Digital Commons Network^™

Professional Identity Exploration And Commitment Development By Stem Undergraduates From Underrepresented Groups During Near-Peer Mentoring, Joseph A. Brobst, Joanna K. Garner, David Hartenstine, Perry Fizzano

Center for Educational Partnerships Publications

This study examines near-peer mentoring as a context for professional identity development by undergraduates from groups that are underrepresented in STEM higher education. Mentees were students in a computer science/mathematics‑focused scholarship program, with a two-tiered near-peer mentoring component that paired 1st-2nd‑year undergraduate mentees with 3^rd-4^th year mentors and 3^rd-4^th year mentees with early‑career professional mentors. We analyzed mentoring conversation summaries from three mentor–mentee pairs, spanning one academic year. Mentoring relationships provided safe spaces for students’ professional identity exploration and the development of commitments toward career paths and life goals. Across all cases, conversation summaries …

Guidelines For Automatic Grading Of Student Essays Using Large Language Models, Diwakar Yalpi, Sruta Keerti Kasula, Ravi Mukkamala

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Automated essay evaluation using large language models (LLMs) has emerged as a promising approach to support scalable and consistent educational assessment. However, the effectiveness of LLM-based grading varies significantly across evaluation dimensions and is highly influenced by prompt design and model selection. In this study, we evaluate five state-of-the-art LLMs across five rubric-based categories: Relevance to Question, Reasoning and Critical Thinking, Evidence and Examples, Organization, and Clarity and Writing Quality. We systematically investigate the impact of three prompting strategies, including rubric-only prompting, exemplar-based prompting (with and without rubric guidance)(Original and Refined prompt designs) incorporating structured instructions. Additionally, a prompt ablation …

Retention In A Community College In A Rural State In The Midwest: Factors Associated With Persistence And Withdrawal, Samantha Reeves Grady

Dissertations and Theses

This qualitative case study examined the factors associated with students’ persistence or withdrawals from courses during the Fall 2025 semester at a community college in the Midwest. Guided by research questions exploring what factors supported students in completing their courses and what prompts course withdrawals. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with students who had withdrawn from one or more courses during the Fall 2025 semester. Using thematic analysis, several key themes emerged. Findings indicated that academic difficulties contributed significantly to student withdrawals. Additionally, course load intensity and competing external factors further hindered student persistence. Students, in …

Enablers And Constraints To Implementing Intellectual Virtues Pedagogy In A Higher Education Context: A Teacher Educator Perspective, Ellen Larsen, Katie M. Burke, Melissa Fanshawe A/P, Yvonne Salton, Mark Oliver

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Higher education aims to develop graduates with specific professional and disciplinary expertise and lifelong learning capabilities. We argue that instruction for these learning dispositions, conceptualised in this study as intellectual virtues, is challenging and complex. We report on practitioner research conducted by nine teacher educators as we worked to implement intentional instruction of intellectual virtues in our teacher education courses. Drawing on online surveys and reflective conversations, we used descriptive statistical and thematic analysis to investigate the approaches taken to integrate the intellectual virtues and, more specifically, the challenges and opportunities for doing so. Findings highlighted the structural, cultural, and …

Sexisms And Gender-Washing In Australian Academia: Public Front, Private Realities, Jacqueline Ullman, Emily Gray, Mindy Blaise, Lucy Hobby

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper offers an analysis of selected survey findings from a mixed methods research project, entitled Understanding and Addressing Everyday Sexisms in Australian Universities. The project is situated within the context of the negative impact of gender-based discrimination upon the higher education sector in Australia and internationally. The findings discussed in this paper relate to quantitative analyses of selected items from a national survey of over 1200 Australian academics, recruited through 12 public universities. In this paper, the ways in which different participant groups responded to items designed to explore their attitudes towards sexism in the academic workplace, both broadly …

First-Year Academic Success Strategies For Student Veterans, Vincent Ciarla

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the perceptions and experiences of student veterans regarding academic success strategies during their first year of college. The study was guided by three research questions examining perceived difficulties, needed support systems, and overall transition experiences. Five student veterans who had successfully completed their first year at a community college participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using multi-cycle coding procedures, including open coding, pattern coding, and cross-case analysis, resulting in the identification of recurring themes.

Findings indicated that participants experienced initial confusion related to institutional processes, challenges navigating educational benefits, and difficulty adjusting to differences …

Artificial Intelligence In Higher Education: A Bibliometric And Science-Mapping Analysis From An Institutional And Management Perspective, Kürşat Taştan, Nalan Sabır Taştan

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This article maps the field of artificial intelligence in higher education (HEI-AI) from an institutional and management perspective. We draw on 52,270 peer-reviewed articles and reviews indexed in Web of Science and Scopus between 1959 and 2025. Using the bibliometrix package and its biblioshiny interface in R, we combine descriptive indicators with science-mapping techniques, including co-authorship and co-citation networks, keyword co-occurrence, thematic mapping and thematic evolution. The initial corpus of 94,845 records was cleaned by merging the two databases, removing duplicates and restricting the sample to full-length journal articles and reviews that explicitly address AI in higher education.

The results …

From Gap To Growth? Examining Institutional And Legal Efforts To Bridge Gender Disparities In Higher Learning: The Case Of University Of Dar Es Salaam, Hadija K. Mwendah, Bernadeta Killian

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Tanzania has adopted several institutional and legal frameworks to advance gender equality in higher learning. These include, national gender policies, affirmative action provisions and establishment of gender mainstreaming structures at universities. This paper examines how these frameworks have been implemented at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and the extent to which they have bridged gender disparities in academia. Using secondary data and drawing from feminist institutionalism, the study explores how formal rules and informal practices interact to influence gender outcomes. Findings reveal that while institutional mechanisms such as the UDSM Gender Policy, Institute for Gender Studies, Gender Desks …

Bridging Cultures Through Cross-Border Collaboration: A Pathway To Cultural Sustainability Between The Uae And Italy, Mai Zaki, Bruno Grazioli

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

International education is of critical importance in the creation and distribution of the knowledge required to address the complex global challenges faced by society today. Seen through the lens of the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs), internationalisation of higher education can bring new perspectives through collaborative projects. This paper reports on a year-long virtual collaboration between the American University of Sharjah (AUS) in the UAE and the Italy-based program of Dickinson College (USA) as part of the Transformative Sustainability Project. This collaboration involved two courses, on digital and environmental humanities, as students learned about the SDGs, analysed problems, discussed …

Two Years Of Iqts: Its Current State, And Implications For English Itt By Distance Learning, Oliver C S Au Yeung

Plymouth Interdisciplinary Education Open Journal

International qualified teacher status (iQTS), a new programme which enables candidates to qualify while teaching overseas, marks one of the latest major developments in England’s teacher training system. This study endeavours to survey its current state and make an assessment of the nature of its training. The literature review situates the programme in the historical trajectory of English initial teacher training (ITT) and, in turn, the higher education and socio-economic contexts. As an analytic framework, Furlong’s fourfold categorisation of teachers’ knowledge is used to represent competing approaches to teacher training. It is argued that the liberal approach, emphasising a broad, …

To Buzz Or Not To Buzz: A Survey Design Of Embouchure Development Among Kentucky Brass Musicians In Higher Education, Christopher P. Schmidt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This survey design study examined the methods of embouchure development practiced by Kentucky brass musicians in higher education. The purpose of the study was to explore how collegiate brass professors, their graduate teaching assistants, and undergraduate student musicians apply or omit mouthpiece buzzing in their daily practice routines and private-studio instruction. The study explored pedagogical influences rooted in the teachings of William Adam, Philip Farkas, Emory Remington, and Arnold Jacobs to identify how their philosophies inform contemporary approaches to brass pedagogy. The findings revealed consistent pedagogical diversity among KPUBPs, with most participants using mouthpiece buzzing, long tones, airflow drills, and …

Exploring The Influence Of Artificial Intelligence On Teaching Strategies In Higher Education: A Phenomenological Approach, Dawn M. Hamilton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences regarding the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on the teaching strategies for higher education instructors. Guided by Vygotsky’s constructivist learning theory, which emphasizes the active role of learners in constructing knowledge through engagement and interaction, this study aimed to explore how educators interpret, adapt to, and implement AI in their classrooms. The central research question asked: What are the lived experiences of higher education instructors regarding the influence of AI on their teaching strategies? The study was conducted at with higher education faculty actively who were directly …

Studying Causal Inferences For Student Success In Higher Education, Prabesh Shrestha

Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions strive to support students in achieving their academic goals through targeted interventions and data-driven strategies. This study analyzed 19 variables, spanning student demographics, enrollment patterns, and institutional interventions, to identify predictors of students completing all enrolled courses in a semester. Using random forest, logistic regression, and bootstrap forest models, we assessed variable importance and derived causal estimates to determine their impact. Results from causal analysis indicate positive effects from session type, term load, referrals, kudos, flags, and scholarships, while negative impacts were associated with location, course delivery method, enrollment status, advisor contact, and registration interval. These findings …

Artificial Intelligence In Higher Education: Opportunities And Challenges, Maytha Al-Ali, Adam Marks, Jasur Umirzokov, Noura Metawa

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

While AI is often presented as a panacea for the challenges facing higher education, there is limited empirical evidence supporting its effectiveness in improving student learning and institutional performance. This gap between expectation and reality emphasizes the need for rigorous research, realistic goal-setting, and careful planning to ensure that AI technologies deliver on their promises in higher education. This study contrasts the potential utilization of AI technologies in Higher Education from the literature, against actual utilization in universities. The study also investigates the key barriers of AI implementation in higher education. This study uses a mixed-research methods approach, including case …

Experiences Of Title Ix Hearing Panel Members., Amanda Gage Stonecipher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of allegations of sexual misconduct on college campuses has been increasing over the past decade and higher education institutions are charged with addressing the misconduct. Addressing student behavior on college campuses through a conduct process is woven into the fabric of higher education, and many institutions use a hearing panel model to determine if institutional policies were violated. My research aims to explore how student conduct hearing panel members process the tension between the emotional management required when hearing intimate and traumatic details of a sexual misconduct case. The data for this research were collected via semi structured …

Internationalization Of Indian Higher Education: Mapping The Origins And Academic Choices Of International Students, Sanjeev Kumar Jha

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study explores the geographical origins, academic preferences, and key factors influencing the enrollment of international students in Indian higher education institutions. Drawing on primary data from interviews with 25 international students and secondary data from All India Survey on Higher Education reports, it provides an in-depth analysis of student mobility trends and factors shaping their choices. The results indicate that the international student enrollment is significantly below the Indian government’s target of 500,000 by 2024. Students come from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Nigeria, with Karnataka and Punjab emerging as the most preferred states within India. Engineering, particularly …

Exploring The Impact Of Statistics Course Modality On Student Learning: A Mixed Methods Approach, Becky Kelleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The importance of statistical literacy has become increasingly evident, as individuals grapple with interpreting statistics to inform critical decisions. Despite the recognized significance of statistical literacy, challenges persist in both educators’ and students’ efforts to navigate the complexities of statistics education. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of different course modalities on undergraduate students’ academic performance in introductory statistics courses. Using Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) as a theoretical framework, this research aims to shed light on the complex dynamics influencing statistical literacy attainment. By addressing gaps and inconsistencies in the current literature, this study seeks to …

Navigating Dual Worlds: The Complex Experiences Of Concurrent Enrollment Instructors, Teri St. Pierre

Concurrent Enrollment Review

Despite the rapid expansion of dual enrollment programs in the United States, limited research has examined the experiences of concurrent enrollment instructors (CEIs), high school teachers who deliver college-level courses within secondary school settings. This qualitative collective case study explores how twelve CEIs within Maine's public universities navigate their unique position at the intersection of K-12 and higher education systems. Guided by role theory (Katz & Kahn, 1978), this research investigated how CEIs perceive their dual role and navigate competing institutional expectations. Five major themes emerged from the analysis: dual system role navigation, pedagogical practices and classroom autonomy, professional relationships, …

Exploring Professors’ Lived Experiences Of Interacting With Artificial Intelligence In The Classroom: A Phenomenological Study, Joshua A. Baltzell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of higher education professors’ interactions with AI in their teaching practices. This study was guided by Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior, which provided a contextual understanding of the concepts that influence higher education professors’ perceptions of AI in their classrooms. A qualitative hermeneutical phenomenological design was employed, utilizing a combination of criterion and snowball sampling. There were 13 participants recruited from higher education institutions from around the United States. Semi-structured individual interviews, a letter-writing exercise, and a qualitative survey were used to collect data from participants. Thematic …

Integrating Goal-Setting Into An Urban Community College Developmental Mathematics Course: A Multi-Perspective Learning Experience, Tamie S. Dickson

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Developmental mathematics (DM) students often encounter systemic and contextual obstacles in higher education. Low self-efficacy, math anxiety, multiple external demands, and pervasive gaps in prerequisite knowledge can all undermine the strategic behaviors needed to manage the academic environment independently. Although DM reforms are widely researched, the literature lacks a firsthand perspective on the daily processes students apply as they assume control over their learning. This qualitative action research study investigated the integration of intentional goal-setting into a recently redesigned one-level pilot DM course at an open-access, urban community college. The practitioner-researcher created the PATHway framework—rooted in Zimmerman’s (2000) three-phase Self-Regulated …

The Ai-Powered Learning Loop In Higher Education, Oualid Abidi, Vladimir Dzenopoljac, Aleksandra Dzenopoljac

All Works

Purpose – This study examines how generative AI tools affect business students’ academic performance by investigating whether flexible AI policies promote deeper learning, enhance self-efficacy and facilitate tacit knowledge acquisition in a Middle Eastern context, while ensuring efficiency and academic integrity. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative, exploratory study observed 20 final-year business students in Kuwait during five in-class activities using generative AI tools. Semi-structured interviews complemented the researcher’s observations. Thematic analysis revealed patterns in benefits, challenges and learning processes, leading to the development of the AI-powered learning loop framework to explain academic performance outcomes. Findings – The study indicates that generative …

Higher Education Cybersecurity: A Vulnerability Assessment Of The U.S. South’S Institutional Websites, Zachary W. Taylor, Vivi Vo

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

As technology continues to advance, it is critical to understand how higher education institutions protect digital information of their stakeholders including students, faculty, and staff through cybersecurity measures. Although conceptual research has articulated various aspects of cybersecurity, no empirical research has explored the cybersecurity of higher education (.edu) websites through a vulnerability scan of these websites via an open PortScan and analysis. To fill a critical gap in the literature, this study conducted a vulnerability scan and open PortScan and analysis of all higher education websites in three of the lowest-income states in the United States: Louisiana (n=112), Mississippi (n=52), …

A Discussion Of Community: An Ethnography Of Designing Asynchronous Video Discussions To Reveal Student Perceptions Of Digital Presence In Online Learning, Chad S. Garcia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods digital ethnography investigates how video-based discussions (VBD) influence community building in asynchronous graduate education. Using the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework, this study looks at student experiences in a History of Higher Education class where traditional text-based discussions were replaced with video presentations and peer responses. The research explores how video discussions affect students' sense of presence, how video presence impacts engagement patterns, and which multimedia elements contribute to community development.

Data collection included semi-structured interviews with students and instructors, LMS analytics, video content analysis, and ethnographic observation throughout Spring 2024. Analysis revealed a notable disconnect between traditional …

Comparing Massed And Distributed Course Formats: Effects On Outcomes In A Graduate Augmentative And Alternative Communication Course, Brandon Scott Eddy, Alli Sauerwein, Leah Meloy, Eric Sanders

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

The effects of massed versus distributed learning have been well studied in the verbal and motor learning literature, with findings suggesting enhanced outcomes from distributing learning over time. However, some studies have found limited evidence to support enhanced outcomes from distributed learning when applied to an entire academic course. The effects of course scheduling on student learning in speech-language pathology graduate coursework have received limited attention. This study compared learning outcomes between a one-week massed format and an eight-week distributed format in an online two-credit augmentative and alternative communication graduate-level course. Learning outcomes were assessed before students enrolled, immediately after …

Predictive Model Of School Dropout In Higher Education Through Learning Analytics With Neutrosophic Plithogenic Hypotheses, David Núñez, Purificación Galindo-Villardón

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

Higher education dropout rates are an international problem, as many people abandon their studies, especially in the early years. This problem affects institutions, causing significant losses. In this context, it is essential to consider methods that allow for predicting dropout rates and taking rapid and effective measures. Objective: The main objective is to analyze prediction models using Learning Analytics, integrating neutrosophic plithogenic hypotheses, to identify early the risk of dropout in higher education. This provides institutions with useful tools to implement actions that help retain more students, considering uncertainty and complex interactions between academic and non-academic factors. Methodology: The method …

Exploring Students' Perceptions Of Genai Tools In Higher Education: A Case Study, Dina Mansour Tbaishat, Maha Waleed Elfadel

All Works

As artificial intelligence transforms the educational landscape, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools have become influential in enhancing learning experiences. Despite their growing presence in higher education, limited research explores how university students, especially learners in non-Western contexts, perceive these tools. This study investigates students' perceptions at a university in the UAE, focusing on five dimensions: perceived benefits, institutional support, technological self-efficacy, ethical considerations and user satisfaction. The findings reveal that students generally expressed strong agreement regarding the benefits of GenAI, demonstrated a clear sense of ethical awareness and felt confident in their technological abilities. While satisfaction levels were generally high, …

On Being The Only: Using Black Feminist Thought And Hermeneutic Phenomenology To Deeply Understand Onliness As Experienced By Black Women In Stem, Karen M. Jarvis-Thorne, Karen M. Jarvis-Thorne

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

When a Black woman persists in a STEM undergraduate academic space as the only Black woman in that space, how is she shaped as a human being? How does she fare? How does the experience influence her decision making as she contemplates graduate school applications? Does the experience guide her decision to stay or leave STEM? In this study, the author used Black Feminist Thought to provide cultural and critical oversight of her engagement with Hermeneutic Phenomenology. Hermeneutic Phenomenology requires this oversight because the methodology’s theoretical foundations are grounded in Heidegger’s Nazism and should be critiqued if and when appropriate …

“We Are Swans:” An Ecological Analysis Of U.S. International Students’ Experiences Of Higher Education Satisfaction, Eunsong Park, Corey S. Shdaimah, Yao Wang

Journal of Graduate Education Research

International students make important contributions to the US academic landscape and broader society; however, their numbers continue to decline in the face of an unwelcoming and unsupportive environment compared to their counterparts worldwide. This manuscript presents findings from a student satisfaction survey (n = 423) that included both multiple-choice and open-ended questions. We used the ecological model and the Spanning Systems Model as a framework, looking at how individual, community, institutional, and larger societal factors impacted the experiences of international students in the US. For quantitative analysis, hierarchical multiple linear regressions were conducted to examine factors associated with student satisfaction. …

U.S News & World Report 2025 Graduate Program Rankings, Unlv & Unr, Dre Boyd-Weatherly, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

This fact sheet presents 2025 graduate program rankings for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and for the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) based on the data published in spring 2025 by U.S. News & World Report. The graduate program categories reported include business, education, engineering, fine arts, law, medicine and health care, sciences and mathematics, and social sciences and humanities.

Educational Opportunities Of Participatory Gis For Accessibility On A College Campus, Shiya Cao, Heather Rosenfeld, Sarah Susnea

Statistical and Data Sciences: Faculty Publications

The educational benefits of Participatory GIS (PGIS) in geographic higher education have received limited direct attention, often because of the complexities of integrating PGIS into university curricula. While a few exceptions found important educational benefits of PGIS, extant studies focused primarily on the educational benefits for students who worked in the research teams, instead of participants who contributed their local knowledge and perspectives to mapping. Our research aims to understand the educational benefits of PGIS for participants in a campus accessibility mapping project using the modes of experiential learning, positionality, and service learning. Through this, we also provide strategies for …