Digital Commons Network^™

A Program Evaluation Of A Worksite Wellness Initiative For Weight Loss, Nicholas Martinez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to conduct a program evaluation of ACME’s worksite weight loss initiative and collect evidence relative to the efficacy of the program. An anonymous online survey was administered to participants of the weight loss initiative. The survey was designed to gather information relative to the research questions, which explored the initiative’s barriers to participation, alignment of initiative with the goals of participants, utilization of initiative resources, overall strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement for the weight loss initiative, as well as the respondents’ general profile for the six dimensions of wellness. Reporting of data included …

Trafficking Victims In The Emergency Room Setting, Lisa M. Archer

Theses and Graduate Projects

Human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery, is a violation of human rights and a public health issue. Affecting millions worldwide, a high prevalence of human trafficking exists in the United States (US). Traffickers target vulnerable victims in an effort, through coercion and exploitation, to benefit financially, perpetuating the issue of supply and demand. Lacking a specific demographic, traffickers opportunistically seek out victims, such as targeting runaway and homeless youth, those sold through poverty, or those surviving in conditions caused by natural disaster. Multidisciplinary health care staff are uniquely positioned to recognize, assess, and intervene when encountering victims who seek …

Dietary And Supplemental Therapy In Crohn's Disease: Promoting Self-Care Through Knowledge, Jennifer Mary Senior

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background and Purpose: Crohn"s disease affects millions of people worldwide. It is a complex inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract and requires a high knowledge level in both the patient and provider for successful management. Many research studies are done on pharmaceutical options to treat Crohn"s disease, but few studies detail the impact of nutritional deficiencies. The purpose of the project was to increase knowledge levels in patients with Crohn"s disease regarding the latest dietary and supplemental therapies showing promise to support their disease state while promoting self-care and improving well-being. Additionally, the project demonstrates to other healthcare professionals the …

The Influence Of Lifestyle Medicine On Nurses' Belief Of Evidence Based Practice, Demecia Wade-Murdock

DNP and Student Works

Adult onset type 2 diabetes can be improved with lifestyle medicine, which is a prescriptive and patient-centered evidence-based practice model. It affords consistent patient monitoring and provides nurses with the education to support and assist individuals in improving their health. In this intervention, education and resources were given to improve nurses' knowledge of lifestyle medicine and evidence based practice. Public Health Nurses can help patients prevent or mitigate against diabetes related complications by utilizing lifestyle medicine. While lifestyle medicine programs vary, they all assist patients in adopting behaviors (e.g., diet, exercise) that will improve their health and quality of life.

Working Bodies: A Photo Essay On Tulare County Citrus Workers, Isamar Hernandez-Ramos

Agricultural Education and Communication

Many a times, when people think about their food, they think about origins. Where did it come from? Was it hygienic? Were the animals treated humanely? They seldom include the workers in their thought process, though the workers of the Ag industry provide what is arguably a vital part of the Ag industry. They do back-breaking labor in often lethal conditions for little pay (NFWM). The families of these workers often suffer economically, physically, and emotionally. In Tulare County, one of the top Agricultural counties in the country, the agricultural worker is often below the poverty line (Taylor, 2015). They …

Students’ Perceptions Of Using A Course Management System To Supplement Traditional Advising, Kelsey L. Hall, Rebecca G. Lawver, Kenna Mcmurray, John L. Hawley

Applied Sciences, Technology and Education Faculty Publications

Few universities have adapted their course man­agement systems to serve as an advising tool. The purpose of this qualitative study was to use focus group interviews to explore undergraduate students’ experi­ences and perceptions of using Canvas, a course man­agement system, to supplement face-to-face advising in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences at Utah State University. Forty students representing all college academic departments participated in eight focus groups. Most participants indicated they were unaware of Canvas’s advising features, thinking the tool was pri­marily used to send announcements and respond to stu­dents’ e-mails. Participants enjoyed receiving announce­ments about club activities, internships, …

A Blended Learning Education Policy In Egypt: The Road For Better Access And Social Inclusion, Seif El Din Abou Zaid

Theses and Dissertations

The quality of public school education in Egypt has been on a declining slope for years, facing many challenges such as poor quality, high dropout rates and a mismatch between the market needed skills and those of students. The purpose of this study is to explore whether blended learning is a viable solution to Egypt’s educational ailments, with improving equity as the focus. With no dominant literature trends on the subject or enough access to public education data, the chosen research method was to conduct in-depth interviews with national and international experts on blended learning. All interviewed experts believe that …

Increasing Parental Self-Efficacy Through Education To Impact Child Health Behavior, Calvin J. French

DNP and Student Works

Childhood obesity is a major public health crisis nationally and internationally (Karnik & Danekar, 2012). The prevalence of childhood obesity has continued to increase causing a rise in several comorbidities at an early age. These comorbidities include but are not limited to hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, and psychosocial problems. These chronic diseases will likely persist into adulthood.

The Influence Of Language Choice In Acceptable Use Polices On Students’ Locus Of Control, Stacy L. Lickteig

Student Work

One of the goals of education is for students to develop critical thinking skills. In order to build those skills, students must become critical and engaged users of information. Students become engaged and critical users of information when they have opportunities to explore and immerse themselves in information from different viewpoints and perspectives. Much of the information accessed by students today is located online. In many school districts, an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) details what type of access students have to information found online. Using Rotter’s Locus of Control Theory, this study seeks to answer the question of how language …

Restorative Justice Practices In Education: A Quantitative Analysis Of Suspension Rates At The Middle School Level, Barbara Katic

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The negative effects of retributive disciplinary measures in school settings are well documented. Exclusionary practices, such as suspensions, position students on the school-to-prison pipeline, perpetuating a cycle of failure. Restorative justice practices in educational settings provide an alternative to the retributive approach to student discipline. In this research study, a middle school in California was examined for its implementation of restorative justice practices. Numerical data pertaining to a five-year suspension history report for the school were utilized for the quantitative analyses, and four individual chi-square goodness of fit tests were conducted. The results demonstrated that the implementation of restorative justice …

The Use Of “Kakayu Dental Flipbook” In Oral Health Knowledge Improvement For Elementary School Students In Depok, Rikawarastuti Rikawarastuti, Eka Anggreni, Rahaju Budiarti, Nurlaila Ramadhan Suid

Kesmas

Perlu adanya edukasi untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan anak Indonesia tentang pentingnya memelihara kesehatan gigi dan mulut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan hubungan antara faktor siswa sekolah dasar seperti kelas, usia, jenis kelamin dengan jumlah anak dalam keluarga atau faktor ekonomi seorang ibu rumah tangga atau berpenghasilan tetap, yang dipengaruhi oleh peningkatan pengetahuan dari edukasi kesehatan gigi dan mulut. Disain penelitian quasi experiment pre-test dan post-test tanpa desain grup kontrol melibatkan 141 siswa yang dipilih melalui purposive sampling. Sampel tersebar pada siswa kelas IV, V, dan VI sekolah dasar swasta di Depok, Jawa Barat, Indonesia pada April-Oktober 2016. Data penelitian diperoleh dari …

Using Work-Based Learning As A Vehicle For Student Engagement And Community Investment, Stephanie Stickle

Counseling

Research indicates that rural communities with few labor market opportunities are at increased risk for social and economic unsustainability. As such, high-potential rural students often believe they must leave their homes for more populated areas with superior labor markets in order to obtain fulfilling employment, success, and life satisfaction. This out-migration trend places rural communities at risk for losing the youth that are most likely to contribute to their sustainability and growth. Rural education has been identified as a promising and central means to counter this risk. Effective work-based learning curriculums, which incorporate student engagement and talent development components, may …

Unemployment, Does It Really Hurt?, Claudia Vargas

Theses and Dissertations

This paper analyzes the consequences of changes in the unemployment rate in Colombia on the level of education attained for adolescents. Increases in the unemployment rate are associated with an increase in the average number of years of education. No significant effect was found for men of the same age.

The Ne[X]T Generation Learning Environments: Influences On The Future Design Of Educational Spaces, Bryan Hill Perez

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

Over the past 100 years, there have been significant changes in many aspects of our lives, from the way we communicate to the way we work. One aspect that has seen minimal change is the way we learn – In classrooms with rows of desks and chairs facing the front, where a sole instructor disseminates knowledge the class as a whole. As the next generation of students is entering college, it has become apparent that there is a disconnect in the way this generation behaves, interacts, and learns and the typical school infrastructure and pedagogy of today. The design of …

Cook To Learn: A Food-Focused Curriculum For Grades 3-5, Ryan R. Cherecwich

Graduate Student Independent Studies

In this Integrated Master's project, I argue that a new curriculum is needed to address the following: (a) plant-based foods and from-scratch food preparation practices are strongly connected to positive outcomes for children, (b) diets high in processed foods can lead to negative health outcomes (c) students aged 8-10 are particularly well suited to learn more about food, (d) studying food offers many opportunities for interdisciplinary learning across many subjects (literacy, math, science and social studies) and (d) food-focused learning connects particularly well to common learning objectives for students in grades 3-5, yet (e) there is currently a dearth of …

Bridging The Gap: An Exploratory Study On Classroom-Workplace Collaborations, Katelynn Dixon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“Bridging the gap” between theory and practice has historically been challenging. There is a definite lag between textbook knowledge and “real-world” application. For decades colleges have been adopting different Executive-In-Residence (EIR) models to help with this concern. Various EIR models include bringing industry professionals into the classes as guest speakers, hosting a series of one-on-one meetings, and conducting seminars and workshops. There is little to no research on EIRs in the Hospitality and Tourism field. In today’s modern time, the hospitality industry is a forerunner in the service industry, thus making this research extremely beneficial to the body of knowledge …

Teacher Retention In Rural Schools Nested In Large Districts: An Ethnographic Qualitative Study, Sandra Gomez Cerda

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the retention of teachers that work in large school districts with rural schools. The study examined: 1) the general characteristics of large school districts that have small rural campuses that retain and recruit teachers; 2) what draws teachers to teach in rural schools in large school districts; and 3) what factors contribute to decisions to stay at rural schools in large school districts. The author offers recommendations to retain teachers in rural schools nested in large school districts.

Teaching, Learning, And Assessment: Insights Into Students’ Motivation To Learn, Simon R. Walters, Pedro Silva, Jennifer Nikolai

The Qualitative Report

This study draws upon the perspectives of sport and recreation undergraduate students in New Zealand who were involved in the design of their own assessments, and discusses the implication of the teaching and learning environment on this process. In a previous study, student criticism had emerged of current teaching strategies and assessment methods at their institution. The purpose of this current study was to directly address some of these concerns and for lecturers and students to work collaboratively to develop a more learner-centred teaching and learning environment. Students from a second-year sociology of sport paper were invited to design their …

The Effects Of A Hpv Educational Intervention Aimed At Collegiate Males On Knowledge, Vaccine Intention, And Uptake, Mary A. Knudtson

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States (US). In 2013, approximately 6% of 19 to 26-year-old males had received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine (Richman, Maddy, Torres, & Goldberg, 2016). Currently there is no known cure for HPV, however a prophylactic vaccination provides an efficacious method for protection against HPV related diseases. The purpose of the evidence-based project was to provide a HPV educational intervention to collegiate males and examine the effects of HPV knowledge, intention to vaccinate, and receipt of vaccination. The Health Belief Model was selected to …

Increasing Global Context In Social Work Education: Role Of Internationally Experienced Faculty, Sarah Dababnah Phd, Mph, Msw, Sara Goodkind Phd, Msw, Caren J. Frost Phd, Mph, Jody K. Olsen Phd, Msw

Interdisciplinary Journal of Best Practices in Global Development

The infusion of global social work concepts into social work curricula enhances the educational experience and understanding of practice, policy, and research for students at all levels. Having faculty members who participated in global work augments the presentation of these concepts in ways that connect to student learning. Yet, no known research has investigated the role of internationally experienced faculty in promoting a global perspective in social work education and practice. One mechanism for obtaining global experience is through service in the U.S. Peace Corps, an organization that has been available for U.S. citizens to serve their country since the …

Volume 7, Issue 1, Catherine Scott

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field is greatly promoted as a career path for students in recent years, and the demand for individuals specializing in STEM disciplines is expected to rise. Often, when considering STEM, one thinks of careers related to medicine, laboratory settings, or the pure sciences. However, in examining only these aspects of STEM, we may errantly overlook the impacts that P-20 education may have in using STEM as a means for improving student lives. One unique aspect of STEM is its role in helping to improve our well being as individuals and society as a …

Editor's Introduction, Catherine Scott

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

This issue of Catalyst aims to present a collection of works that examines the role of STEM education in aiding in these opportunities not only for the PK-12 classroom, but also in the college classroom and through pre-service educator training.

Interprofessional Team Development In Student Led Clinics In Rural Northeast Tennessee, Michelle L. Lee, April Stidham, Sarah Melton, Christine Mullins, Sheila Smith

International Journal of Health Sciences Education

Background/Rationale - East Tennessee State University developed four interprofessional (IP) team-based education and practice clinics from within an already established network of nine nurse-managed clinics. The purpose of these IP clinic teams is to build capacity for interprofessional practice (IPP) and deliver effective health management to patients with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) through evidence-based practice to improve health outcomes in underserved populations.

Description of Innovative Approach - This project took the innovative approach of acknowledging the specialized knowledge, skills, and contributions of nursing, pharmacy, and nutrition specialties, empowering each discipline to be an active decision-maker in the healthcare team. The …

The Development Of Step Up To Quality: What It Means For Families, Patricia A. Drewes-Hynek

Student Work

In June 2013 the Nebraska legislature signed into being LB507, also known as the Step Up to Quality Act. Designed to answer the need for quality early childhood care and experiences across the state of Nebraska, Step Up to Quality is Nebraska’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Years in the making, Step Up to Quality aims to provide accountability for child care programs receiving state child care subsidy returns, increase family access to early childhood experiences through lowering of the income requirement levels to receive child care subsidy, and to provide an objective rating system for child care providers that …

Senior Long-Term Care In Tennessee, Trends And Options, Tennessee. Comptroller Of The Treasury.

Office of Research and Education Accountability

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Analysis Of 6th Grade Academic And Nonacademic Outcomes In Two Different School Configurations, Anne M. Macfarland

Student Work

The purpose of this two-group descriptive efficacy study was to explore the relationship between school configuration and academic and non-academic outcomes of sixth grade elementary students compared to academic and non-academic outcomes of sixth grade middle school students. The independent variable is the school configuration. Group 1 includes sixth grade students who attended school in an elementary school configuration (n=619). Group 2 includes sixth grade students who attend school in a middle school configuration (n=811). There were six dependent variables for this study that fell into two specific themes: academic (reading and mathematics achievement) and non-academic (number of days absent …

Invisibly Blighted The Digital Erosion Of Childhood, Sl Gray, A Phippen

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Feeding A Population: Agricultural Education Priorities In Haitian History, Kathleen A. Tobin

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

The nation of Haiti has experienced a long history of poverty and of tests to its economic development. Among its priorities has been the establishment of an effective educational system. While educational standards remain high, the area of agricultural education—necessary for Haiti’s economy as well as nutritional subsistence—has met with unique challenges. This paper examines analyses and programming policies of the past in order to illuminate contemporary circumstances.

Elementary Education Goat Video: "I Goat This!", Laurie M. Sisler

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to create an interactive educational video to expand the agricultural knowledge of children in third through fifth grade. The video features goats in effort to improve the next generation’s enthusiasm about agriculture. Consumer agricultural literacy has declined due to most people living at a distance from the farm. Specific objectives were to include interesting information about the terminology used and the tendencies of goats.

The process involved researching this information, contacting the actor, professors, and goat herder, filming the goats multiple times for different animal tendencies, and editing the final video. The video turned …

Superhero Physiology: The Case For Captain America, Stanley P. Brown, Johneric W. Smith, Matthew Mcallister, Leeann Joe

Publications

Using pop icons in the science classroom represents a creative way to engage often-distracted students in a relevant and, perhaps more importantly, fun way. When the pop icon is as universally known as Captain America, the pedagogical stage is set. However, when the movies can also be employed to link dramatic references to the science concepts at hand, we may have a very powerful tool by which linkages between fiction and science can be forged. In this regard, Captain America’s performances in several movies to date can be used to explain actual science. Granted, script writers and movie directors may …