Digital Commons Network^™

A Brief Reflection On Elkhoury’S Article, Jonathan Whiskerd

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

No abstract provided.

Making A Difference Through Authentic Autobiographical Performance, Susie Miles, Helen Scott-Danter

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

Authentic autobiographical performance has the potential to open up possibilities for audience members to see their lives in new ways and take actions that make a difference in the world. This article describes the development of a 45-minute autobiographical performance from its initial creation in 2017 through its evolutionary journey to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024, and beyond. The creative process is presented from the perspective of both the performer and the director-coach, and brings together the worlds of education and theatre. The authors ask themselves: what does it mean to share their lived experiences authentically? They conclude that the …

Julian Marshall Interview, Julian Marshall, Morris (Mo) Cohen

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

This conversational inquiry explores the ontology of creativity through an extended dialogue between two educators at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance. Moving beyond conventional pedagogical frameworks, the conversation grapples with fundamental questions: What is the relationship between technique and creative emergence? How does the teacher create conditions for creativity without systematizing or conceptualizing the creative process itself? What role do trust, validation, and vulnerability play in opening students to their own creative potential? Drawing on diverse philosophical and spiritual traditions--from Heidegger’s ontological inquiry to Buddhist concepts of not-knowing, from Grotowski’s via negativa to the Kabbalistic notion of tzimtzum--Julian Marshall …

Lessons In Object Impermanence, Cindy M. Sabik

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

This hybrid piece begins as a lyric essay written around Emily Dickinson’s meditation on snow and becomes an elegy to winter. Footnotes frame the recollection/lament, toggling between the history that led us to climate catastrophe, cultural commentary, memory, and reflection on the felt experience of the author.

From Essays To Embodiment: Reimagining Student-Centered Assessment Through Creative Practice, Rory Bester, Carla Lever, Bongani Kona, Mona Hakimi

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

This essay explores the experience of implementing podcast-based assessment in ‘Feeling History, Making History,’ a semester-long course at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa. The course is designed to cultivate broad-based critical and interdisciplinary skill sets in first-year Humanities students. Through pedagogical reflection across three consecutive iterations of this course, we investigate how creative assessment practices such as podcasting both enabled our students to bring their whole “selves” into the academy and productively challenged our own preconceived notions about effective, decolonial pedagogy.

“The Being Of Being Creative” In Assessment: Learning From The Creative And Performing Arts, Eliana Elkhoury

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

Assessment design shapes not only what students learn, but who they become as learners. In the era of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), where information is abundant and recall is easily outsourced, higher education assessment must move beyond memorization and toward authentic tasks that cultivate deeper learning and ontological growth. This conceptual, reflective paper argues that assessment should be grounded in students’ mode of being, rather than restricted to knowing, having, or doing. Drawing on Barnett’s ontology of higher education, Biesta’s subjectification, and Su’s epistemological distinctions, this paper positions assessment as a formative site where agency, ownership, identity, and self-understanding can …

The Being Of The Performer, Alice Marshall

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

This work presents an autoethnographic, practice-as-research inquiry into Tender Steps (Adaire to Dance, 2024), a dance-for-film grounded in the author’s lived experience of baby loss. Through embodied reflection, the article explores how personal experience becomes a site of inquiry, examining the relationship between the performer’s being and the act of performance. Drawing on phenomenological and performance-based perspectives, it considers how posture, weight, breath, and voice function as embodied knowledge and how meaning is co-constructed through the intersubjective relationship between performer and audience. It reflects on the ethical and emotional implications of making lived experience public within a digitally mediated form …

On Inspiration, Laura Bissel, Emily Doolittle, Laura González

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

In this creative conversation, we three artist-researchers at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ponder inspiration in education and in our own creative practices from a range of perspectives. Each of us offers a provocation on “inspiration” from our own field of practice-research, to each other, to our colleagues, and to our community. This document presents the conversation that ensues. Drawing on our collective experiences of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, doctoral supervision across a range of performing arts and interdisciplinary fields, teaching body-centred practices such as yoga and pranayama, peer-to-peer mentoring of both academic and practice-based research, practice research methodologies, and …

Editorial Statement: Volume 3, Issue 2, Morris (Mo) Cohen, Jonathan Whiskerd

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

No abstract provided.

Cytomegalovirus Associated Enterocolitis And Skin Eruption: A Pediatric Case Misdiagnosed As Acute Appendicitis, Zeynep Busra Balik, Gulsen Akoglu

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

We present a case of an immunocompetent 2-year-old boy, with cytomegalovirus-associated enterocolitis and petechial skin eruption, initially misdiagnosed as acute appendicitis. Despite abdominal pain, diarrhea and a rash for 15 days, diagnostic laparoscopy revealed no surgical pathology. Dermatological examination identified perifollicular petechiae, leading to a diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection, which was confirmed by serology. This case emphasizes the importance of considering viral infections in pediatric patients with gastrointestinal and dermatological symptoms. It also highlights the diagnostic value of cutaneous findings in cytomegalovirus infection.

Symptom Spectrum And Risk Factors For Fever In Pediatric Patients With Omicron Infection: A Prospective Observational Study, Jiande Chen, Qiuyu Tang, Dong Wang, Shuhua Yuan, Jilei Lin, Fengquan He, Yong Yin

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Objective: The omicron variant of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a global epidemic in 2022. Our aim was to investigate the symptom spectrum and risk factors for fever in pediatric patients with omicron infection. Methods: From April 8, 2022, to May 17, 2022, this prospective observational study included pediatric patients who attended the child-parent sections of the Fangcang shelter hospitals with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Patient data were collected from questionnaires. The risk factors for prolonged fever and high fever were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: In total, 1,541 pediatric patients were included. The most common symptoms associated with …

Lipid Biomarkers Predict Pneumonia Risk In Children With Influenza-Mycoplasma Co-Infections: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Kai-Jing Zhang, Xin-Feng Zhao, Xiao-Juan Lv, Xiao-Hui Huang, Jing Huang, Yan-Yan Zhu

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Objective: This study evaluates the prognostic value of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) levels for pneumonia risk in children co-infected with influenza and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 248 children with influenza-MP co-infection (January 1, 2020–October 30, 2024). Participants were grouped into pneumonia (P, n=195) and non-pneumonia (NP, n=53) based on chest imaging. Statistical comparisons of clinical parameters (WBC, lymphocytes, CRP, lipids) utilized Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests. Variables with P<0.1 were included in logistic binary regression to identify independent risk factors. ROC analysis assessed diagnostic performance. Results: Significant differences were observed in lymphocytes (L), CRP, TG, HDL-C, and LDL-C levels between pneumonia and non-pneumonia groups (P < 0.05). CRP, HDL-C, and LDL-C were identified as independent risk factors for determining whether influenza-MP co-infections were complicated by pneumonia. CRP and LDL-C levels were risk factors associated with pneumonia risk (OR > 1), whereas HDL-C levels showed a strong protective factor association (OR < 1). The ROC curve analysis showed that the combined area under the curve (AUC) for HDL-C + LDL-C (0.878) was significantly higher than the AUCs for CRP + HDL-C (0.809), CRP + LDL-C (0.753), HDL-C (0.807), LDL-C (0.737), and CRP (0.601). The clinical DCA shows that HDL-C + LDL-C has a higher diagnostic value than CRP + HDL-C, CRP + LDL-C, HDL-C, LDL-C, or CRP alone. Conclusion: HDL-C and LDL-C levels independently predict pneumonia progression in influenza-MP co-infected children, with dual-marker assessment enhancing diagnostic accuracy.

Retrospective Evaluation Of Demographic, Clinical, Laboratory Findings And Inflammatory Biomarkers Of Patients Followed With The Diagnosis Of Serum Sickness-Like Reaction, Seda Taşdemir Salar, Alaaddin Yorulmaz, Vildan Güngörer, Şükrü Arslan

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Objectives: Serum Sickness-like Reactions (SSLR) are Type 3 hypersensitivity reactions occurring in the presence of certain antigens. Symptoms generally begin 6-21 days after the exposure to antigenic stimulation. In the present study, the purpose was to examine whether there are any changes in these hematological parameters and their prognostic significance in patients diagnosed with SSLR and followed and treated in our clinic. Methods: The files of 122 patients who were hospitalized and followed up with a diagnosis of SSLR in the Pediatric Healthcare and Diseases Clinic between September 2016 and December 2021 were examined retrospectively. Results: A total of 64 …

Application Of The Phoenix Sepsis Score For Diagnosing Sepsis In Children With Measles, Tam Thi Phung, Nguyen The Nguyen Phung, Tuan An Van Ngo, Minh Duy Vo, Hieu Trung Pham, Hai Nhi Thai Pham

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Objective: To assess the prevalence of sepsis and septic shock in children with complicated measles using the Phoenix Sepsis Score Criteria (PSSC) during the first 24 hours of admission to the Infectious Diseases Intensive Care Unit (IDICU). Methods: This prospective observational cohort study was conducted in the IDICU at Children’s Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from June 2024 to December 2024. The study included 161 children aged 1 month to 16 years with measles-associated complications. Results: A total of 161 cases, with a median age of 9 months (IQR: 6–21), were included. Among them, the 49.7% were infants …

The Role Of Presepsin And Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (Ngal) Levels In Pediatric Urinary Tract Infections, Cansu Sert, Ayşe Şahin, Nazan Dalgıç, Zeynep Mine Yalçınkaya Kara

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Objective: This study aimed to assess the utility of presepsin and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels, in serum and urine, for diagnosing urinary tract infections (UTIs) and monitoring response to treatment. By evaluating the specificity of these biomarkers for UTIs, this study sought to contribute to the existing literature. Methods: A single-center prospective study was conducted, with 32 pediatric patients diagnosed with UTIs and 32 healthy pediatric controls. Blood and urine samples were taken at the time of hospitalization and at the 72nd hour of treatment for the UTI group, and during routine clinic visits for the control group. Serum …

Larry D. Ward

African American Funeral Programs

Funeral program for Larry D. Ward.

Enhancing Student Engagement In Numerical Methods: The Impact Of Alternative Grading Practices, Vivek Singhal, Kenan Baltaci, Oai Ha

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

Student engagement is critical for achieving positive academic and social outcomes. However, maintaining high engagement levels in challenging math-based courses like numerical methods can be difficult. This study addresses this challenge by implementing two assessment-based strategies: a bonus point self-assessment rubric and peer evaluations. These interventions aim to incentivize engagement and reward essential skills such as effort and teamwork, which are often overlooked by traditional grading systems but are crucial for success beyond the classroom. While existing research highlights the potential benefits of self-assessments and peer evaluations, there is limited evidence …

Virtual Teaching During Covid-19: Attitudes, Abilities, And Educational Needs Of Cooperative Extension Staff, Kathryn Yerxa, Kayla L. Parsons, Jennifer Lobley

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

This study aimed to 1) identify the attitudes and abilities of Cooperative Extension staff regarding the delivery of virtual educational programming based on their characteristics and 2) identify professional development priorities to effectively deliver programming virtually. We disseminated an adapted Faculty Readiness to Teach Online questionnaire to Cooperative Extension staff via Qualtrics. Mean and standard deviation were calculated from complete surveys (n = 67) for each virtual programming competency in the self-reported attitude and ability sections, categorized by position type, years of teaching, and program area. We conducted a MANCOVA to …

Coaching Undergraduates, A Conceptual And Practical Guide, Anna Carissa Rozzo

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

The overall aim of this paper is to provide a holistic orientation to the practice of person-centered coaching while providing tangible methods that faculty and advisors in higher education may be able to integrate into their professional practices. This conceptual paper explores the theoretical and practical intersections of coaching and teaching, presenting a flexible modality to support student-centered learning. The author provides readers with general guidance and templates for goal setting, problem solving, and assessment that practitioners may adapt to their own contexts.

Coaching Graduate Students Through Early Childhood Focused Community-Engaged Learning: Graduate Student Perspectives And Course Design, Sarah Tulane, Shirlene Call Law

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

Community-engaged learning (CEL) in graduate-level coursework contributes to professional development and growth. CEL course design requires intentional and time-intensive planning. A graduate-level child development course was designed for CEL using the following process: needs assessment, training for community education, preparing materials, practicing with feedback, presenting to an authentic audience, and reflection on the experience. Students created presentations for authentic parent audiences based on a needs assessment of parent interest in child development topics. Reflections from four students in the course were analyzed using a general thematic analysis technique. Three themes emerged. …

Jete Introduction Fall 2025, Nichelle Frank

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

An introduction to the Spring 2025 issue of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence.

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 9, Issue 2, Fall 2025

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length Fall 2025 issue (Volume 9, Issue 2) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

This issue of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence brings together articles that highlight approaches for engaging students and broader communities through teaching, coaching, and assessment in higher education. The contributions examine community-engaged learning in graduate coursework, the use of coaching practices to support student-centered teaching and advising, Cooperative Extension staff readiness for virtual instruction, and alternative assessment strategies aimed at increasing engagement and reducing anxiety in challenging STEM courses. Collectively, the articles …

The Influence Of Early Detection And Intervention Providers' Actions And Communication On Parental Emotions And Early Intervention Engagement After A Child Is Diagnosed With Hearing Loss: A Scoping Review, Charlene M. Watson, D. Ellen Rick, Jillian Ingratta, Patti-Jo Sullivan, Xurong Zhao, Sheila Moodie

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Despite well-intentioned early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs, parents receiving a newborn hearing loss diagnosis often experience distress, uncertainty, and fear, which can impact their readiness to engage in early intervention. The communication and support provided by clinicians in early hearing detection and intervention play a critical role in helping families navigate emotions, overcome barriers, and actively participate in EHDI programs. The purpose of this scoping review is to advance our knowledge of the following: For parents who have a newborn newly diagnosed with hearing loss, how do the actions/behaviors and communication (or lack thereof) of EHDI providers influence …

Geographic And Sociodemographic Disparities In Early Hearing Detection And Intervention Adherence, Amanda Pavan, Anton Kvit, Michael Van Skiba, Analise Ristic, Kirsten R. Coverstone

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Early identification and intervention are crucial to minimizing impacts of congenital hearing loss. Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs recommend newborn hearing screening before one month of age and a diagnostic audiologic evaluation before three months for infants who do not pass the screening. However, not all infants meet these benchmarks, as geographic and sociodemographic factors may influence adherence.

Addresses of primary contacts and audiology clinics were geocoded to calculate drive times to the nearest clinic in 10-minute intervals for infants born in Minnesota between 2019 and 2021. Birth location, NICU admittance, and sociodemographic characteristics were also analyzed. Random …

Readability Of Spanish Language Early Intervention Materials For Children Who Are D/Deaf And Hard Of Hearing, Torri Ann Woodruff-Gautherin

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

This paper discusses how accessibility to information may be limited for families and considers why this is of a critical concern for families using Spanish. To look at accessibility of materials online, six search terms were used in the Google search engine. Ninety-one unique websites were included for readability analysis (43 written in English and 48 written in Spanish). Readability was assessed for English materials using Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL; mean=12.83, sd=2.737) and Flesh-Kincaid Ease of Reading Score (FKERS; mean=35.602, sd=15.651). FKGL scores were consistent with prior work (Woodruff & Cienkowski, 2021). For materials written in Spanish readability was assessed …

Fine And Gross Motor Skills Assessment, From A Caregiver's Perspective, In Children With Hearing Loss Using A Modified Ages And Stages Questionnaire (Asq-3), Steven M. Doettl, Patrick N. Plyler, Erin Plyler, Kelly R. Yeager, Leeann Hutker, Ginger Tallmadge, Aspen Gutknecht, Amy Becker

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference on ASQ-3 (Ages and Stages Questionnaire version 3) Gross (ASQ G) and Fine (ASQ F) Motor scores between children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and children with normal hearing.

Methods: Data was gathered from the ASQ-3 as reported by parents/caregivers of 61 children (28 normal hearing children and 33 children with SNHL) ages 6-36 months. Results were averaged across the participants for both groups. Independent sample t-Tests were used to assess for any statistically significant difference in the ASQ scores between groups. Chi-square analysis …

From Policy To Practice In Deaf Education: American Sign Language And Spoken English Outcomes Of Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Children In Kansas, Jena Mcdaniel, Shreyas Teegala, Rebecca Maloney, Angie Walker, Mary S. Dietrich, Matthew L. Hall, Leah C. Geer, Julie Bustos

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Purpose: In the context of the recent expectation for state Early Hearing Detection and Intervention programs to track language milestones of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children, we examine how to leverage statewide assessment programs for improving language outcomes of DHH children. We present the degree to which DHH children in Kansas are meeting their language milestones for American Sign Language (ASL) and English and the influence of two measurement features.

Method: Performance on the ASL/English Language Milestones for 198 children who were DHH (aged 1 to 8) was analyzed for attainment of age-expected language skills and …

Factors Affecting Timely Intervention For Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing: Perceptions Of Texas Early Intervention Providers, Julianna C. Wanek, Sandy K. Bowen

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions and experiences of early childhood intervention (ECI) professionals concerning timely intervention for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) in Texas. The data for this study was collected through semi-structured, qualitative interviews of 10 ECI practitioners in Texas. Interview data analysis followed the six-phase framework of Thematic Analysis. The data collected identified three major themes: (a) roles and responsibilities, (b) family attributes and experiences, and (c) “deaf” is different. Overall, the findings reveal that the referral and service process for infants and toddlers who are DHH in Texas …

Journal Of Early Hearing Detection And Intervention: Volume 10 Issue 2, Pages 1-80

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

No abstract provided.

Dementia In Downs Syndrome – A Case Report, Clarita Shynal Martis Ms, Elsa Sanatombi Devi Dr, Panambur Venkataraya Bhandary Dr

Manipal Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences

Down syndrome, is a chromosome 21-related genetic condition, frequently manifests as intellectual difficulty, growth retardation, and distinctive facial traits. People with Down’s Syndrome usually develop Dementia, a major cause of cognitive impairment, impaired judgment memory loss in their midlife. The present report describes a case study of a female diagnosed with dementia in Down’s Syndrome. The report explores the challenges her parents faced in securing appropriate care when diagnosed with dementia and Down's syndrome. It aims to inform caregivers about the best practices for home care in such cases. It follows the woman's history from birth until her dementia was …