Digital Commons Network^™

Community-Based Research: Key Considerations For Researchers And Community Partners When Collaborating, Bothwell Piason, Kathleen A. Fox

The Qualitative Report

Community-based research (CBR) is a research orientation that emphasizes equitable engagement in the process of knowledge production, though researchers and community partners may navigate collaborative partnerships with differing expectations, priorities, and understandings of success. Extant research has demonstrated that successful CBR partnerships can benefit both researchers and community partners, yet little is known about how both groups simultaneously conceptualize successful collaboration across diverse partnership contexts. In this study, we ask: What considerations do researchers and community partners identify as important when engaging in community-based research partnerships? Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 10 university researchers and 10 community partners engaged in …

The Practice Of Inclusion: Indigenous Knowledge And Ethical Design, Kate E. Van Der Zalm

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Indigenous Knowledge is a cumulative body of practices and beliefs developed by Indigenous communities through generations of interaction with the natural environment. This knowledge offers valuable insights for caring for the land in sustainable and respectful ways but is not fully considered in modern planning and design practices. This research examines how Indigenous Knowledge is currently understood and used within landscape planning and design firms in British Columbia, Canada. Using a combination of existing research and interviews with design professionals and Indigenous participants, the study explores where Indigenous Knowledge is being applied, where challenges exist, and what opportunities remain for …

Journeying Together: A Coaching Framework Empowering Voice And Transforming Teams, Kari Michele Kinard

Doctor of Leadership

To be seen, heard, and to have a voice are deeply human desires, regardless of where one finds oneself in the world. In the culturally and ethnically diverse Saharan nation, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (RIM), the capital, Nouakchott, serves as a central hub shaped by a strong Islamic identity, historical hierarchies, and long-standing foreign involvement in development efforts. These dynamics create both meaningful opportunities and real challenges for leadership practices across sectors.

Development efforts in RIM have long sought to strengthen communities through education, healthcare, and economic initiatives. While these efforts are well-intentioned, sustaining impact has remained a persistent …

Tangible And Design Assistance In Historic Preservation Courses To Assist Communities In The Recuperation Of Their Existing Built Cultural Resources In New Mexico, Francisco Uviña-Contreras

Faculty Publications

The presentation proposed for the NCBDS 41 Conference to be hosted at the School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) Department at the University of New Mexico (UNM) concerns the arduous work in the Historic Preservation and Regionalism (HP+R) Program in this institution. This significant opportunity to present courses in the HP+R Program aims to "exchange and disseminate information and ideas concerning preservation education and its relationship to community engagement and its connections to its historical past." This issue is particularly relevant in the context of the NCBDS 41 Conference, which touches on aspects of the "Pedagogy in Cultural Heritage through …

Tourism Networks As A Mechanism For Degrowth: The Case Of The Burren Ecotourism Network In Ireland, Aisling Ward, Shirley Millar

Publications

This exploratory paper examines how a community-based ecotourism network can sustain a destination from an economic, environmental and social perspective while pertaining to a degrowth approach that measures success beyond the traditional economic variables of volume and revenue. It focuses on the Burren Eco-tourism Network (BEN) in the West of Ireland, a region known for its unique landscape and natural heritage. Nine qualitative in-depth interviews were completed using a community-based tourism case study methodology. Evidence of a degrowth mindset was littered throughout the research and this was verified through the voluntary nature surrounding its origins, the equal requirements, training and …

Exploring The Benefits, Barriers, And Sustainability Of Community Stem Partnerships: A Qualitative Case Study On Stem Collaboration In Elementary Education, Katherine M. Blagden

Open Access Dissertations

In an era of increasing emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, elementary schools often face significant challenges in implementing high-quality, integrated STEM instruction. These challenges include limited resources, inconsistent professional development, and a lack of access to real-world, community-based learning experiences (Dorph et al., 2018; National Science Board, 2024). This dissertation explores how collaborative partnerships among elementary schools, community organizations, and industry professionals can overcome these barriers and foster meaningful, sustainable STEM learning opportunities for young students. Drawing on the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) model (Kretzmann & McKnight, 1993) and informed by a constructivist theoretical framework (Vygotsky, …

Factors Contributing To Teacher Attrition From The Perspectives Of Teachers Who Left The Profession, Malik Padgett

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined teacher attrition, a persistent challenge in K–12 education. Nearly 20% of teachers leave by their third year, with up to 50% departing by the fifth year. High turnover disrupts learning, strains resources, and diminishes educational quality, particularly in under-resourced communities. Addressing these issues is crucial for improving retention and fostering stability.

The study explored key factors driving attrition, including inadequate compensation, excessive workload, insufficient professional development, and limited administrative support, especially in the post-COVID era. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the research highlighted the role of leadership in fostering morale and ethics rather than merely transactional …

Sustainable Community Development Case Study Of Collaboration, And Participation Between A Nonprofit Organization And Governance, Nicholas L. Brooks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe Lake Calumet Task Force (LCTF) is a nonprofit community organization that has developed the Green Economic Industrial Corridor (GEIC) plan. The GEIC plan presents the socio-economic needs of Lake Calumet’s communities and proposed improvements to the natural and built environment, which have been neglected for decades. There was a gap in knowledge regarding collaboration and formation of partnerships for the design and implementation of sustainable development strategies across other key stakeholders. The qualitative case study explored how LCTF can combine principles of cooperation, partnership, and participation, with the local governmental agency’s design and implementation strategies, to enlarge upon the …

In The Garden: Capacities That Contribute To Community Groups Establishing Community Gardens,, Gerard Doyle

Articles

Based on case studies in Dublin, Ireland, this paper examines the motives for individuals to establish community gardens therein. The paper also outlines the capacities required for community groups to successfully establish and sustain community gardens in Ireland. These capacities include the involvement of individuals with a range of expertise, the presence of supportive community groups/organisations and state agencies, and access to resources, including land. The research findings, detailed in this paper, indicate that community gardens in urban settings encounter a number of challenges, including the absence of a mechanism for community groups to access land. The article provides a …

Cultivating A Community Of Practice Model To Support And Encourage Innovative T&L Practices To Engage Practitioners And Enhance Student Success, Jen Harvey, Derek Dodd, Catherine Deegan, Olivia Freeman, Cormac H. Macmahon, Helen Williams

Irish Journal of Academic Practice

Communities of Practice (CoPs) are naturally forming groups of individuals who come together through a shared passion or goal and learn collectively by reciprocating knowledge and experiences. With competing demands of faculty, universities are increasingly challenged to provide professional development opportunities that actively encourage innovative pedagogical practices to enhance student success and quality of the learner experience. We report on four embryonic CoPs, based on collaborative processes, supporting institutional transformation and the formation of a new education model at Ireland’s first Technological University (TU). Juxtaposing a series of planned learning innovations with spontaneous interactions and actions of CoP members, we …

The Creeks And Communities Strategy: Accelerating Cooperative Riparian Restoration, Sandra Wyman, Sherman Swanson, Laura Van Riper

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Leadership Insights: Life Stories Of Three Individuals' Paths To National Leadership In Prek-12 Education For Sustainability, Alice Altfillisch Earle

Educational Studies Dissertations

Abstract This study focused on the narratives of three national leaders in the field of Education for Sustainability (EfS) for the purpose of illuminating pathways to leadership in PreK-12 EfS for educators and school leaders. Stanger’s (2011) eco-sociological model of human development and learning was used as a framework for examining contextual influencers of participants’ formative experiences associated with family of origin, land/places where they grew up, and education as well as pivotal experiences that informed their Prek-12 EfS leadership development. Five themes related to sustainability also served as core concepts throughout this study: positionality, spirituality, social justice, equity, and …

Evaluating Research Centers In Minority Institutions: Framework, Metrics, Best Practices, And Challenges, Angela Sy, Traci Hayes, Kelly Laurila, Carlamarie Noboa, Robbert J. Langwerden, Michelle M. Hospital, Doris A. Andújar-Pérez, Lakesha Stevenson, Suzanne M.Randolph Cunningham, Latrice Rollins, Hala Madanat, Tanya Penn, Shiva Mehravaran

Faculty Publications

The NIH-funded Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) program is currently funding 18 academic institutions to strengthen the research environment and contribution to health disparities research. The purpose of this multiphase mixed-methods study was to establish a uniform evaluation framework for demonstrating the collective success of this research consortium. Methods included discussions of aims and logic models at the RCMI Evaluators’ Workshop, a literature review to inform an evaluation conceptual framework, and a case study survey to obtain evaluation-related information and metrics. Ten RCMIs participated in the workshop and 14 submitted responses to the survey. The resultant RCMI Evaluation Conceptual …

Enhanced Model Of Collaboration And Social Capital: Hampton Roads All Hazards Advisory Committee: A Replication Study, Adale M. Martin

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

To address the call for improving the understanding of collaboration in public policy, this dissertation is designed to validate a study by Morris, Gibson, Leavitt, and Jones (2013), entitled, The Case for Grassroots Collaboration: Social Capital and Ecosystem Restoration at the Local Level. The Enhanced Model of Collaboration (EMC), which was developed to explore collaboration and social capital deriving from grassroots efforts, will be applied to examine agency-based regional collaboration in southeastern Virginia.

The population for this study is the members of the Hampton Roads All Hazards Advisory Committee (AHAC). Members include representatives of local, state, and federal government agencies, …

Evaluation Of Coach-Based Technical Assistance: An Evolving Focus On Coachability And Goal Setting, Kimberly J. Mccarthy, Daniel F. Perkins, Matthew Roberts, Shane Potter, Autumn H. Guin, Jan B. Carroll, Nancy C. Deringer, James E. Ballard, Lynne M. Borden

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

In 2013, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture supported the creation of a professional development and technical assistance center to promote strong implementation and evaluation of University-led, community-based projects serving low-resource populations. Within this center, a coaching cadre was established to provide proactive and responsive technical assistance. Formative evaluation involving coaches and their primary contacts was used for refinement of coaching practices. Initially, coaches were encouraged to build strong interpersonal rapport. This set the stage for trusting, reciprocal interactions, but coaches recognized a need for targeted support and more tools for quality programming, evaluation, and sustainability. Greater emphasis was …

From Research To Practice Change–Achieving Adoption Through Regionally Packaged Technology And Farm Systems, Kate Sargeant, Scott Glyde

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The rate and extent of adoption of grazing systems technology is limited by the relevance of recommendations and the complexity of integrating new practices into farming systems. This paper describes how, through development of regional information packages, a national project is enhancing adoption of the outputs from research investment. Every farm has unique goals, soils, landscape, enterprise setup and existing practices. When making investment decisions, farmers consider the cost and potential impact of each option compared to other competing options, the fit into their existing management philosophy and other changes necessary to realise the potential benefit. Overlaying this, farmers consider …

Using Site Visits To Strengthen Collaboration, Victor Piercey, Rebecca Segal, Afroditi Vennie Filippas, Tao Chen, Soloman Kone, Rosalyn Hobson Hargraves, Jack Bookman, John Hearn, Debbie Pike, Kathy S. Williams

Publications and Research

The SUMMIT-P project is a multi-institutional endeavor to leverage interdisciplinary collaboration in order to improve the teaching of undergraduate mathematics courses in the first two years of college. One goal of this work is to establish collaborative communities among the institutions involved. As part of the project, institutions visit one another on site visits that are structured according to a common protocol. The site visits have been valuable to the project. Participating institutions report the exchange of actionable ideas and feedback; members of the grant leadership team have used the site visits to direct the overall project, and evaluators have …

Using Site Visits To Strengthen Collaboration, Victor Piercey, Rebecca Segal, Afroditi Filippas, Tao Chen, Soloman Kone, Rosalyn Hargraves, Jack Bookman, John Hearn, Debbie Pike, Kathy Williams Phd

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

The SUMMIT-P project is a multi-institutional endeavor to leverage interdisciplinary collaboration in order to improve the teaching of undergraduate mathematics courses in the first two years of college. One goal of this work is to establish collaborative communities among the institutions involved. As part of the project, institutions visit one another on site visits that are structured according to a common protocol. The site visits have been valuable to the project. Participating institutions report the exchange of actionable ideas and feedback; members of the grant leadership team have used the site visits to direct the overall project, and evaluators have …

Constructing Commonmentalities: Toward Collaborative Governance, Knowledge And Subjectivity, Imil Ferrara

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Western society’s intractable social and environmental problems arise outside the bounds of classical liberal ideation, challenging the utilitarian rationality, decision-making faculty, and popular legitimacy of our liberal institutions. Through a qualitative analysis of three collaborative, community-based institutions, this study aims to identify and illuminate alternative conceptions and organizational relationships, which transcend liberal shortcomings and succeed precisely where liberal institutions have failed. It draws on Michel Foucault’s account of liberal governance, discourse and subject formation, but employs a complex-systems lens to move from critical deconstruction to intentional normative construction, from radical subjectivism to a collaborative pragmatic realism, and from the critique …

Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr) Programs In Philippine Libraries, Joseph Marmol Yap, Martin Julius Villangca Perez, Elijah John Fernando Dar Juan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Libraries are sometimes the least priority of a public school, a state university, a local government unit or an enterprise. With the efforts of its administrators and help of the innovative librarians, these libraries could solicit book donations and other information products, collaterals, library equipment and furniture if they have the right contact person – the CSR managers from the generous donors. More often than not, these libraries try to squeeze in the meager funds they get from their institutions and try to work it out based from their day-to-day needs.

This paper presents 14 organizations / corporations that are …

Seeking An Intentional Crossroads: Working Towards An Understanding Of Community Building In Hawai’I Public Libraries, Vanessa Irvin, Nicholas Cho, Sarah Nakashima

Collaborative Librarianship

Public libraries in Hawai’i serve one of the most diverse populations in the United States. With 51 branch locations across six islands, Hawaii's public libraries are central hubs for citizens, where community building can take place. This paper seeks to explore ways in which community building takes place at public libraries in Hawai’i. Through on-site visits at public libraries, observations of training sessions of participants of a Hawai’i-based public library professional development program (Hui ‘Ekolu), and informal interviews with local public library patrons, key themes, reflections and analysis convey a common question across all groups: “What is a Native Hawaiian …

An Australian Dynamic: Reflections On The Role Of Partnerships In The Transformation Of Australian Research, And Research Infrastructure And Capability Development, Ingrid Mason, Dr Frankie Stevens, Natasha Simons, Ric Phillips, Heath Marks

Proceedings of the IATUL Conferences

Australian academic libraries first became partners in the transformation of Australian data and technology enabled research in 2008 through their involvement with the Australian National Data Service (ANDS) program to advance research data management capacity and capability. The partnership of academic libraries with ANDS enabled the development of new research support services and helped to shift the knowledge base of the academic community in research data management, in Australia. Recent training initiatives like the ANDS 23 Things was directed toward academic librarians to increase their knowledge of and capacity to help researchers use national research infrastructure and to manage their …

Pooling Power: Engaging Nonprofits In Coalitions For Social Change, Michaela Nee

Master's Projects and Capstones

The purpose of this research is to explore the nonprofit sector’s role in social movements and systemic change, the benefits of operating in a coalition, and how nonprofits can leverage and effectively participate in coalitions for systemic social change. While the nonprofit sector has been set at a structural disadvantage in many ways for participating in social movements, it also boasts many unique characteristics and resources that can be leveraged for effective social change that goes beyond daily nonprofit services. Collaboration is a well-known best practice for organizational efficiency and can be enacted in the form of coalitions for nonprofits …

Elevating Outdoor Recreation Together: Opportunities For Collaboration Between State Offices Of Outdoor Recreation And Federal Land Management Agencies, Brooke A. Sausser

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Outdoor recreation is a robust pillar of local, state, and national economies as well as a critical component of residents’ quality of life. Recognition of the economic power of the outdoor industry, fused with the growing desire for greater outdoor recreation opportunities, has inspired more than 11 states to establish state offices of outdoor recreation. The organizational structure and mission of each office is tailored to each state, varying from temporary task forces, councils, and commissions to more permanent offices or advisory positions. These offices, though embedded within various sectors of state government, often coordinate across or blend the functions …

Mapping Collective Action Structures And Activities In A Rural Age-Friendly Communities Initiative, Althea R. Pestine-Stevens

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Age-Friendly Communities (AFC) initiatives convene stakeholders across sectors and service areas throughout a community to work together to improve the social and built environments for older persons living in the community. While the AFC movement has been active internationally for thirteen years, little is known about the mechanisms that drive this work and its successes. This study aims to uncover some of the key collective action processes and structures that comprise AFC work in a rural county in New York State, through a collaboration theory framework and a social network analysis design.

Digging Up The Past: Archival Issues With Found Time Capsules At Illinois State University, April K. Anderson-Zorn

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

During the demolition of an Illinois State University dormitory in the spring of 2016, workers discovered two time capsules. Tasked with their care, the university archivist looked for archival guidance on the safe handling of time capsules, best practices for working with their contents while balancing public demand for access. This case study examines the time capsule as an object of collective memory, how it fits into an institutional collection, the archivist’s work to document and recover materials in two recently discovered time capsules, and how to work with multiple institutional departments to make them accessible. It suggests best practices …

Through The Looking Glass: Viewing First-Year Composition Through The Lens Of Information Literacy, Alexandria Chisholm, Brett Spencer

Communications in Information Literacy

This paper presents a case study of how librarians can situate themselves as pedagogical partners by bringing their unique information literacy perspective and expertise to the programmatic assessment process. This report resulted from the Thun Library and the Penn State Berks Composition Program's collaboration to assess the institution’s first-year composition (FYC) course. From previous programmatic assessments of their students’ work, the faculty had a sense that students struggled with source use in their rhetoric but found it difficult to pinpoint students’ exact source issues. By adapting a rubric theoretically-grounded in the ACRL Framework to deconstruct the concept of source use …

Beyond The Buzzword: Examining Collective Impact As A Framework For Cross-Sector Collaboration, Mollie Brooks

VA Engage Journal

Despite the sizable financial and human capital investment in the nonprofit sector, large-scale social issues, such as poverty and hunger, continue to plague our society. Collective impact, a framework for cross-sector collaboration that emerged in 2011, offers a method to harness the capabilities of each sector to generate systems-level change. In this paper, the author examines the strengths and weaknesses of collective impact by conducting interviews with stakeholders from a collective impact initiative addressing education in a mid-sized city in the United States. This study reports the findings, implications, and recommendations gained from a qualitative analysis of the interview data.

Collaboration Across The Curriculum: Urban Planning & Public Health, Lula Geyre

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The way our communities are designed impacts our health. and there is an increasing need for collaboration between urban planners and public health professionals. Yet, it is not clear to what extent universities are preparing public health and planning students to work together. Our research will shed light on this important topic by evaluating the course requirements for both of these disciplines in accredited institutions and look at how they are addressing interprofessional issues such as land development, transportation policies, air/water quality, and community growth issues. The current study explores the availability of interdisciplinary courses in accredited undergraduate and graduate …

Can The Qualities Of Intrinsically Motivated Individuals At Diverse “Life Stages” Be Harnessed To Create Social Change?, Donna Lynne Greene

Theses - ALL

For my thesis investigation, I researched the intrinsic motivational qualities of individuals at diverse “life stages”. I’m trying to develop a method or system of solving problems that tapped into these main things: First the idea of intrinsic motivation, Second the knowledge and understanding of diverse life stages, Third the methods of design thinking, Fourth the cooperative nature of community and collaboration.

I explored these things to develop an intergenerational system of collaboration and thought exchange toward the goal of helping to solve societal issues on many levels, (personal, local, regional, internationally). My design is a collaborative social innovation community.