Digital Commons Network^™

The Cult Of Clean Hands: Why No One’S Innocent In America’S War On Corruption, Elizabeth Doan

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study examines how fear of corruption functions as both a political weapon and a national ritual of moral reassurance. The focus lies in understanding why Americans across party lines express deep mistrust in political institutions while simultaneously seeking purity through accusation. Drawing on a nationally representative survey of U.S. voters, the research examines how partisan identity, media narratives, and generational memory influence the emotional economy of corruption—what citizens fear, whom they blame, and why those fears persist. Testing the initial expectation that Republicans would express greater concern about corruption revealed that such fear is shared widely across parties, reflecting …

Fall 2025 Student Scholar Symposium Abstract Volume, Chapman University Center For Undergraduate Excellence

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

No abstract provided.

Nativism As The Engine Of Fear Toward “Illegal” Immigrants, Amilie Cai

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Contemporary concerns about “illegal” immigration reveal deep-seated anxieties about race, cultural, and national identity in the United States. In this paper, I examine how xenophobia, media consumption, and Christian nationalism collectively shape fear of illegal immigrants. I build upon previous literature, such as the Group Threat Theory, which posits that dominant groups mobilize to preserve social hierarchies when their status is threatened, and the Agenda-Setting Theory, which emphasizes the media’s power to shape public perceptions. Using Wave 11 of the Chapman Survey of American Fears–a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults collected in 2025–I provide a comparative analysis of these …

Opening The Door Of The Celluloid Closet, Melissa Hernandez

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

While watching the documentary, The Celluloid Closet, I was instantly intrigued by how queer people and cinema mixed. Going as far back to the black and white, silent films era, queer people have been used as comedic relief, but not in an appealing way. Constantly being the butt of the joke, disregard for queer people became so normalized that certain tropes started popping up in cinema. One trope that we can still see be used frequently in today’s films is the “bury your gays” trope (also known as the “dead lesbians syndrome”) where queer characters in cinema are not …

Echo Chambers In Encryption: How Germany's Netzdg Law Displaced Far-Right Discourse And Bolstered Afd Support On Private Platforms, Jackson Pace Campbell

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study examines the relationship between social media political engagement and support for Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party in 2021, arguing that the 2017 Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) inadvertently displaced anti-immigration discourse from moderated public platforms into private encrypted spaces, fostering echo chambers and radicalization. Drawing on data from the German Longitudinal Election Study pre-election survey (N=5,119 nationally representative voters), logistic regression analyses test associations between AfD support and social media political use, controlling for socio-demographic and attitudinal factors. Findings confirm hypotheses: overall social media political engagement nearly doubles AfD support odds; private encrypted apps like Telegram and …

The Erosion Of Credibility: How Government Control Shapes Distrust In Journalism, Ellie Bickelhaupt

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

In the past few months, talk show hosts have been canceled for speaking out against the president, deepfakes and AI have become more accessible, there has been an increase in propaganda and state-sponsored media, and through all this, we have seen a continuous increase in government control. All of these factors offer potential explanations as to why there has been an increased distrust and loss of respect regarding journalism throughout the United States in recent years. This research aims to demonstrate that when the government heavily monitors and controls the country, Americans are less likely to trust the media and …

Divided We Fear: The Politics Behind America's Economic Anxiety, Yadira Flores Hernandez

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Imagine waking up to headlines announcing a market crash. Some picture an end to stability; others see a nonpermanent storm. What separates these reactions is far more than just perspective; it is politics. Using the 2025 Chapman Survey of American Fears, a representative sample of U.S. national adults, I will study the patterns of fears regarding economic collapse across and beyond political lines. Furthermore, I will examine how partisanship shapes perceptions of such collapse, adding layers of analysis with media and personal economic fears. My findings support the hypothesis that Democrats appear to express higher levels of concern about an …

Improving Palliative Care Knowledge And Intentions Among Great Plains American Indians: Efficacy Results From A Randomized Clinical Trial Testing A Culture-Centric Palliative Care Message, Mary J. Isaacson, Kah Meng (Charlie) Soh, Christopher S. Wichman, Gina Johnson, Kelly Le Beaux, Semhar Michael, Lisa Sparks, Karla M. Hunter

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

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Methods

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Selenium Nanoparticles As Versatile Delivery Tools, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, Rajesh Vadlapatla, Ajoy Koomer, Kyle Yep, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have emerged as promising metal-based nanoparticles for drug delivery due to their unique physicochemical properties, intrinsic bioactivity, and biocompatibility. SeNPs offer a lower toxicity, higher bioavailability, and flexibility to be customized for surface chemistry compared to traditional selenium compounds. Advances in synthetic strategies, including chemical reduction, green biosynthesis, and surface functionalization with polymers, peptides, or ligands, have improved their stability, targeting capability, and circulation time. SeNP-based systems have demonstrated unique anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities, as they can function as drug carriers and active therapeutic agents. The surface of SeNPs has been functionalized with ligands such as …

Spectrum, Volume 55, Issue 11, Sacred Heart University

Newspapers (Obelisk & Spectrum)

Highlights include: SantaCon Shutdown -- The Senior Experience: President’s 63 -- Courageous Dialogue with the Ramos Institute -- Alumni Rediscover SHU with Monthly Tours -- Back-to-Back Conference Champions

Artificial Intelligence In Higher Education: Opportunities And Challenges, Maytha Al-Ali, Adam Marks, Jasur Umirzokov, Noura Metawa

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

While AI is often presented as a panacea for the challenges facing higher education, there is limited empirical evidence supporting its effectiveness in improving student learning and institutional performance. This gap between expectation and reality emphasizes the need for rigorous research, realistic goal-setting, and careful planning to ensure that AI technologies deliver on their promises in higher education. This study contrasts the potential utilization of AI technologies in Higher Education from the literature, against actual utilization in universities. The study also investigates the key barriers of AI implementation in higher education. This study uses a mixed-research methods approach, including case …

Technology Use In Elementary Music Education: A Scoping Review, David T. Casali

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

The purpose of this scoping review was to look at how music technology has been used in the elementary music classroom from 2020 to April 2025. Uses of technology were organized using the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) model (Puentedura, 2006). Only articles that both described how technology was used and what the learning process looked like were included. A total of 26 articles met the criteria for inclusion. Multiple uses of technology across the four levels of the SAMR were represented from 14 different countries. An article from each of the four SAMR levels is described in depth …

Exploring The Potential For Data Storytelling Practices In Healthcare Communication, Shafaq Zehra, Naomi Jacobs, Dan Richards

IASDR Conference Series

The key challenges associated with the design of doctor-patient communication mainly include time constraints, cultural and language barriers and health literacy of the patients accessing care. The implications of the gaps in effective doctor-patient communication may lead to lack of compliance to treatment, weakened rapport building and lack of trust in the healthcare services. This paper qualitatively explores the context of the challenges associated with doctor-patient communication from a health care provider perspective. The main themes identified by in-depth interviews with clinicians were issues related to lack of trust, validity of patient’s information, lack of patient engagement and empowerment, and …

From Function To Culture: Exploring Senior-Centered Design Principles In Korean Context, Sujin Song, Miso Kim, Min Ju Kang, Ye In An, Soojin Jun

IASDR Conference Series

South Korea, as the fastest-aging country in the world, occupies a critical position in aging research. Designing for older adults requires a multidimensional understanding; however, existing studies on design principles for aging have tended to adopt functionalist approaches focused primarily on physical and cognitive decline. In response, this study proposes design principles that center on values systems rather than offering directly prescriptive or procedural guidance. Specifically, we introduce culturally responsive principles grounded in Korea’s unique socio cultural context. Drawing on a co-design workshop with Korean older adults and caregivers, our analysis engages narratives through the lenses of Korea’s rapid industrialization, …

Reimagining Speculative Design For Inclusion: An Narrative-Based Prototype For Civic Participation, Sandy Claes, Gitte Vande Graveele, Erica Bol

IASDR Conference Series

Speculative design has the potential to foster civic reflection but often remains inaccessible to broader audiences due to its cultural and conceptual complexity. This paper presents a research-through-design (RtD) exploration of how speculative design can become more inclusive by embedding reflection into the narrative experience itself. We redesigned INWARDS, a policy-oriented speculative artefact, by segmenting one of its films and integrating plain-language prompts at key narrative moments and reframing participation as introspection by triggering lightweight, personal reflections. The resulting prototype was deployed in a semi-public setting to explore spontaneous engagement beyond design- savvy audiences. We contribute (1) a design-led exploration …

Designing Personalized Digital Self-Control Tools To Address Procrastination Through Co-Design, Youngsoo Shin, Jeremy D. Faulk, Jungkyoon Yoon

IASDR Conference Series

Procrastination, a pervasive challenge among college students, significantly affects mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being. While Digital Self-Control Tools (DSCTs) are commonly used to manage procrastination, existing solutions and studies often fail to address the nuanced, individualized factors that drive this behavior. This study employs a co-design approach to explore how DSCTs can be personalized to better support college students. Over a nine-week co-design project, twenty-two students in the HCI field collaboratively developed personalized DSCT concepts, guided by the Motivation, Engagement, and Thriving in User Experience (METUX) model. The METUX model provided a theoretical basis for designing interventions that …

Strategies To Foster A Collaborative And Sustainable Transformation: A Vietnam Textile & Apparel Case, Hong Lan Lam, Donna Cleveland

IASDR Conference Series

This case study explores strategies to support the transformation of Vietnam’s textile and apparel industry, particularly large garment exporting enterprises, toward more sustainable and designed-led business models. In response to increasing socio-economic and environmental challenges, the study identifies closer collaboration with academic institutions as a key enabler for building relevant future- facing skills. Drawing on reflexive practice through structured journal writing, the paper analyses a multi-stakeholder workshop facilitated by the International Labour Organization and the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), highlighting tensions and opportunities in co-design approaches within hierarchical and culturally specific working environments. The concept of đồng- design, …

Show, Don't Tell: Looking For New/Old Strategies For Assessing Design Work, Kristina Andersen, Joep Frens, Janet Yi-Ching Huang

IASDR Conference Series

Design education is centered on making and reflecting, as a way to `work through' the process of becoming a designer. To do this, we rely on project-based learning that often culminates in reports alongside demonstrations and show-and-tell. Over the years, we have seen an increased reliance on language to validate student design ideas, and written reflections have become a way of assessing learning. With Generative AI becoming more widespread, such deliverables risk becoming less reflective or even meaningless. At the same time, some of our students treat written reflections as a necessary evil to be done on the eve of …

Generative Ai Meets Creative Design: Shaping A Dynamic Learning Ecosystem, Xiaomei Li, Ziming He, Leia Xi, Siye Zeng, Danyang Zhang, Ling Fan

IASDR Conference Series

This study explores how Generative AI (GenAI) is transforming creative design education through the development of a Dynamic Learning Ecosystem. Grounded in Activity Theory, we conducted a mixed- method study involving surveys, workshops, and interviews (N=38) across seven design disciplines. We addressed how different GenAI teaching approaches affect learning outcomes, challenges in integration, and effective educational framework construction. Our findings led to a multi-tiered Dynamic Learning Ecosystem framework, comprising modularized tool guides, integrative workflow practices, and contextualized knowledge synthesis. This framework offers practical methods for integrating GenAI in design education, enhancing students’ adaptability and competences in evolving technological environments.

Co-Living With Intelligent Artifacts: An Experiential Participatory Speculative Design Method, Boyu Zhang, Jiaxin Xiao, Li Zhang

IASDR Conference Series

With the advancement of artificial intelligence and robotics, intelligent artifacts are increasingly integrated into human life. Traditional user-centered design approaches focus on optimizing interaction experiences but often overlook potential ethical issues. This study employs a participatory speculative design approach, engaging the public in co-constructing future scenarios to foreground ethical reflection at the early stages of the design process. Building on this approach, we propose an extended model of the Experiential Future Ladder and implement it through a workshop involving eight Chinese youth participants. Thematic analysis identifies three categories of ethical issues in future human–intelligent artifact interactions: dilemmas between emotion and …

From Trauma To Transformation: A Cognitive-Embedded Design Framework For Responsive Healing Environments, Xiujun Chen, Ziyuan Jiang

IASDR Conference Series

Post-conflict architectural interventions often overlook survivors’ altered cognitive and emotional landscapes. This paper introduces cognitive-embedded design—a framework that reconceives architecture as an active participant in collective healing. The study adopts a speculative, research- through-design approach integrating conceptual inquiry with spatial and technical prototyping. Using the redesign of Sarajevo’s Grbavica Market as a case study, it demonstrates how sensor-driven spatial systems can support trauma recovery when orchestrated through Judith Herman’s three-phase model and 4E cognition principles. The project integrates responsive boundaries, bio-adaptive narratives, and culturally rooted craft spaces that attune to healing rhythms while preserving user agency through community governance. While …

Unraveling Sociomaterial Trajectories: A Qualitative Network Analysis Of Material, Human, And Nonhuman Entanglement In The Diy Material Project, Kazzmasa Tsujimura, Yasuaki Kakehi

IASDR Conference Series

This paper investigates the sociomateriality of collective creation in a practice-led design project, addressing how entanglement occurs in material-centric processes where it often remains largely unarticulated. Adopting a sociomaterial ontology, we employ qualitative network analysis (QNA) to trace sociomaterial trajectories of the DIY Material project. Our analysis identified 12 diverse actors (e.g., humans, tools, knowledge…) in five clusters, and 22 sociomaterial entanglement 'events' classified into three types: Material Emergence, Social Intra-action, and Sociomaterial Assemblage. The resulting network visualizes these moments, explicating their role in instantiating inter subjective design ideas and contributing to project formation, offering a new methodological lens for …

Process Designing For Creative Well-Being: How Cultural Prescribing Emerges Through Community-Based Art Practice At Machino Zukoushitsu In Nabari City, Japan, Rui Fukumoto, Takakazu Yamaguchi, Hideaki Kawabata, Sawako Inaniwa, Tatsuya Ito

IASDR Conference Series

As societies around the world confront aging populations and growing social isolation, Cultural Prescribing has emerged as a promising approach to community-based care beyond institutional systems. While social prescribing has primarily been implemented through clinical referral models, this study examines how Naturally Emergent Creative Well-being, the interaction between individual creativity and community culture, can generate care organically through everyday practice. The research focuses on Machino Zuko ushitsu, a community art studio in Nabari City, Japan, which serves as a hub for creative participation, intergenerational exchange, and informal support. Using a participatory action research framework, qualitative data were collected through interventional …

A Study On The Current Status Of Technology Application And Learning Models In Senior Citizens' Participation In Ceramic Craft Experience Activities, Tien-Li Chen, Ting-Yu Hsu, Rui Zhu

IASDR Conference Series

Global population aging has brought increasing attention to the quality of later life and physical and mental health. Relevant studies have shown that craft-based art activities can enhance well-being and fine motor skills, and provide older adults with a means of non-verbal communication. In addition, as technology has become integrated into daily life, its impact on elderly learning has also drawn interest. This study aims to explore the actual situations and effects of technology use during older adults’ participation in ceramic craft experience activities, further understanding how elderly learners access learning resources, their level of acceptance toward technological tools, and …

Design For Sustainability: A Toolkit For Accelerating Sustainable Innovation, Li-Ting Huang, Si Teng Lei, Chefen Ouyang, Chia-Huei Sher

IASDR Conference Series

While design-led approaches are increasingly recognised as catalysts for sustainability transitions, existing tools often fall short in translating comprehensive sustainability frameworks into actionable strategies grounded in real-world business contexts. This study addresses this gap by exploring how design-led sustainable innovation can be operationalised within the manufacturing sector, with a particular focus on Taiwan—a region facing escalating pressures from climate change and global sustainability targets. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and an online survey, this study develops the Design for Sustainability Toolkit—a practical tool designed to help companies integrate sustainability across strategic and operational levels. The study identifies eight innovation strategies that …

Aesthetic Responses And Ai Anxiety: Experimental Analysis Of Public Perception Toward Ai Artworks Across Different Styles, Rui Xu, Yen Hsu, Xinyan Wang, Hanlin Mi

IASDR Conference Series

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can reproduce various art styles by deep learning to efficiently produce stunning artworks that seem artistic and arouse emotional resonance among the audience. However, do these AI artworks go beyond the levels of human artists in the present era, will the AI artworks go beyond the levels of human artists in the future, and will these artworks undermine the status of anthropocentrism and trigger anxiety? In response to these questions, experiments were launched to check the representative artworks at different times. In this paper, the experimental research method and the data analysis method were applied to …

Teaching Design In The 21st Century: New Studio Pedagogies For Emerging Challenges, Wonjoon Chung

IASDR Conference Series

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies is driving a new paradigm shift in design education, calling for a re-examination of traditional studio pedagogies. This paper argues that current design curricula, often constrained by rigid academic schedules and a focus on polished final deliverables, inadvertently foster a fear of failure and discourage the iterative, exploratory processes that are essential for creativity. To address these systemic issues, this paper proposes a pedagogical framework that reconceptualizes the design studio as a space for cultivating creative confidence, adaptability and resilience in the face of uncertainty. Drawing on Edward de …

When Clinics Meet Chatbots: Sociotechnical Reflections On Ai Implementation In Primary Care, Cai-Ling Wang, Yuan-Chi Tseng

IASDR Conference Series

AI-powered chatbots hold promise for enhancing chronic disease self-management in primary care; however, their real-world implementation often reveals hidden socio technical complexities. This paper presents a reflective case study of a chatbot designed to support diabetes self-care, deployed in a community-based clinic in rural Taiwan. Despite initial enthusiasm from stakeholders during co-design, the two-month field implementation yielded minimal patient engagement. Drawing on the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework, we identify critical barriers across three domains. Technologically, the lack of robust digital infrastructure required manual data entry, undermining the scal ability of personalization. Organization ally, integration with existing clinical workflows imposed additional burdens …

Mapping The Potential Of Smart Packaging For Sustainable Transition In The Fashion Industry., Mariapaola Puglielli, Martina Spinelli, Silvia Barbero, Erik Ciravegna, Ludovica Rosato

IASDR Conference Series

This paper investigates the role of smart packaging technologies as enablers of sustainability and circularity within the fashion supply chain. The study aims to map the current state of digital packaging solutions across industries to identify their potential applications and benefits in fashion. The fashion industry represents a heavy burden in terms of environmental impact produced by the intensive consumption of raw materials and the substantial volume of waste generated across product life cycles. Moreover, the globalised and fragmented nature of the fashion supply chain enhances complexity and hinders transparency, making circular transformation particularly difficult to manage. The paper is …

Place Branding And The Dynamics Of Co-Creation: An Activity Theory Study Of A Creative Marketplace In Chengdu, Mengge Huo, Angus Donald Campbell, Mairi Gunn, Michael Davis

IASDR Conference Series

This paper introduces the concepts of creative marketplaces, place branding, and co-creation. Focusing on Jiaozi Market in Chengdu, China, the authors use third-generation Activity Theory (Engeström, 2001) and Digital Ethnography (Pink et al., 2016), to map the roles of market organisers, vendors, and consumers. This reveals contradictions between place branding motives and outcomes across the activity system - tools, rules, community and division of labour - within the creative marketplace. The findings suggest that although creative marketplaces promote a perception of curated place branding, stakeholder participation often remains symbolic, resulting in disjointed and in authentic experiences for all involved.