Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Relationship Between Academic Program Assessment Practices And Institutional Performance, Nicholas T. Christian

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Researchers (Stanny & Bryan, 2021; Tinto, 2012) have claimed without empirical evidence that academic program assessment is important to student success. This study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to identify the relationships between academic program assessment practices and institutional performance based on responses from faculty at U.S.-located four-year institutions of higher education. The theoretical foundations of best practices in program assessment, organizational learning, faculty motivation, and institutional performance were examined and included as the primary variables. Assessment practices in higher education are best summarized by the assessment loop: articulating the intended learning outcomes; selecting appropriate assessment measures; developing curriculum and …

2024 State Of The Commonwealth Report, Vinod Agarwal, James V. Koch, Feng Lian, Anna Makhorkina, Melody Nguyen, Terry Parker, Mohamed Rahoui, Jay Walker, Leiu Yuenyong

State of the Commonwealth Reports

This is Old Dominion University’s 10th annual State of the Commonwealth Report. While it represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, the report does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion, its president, Brian Hemphill, Ph.D., the Board of Visitors, the Strome College of Business or the generous donors who support the activities of the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy.

Our work seeks to contribute to the conversation about how Virginia can foster growth across the Commonwealth without glossing over the challenges we face. We want to encourage difficult conversations to …

The Narrative Journeys Of Women Of Color High-Level Educational Leaders, Alyda R. Mir

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Although their numbers are growing in the field of education, women of color are highly underrepresented in high-level leadership positions such as superintendent of schools. The purpose of this narrative research study was to explore the experiences, facilitators, and barriers of 20 women of color high-level educational leaders, including district superintendents and assistant/associate superintendents in California. Framed by the concepts of the Leadership Labyrinth, Critical Race Theory, and Intersectionality Theory, this study aimed to elevate the voices of a marginalized group of educators who earned high-level leadership positions in public educational organizations. This study shed light on the experiences, trajectories, …

“A Real Man . . .”: Deconstructing Machismo Heteronormative Standards With K–12 Latino Male Educators Through Dialogic Spaces, Mario Echeverria

Dissertations

In a K–12 educational landscape where 75% of educators are white women, recruitment of Latino male educators is crucial for diversification, yet these educators represent just 2% of the teaching workforce in the United States (NCES, 2020). These educators grapple with a layered sense of identity as they navigate expectations of hegemonic masculinity and machismo norms that dictate their roles as disciplinarians and saviors, especially for young boys of color (Brockenbrough, 2018; Lara & Fránquiz, 2015; Martino & Kehler, 2006; Mills et al., 2004; Singh, 2021). Unfortunately, Latino male educators leave the profession at twice the rate of their Latina …

Editorial: Learning From Management Education Researchers, Neil Marriott, Vanessa Ratten, David Higgins, Jonathan Lean, Paul Jones, Meredith Tharapos, Mohamed Yacine Haddoud

Plymouth Business School

Management education is a topic of critical economic and social importance due to the way it influences employment trends and educational practices. The aim of this editorial is to learn from management education researchers about their wisdom, tips and suggestions about how and why to publish in management education journals. The strengths and weakness of the management education field are discussed to understand new and emerging research trends. This helps to inform practice about management education as well as identifying potential areas of research that link to developing societal issues.

Student Interaction With Generative Ai: An Exploration Of An Emergent Information-Search Process, Ryan M. Schuetzler, Justin Scott Giboney, Taylor M. Wells, Benjamin Richardson, Tom Meservy, Cole Sutton, Clay Posey, Jacob Steffen, Amanda Lee Hughes

Faculty Publications

ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence, is one of the fastest-adopted tools in history and has quickly become a valued tool in education. This study seeks to understand how generative artificial intelligence has changed the information search process. We collected prompts submitted to ChatGPT and thoughts about ChatGPT responses through a survey of 455 students at a US university. Using thematic analysis, we identified ways that ChatGPT changes the information search process of students by supporting diverse information needs, allowing cycling of prompt adjustments, and promoting easy adoption of results.

Toward Equal Access: A Model For Lay Advocacy Programs Serving People Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Melissa Bell

JADARA

Advocacy programs are prevalent among state government agencies that specialize in serving persons who are deaf or hard of hearing around the United States. The work is crucial to ensuring equal access and equal opportunity, yet the lay advocacy profession is not yet formalized with certification, ethical standards, or training programs for advocates serving this population. Research was conducted to advance efforts to maximize these programs’ effectiveness by compiling components of an ideal model for lay advocacy programs. Directors from state agencies that specialize in serving this population around the country refined the model and described the structure of their …

From Trails To Triumph: Documenting Two Decades Of Impact With Adventure Wv, Sean Lowdermilk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research paper and accompanying short film (https://youtu.be/gTnXbvkX0MA) examines the impact of experiential learning through the lens of Adventure WV, an outdoor orientation program at West Virginia University. Using Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory as a foundation for the research, this study explores how outdoor and expeditionary learning fosters personal and professional growth, builds a community, and deepens students' connection to the state and the institution. Through interviews with the program's founder, as well as current students and administration paired with archival footage and modern video, the research highlights Adventure WV's role in student retention, professional development, and student …

Conceptthread: Visualizing Threaded Concepts In Mooc Videos, Zhiguang Zhou, Li Ye, Lihong Cai, Lei Wang, Yigang Wang, Yongheng Wang, Wei Chen, Yong Wang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) platforms are becoming increasingly popular in recent years. Online learners need to watch the whole course video on MOOC platforms to learn the underlying new knowledge, which is often tedious and time-consuming due to the lack of a quick overview of the covered knowledge and their structures. In this paper, we propose ConceptThread , a visual analytics approach to effectively show the concepts and the relations among them to facilitate effective online learning. Specifically, given that the majority of MOOC videos contain slides, we first leverage video processing and speech analysis techniques, including shot recognition, …

Health Information Orientation, Social Support, And Diabetes Self-Care Behavior Among Indian Adults: The Roles Of Education And Self-Efficacy, Yam Limbu, Devon Johnson, C. Jayachandran, Christopher J. Mckinley, P. Raghunadha Reddy

College of Communication and Media Scholarship and Creative Works

This study examines the direct and indirect influences of health information orientation and social support on diabetes self-care behavior through self-efficacy and the moderating role of education on such indirect effects. Data were collected from Indian adults with type 2 diabetes using a self-administered questionnaire. Results suggest that self-efficacy fully mediates the link between health information orientation and diabetes self-care behaviors. In addition, social support is directly related to self-care behaviors and indirectly through self-efficacy. This indirect association was stronger among patients with higher education compared with those with a lower level of education. The results offer several public health …

Critical Thinking Skills In Pre-Service Teachers And Their Coursework: Investigating The Preparation Of Teachers In The Rural Midwest With Humans, Ai, And Cyborg Researchers, Tiffany Ellen Rose Shonerd

Dissertations and Theses

Despite the plethora of research and literature regarding the relationship of critical thinking and its key role in promoting learning, little research investigated the teaching of critical thinking to pre-service teachers in their coursework along with how they facilitate it in their students. As future teachers worked towards completing their teaching degrees, student teaching permitted them to work in live classroom settings with veteran teachers as mentors. Markedly, scholars argued that future teacher programs needed to understand the importance of critical thinking and utilize facilitation strategies in classroom settings. In this way, the live classroom setting could then create students …

Open-Access Publishing In Special Education And Related Fields, Esther R. Lindström, Jesse I. Fleming, Danika Pfeiffer, Tamara Kalandadze, Bryan G. Cook

Speech-Language Pathology Faculty Publications

Open access to research findings, syntheses of research, and papers providing guidance on implementing research-based practices is critical for informing policy and practice in special education and related fields. Yet most published articles are behind paywalls and cannot be accessed freely by many practitioners, policymakers, individuals with disabilities and their families, and other interested parties. In this article, we describe the benefits of open-access publishing for researchers and research consumers, as well as different types of open-access publishing–with a particular focus on self-archiving or green open-access publishing. Self-archiving makes papers freely available, with little time burden and no monetary cost …

Surveying The Policy Landscape Concerning Tgd Youth In Schools, Dustin Ward

Social Work Theses - Archive

Recently, there has been a precipitous rise in anti-TGD legislation across state legislatures, growing from 143 proposed bills in 2021 to 604 in 2023. This pronounced increase in TGD-restrictive legislation may exacerbate existing stressors experienced by TGD youth. This study uses Ecological Systems Theory as a framework to conceptualize how this legislation might worsen the emotional strain and related risks experienced by TGD youth. All proposed and enacted state policies from January 1st, 2023, to December 31st, 2023, impacting the school environments of TGD youth were collected, and the characteristics were categorized according to domain, policy instruments, consequences specified, and …

The Role Of School Culture And Autonomous Motivation In Supporting Academic Achievement And Teacher Retention In A Public Charter School: An Ethnographic Case Study, Amanda W. Reschke

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

U.S. public schools are in crisis amid declining student achievement and widespread teacher shortages, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, putting students at risk for poor academic outcomes. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows 4^th and 8^th grade students’ average reading and math scores have decreased by 5 points and 7 points respectively since 2019. Furthermore, NCES data showed that 53% of public schools reported being understaffed for the upcoming school year in August 2022, and by October 2022, 45% of public schools reported at least one vacant teaching position. While many …

Critical Thinking Skills In Pre-Service Teachers And Their Coursework: Investigating The Preparation Of Teachers In The Rural Midwest With Humans, Ai, And Cyborg Researchers, Tiffany Shonerd

Dissertations and Theses

Despite the plethora of research and literature regarding the relationship of critical thinking and its key role in promoting learning, little research investigated the teaching of critical thinking to pre-service teachers in their coursework along with how they facilitate it in their students. As future teachers worked towards completing their teaching degrees, student teaching permitted them to work in live classroom settings with veteran teachers as mentors. Markedly, scholars argued that future teacher programs needed to understand the importance of critical thinking and utilize facilitation strategies in classroom settings. In this way, the live classroom setting could then create students …

Sffa V. Harvard College: Closing The Doors Of Equality In Education, Ediberto Roman

Seattle University Law Review

The United States Supreme Court’s recent combined decision ending affirmative action in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina was hailed in conservative circles as the beginning of “the long road” towards racial equality. Others declared that “the opinion may begin the restoration of our nation’s constitutional colorblind legal covenant.” Another writer pronounced, “Affirmative action perpetuated racial discrimination. Its end is a huge step forward.” A Washington-based opinion page even declared: “[T]he demise of race-based affirmative action should inspire renewed commitment to the ideal of equal opportunity in America.” Despite …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …

Understanding The Link Between Conflict Profiles And Team Affective Outcomes Using Lpa And Nlp Techniques, Francisco Cima, Pilar Pazos-Lago

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Team conflict is a naturally emerging phenomenon resulting from individuals' interactions during project execution. Cross-disciplinary teams can experience higher levels of conflict than single-discipline teams because of the increased diversity of knowledge and perspectives. Research has shown that team conflict can emerge from different types of disagreements (cognitive and interpersonal), which have different implications for team functioning. Past empirical research has focused on the impact of both conflict types independent from each other while overlooking their combined effects. This work examines the conflict profiles resulting from the combined levels of interpersonal and cognitive disagreements and their association with team outcomes. …

Applying Executive Function For The Sake Of Well-Being: A Case Study Of Gifted Middle School Students, Erika Lucas

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study provided gifted middle school student participants the opportunity to discuss the complexities of gifted culture in academia as they have experienced it. This study also sought to pinpoint the emotions or feelings that students and their parents experienced as they transition to high school concerning their perceived sense of confidence and readiness as it pertained to executive function. Gen Z students deemed "gifted" are at a higher risk for depression and suicide due to the rising levels of stress and anxiety they experience (Andrews, 2014). Klimkeit et al. (2011) discovered that teenagers with depression and/or anxiety disorders exhibited …

Examining Student And Teacher Perceptions Of The Ilit 45 Reading Program: A Qualitative Case Study, Ashley O'Connor

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Abstract

This case study examines student and teacher perceptions toward and experiences with the iLit 45 Reading Intervention. It focuses on the perceptions of both the teacher and students’ interactions and experiences with iLit 45. The case study included five ninth-grade students and their teacher, all of them participating in the iLit 45 reading program for the 2023-2024 school year. Data sources for this study included observations, semi-structured interviews, and a review of the iLit 45 Reading program materials. The researcher coded the data collected from the observations and interviews using a combination of in vivo coding and constant comparative …

The Finnish Line: An International Teacher Exchange Program, Anthony Marano

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This delve into the educational landscape of the United States and Finland uncovers areas of potential growth in the United States with the incorporation of the Finnish Model. By examining first hand experiences inside the Finnish education system, this study proposes a program that could bring international developments in academics, and overall happiness into our domestic education system. First will be presented the position and philosophy from which this thesis will be approached. This will help to prove relevance when viewed through this specific and critical lens. Next, will be a brief historical overview of the systems in question and …

Embracing Change: From Recalibration To Radical Overhaul For The Field Of School Attendance, David Heyne, Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, Glenn A. Melvin, Gil Keppens, Catriona O’Toole, Lisa Mckay-Brown

Founder’s College - Scholarship and Professional Work

In a world characterized by dynamic demographic shifts, rapid technological transformations, and evolving pedagogical practices, the need for reimagining school attendance and a relationship with education has become paramount. This Research Topic, boldly titled “The Unlearning of School Attendance: Ideas for Change,” compels us to challenge conventional thinking and working in this domain. The collection of 12 articles offers compelling opportunities for change, ranging from subtle recalibrations to radical overhauls, depending on the extent to which our current ideas and methods have grown outdated. This opening article serves as a thematic guide, curating the diverse prospects for transformation found within …

Examining The Nonprofit Leader From The Servant Leadership Theory : Impacts On Board Cohesion, Andrew Wonders

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

n the context of nonprofit organizations, servant leadership (SL) has been studied on a limited basis. The present study attempted to forge a new path by examining the impact of SL and cohesion in the realm of nonprofit organizations. A total of 91 board members from 32 organizations participated in the study. Five statistical models of mixed effects linear regression were used in the analysis. The first model utilized the eight subscales of SL as independent variables and overall cohesion is the dependent variable while the other four models used overall SL as the independent variable. Each model also had …

Midwifery Students' Experiences Of Learning To Be 'With Woman': A Scoping Review, Ashlee Guerin, Sadie Geraghty, Sheena Mcchlery, Mary Byrne

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Being ‘with woman’ is a fundamental concept deeply embedded within the midwifery profession and profoundly impacts maternal and infant wellbeing and outcomes. The clinical experiences of midwifery students shape their learning outcomes, future practice, and career aspirations. Understanding midwifery students' experiences of learning to be ‘with woman’ is vital in shaping and optimising learning strategies for providing midwifery students with positive and effective student-centred learning outcomes.

Objective: This scoping review aims to gain meaningful insight and understanding into the existing literature on midwifery students’ experiences of learning to be ‘with woman’.

Design: The scoping review was conducted according to …

Signaling Sexual Harassment, Emily Suski

Emory Law Journal

Following the Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate the right to abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Title IX stands as a potentially powerful statutory bulwark against further erosions of sex and gender equality rights. Title IX’s purpose is to protect against and eradicate sex discrimination of all forms, including sexual harassment, in education. Yet, it rarely fulfills this purpose. Although the Supreme Court has said that sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination proscribed by Title IX, it has failed to define sexual harassment or provide more than the barest of guidance on how severe it …

Cervical Cancer Education & Prevention For Women In The Philippines, Kate Isabel Juanillo

Nursing | Senior Theses

Although cervical cancer is preventable, it continues to pose a significant health concern in the Philippines as evidenced by high cervical cancer diagnosis rates. The purpose of this quantitative study is to investigate low cervical cancer screening rates and the effectiveness of educational interventions in increasing awareness and screening rates. A literature review will examine topics such as low cervical cancer screening rates, cervical cancer screening methods, and barriers. This research proposal involves a quasi-experimental study that investigates education as an intervention for increasing cervical cancer awareness and cervical cancer screening rates. Fifty Filipino women will be randomly assigned to …

Enhancing Simulation Fidelity In Occupational Therapy Education: Considerations For Standardized Patient Training And Implementation, John V. Rider, Linda Frasier, Jessica Parkin

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The use of high-fidelity simulation and standardized patients (SPs) in occupational therapy (OT) education is expanding. However, the implementation of simulation varies across programs, leading to inconsistent outcomes and research limitations. Furthermore, details on SP use and training are lacking in OT literature. This article aims to provide OT educators with considerations for improving simulation fidelity by effectively using highly trained SPs. For example, recruiting SPs from diverse backgrounds is necessary to improve sociological fidelity, and proper training of SPs is required to ensure psychological fidelity. This article also emphasizes the need for standardized training for SPs and recommends following …

From Program To Practice: Purpose, Empowerment, And Persistence In Doctoral Education, Laura Beasley, Heather Biedermann, Davidson L. Blanchard, Danilo Lj. Bojic, Erin Carter, Matthew J. Flugum, Sadie Gunnink, Megan L. Hansen, Martha G. Haugerud, Elizabeth Herzog, Matthew G. Howard, James E. Hu Gammon, Yanmei Jiang, Jenna K. Ladd, Patrick W. Leeport, Katey R. Leverson, Regina Mustafa, Lindsey M. Reishus, Kelli Snyder, Ixchell L. Tolentino, Kari Vollrath, Stephanie Walker, A. Brooke Boulton, Joel J. Traver, Steven M. Baule

Education Doctorate Books

The book From Program to Practice: Purpose, Empowerment, and Persistence in Doctoral Education is a collection of graduate student writings from the 2022 summer Education Doctorate Residency at Winona State University.

"As practitioners in education and adjacent fields embark upon their journeys toward earning a doctorate, they soon realize the importance of this collection’s theme: the intersection of purpose, empowerment, and persistence (PEP). These concepts prove critical to a student’s success at all stages of the doctoral process, from program admission, to topic exploration, to graduation. The essays in this collection explore how students define, identify, and leverage “PEP” as …

The Education Prescription: Exploring The Potential Of Patient Education To Reduce Mental Health Issues In Hormonal Contraceptive Users, Maria Abraham

Nursing | Senior Theses

The many birth control options available impact a woman’s life, as hormonal contraceptives are commonly used but often misunderstood. These contraceptives, which contain progestin only, or estrogen and progestin combined, can come in various forms such as pills, implants, IUDs, injections, the vaginal ring, and skin patches. They offer benefits such as reduced menstrual cramps and ectopic pregnancy risk. However, they may lead to adverse side effects which can include increased blood pressure, nausea, headaches, breakthrough bleeding, and a higher risk of blood clots, with research indicating a potential link between oral contraceptive use and a decline in the user’s …

Addressing Disparity: A Waiting Room Intervention For Preeclampsia Prevention In African Americans, Morgan Semana

Nursing | Senior Theses

Maternal mortality is a pressing, global concern that particularly affects African American women in the United States. African American women face disproportionately a high maternal mortality rate (MMR), with rates more than double that of white women. Preeclampsia emerges as the leading cause of maternal mortality in African American women, driving the need for targeted interventions. To address this issue, a proposed research study aims to investigate the impact of a nurse-led, waiting room, preeclampsia and aspirin effectiveness educational intervention on the knowledge and preeclampsia rates among African American women. The study draws upon existing evidence that supports the use …