Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Virtual Learning Modalities On The Academic Success Of Students In One Arkansas School District, Diane F. Richards

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way Arkansas public schools’ offered students an education. While moving through this pandemic, many Arkansas schools implemented optional methods of delivery for their students. Some schools tried to maintain face-to-face classes, while others offered completely online classes. Still, others offered a hybrid format where students attended some face-to-face classes and online classes. One Arkansas school district offered all three options. School districts need guidance as to which teaching methods worked well. The long-term effects of the educational impact of COVID-19 are not known at this time. Schools could benefit from a guide with useful strategies …

The Implementation Of A Validated Csec Screening Tool For Youth Age 11 - 17 In A Pediatric Emergency Room, Julie Clark, Josie Doss, Krystal E. Canady, Yameika Head Md

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Youth are a vulnerable population due to their age, developmental level, and dependability on others. Child abuse is a public health issue that addresses a broad range of inflicted harm ranging from neglect to physical and sexual maltreatment. A severe form of child sexual abuse is the Commercial Exploitation of Children (CSEC), also known as Child Sex Trafficking (CST), and Human Minor Sex Trafficking (HMST). For purposes of this paper, CSEC is used for CSEC, CST, and HMST. Commercial sexual exploitation of children includes sexual crimes involving children and adolescents for gain. Due to the child being less than 18 …

Getting It Write: The Influence Of Growth Mindset On Secondary Students' Perceptions Of Their Writing Abilities, Megan Hertz

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study investigated the ways in which growth mindset activities influenced secondary students’ perceptions of their writing abilities and skills. The researcher introduced growth mindset strategies, language, and instruction into two class periods of a 10th–grade English classroom to improve students’ perceptions of their writing abilities and to develop students’ writing skills. Data were collected with pre– and post–intervention surveys, field notes, written artifacts, and individual interviews. The constant comparative method was used to analyze qualitative data to identify significant themes. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data. The researcher found the participants expressed improved resilience in response to …

2022 Great Expectations Spring Faculty Conference, Academic Affairs

Spring Great Expectation Faculty Conference

The 2022 Great Expectations Spring Faculty Conference featured a talk about renewal in file drawers facilitated by Alison Prindle (Professor Emerita of English, INST Chair 1987-1994) and Beth Daugherty (Professor Emerita of English, INST Chair 1994-2000).

After the talk, various groups and departments offered programs that talked about the experiences of the groups, the use of Open Education Resources, and integrating ecological knowledge into the curriculum. The day finished out with a discussion of the 2022-2023 common book, What The Eyes Don't See by Mona Hanna-Attisha.

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Online Instruction During The Covid-19 Pandemic And The New Paradigm Of Higher Education In The Post-Covid Era — A Mixed Methods Study, Meng Yan

ETD Archive

Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, entire student bodies in the United States were compelled to take all their classes online. Given the challenges of online instruction, combined with the time and support it takes for faculty to become proficient in teaching online, it was likely that the online learning experiences instructors provided to their students were not fully featured and that new teaching approaches were not optimally implemented. Using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison et al., 2000) as the theoretical framework, this explanatory sequential mixed methods study aimed to investigate university faculty and student perceptions …

Leading With Heart: How Exemplary K-5 Principals Demonstrate Transformational Leadership Through Heart-Based Practices, Teresa Hubbard

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary K-5 principals in Southern California lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s (2011) 4 principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their schools.

Methodology: This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological methodology to study the behaviors of elementary principals. This study, due to current Covid restrictions, included virtual one-on-one interviews that were held via the Zoom online platform. The data collected included audio and video recordings, written transcripts, and artifacts from school …

Six Strategies For Classroom Success: Enhancing Teaching And Learning For English Learners In Diverse Content Areas, Scott Freiberger

Journal of English Learner Education

As a result of the pandemic, teaching and learning has changed drastically over the past few years (Dascalu et al., 2021). Planning for classroom success for English Learners (ELs) includes pivoting to using educational technology to keep students motivated with well-planned topics, thought-provoking discussions, and respectful yet probing questioning techniques (Freiberger, 2020). In addition to enhancing academic language, educators may also consider infusing various contemporary technologies to revamp vocabulary knowledge, uplift language and literacy, and polish academic performance. Here are six strategies for enhancing teaching and learning for ELs in diverse content areas.

Dialysis Patient Education On The Prevention Of Kidney Disease Prior To Patients Receiving Dialysis: A Retrospective Descriptive Study, Jamie D. Jones

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Fifty-two adult patients at an outpatient dialysis center in central Arkansas were surveyed regarding the education that was provided by medical professionals related to kidney disease and dialysis during treatment of hypertension and diabetes. The twenty-question survey inquired about demographic information, medical history, and the timing and perceived comprehension of education received. The researcher discovered that the majority of patients did not receive education that identified hypertension and diabetes as contributing factors of kidney disease until after diagnosis of kidney disease. The vast majority of participants reported that education regarding the life implications of dialysis, including fluid and dietary restrictions, …

A Collaborative Approach In Education Through Interprofessional Education (Ipe) And Practices (Ipp) Of Classroom Teachers And Speech-Language Pathologists To Develop Professional Identity, Communication Skills, And Goal Sharing, Avery Smith

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Interprofessional Education (IPE) and Interprofessional Practices (IPP) between classroom teachers and speech-language pathologists to further develop professional identity, enhance communication skills, and bolster collaborative goal sharing. The study aimed to establish interprofessional relationships between participants, which included two classroom teachers and a speech-language pathologist, as well as determine the effects that the interprofessional practices have on identified students in kindergarten and first-grade achievement. The speech-language pathologist and the classroom teachers were given a survey at the beginning and end of the intervention to gain qualified information providing an understanding …

Food Allergy Education In The Hospitality Industry, Hayley Stull

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Food allergies affect thousands of people, because hospitality foodservice workers come into contact with the public, it is necessary that they need to be fully trained to ensure the safety of the public. This is especially important for those who possess food allergies. Previous research has shown major gaps in knowledge amongst these workers, which can lead to the potential to harm individuals with a food allergy. There is a lack in the consistency of training specifically concerning food allergies for food service workers across all states in the U.S. There are previous forms of educational tools concerning food allergies …

The Medicalization Of Communication: An Analysis Of The Policies And Educational Practices Surrounding Patient And Physician Interaction, Ramona Jewelmaria Dorough

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation explores the medicalization domains through three studies to assert that communication exists in all facets of the patient- physician relationship. The first study is a policy analysis that examines the institutional domain through policies and educational standards created in the medical community that dictate the importance of communication. The second study examines medical students' level of clinical empathy using the Jefferson Scales of Empathy. The second study ties to the conceptual domain of the medicalization of communication, showing the creation of terminology (i.e., clinical empathy, clinical communication) helps uniquely identify and measure empathy through communication. The third study …

Hci Education And Ux Practice: Highlights From Singapore, Tamas Makany, Dharani Perera-Schulz

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This position paper highlights trends in education, practice, and support of HCI/UX in Singapore, a small city-state island in Southeast Asia. The paper was prepared for the 2022 Southeast Asia Computer-Human Interaction (SEACHI'22) virtual workshop on Apr 14, 2022, as part of the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI'22) international conference.

Educational Attainment Of Mexican American Immigrants: A Longitudinal Analysis In Six Texas Gateways, Ana G. Mariscal

Sociology & Anthropology Theses - Archive

This paper analyzes data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series to examine trends in educational attainment from 2000 to 2018 in six Texas gateway cities: El Paso, San Antonio, McAllen, Dallas Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin. Multilevel analyses explore three variables: generational cohort, citizenship status, and English proficiency and how they relate to years of education. Results demonstrate an overall increase in education, placing the 1.75 generation at the top of attainment along with the 2nd generation, and sometimes surpassing the latter in almost every gateway, while the 1.25 generation is achieving the lowest levels. Results also show that …

Integrating Neuroscience Research Into Social Work, Esteban Solis

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Historically, the field of social work has implemented a bio-psycho-social perspective to conceptualize mental illness, and to further investigate how biological, psychological and social factors contribute to client circumstances. Although, the biopsychosocial model aims to emphasize all three areas, in social work, psycho-social realms receive more attention while biological factors—particularly neurological ones receive less. Research and recent findings from neuroscience can enhance social work’s understanding of mental health and improve education, training and practice. However, very limited literature of cross-disciplinary collaborations between social work and neuroscience exists and the rationale for that is unclear. This study seeks to fill this …

Interdisciplinary Studies Masters Degree In Anthropological & Science Based Education, Robert Porter

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The goal of this project is to develop anthropological and science-based curricula that will emphasize a place-based approach while actively engaging students in their education. I developed two curricula for elementary aged students in San Bernardino. The first curriculum was based anthropologically on the local history of indigenous groups and early San Bernardino history. The second was based on paleontology here in California with a focus on dinosaurs and fossils.

To improve and validate the curricula I sent the examples to educational experts and had them critique the lessons and information provided. Then I used their input to improve the …

The Importance Of Parent-Teacher Communication And Collaboration And How To Enhance Them For Various Types Of Families, Madeleine O'Neil

Senior Honors Projects

An educator is defined as someone who provides instruction to others. What this definition does not include is how the role of a teacher or educator goes far beyond merely providing instructions and teaching others. In order to be effective, teachers must learn how to adequately communicate and collaborate with their students, other education professionals, and families. Especially in the education field, teachers must learn how to communicate and collaborate with each student’s family to help create positive, productive, and beneficial professional relationships.

Communication should be ongoing and should be carried out in a manner that works for both the …

Relationships Of Teacher Perceptions And Racially Diverse Third Grade Student Achievement : An Analysis Of Ecls-K:2011 Data University At Albany, Lynnette Renee Williams

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACTIt has been over 50 years since desegregation efforts began and many public-school systems in the United States are still battling with performance gaps between White and historically underrepresented students. The term historically underrepresented refers to people from diverse racial, cultural, linguistic, and economically disadvantaged backgrounds who have been denied access or suffered institutional discrimination in the United States, and according to the U.S. Census includes Blacks/African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans (Artiles et al., 2010). Many historically underrepresented students are lagging behind their peers on academic performance measures, standardized achievement tests, high school graduation, and college-career readiness …

Children's Book On Pragmatics, Emily Conners

Senior Honors Projects

Pragmatics of communication is the use of social language skills when communicating with others. These skills are important in learning how to appropriately communicate and in building relationships. This is one area of communication that children can have difficulties with when they are developing language skills.

This children’s book focuses on one pragmatic skill learned during development, using language to request permission, with the goal of teaching children aged two to five about its importance. I used my background knowledge in pragmatics and child development to write a story about a boy named Jacob that struggles to ask his Grandpa …

Examination Of Spelling Skills Of Elementary Students Who Are Deaf And Hard Of Hearing, Lacey Simpson

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Spelling is a crucial skill that children must learn to read, write, and communicate effectively, but this comes with challenges for students with hearing loss. Linguistic processes, such as phonological awareness, morphological awareness, orthographic awareness, semantic awareness, and mental graphemic representations are building blocks to understanding how to spell words accurately but are more difficult to grasp and apply with hearing loss. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the spelling skills of deaf and hard of hearing (d/hh) students to identify which linguistic processes need to be corrected and strengthened. By identifying which linguistic processes need remediation, educators …

Sedation Assessment And Management In The Intensive Care Unit, Kimberly Dyer, Courtney Garvey

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Nursing management of sedation medications in critical care patients is a complex responsibility, and studies have shown that proper use of sedation protocols can lead to improved patient outcomes. A knowledge gap among critical care nurses in the performance of Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) assessments was identified within a critical care unit during the 2019 annual skills day. Inaccurate RASS assessments may lead to inaccurate sedation management according to the current unit protocol and evidence from the literature, and therefore may impact patient outcomes. This project aims to improve a clinical practice within an intensive care unit. The objective …

Lgbtq+ Health Disparities: Healthcare Intervention, Kara Steinbrecher

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community has carried the burden of countless health disparities throughout its history tied to discrimination, bias, prejudice, and stigma. LGBTQ+ individuals are disproportionately at higher risk for substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, cardiovascular disease, mental illness, suicide, and unequal access to healthcare, related to social stigma and bias that exists in healthcare itself. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to analyze existing health disparities among the LGBTQ+ population in the United States and the efficacy of various interventions of health care professionals to reduce them. Twenty-one articles from multiple online …

Remedial Rhythm Reading: A Semester-Long Project In Sixth Grade Band, Hannah Fisher

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted student outcomes in all disciplines, but especially in the performing arts. As I began clinical teaching, I found my sixth-grade band students, particularly the students not involved in choir (my “small band”), lacked the music literacy and fluency expected for second-year band students. I designed a one semester rhythm-reading unit to address this issue. The overall objective for the unit follows:

“Students will be able to read, write, perform, and compose rhythms containing whole notes, half notes, dotted-half notes, dotted-quarter notes, quarter notes, paired eighth notes, single eighth notes, paired sixteenth notes, and corresponding rests …

Fostering Creativity In Education Including Natural Environments: A Course On Creativity For Children In Colombia, Tatiana Ortiz-Pradilla

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project is a contribution to the field of creativity and education. The project aimed to connect the research-based knowledge on how natural environments enhance creativity and put it in the service of creativity education for children. The main objective was to design a prototype of a course outline of a continuing education course on creativity that leverages the knowledge of the connection between creativity and natural environments for children between 7 and 12 years old in Medellín, Colombia, South America.

Using The Edtpa As A Model For Teacher Research And Reflective Practice: An Honors Thesis, Eva Jaeger

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Teacher research engages educators in inquiry to enhance their practice, initiate evidence-based change in their classroom and become more reflective practitioners in order to best support the learning of their students’ individual strengths and needs. The edTPA is a national teaching performance assessment that determines teachers’ effective practices as they are on the cusp of entering the educational profession. Aspiring teachers must demonstrate that they are prepared to enter the educational profession with the skills and knowledge needed to help each of their individual students learn. The edTPA was completed and submitted during the high school student teaching clinical experience, …

The Occupational Therapy Approach To Pain Treatment: A Pain Curriculum, Rosalee Howell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

It is within the scope of the occupational therapy profession to treat patients experiencing pain. The holistic approach used to assess and treat patients to improve functional performance is vital in treating pain. The focus is to decrease the detrimental impact of pain on the patient’s mental health, enhancing their ability to function in social and vocational roles. However, education is not adequately addressed in occupational therapy programs and is vital in preparing clinicians to meet the patient’s needs effectively.

This Doctoral Capstone was developed to highlight the importance and the benefit of education in preparing clinicians to treat patients …

Furthering Philosophy For The Future: An Exploration Of The Benefits Of High School Philosophy Education And The Barriers It Faces, Alexander Spencer '22

Honor Scholar Theses

In this paper, I will present a picture of how philosophy education should be integrated into American high schools, I will build a case for the benefits of this integration, and I will respond to some challenges to the process of bringing philosophy into the classroom. I hope to show that expanding philosophy education and encouraging critical thinking is important. American high schools are in need of new methods of instruction in this era of misinformation and fruitless political discourse. I hope to show that philosophy education is one tool in the project of improving education, and thus society in …

Inclusive Pedagogy: Connecting Disability And Race In Higher Education, Meredith Persin

All Theses

Higher education was never made for marginalized people. The academy was created based on the privileged white, able-bodied, males who preoccupied higher education for the longest time. While that has certainly changed over the years, the institution itself is still in the past resulting in BIPOC students and disabled students continuing to struggle within higher education. While instructors have begun to take interest in the need for inclusive pedagogy within the last decade, it still has a far way to come in order to help the marginalized students with intersecting identities and students who may not benefit from a one …

High School Career Guidance: From The View Of A Street-Level Bureaucrat, George Clair Thomas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

High school counselors struggle to complete the tasks assigned to them. Often serving more than 500 students, counselors must address requirements specified by the American School Counselor Associationâ??s national model. They must also perform duties required by state and local policy, as well as campus-designated priorities. Empirical studies of school counselors have focused on identifying the duties that counselors perform, the effectiveness of training that counselors have received, and issues that occur from the standpoint of local control of counselor duties. I found no study that identified how counselors prioritize what they do or the level of discretion that counselors …

Economic Disadvantage, Nativity, And Academic Performance And School Punishment Among Latino/A Children, Yolanda Chavez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cultural explanations of how familial resource inequality negatively impacts the academic well-being of a Latino/a child saturate the literature. This study examines the relationship between economic disadvantage and academic performance and school punishment through Family Stress Process Theory, providing a contextual analysis of resource instability. The additional myriad of legal and social constraints that parental nativity provides for family members can moderate this relationship. Data was drawn from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal measure of U.S. couples and their children in 20 large U.S. cities. Regression models indicate the relationship between economic disadvantage and academic performance …

A Computer Programming Intervention For Second Grade Math Students, Eric B. Bagley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The multiplication algorithms taught to elementary students are made to help students find answers quickly, but why the algorithm works and how it relates to multiplication is not widely known. For example, one intuitive meaning of multiplication is that of iterated, or, repeated, addition. In this paper, we look at the ways a visual, block-based, programming activity uses the concept of iteration to help second-graders learn multiplication. The results of the study observing second-grade students use visual programming and iteration to setup and solve multiplication story problems. We found that generally students enjoyed these activities and found them helpful during …