Digital Commons Network^™

The Perception Of Educational Leadership On Policies Impacting Equity And Access In Advanced Placement Programming For Diverse Student Learners: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Lindsey Greear

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the perception held by educational leaders on equitable access to advanced coursework for diverse student learners in the Highland County School District. The theory guiding this study was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, as diverse students need an environment that emphasizes cultural inclusion to encourage academic growth. The central research question for this study was to investigate the perceptions of educational leaders regarding how existing policies affect the equity, access, and student experience in advanced courses. This study employed individual interviews, document analysis, and focus groups to collect data from 10 …

Egalitarianism: A Hermeneutical, Biblical-Theological And Logical Evaluation, Martin Nyanzu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are several sensitive and polarized issues confronting the church in our day, one of them has turned egalitarians and complementarians into warring camps – men and women’s role in the home, church, and society. The last twenty years have seen an intensification in egalitarian publications. However, a critical examination of egalitarian theology in some major works presents a concerning deficit in adhering to the principles of biblical theology, hermeneutics, and logic. This literary research is a biblical canonical survey of egalitarian theology based on existing scholarly perspectives among North American evangelicals. It is apparent that egalitarian biblical theology lacks …

From Belief To Action: An Exploratory Study Of Theological Perspectives In Influencing Credibility-Enhancing Displays, John Chambers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this two-phase qualitative research design was to explore the relationship between faith and works, as evidenced by manifest Credibility Enhancing Displays (CREDs), for electronic survey participants in the orthodox Christian community. Exploring the potential links between specific aspects of the theological narratives and the intentions that precede behavior was the central focus of the study. An expert panel was used to develop the Phase One survey. Phase Two retained the same expert panel members but presented them with the Phase One survey analysis to expand the interpretation of the results. At this stage in the research, CREDs …

Engaging The Hindu Community Of Loudoun County, Va With The Gospel Of Jesus Christ: An Evangelism Course For Telugu Christian Fellowship Church, Ravinder Rufus Bhimanpalli

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Doctor of Ministry project addressed the lack of effective evangelism toward the Hindu community by the Telugu Christian Fellowship Church (TCFC) in Ashburn, Virginia. Located 35 miles from Washington, D.C., TCFC serves a suburban congregation of approximately 300 members, with an average weekly attendance of 250. The church is located in Loudoun County, one of America’s most diverse and affluent regions, home to over 44,000 Asian Indians and an estimated 18,000 Hindus. Despite this, the church’s outreach efforts had remained scattered and underdeveloped. Most church members lacked cultural sensitivity, feared offending them, or simply lacked the confidence to engage …

Parallel Lives: Revitalization Of An Ancient Method Of Inquiry, Geoffrey Thomas Uhal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Parallel Lives style examination and biography is one of the oldest forms of historical inquiry, providing a comparison between a foreign subject and a more familiar subject as a frame of reference. This style of examination was popular for dissertations in the 19th century among military historians writing about generals who were stylistically known as “Great Captains” for much of history. While the moral comparisons of such histories in bygone eras possess less utility, multimodal comparisons of lives that readers have more and less contextual background to provide a model to bridge the gap between foreign and familiar subjects. …

Exploring The Relationship Between Perceived E-Working Experience And Autonomy In It Professionals, Sherry Hunt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As remote work reshapes the professional landscape, understanding how e-working conditions influence the need for autonomy, a core component of motivation and well-being, is increasingly important. This quantitative, correlational study explored the relationship between perceived e-working experience and the psychological need for autonomy among 120 U.S.-based information technology (IT) professionals. Participants completed an online survey comprised of the E-Work Life (EWL) Scale (Charalampous et al., 2023; Grant et al., 2019) and two autonomy subscales from the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Frustration Work Scale (BPNSFWS) (Olafsen et al., 2021). Grounded in self-determination theory (SDT) (Ryan & Deci, 2000, 2017, 2020) …

Spectator 2025-09-25, Editors Of The Spectator

The Spectator

No abstract provided.

Understanding And Assessing Climate Change: Preparing For Nebraska’S Future, 2024 Climate Change Impact Assessment Report, Deborah J. Bathke, Eric Hunt, Heather Akin, Andrea D. Basche, Jesse E. Bell, Daniel R. Dileo, Ross Dixon, Martha Durr, Tonya Haigh, Francis John Hay, Kristina W. Kintziger, Nicholas A. Mcmillan, Hank Miller, Jerome Okojokwu-Idu, Crystal Powers, Tirthankar Roy, Zhenghong Tang, W. Ryan Wishart, Aaron R. Young, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Jonathan J. Spurgeon

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Contents

Report Team

Acknowledgments

Executive Summary

Introduction

Climate Change Contexts: Global, National, and State

Observed Changes in Nebraska's Climate

Projections of Nebraska's Future Climate

Water Systems

Energy

Ecosystems

Agriculture

Human Health

Communities and the Built Environment

Indigenous Peoples

Climate Justice and Equity

The Response of Faith Communities

Nebraskans' Perceptions of Climate Change

Next Steps and Future Work

Supplemental Report: Adaptation, Risks, and Impacts

About the Authors

Faith-based Communities Survey

Evaluated Plans and Assessments

References

Holidays, Religiosity, And Democratic Attitudes, Hannah Ridge

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

Decades of research have linked religion and religiosity to support for democracy and authoritarianism. This study uses a temporal religious prime during national surveys – the European Social Survey and the National Election Survey – to identify the effect of religion on regime-type preferences. Jewish Israelis who took surveys on Friday or Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, expressed more openness to non-democratic governance. They also interpreted the word democracy in a more populist way. Furthermore, non-religious Jews were less democratic on the Sabbath and more interested in strongman rule than they were on days without the religious connotation. Similarly, more religious …

Dental Microwear And Diets Of Late Miocene Primates From Rudabánya, Hungary, Peter S. Ungar, Anna K. Wilcox, David R. Begun

School of Dentistry Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study focuses on a dental microwear texture analysis of European pliopithecids and dryopithecins from the Miocene primate site of Rudabánya, Hungary. The goal is to determine whether these taxa, found in part together in the same deposits, differed in their food preferences, or at least consumed, on a daily basis, in a manner that might have facilitated sympatry. Materials and Methods: Here we report on a molar surface texture analysis of all available fossil primates from Rudabánya that preserve antemortem microwear. This includes both Anapithecus hernyaki (n = 14) and Rudapithecus hungaricus (n = 5, including one from …

Exploring Underrepresented Stem Undergraduates' Stem Identity Development: The Role Of Social Partners, Sandy Cerda-Lezama

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation employs a three-study qualitative design to investigate the role of mentorship and social interaction in the identity development of racial minority undergraduate students in STEM disciplines. Grounded in Communities of Practice theory, this research amplifies student narratives to elucidate the relational and contextual factors that inform science identity, belonging, competence, and persistence in higher education. Study One draws upon interview data from fifteen participants in the BUILD program to analyze the role of recognition, particularly from expert scientists--in students' science identity development. This study aims to understand how racial and ethnic identity intersections influence the processes and impact …

Goals And Achievements, Catherine Stemmans Paterson

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This article reflects on the goals and recent achievements of The Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education(JCEHE). It also describes the articles published in the JCEHE’s fourth issue of volume fourteen.

“I Am So Resilient Right Now”: Impact Of The Life Skills Journey Summer Program On Métis Program Leaders, Alicia Hibbert, Fay Fletcher, Brent Hammer

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

The authors present the impact of the Métis Settlements Life Skills Journey facilitator training program. Community members, aged 16 to 32, were hired and trained to lead youth summer camps. It was hypothesized that participation in the program and employment as facilitators would have a positive impact on their individual resilience. The program and employment were designed to increase participant knowledge in key areas of resilience and skills to engage chil-dren in learning through play.

Language Teacher Agency Of Dual Language Bilingual Education Teachers: Incorporating Translanguaging And Funds Of Knowledge In Blended Learning, Grace Jue Yeon Kim

Faculty Journal Articles

Bilingual teachers enact agency as language policymakers and advocate for

students in providing holistic support. This ethnographic study examines 2nd

and 4th grade Spanish-English dual language bilingual education teachers’

agentive actions in implementing pedagogical strategies informed by translanguaging

and funds of knowledge during blended learning in 2021. The

findings revealed that the teachers identified challenges and posed questions

as they transitioned to blended learning for the first time. They celebrated

the positives of returning to in-person schooling, agentively

navigated the new environment, and provided holistic support for the

students. The teachers also supported emergent bilingual students’ language

and content learning …

Occupational Health Equity: A Call To Consider Social-Structural Factors In Injury Prevention Research, Shannon Guillot-Wright, Elizabeth S Mcclure, Marizen R Ramirez, Alexis Grimes Trotter, David B Richardson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Occupational health equity scholarship has been growing over the past decade, including social-structural determinants of health research that centres the voices and experiences of historically marginalised communities. In our commentary, we focus on the intersection of work-related and non-work-related factors and how they impact the health of workers, their families and their communities through community-engaged research. Case studies include the implementation of mobile clinics that are developed alongside communities, community organising to examine and reduce health disparities among racially segregated workers, the development of research instruments and measures to study racism and discrimination, and a focus on how the distribution …

Do “Days Of Service” Meet Institutional Service-Learning Goals? A Case Study In Assessment Of The Mlk Day Of Service, Elizabeth B. Erbaugh, Jess Bonnan-White

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This study pilots a survey tool for assessing participant experiences in the MLK Day of Service at a public university. Student, faculty, staff, community volunteer, and community partner par-ticipants (N=344) reflected upon service, learning, and university-community connections as part of a multi-method evaluation process. Quantitative analysis of unidimensional and summed variables found significant variation by instructional site and participant affiliation. Such measures and instruments may clarify the role of Days of Service in advancing institutional ser-vice-learning goals.

Reading Beyond Research Results: The Hidden Curriculum In A College And Urban High Schools Partnership, Shirley Mthethwa-Sommers

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

The article draws from a study of a Gear Up partnership between a predominantly white middle class college and four urban high schools with a majority of low-income students of color. Teacher education candidates participated in community engagement through Gear Up at four urban high schools. The study shows that both college and high school students benefited from the partnership. However, employing internal and anticolonial theoretical lenses reveals the hidden curriculum that the positive results attained from the partnership may serve to buttress the myth of dominant culture’s supremacy.

Revisiting The Design Of Industrial Design Studio Space: A Reflective Discussion, Isil Oygur, John Dixon

Learn X Design Conference Series

The professional practice of industrial design, as well as the spatial design of classrooms and workplaces, has undergone significant transformations over the years. The same cannot be said for the core learning space of industrial design, the studio. Much design education is built around studio culture, following an adage that students will learn from their peers as much as from instructors. This collaborative learning aspect of industrial design has been challenged as design work has become predominantly digital. While scholars focus on pedagogy to address concerns and advance design education, the significance of physical learning space on teaching and learning …

Outlining The Experience Of A Process-Oriented Practice Towards Foregrounding Entanglements In Design Education, Monja Hirscher

Learn X Design Conference Series

If design is understood in a posthumanist sense as a practice that creates encounters between human and non-human actors, it can be interesting to look at the encounters or entanglements rather than at the things that emerge, as these develop the practitioner in the form of relationships, experiences, and learnings. The text traces the author’s craft-based and process-oriented practice in candy making and observes the situated entanglements that arise in the process, which lead to a proposal of anchor points to reflect on such a practice in educational settings. The individually emerging connections to becoming, bodies, places, times, actors, and …

The Ongoing Evolution Of Design: New Life Forms, Manuela Maier-Hummel

Learn X Design Conference Series

As our world is getting super-complex and human’s influence creates disastrous effects on our planet, it becomes vital to nurture design-specific, future-oriented knowledge and skills to establish a mediating environment. How can an interdisciplinary design curriculum support the evolution of future-oriented and sustainable ecologies encouraging creative collaboration inventing, rethinking, and recreating the world? This research explores a novel bachelor’s programme between multidisciplinary faculties of Computer Science and Design and Art to educate future information technology and design specialists together. It examines the qualities of Design interweaving with Computer Science merging into a next-level design culture. From a design researcher’s point …

Practicing Constructive Feedback During Design Projects, Saadeddine Shehab, Amanda Henderson, Daniel Lewis

Learn X Design Conference Series

Purposefully embedding feedback tasks in existing higher education courses can be one way to support students in developing feedback literacy. Courses that introduce students to Human-Centered Design (HCD) are optimal for engaging students in providing and receiving constructive feedback. This study explored how students engaged in providing constructive feedback to their peers as they worked on a design challenge in an 8-week introduction to HCD course. Students used a digital platform that allows the instructor to create feedback sessions and prompt students to answer questions or add hashtags that can foster their engagement in constructive feedback. In this course, 11 …

Exploring The Potential Of Dramatherapy In Designers’ Education, Erik Ciravegna, Glenda Pagnocelli, Elisa Vacondio

Learn X Design Conference Series

In recent decades, design has transformed from a craft activity based mainly on manual skills and aesthetics to a strategic discipline that requires a systemic and multidisciplinary vision. Today’s designers need to cultivate soft skills such as creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration alongside traditional technical competencies. Dramatherapy, being an experiential, emotionally expressive, and conscious approach, proves to be a useful tool for acquiring these soft skills. Theatrical games, improvisation, storytelling, and dramatization techniques, such as role-playing and staging metaphors, enable design students to see different perspectives, participate in complex situations, and experience innovative ways of interaction. This contribution offers …

Designing Design Energetics, Bruce Tharp

Learn X Design Conference Series

This letter is a call to those interested in the future of design and design education, and open to challenging the dominant materialist/physicalist paradigm. With advancements in quantum science, plasma physics, and wave mechanics, new understandings and models have arisen that offer professional and academic opportunities. Design, especially of physical, three-dimensional artifacts, sees objects as essentially vehicles for valuable subjective experience. What are the implications of acknowledging that all matter is actually congealed energy, and that all people are composed of, surrounded by, and affected by frequencies? How might designers better understand and address positive resonances and negative dissonances within …

Exploring Cultural Frames And The Visual Language Of Rituals, Amrita Datta, Amy Fortunato

Learn X Design Conference Series

In Visual Communication Design, significant emphasis on intercultural communication has aided the development of intercultural competence. This case study investigates how design education can develop cross-cultural awareness by focusing on how cultural frames evolve through experiences and societal perception while becoming increasingly layered and complex. To fully extricate oneself from one's cultural context is challenging, but raising awareness of its limitations and subtleties is achievable. Recognizing diverse cultural frames can broaden one's perspective, leading to a more nuanced understanding of both the articulation and consumption of messaging in visual communication. Two educators located in different socio-political contexts in the United …

From Portfolio To Prototype: Tinkering Workshops In Design Education, Dajana Nedic, Rachael Paine

Learn X Design Conference Series

In contemporary graphic design education, there is a significant need for hands-on exploration that bridges traditional design tools with emerging technologies. This exploration affords students with opportunities to engage in tinkering—a process of iterative, playful experimentation that fosters innovation and adaptability. As Cezzar (2020) explains, by critically reflecting on material opportunities and limitations through questioning tools, materials, and processes, students gain more knowledge and clarity when creating physical and digital tools. We sought to address this opportunity by developing a technology-focused tinkering workshop at University A (name of University masked for blind review). This workshop invited students to examine the …

From Awareness To Action: Embracing Sustainability Topics – An Interview Study About Sustainability Topics With Graphic Design Stakeholders, Fengjin Yu

Learn X Design Conference Series

Graphic design has the potential to integrate the topic of sustainability due to its interdisciplinary and systemic nature. However, few studies have explored the current situation of sustainability topics within the graphic design field. Through semi-structured interviews, this study explores the current state of sustainability topics in graphic design within Higher Education (HE) settings to explore the possibilities of graphic design on sustainability. This study involved 16 HE graphic design stakeholders in the UK. Findings highlighted the dilemmas and challenges stakeholders encounter when teaching, practising and researching sustainability topics, and identified potential solutions to address these dilemmas. Results show that …

Sustainable Design Competences In Action: Bridging Educational And Professional Practices, Iryna Kucher, Karen Marie Hasling, Ulla Ræbild

Learn X Design Conference Series

Due to increasing ecological, social, and economic challenges, sustainability has transitioned from being a peripheral concern to a central tenet of international frameworks and policies, which underscore the need to equip the workforce with competences, necessary to integrate sustainable practices into the organisational operations, products, and services. At the heart of these efforts lies a pressing need to reconsider educational practices and reimagine how students can acquire sustainability competences, which can better prepare them for evolving labour markets. Despite an abundance of research on the topic, there is no consensus regarding what these competences are. Moreover, the majority of the …

Learning From The David Collection, Else Skjold

Learn X Design Conference Series

This paper elaborates on a 2nd semester project at the MA [x] in Fashion and Textiles, that is conducted in collaboration with the David Collection Museum in Copenhagen. It will showcase three student projects and how the students individually work with various implications of cultural heritage and cultural appropriation in design. As the MA is born out of the user-led, situated and contextual principles of so-called wardrobe research, it will be highlighted how this lens can help offer pathways for engaging with museum objects that hold deep levels of cultural heritage. Especially, how ‘learning with history’ with a student mix …

Permaculture Of Game Development Education: The Intertwined Nature Of Games Research And Game Design Practice, Asli Tece Bayrak, Sofia Piven

Learn X Design Conference Series

Game development is an interdisciplinary collaborative process which involves programming, art, and design expertise. A game development education, therefore, builds upon the already unique challenges of learning game programming and game art, while acknowledging that successful video game development relies on designing and producing compelling player experiences. Given this complexity, to date there is not a standardized approach to building game development curriculum. Recent curriculum overviews reflect a large degree of variation in foci - technical degrees focusing on courses such as mathematics, physics, programming, graphics or art degrees focusing on courses such as 2D or 3D art, animation, world …

Understanding & Application Of Rigor In Qualitative Design Research, Andrew Russell, Zach Pino

Learn X Design Conference Series

A lack of rigor is an existential issue for the field of qualitative design research. Rigor is essential to research of any kind being seen as reputable, but a dearth of applied means creates less-than-rigorous research. There is increased risk when acting upon less-than-rigorous research. Qualitative design researchers are quick to speak of the importance of rigor in their field, but the literature shows few speak to its application when designing its methodology. This study aims to understand how rigor is defined and applied in qualitative design research. We conducted a controlled study, consisting of an interview and survey, with …