Digital Commons Network^™

Large Research Center Education And Outreach: Lessons From 5 Years Of Distributed Collaborative Design, Development And Implementation, Sean Brophy, Thalia Anagnos

Faculty Publications

Paper from the 121st ASEE Annual Conference, Indianapolis. The George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Summation (NEES) completes its tenth year of operation in September 2014. The NEES Center consists of a network of 14 large-scale experimental laboratories that collaborate and share resources in support of research to inform civil engineering practice and reduce losses from future earthquakes. Since the development of the center in 2003, the education, outreach and training (EOT) program has grown from a federation of local outreach activities to an integrated network of “specialists” working together to obtain significant impact towards defined education goals. …

Toward Digital, Critical, Participatory Action Research: Lessons From The #Barrioedproj, Edwin Mayorga

Educational Studies Faculty Works

The Education in our Barrios project, or #BarrioEdProj, is a digital critical participatory action research (D+CPAR) project that examines the interconnected remaking of public education and a New York City Latino core community in an era of racial capitalism. This article is a meditation on the ongoing development of #BarrioEdProj as an example of strategically coupling digital media with the theories and practices of critical participatory action research (CPAR). The author describes the project and the theoretical and political commitments that frame this project as a form of public and participatory science. The author then discusses some of the lessons …

Students’ Digital Photography Behaviors During A Multiday Environmental Science Field Trip And Their Recollections Of Photographed Science Content, Victor R. Lee

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Taking photographs to document the experiences of an educational field trip is becoming a common activity for teachers and students alike. Considering the regular creation of photographic artifacts, our goal in this paper is to explore students’ picture taking behavior and their recollections of science content associated with their photographs. In this study, we partnered with a class of fifth-grade students in the United States and provided each student with a digital camera to document their experiences during an environmental science field trip at a national park. We report the frequency of photography behaviors according to which activities were most …

Gamification Of Education: A Review Of Literature, Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah, Qing Zeng, Venkata R. Telaprolu, Abhishek Padmanabhuni Ayyappa, Brenda Eschenbrenner

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We synthesized the literature on gamification of education by conducting a review of the literature on gamification in the educational and learning context. Based on our review, we identified several game design elements that are used in education. These game design elements include points, levels/stages, badges, leaderboards, prizes, progress bars, storyline, and feedback. We provided examples from the literature to illustrate the application of gamification in the educational context.

Constructive Visualization, Samuel Huron, Sheelagh Carpendale, Alice Thudt, Anthony Tang, Michael Mauerer

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

If visualization is to be democratized, we need to provide means for non-experts to create visualizations that allow them to engage directly with datasets. We present constructive visualization a new paradigm for the simple creation of flexible, dynamic visualizations. Constructive visualization is simple—in that the skills required to build and manipulate the visualizations are akin to kindergarten play; it is expressive— in that one can build within the constraints of the chosen environment, and it also supports dynamics — in that these constructed visualizations can be rebuilt and adjusted. We describe the conceptual components and processes underlying constructive visualization, and …

Case Studies On Art Education In Egypt, Mahitab Hamama

Theses and Dissertations

Art education, art class in particular, is not given as much attention as core subjects at schools in Egypt. The research examines two private language schools in Cairo and how they handle art education. It compares the teaching and viewpoints of art teachers at both schools as well as those of students. The research will address the following questions: (1) whether art education is neglected in private language schools in Egypt; and (2) if special attention is given to art education curriculum and teaching methods. This study is a qualitative one; data sources such as key informant interviews and document …

Utilization Of Emotional Intelligence Traits By Public School Superintendents In The State Of Arkansas, Lisa Ann Adams

Theses and Dissertations

A leadership shortage has been documented across professions. Emotional intelligence skills, traits, and abilities have received much attention as a tool for business leaders in the past decade as a way to increase leadership skill, meet organizational goals, and enhance profits. The study sought to determine whether public school superintendents in the state of Arkansas who self-reported high levels of emotional intelligence traits on the Test of Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF) managed school districts with higher student achievement and larger school district budgets as compared to superintendents who reported lower levels of emotional intelligence traits. If so, results might …

Teaching For Reading

News Releases

No abstract provided.

Financial Aid Administration: Effect And Innovation, Brendan Williams

Public Affairs Capstones Collection

As college costs continue to rise, the importance of financial aid to create equitable access to higher education has also risen. This increase in importance of financial aid has coincided with an increase in the complication of the financial aid process. This paper explores challenges of financial aid administration, the effect of financial aid, and potential innovations in the field. Through one-on-one interviews with administrators, students, college access organization employees and a college access researcher the common themes are explored highlighted. The qualitative analysis of these interviews revealed the financial aid process to be complicated and burdensome for everyone involved, …

Guardians Of Historical Knowledge: Textbook Politics, Conservative Activism, And School Reform In Mississippi, 1928-1982, Kevin Boland Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the role cultural transmission of historical myths plays in power relationships and identity formation through a study of the Mississippi textbook regulatory agency and various civic organizations that shaped education policy in addition to textbook content. A study of massive resistance to integration, my project focuses on the anticommunism and conservative ideology of grassroots segregationists. Civic-patriotic societies such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, the American Legion, and Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation formed as the major alliance affecting the state’s education system in the post-World War II era. Once the state department of education centralized its …

Affecting Attitudes Towards Science, High School African American Students, Charles Brett Anderton

Theses and Dissertations

Racial minorities, women, and people with disabilities are underrepresented in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Attitude towards science has been shown to be a reliable predictor of science achievement. Project-Based Learning (PBL) has been shown to improve attitude towards a topic. The sample selected consisted of 113 African American high school students (68% to 32% female to male ratio) from Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. A quasi-experimental research design which consisted of pre and post intervention measures of participants’ attitudes towards science was utilized in this study. Overall, Phase 1, a week-long residential camp, saw greater increases …

A Closer Look At Relational Aggression, Tara M. Patton

Linfield University Student Symposium: A Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Achievement

This research examines relational aggression and its increasing prominence in our culture today, specifically with school-aged children. Relational aggression, behaviors that inflict harm through manipulating, damaging, or controlling of relationships, has been proven to be an issue, but it is not easily recognized. Research has found a majority of schools do not mention relational aggression in their bullying contracts. Rather, schools focus on physical aggression, which leads to uneducated students and adults on the issue examined. This research discusses the definition, affects, causes, and needed preventions of relational aggression. Studies found that many aspects of an individual’s life work together …

The Experiences Of Nurses Returning To School For The Baccalaureate: A Metasynthesis, Linda M. Perfetto

Nursing Education Research Conference (NERC)

Session presented on: Friday, April 4, 2014

Aim/Purpose: This metasynthesis assists the interpretation of qualitative research performed to explore the experience of registered nurses who return to school to pursue a baccalaureate degree. Understanding these experiences can assist achievement of the national goal of 80% BSN by 2020.

Background: As few as 21% of all RNs prepared at the associate or diploma level go on to earn a baccalaureate degree (DHHS, 2010) and experts believe that enhanced academic/clinical partnerships can result in improvement (Niederhauser, et al., 2010; Tanner, 2010).

Methods: The method of Noblit and Hare (1998) was followed to …

Nutritional Ergogenic Aid Use In Male College Students, Megan Elizabeth Solloway

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The perceived need of nutritional ergogenic aids among college students produces concern regarding the safety and efficacy of such aids. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the rationale and use of nutritional ergogenic aids in male college students ages 18-25. Students participated in an anonymous survey assessing nutritional ergogenic supplementation and rationale behind use. There was no significant difference in supplement use between competitive and non-competitive athletes (p=0.708). However, a significant difference in nutritional ergogenic aid use between heavy and light exercisers was noted, with heavy exercisers more likely to use supplements than light exercisers (p=0.041). The primary …

Breaking The Glass Ceiling? Gender And Leadership In Higher Education, Barret Mary Katuna

Doctoral Dissertations

Gender, work, and organizations scholarship that focuses on women in relationship to leadership roles focuses on gendered experiences including sexual harassment (Chamberlain, Tope, Crowley, and Hodson 2008; McLaughlin, Uggen, and Blackstone 2012; Zippel 2006), glass ceilings (Williams 1992; 1995), mentoring and collegial work relationships (Britton 2000; Chalmers 2001; DeHart-Davis 2009; Kantola 2008; Lorber 1994; Martin 2003; Ridgeway 1997; Wallace 2014) and the work and family balance (Acker 1990; 1992; Cha 2013; Damaske 2011; Gerson 2010; Hochschild 1997; Kelly, Ammons, Chermack and Moen 2010; Macdonald 2010; Williams 2010). While gender research shows that women face exceptional disadvantages in the workplace, it …

Risd Pod 2014 Alumni Research Report, Project Open Door

Publications + Documents + Videos

Research and report by Craig Dreeszen, Ph.D., Dreeszen & Associates with Dr. Paul Sproll, Head, Department of Teaching + Learning in Art + Design (TLAD) and TLAD MA research assistants, Karina Esperanza Yanez, En-Ling Lu, and Lauren Allen, Rhode Island School of Design Funding for the research provided by the Surdna Foundation. Dreeszen & Associates was commissioned to work with the Department of Teaching + Learning in Art + Design faculty and graduate research assistants. The research objective was to identify, find, and collect data and stories about the paths taken by Rhode Island teens (RI POD alumni) who …

Higher Education Institution Choice Behaviors Of International Students On U.S. College Campuses, Anil Tan

Theses & Dissertations

The economic, social, and personal value of education has been realized as motivating factors for seeking a better education overseas by individuals. In addition, political, economic, and educational conditions of home countries impact individuals’ decisions to study abroad. There were over 4 million tertiary students studying outside their home countries in 2011. Nearly 820,000 of those students were studying in higher education institutions in the United States. Students from China, India, and South Korea comprise nearly 49% of the international students in the United States. The increase in the number of students studying overseas and their valuable contributions develop a …

Strengths-Based Leadership: Seeking A Connection Between Strengths-Based Leadership Domains And Women Leaders In Higher Education, Sarah Engel

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This exploratory study examines the leadership styles of a small sample of high level women leaders in the profession of higher education. In this study, high-level is indicative of directors, assistant/associate deans, deans, assistant/associate vice presidents, vice presidents, provosts or presidents. Due to the disparity of women leaders attaining high level leadership roles within higher education professions, this sample study discusses the connections between strength-based leadership domains and high-level women leaders. Additional connections between other leadership competencies and leadership styles are also considered, including Northouse leadership styles, Level 5 leadership, resilient leadership, emotional intelligence and authentic leadership. Results are discussed …

Exploring The Potential Of Video Games As Educational And Story-Telling Tools, Kelsen Amy Kitchen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

For my honors thesis, I have attempted to explore the potential of video games as educational and storytelling tools. The central questions I formulated before beginning this project are twofold:

1. How can video games be used as tools to educate players?

2. How can video games be used to tell stories, and how are they unique from other storytelling methods?

In pursuit of the answer to the first question, I conducted a literature review of articles that explored the educational and cultural potential of various video games. The articles that I surveyed were diverse, ranging from studies of elementary …

Supporting Students With Psychiatric Disabilities In Postsecondary Education: Important Knowledge, Skills, And Attitudes, Scott I. Kupferman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Students with psychiatric disabilities are the largest subgroup of students with disabilities enrolled in postsecondary education. However, their high enrollment rate does not equate to a high retention rate. Approximately 86 percent of students with psychiatric disabilities withdraw prior to degree completion. As a result, calls for improved disability services in postsecondary education have been plentiful. In an effort to take a step toward answering these calls, the current study began the exploratory process of identifying knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are important for disability service professionals to possess in order to provide beneficial services to students with psychiatric disabilities …

Understanding, Teaching And Nurturing Creativity: Who Is Going To Do It?, Brent C. Minet

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project investigates what creativity is and whether or not it can be taught. An investigation of the current education system was conducted. Research has shown that our education system is not doing a satisfactory job when it comes to nurturing creativity in students. Our educational systems lack focus in the area of creativity. It is up to the parents to demonstrate and nurture creativity for their children in the home. In order for this to take place, parents must first understand what creativity is, its importance in society and the economy, the fact that it is teachable and learnable …

Sexuality Demographics And The College Admissions Process: Implications Of Asking Applicants To Reveal Their Sexual Orientation, F. Lee Casson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Many universities and colleges are considering if potential students should disclose their sexual orientation when filling out an application for admission. This recent trend, however, has generated a debate among administrators who work directly with LGBT students: What, they wonder, are the various positive and negative implications of quantifying sexual orientation? To address this question, this study utilized a descriptive design and looked at a national LGBT organization of educators, a non-generalizable population of approximately 700 members, in order to identify, categorize, exemplify, and describe the complex issues surrounding a sexual-orientation demographic. The methodology included a combination of quantitative and …

Connecting With Families Of Poverty Handbook, Rebecca Christine Oren

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to create a handbook describing services available in the Sumner School District and researched based practices for elementary administrators and teachers to use when working with students and families of poverty. The McKinney-Vento Act in the United States protects families to ensure that all students have immediate access to school-linked services, including free breakfast and lunch, as well as transportation needs for getting to and from school. This handbook includes descriptions and contact information for local support organizations that administrators and teachers can additionally partner with to create supportive learning environments within their school …

Don’T You Be Telling Me How Tah Talk: Education, Ebonics, And Code-Switching, Laquita N. Gresham

Honors Theses

Ebonics, currently referred to as African-American English (AAE), is a highly-controversial topic inside and outside of the classroom. Many educators, scholars, and legislators debate how teachers should approach students who speak AAE and how they can fill the gap between African-American English and Standard English in a way that disbands the dialectal prejudices that may exist. This thesis focuses on code-switching as a pedagogical tool to help teachers instruct Black students in mastering Standard English on a proficient level, particularly Black students who speak AAE. This study explores current problems and practices in the way that English teachers approach AAE …

Copyright Awareness, Partnerships, And Training Issues In Academic Libraries, Deborah H. Charbonneau, Michael Priehs

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

This article reports on the results of a national survey of academic librarians and library staff (N = 226) in the United States about their awareness of various copyright policies, partnerships with campus groups to address copyright issues, and training needs. A majority of the survey respondents reported that they have answered copyright-related questions in the workplace, yet only 49% (n = 98) of the respondents perceived they were prepared to provide copyright information to library users. Awareness of various copyright policies among librarians and staff members varied, including a reported minimal awareness of the T.E.A.C.H. Act. In addition, survey …

Vocabulary Instruction Practices Of Highly Effective Kindergarten Teachers, Huda Alenezi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate vocabulary instruction in kindergarten classrooms by exploring and describing highly effective kindergarten teachers' practices. The fundamental question that guided this study was how do highly effective kindergarten teachers teach vocabulary? The study focused on five areas: teachers' methods, techniques to select vocabulary, assessment approaches, use of technology and whether their practices in the previous four areas were consistent with recent research. The study involved nine highly effective kindergarten teachers from nine elementary schools within one school district in Northwest Arkansas. The sample teachers were selected based on principals' recommendations, using specific …

Teaching The Universal Language Of Creativity: A Guide To Training., Carlie R. Arnone

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Teaching the Universal Language of Creativity: A Guide to Training.

The purpose of education in any regard is to provide knowledge and information, to teach something. Parents, educators, and professionals alike are experiencing some difficulty in education, in that they are not being properly taught how to nurture some particular needs of individuals with developmental disabilities, specifically on how to use creativity to do so. Educators, parents, and professionals in the field need to start advocating for a balance between strict regulations and creativity. In the recent years, there has been quite the push for creativity and innovation in businesses, …

Technology And Client Communications: Preparing Law Students And New Lawyers To Make Choices That Comply With The Ethical Duties Of Confidentiality, Competence, And Communication, Kristin J. Hazelwood

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

That the use of technology has radically changed the legal profession is beyond dispute. Through technology, lawyers can now represent clients in faraway states and countries, and they can represent even local clients through a “virtual law office.” Gone are the times in which the lawyer’s choices for communicating with clients primarily involve preparing formal business letters to convey advice, holding in-person client meetings in the office, or conducting telephone calls with clients on landlines from the confines of the lawyer’s office. Not only do lawyers have choices about how to communicate with their clients, but they also frequently choose …

Competency-Based Education In Public High Schools, Angus M. Cantwell

Senior Honors Projects

Recent government-backed programs such as Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind have increased competition in schools in an effort to improve student and teacher performance. However, these programs have not had as drastic an impact as many had hoped, and the United States continues to toil in the middle of the pack educationally when compared with the rest of the world.

As many students have continued to struggle in school, many different ideas have been introduced into different levels of the education system in an attempt to raise scores and boost performance. One such idea is competency-based …

Factors Affecting Attitudes Towards Individuals With Schizophrenia: Perceptions Of Mexican American College Students, Valerie Paredes

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study is designed to examine the effects of acculturation and level of familiarity on stigma of Mexican American college students towards individuals with schizophrenia along the border of Texas and Mexico (N = 223). The area has a history of high levels of disparity in regards to the utilization of mental health services. Data was collected by surveying Mexican American college students through a convenience sample at two separate post-secondary southwestern Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) along a border community. The instrumentation for the study was composed of a demographic questionnaire, The Acculturation Scale for Mexican-Americans-II (Cuéllar, Arnold, & Maldonado, 1995), …