temperature magnitude and variability on important traits of life history, thermal tolerance, and coloration. Thus, I integrated temperature variation into thermal performance using a …

What's In A Name? Standardization Of Vernacular Names For Trichechus Manatus, A. A. Mignucci-Giannoni, Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske, Anmari Alvarez-Alemán, Jamie Aquino, D. Caicedo-Herrera, Delma Nataly Castelblanco-Martínez, Diane Claridge, M. Fabiola Corona-Figueroa, Adolphe O. Debrot, Benoit De Thoisy, Carlos Espinoza-Marin, J. Galves, Eddy Garcia-Alfonso, Hector M. Guzman, Jalaludin Ahmad Khan, Jeremy J. Kiszka, Fabia De Oliveira Luna, Miriam Marmontel, Leon David Olivera-Gomez, Christine O'Sullivan, James A. Powell, Enrique Pugibet-Bobea, Indranee Roopsind, Carlos J. Silva

Faculty Publications

Trichechus manatus is one of 3 recognized extant species of manatees of the mammalian Order Sirenia. Currently, it is known by various vernacular names, none of which are descriptive of its biology and known distribution. This lack of standardization has led to confusion and miscommunication, hindering conservation efforts for this species. We propose standardizing the vernacular names used to refer to the species and its 2 subspecies based on appropriate geographical characterization in English, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Portuguese, respectively: “American Manatee”, “Manatí de las Américas”, “Lamantin d’Amérique”, “Amerikaanse Lamantijn”, and “Peixe-boi das Américas” for T. manatus; “Florida Manatee”, “Manatí …

Underrepresentation Of English Language Learners In Gifted And Talented Education, Carrie J. Webber

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For many years in the United States of America, as the number of students who speak a language other than English in the home has increased, the representation of these students in gifted and talented programs has been lacking. Research shows that although close to ten percent of all students are multilingual learners, typically only 2-4 percent of these students are represented in gifted programs. Since the percentage of gifted students overall is the same across all languages and cultures, it would make sense that the percentages of gifted students would be representative of that same percentage, however, there is …

The Intersection Of Health And Education: How School-Based Health Centers Address Health Disparities To Promote Learning, Sophie A. Koloski

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through a review of studies and literature, this thesis examines the role of school-based health centers (SBHCs) in addressing disparities in health and education among student populations. By integrating public health services within educational settings, SBHCs aim to enhance both student well-being and academic achievement. This comprehensive review explores the history, services, and funding models of SBHCs, alongside their impact on physical and mental health, school connectedness, and academic outcomes. Findings reveal that SBHCs significantly improve access to preventive and intervention-based health care, reduce barriers to education, and foster environments that support student engagement and success. Furthermore, the review discusses …

Barriers And Facilitators For The Reduction Of Illicit Opioid Use In The Peripartum Period, Jennifer L. Botelho, Jounia S. Saint-Juste

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: There has been a steady rise in the incidence of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in pregnant women in the past decade, becoming a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality and prompting the need for a deeper understanding of challenges and strategies for improving care. The purpose of this integrative review is to identify barriers and facilitators for sobriety in individuals with opioid use in the peripartum period. Methods: An initial online search from CINAHL, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and PsychInfo was conducted with Boolean operators that yielded 1159 articles to be reviewed and uploaded to Covidence for screening. Original research …

A Quantitative Examination Of Teachers’ Perception Of Children’S Socio-Emotional Development In Reggio Emilia And Alberta Flight Framework-Driven Early Childhood Education And Care Centers, Emmanuel Adegboyega Adewusi

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative cross-sectional study examines teachers’ perceptions of children’s socio-emotional development in Reggio Emilia and Alberta Flight framework-driven Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centers. Two research questions guide the investigation: Are there significant differences in teachers’ perceptions of socio-emotional development between children attending Reggio Emilia and Alberta Flight centers? Is there a significant difference in teachers’ perceptions of the socioeconomic status of children in these centers? The study gathered teachers’ perceptions of children’s socio-emotional development and explored differences between curricular frameworks. Responses were received from 47 Alberta Flight schools and 26 Reggio Emilia schools. Data analysis, including t-tests and …

Annual Report Of The Registrar 2023/2024, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

--- Definitions
--- Some Comparisons
--- Annual Report Data
--- Summary of Attendance
--- Attendance by Session
--- Full-Time Equivalency Enrollment
--- Degrees Granted 2023/24
--- Degree Summary 2023/24
--- Program Certificates 2023/24
--- Miscellaneous Enrollment Information
--- Degrees Granted by College, Degree and Racial/Ethnic Classification

Campus Leaders’ Support Of Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Strategies: Single Exploratory Case Study, Charmon L. Barksdale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract This study addressed the growing concern regarding the disproportionate suspension rates experienced by African American students. The problem addressed in this study was the variation in leadership support for teachers implementing culturally responsive classroom management strategies to manage culturally diverse student behaviors. This is important to African American students' educational experiences within the learning environment. This exploratory single case study examined school leaders' and teachers' perspectives on the use of culturally responsive strategies to answer the research questions regarding the definition and descriptions of culturally responsive practices, participants' perspectives on the benefits and challenges of these practices, and the …

Uni Alumni Magazine, Issue 06, 2024, University Of Northern Iowa Alumni Association

UNI Alumni Magazine

Contents:

Strategic plan shapes UNI for Tomorrow --- 08
Degrees for Tomorrow --- 10
The End of an Era --- 12
A Hub for Civic Education --- 16
Equipping Our School Leaders for Challenging Times --- 18
20 Years of Sustainable Feedback --- 24
Ukranian Students Find a Home at UNI --- 26
Meeting Human Needs from Things that Grow --- 28
A Bolder, Brighter Tomorrow --- 30
Doing Well by Doing Good --- 32
Through the Eyes of Team TC/TK --- 42
The Panther Evolution --- 44
Celebrating 125 Seasons of Football --- 46
Celebrating 125 Seasons of Wrestling …

Blinded By The Light: Resolving The Conflict Between Satellite Megaconstellations And Astronomy, David A. Koplow

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The sudden emergence of large constellations of small satellites in low altitude orbits represents one of the most dramatic contemporary innovations in outer space. Promising low-cost, low-latency global communications and spectacular capacities for remote sensing of the Earth, these satellites will soon number in the tens of thousands, sponsored by diverse corporations and countries around the world. But this proliferation of spacecraft comes at a steep cost in unavoidable interference with ground-based astronomy: as the satellites overfly the observatories, they block the views of remote objects and phenomena, leaving obliterating white streaks on the collected imagery, and obscuring access to …

Environmental Justice As Environmental Human Rights, John H. Knox, Nicole Tronolone

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

For many years, the environmental justice movement in the United States and the evolution of international human rights law concerning the environment have pursued parallel but separate paths, only occasionally noting that they share common concerns. This Article seeks to build a stronger bridge between them, in three ways.

First, it presents the most detailed restatement of environmental human rights law yet published. International human rights bodies have developed a robust environmental jurisprudence setting out concrete obligations on States, including procedural obligations to provide public access to environmental information, decision-making, and remedies, substantive obligations to adopt and enforce effective environmental …