Digital Commons Network^™

Alumni Giving From Online Learners: A Logistic Regression Study, Jaqlyne S. Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alumni giving is increasingly important to the vitality of institutions of higher education. With governmental financial support of public institutions steadily declining, understanding philanthropic giving is more important than ever. Advancement offices that serve alumni populations benefit from analyzing predictors of the behavioral phenomenon of charitable giving. It is also known that enrollment in distance education programs is on the rise in the United States. For university administrators and advancement professionals to be proactive in cultivating relationships with alumni that attended through an online modality, more research was needed to understand what motivates philanthropic giving from this alumni constituency. Using …

Encapsulating Holistic Intercultural Competence Development In Higher Education: A Literature Review On Assessments And Competencies, Constantina Rokos, Svetlana N. Khapova, Marcus Laumann

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Undergraduate Transfer Students At Faith-Based And Religiously Affiliated Institutions: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Amanda Nicole Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of undergraduate transfer students at faith-based and religiously affiliated institutions in the United States. Thus, in order to explore this phenomenon, the central research question directing the present study was: What are the lived experiences of undergraduate transfer students at faith-based and religiously affiliated institutions in the United States? The two theories guiding this study were Astin’s theory of involvement and Tinto’s theory of engagement, as they explain the relationship between institutional fit, involvement, and feelings of belonging. This study employed a transcendental phenomenological design and included …

Understanding Incarcerated Education: A Review Of The Digital And Gender Inequality Impacts Of Accessibility And Inclusivity Of Higher Education For Incarcerated Students, Bianca R. Parry Phd

Journal of Prison Education Research

Education in the correctional environment is endorsed as an effective rehabilitative tool linked to reducing recidivism and improving reintegration. Unfortunately, while researchers from the Global North are particularly active on the subject of the accessibility of digital education in corrections, the same cannot be said for the Global South. Of further concern is that few of the studies conducted have focused specifically on incarcerated women’s access to education. As discussed in the literature review to follow, research regarding higher education in corrections has the potential for expanding academics, stakeholders, and policy makers understanding of incarcerated students’ pathways towards education attainment. …

Students' Perceptions Of Professional Short-Messaging Education In Undergraduate Courses, Seth S. Frei, Allison M. Alford, Ashly B. Smith

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

The popularity of short-messaging formats, like text and chat, is on the rise in the workplace with many employees preferring this style over long-form options like email. While many businesses expect employees to communicate using short messages, students may be ill-equipped to effectively use these methods due to a lack of formal training. This study sets out to understand students’ experience, confidence, and education related to professional short messaging. Results indicate a correlation between confidence and experience levels in writing text and chat messages. Further, the participants who indicated they had training on writing short messages, indicated they learned it …

Queer Perspectives On Mentorship In Higher Education: A Phenomenological Study, Anthony T. Fucci

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This qualitative study explored the way in which LGBTQ+ college students experienced mentorship. Despite improvements in LGBTQ+ rights over the last 50+ years, recent scholarship has shown that queer students still face unique challenges, including discrimination and harassment based on their queer identity. Mentorship has been found to be an effective resource for assisting marginalized student populations transition successfully into college. The purpose of this study was to investigate how LGBTQ+ students experienced mentorship in order to better understand how these relationships may (or may not) contribute to their experience on college campuses. A phenomenological research design and queer theory …

Threats And Opportunities To Critical Thinking Development Students Encounter In A Christian College Environment: A Case Study, Mark Edward Schwartz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this single unit case study was to describe the efforts of Small Christian University (SCU) to develop critical thinking skills and dispositions amongst its students. The theory guiding this study was Fowler’s stages of faith theory, which explains the role of experiences and crises in developing faith, a process which parallels closely with the process of developing critical thinking skills. This study examined interviews with students, a focus group with faculty and documents recording assessments of completed student assignments to describe how effective SCU’s efforts were in developing students who could think critically and were disposed to …

Vignettes Expose Undergraduates’ Perceptions Of Consent And Sexual Assault: Implications For Sexual Assault Education, April N. Terry, Mackenzie Orchard Esq., Vivian Aranda-Hughes

Academic Leadership Journal in Student Research

Under Title IX and the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter, universities were reminded of their obligation to educate, prevent, and respond to sexual assaults and other forms of gender-based violence. The current study used a survey packet including a Rape Myth Acceptance scale, questions about related education, and a scale rating participants’ level of confidence on seven vignettes. The sample indicated participants were more likely to recognize whether consent was given than they were to recognize whether the vignette met legal standards for sexual assault. The results can provide universities with information to better individualize their sexual assault prevention efforts.

Gamification And Player Profiles Among Faculty In Mexico, Álvaro Antón-Sancho, Diego Vergara, Lorena Rodríguez-Calzada

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: Analysis of the player profiles of professors is a fruitful line of research because player profiles may influence the design of gamified situations. We studied a sample of 243 university professors in Mexico to analyze the player profiles with which they identify and those they consider most effective didactically in gamified situations.

Method: Descriptive quantitative research was used to analyze the distributions of the responses to a questionnaire given to a group of 243 professors from different Mexican universities. These responses have been statistically analyzed by computing the proportions of player profile choices and applying Pearson’s chi-square test of …

Preliminary Analysis Of Student Accommodations At Higher Education Institutions In The Midwest With Communication Disorders Programs, Stacie M. Hatfield, Erin Redle Sizemore, Anu Subramanian

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify accommodations available to students in Midwestern higher education institutions. The number of students with disabilities entering graduate programs, including in CSD, is increasing. There are multiple barriers that impact success for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations for students are legally required in higher education, but little is known about the types of accommodations available to CSD students at different institutions. An enhanced understanding of common accommodation may help CSD programs proactively prepare programs to support graduate students in academic and clinical training. Method: Analysis of the accommodations listed on the websites …

An Exploration Of Trauma-Inclusive Pedagogy And Students’ Perceptions Of Academic Success, R. Jason Lynch, Krista Wojdak

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

While trauma-inclusive approaches to student learning have been well documented in K–12 contexts, postsecondary education has done little to incorporate trauma-inclusive pedagogy into college classrooms. Using a sample (n = 529) of graduate and undergraduate students at a public rural-serving regional serving university, this study aims to explore differences in students’ perception of academic success in courses where trauma-inclusive practices were used and courses where these practices were not. Findings provide evidence that students felt more successful in courses where trauma-inclusive practices were used. Additionally, researchers were able to demonstrate that differences in perceptions of success were more pronounced …

The Pacifican October 2023, University Of The Pacific

All Issues - Student Newspaper, The Pacifican, Pacific Weekly

No abstract provided.

Texts On Repeat: Examining The Persistence Of Assigned Course Materials, Rachel E. Scott, Julie Murphy, Rachel Park, Anne Shelley, Mallory Jallas

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

Many academic libraries’ collection development policies have discouraged the acquisition of assigned textbooks, but recent trends to support textbook affordability, student success, and online learning have caused some library personnel to rethink this approach. Through recent efforts at our library to purchase available e-copies for assigned course textbooks, we became curious about title persistence, or the frequency with which a unique title is assigned across multiple semesters and within a single semester across multiple sections. In this presentation we provide some background and context for our textbook affordability efforts and examine several years of assigned textbook data at Illinois State …

Relationship Between Learning Communities And Campus Residency On Sense Of Belonging Among First Year Undergraduates, Lanah Kathryn Stafford

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

In higher education, sense of belonging has been linked to improved outcomes such as retention and academic achievement (e,g., Pittman & Richmond, 2007). Previous research has also identified participation in learning communities and campus residency as interventions which improve sense of belonging for students in this context (e.g., Solanki et al., 2019; Soria & Roberts, 2021). However, little research has been conducted to empirically study sense of belonging as a multidimensional construct, and no research has investigated interactions between on-campus residency and learning community participation on its development.

Data were collected from 1,072 first-year students on the Sense of Belonging …

Religion And Atheism In Everyday Day Life Of The Ukrainian Educators In The 1920s-1930s, Oleksandr Lukyanenko, Vitaly Dmytrenko, Vita Dmytrenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article illustrates the process of formation of the atheist worldview of Soviet citizens under the pressure of Bolshevik propaganda in the context of student-teaching communities of higher educational institutions of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The study shows two poles of the life of teachers: the limit of involvement in the work in the societies of militant God-fighters and the marginal position of the believers with all the resulting negative consequences for the personality, which the atheistic totalitarian state tried to create for a person. Along with highlighting the state-wide patterns of the anti-religious struggle in the Ukrainian socialist …

Analysis Of Student Engagement And Perceptions Of Community Of Inquiry (Coi)-Based Blended Learning In The Chemical Separation Subject On Chromatography, Agita Dzulhajh Anggraini, Surjani Wonorahardjo, Yudhi Utomo

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

Learning in higher education has often been conducted solely through face-to-face, teacher- centered approaches. Implementing Community of Inquiry (CoI)-based blended learning in chromatography is crucial as it offers students a novel learning experience. This pre- experimental study, utilizing a one-group pretest-posttest design, aimed to describe students’ perceptions of CoI-based blended learning in chromatography. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising 34 statements. The results indicated that students had a neutral perception of CoI-based blended learning. While a community of inquiry has been established, it has not yet reached its full potential, as students have not fully experienced social presence in …

A Case Study Of Diverse Faculty Recruitment In A Graduate Higher Education Institution, Miguel Valenzuela

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to describe higher education faculty’s experience with recruitment and retention through the university hiring process and to discover the equity standards of the phenomenon for higher education institutions. The importance of recruitment and retention of diverse faculty within higher education institutions is imperative for the health of the institution and will assist in furthering diversity initiatives for faculty recruitment that will enable better student experiences. The theory guiding this study was critical race theory (CRT) that was initially intended to be used in the legal field. However, CRT has been used in …

Leveraging The W.H.O.L.E. Experience Framework To Elevate Inclusive Learning, Morris Thomas, Susan Winchell Thomas

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The case study methodology was used to analyze instructional strategies to discuss and refine diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in two psychology courses at a community college in California’s Bay Area. A mentor and mentee professional development experience, referred to as the DEI studio, used four sessions over 5 weeks to explore reflective practice using the W.H.O.L.E. Experience framework as a guide to review current DEI practices and implement additional strategies intended to improve the engagement, experience, and success of all students. Student feedback and data were collected via a six-question student evaluation of the courses. Results showed that …

What’S The Big Fat Deal?: The Experience Of Fat Students In College, Andrea Marie Melrose

Dissertations

Weight-based discrimination is considered the last acceptable form of discrimination in the United States. Fat bias and stigma are present in healthcare, employment, and education. This dissertation study explores the experiences of fat students on college campuses, examining their experiences of anti-fat bias and discrimination. Additionally, this study explores policy and practice implications for improving the experiences of fat college students and supporting body diversity on campus. This dissertation has four overarching research questions that focus on the following topics: fat students’ experiences of weight-based stigma and discrimination in college, the limitations of physical space on college campuses, perceptions of …

The Nature Of Bullying In Higher Education: A Comparative Study Of Students’ Experiences In Ghana And Norway, Emmanuel Mensah Kormla Tay, David Lansing Cameron

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Meritocracy: A Remedy To Addressing Social Injustices In Selecting Students To Public Higher Education In Malawi?, Mastano N. Dzimbiri, Joel R. Malin

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Introduction 15(4) 2023, Rosalind Latiner Raby

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Full Issue 15(4) 2023

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Square-Peg Frauds, Miriam H. Baer

Northwestern University Law Review

The square-peg fraud is a kind of case that until very recently enjoyed the widespread support of prosecutors, jurists, and the general public. Rather than punishing a scheme that rids a victim of her money or property, the square-peg prosecution has long focused on deprivations of intangible property. For years, enforcement actors have employed this concept to pursue innumerable varieties of corruption.

Nowhere has the square peg been more essential than in the government’s prosecution of higher education scandals. From the Varsity Blues parents who wrongfully secured elite college slots for their children, to the business school dean who shaped …

Do-It-Together: Informal Transformative Sustainability Education, Derek Brannon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Climate Crisis is an urgent and inescapable reality students are thrust into. Learners must be prepared adequately for their futures, not only for their sakes but also because collective and transformative change is required. Transformative sustainability education provides one pathway to this transformation and focuses on radically altering students’ perceptions about the world and their agency in effecting change on ecological issues. The field of transformative sustainability education is emergent and thus is still fragmented, leaving gaps in the literature. Little research has been conducted on how informal and nonformal university spaces can be used to create transformative experiences …

The Link Between Emotion And Cognition In Reading Comprehension Of Undergraduate Pre-Medical Students Enrolled At An Hbcu, Gail D. Brekke

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether emotion affects cognition, that is reading comprehension at the college level. This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to answer the research questions as phenomenology is appropriate to understand and assess the participants’ experience with cognition and emotion (Greening, 2019). The theoretical concepts of Constructivism, Control Value Theory of Achievement Emotions, and Emotion Regulation Theory were used as a conceptual framework. Constructivist Theory was appropriate for this research, as it answered the question of learner-centered knowledge acquisition in regard to the learner’s cognition (Dewey, 1974; Kant, 1781; Piaget, 1971; Vygotsky, 1987). …

Investing In Your Employees: Understanding The Impact Organizational Commitment Has On Staff Retention, Vanessa Lynne Mcwhirt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High employee turnover in higher education has been an issue for decades, and successfully integrating newly hired staff (NHS) into their new job and the organization can be challenging for human resources and leadership. New employee orientation and onboarding programs can assist NHS. The author of this paper conducted a Utilization-Focused evaluation of the Thriving at DU program at the University of Denver (DU) to improve the program. The study examined the perceptions of how 12 student and academic affairs professionals made meaning of organizational commitment in the workplace throughout their onboarding experience.

The major findings of this evaluation aligned …

Fostering An Inclusive Learning Environment Through Course Development: A Program Evaluation, Rachel K. Rogers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This evaluation was chosen to address the desire of students to see themselves and their lived experiences in their coursework at University College, the location of this study. The purpose was to complete a utilization-focused evaluation that assessed first, the formal and informal practices involved in the course development process within an academic department at University College, University of Denver, and second to determine the extent to which the course development process contributes to an inclusive learning environment. Data were collected using qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews of key stakeholders in the course development process, observations of weekly course development …

Relations Between Community Engagement Levels And Citizenship Competence Among Tertiary-Level Students At A Public Institution Of Higher Education, Ernesto L. Bastida Jr.

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

This mixed-methods sequential explanatory study seeks to explain the relationship between community engagement and citizenship competence among tertiary-level students at Kolehiyo ng Lungsod ng Dasmariñas, a public institution of higher learning in Dasmariñas in Cavite, Philippines. Specifically, it seeks to (1) determine students’ level of engagement in various community development activities and their levels of citizenship competence; as well as (2) discuss and analyze the relationship between these two variables. Quantitative surveys were conducted on 331 students, followed by semi- structured interviews and focus group discussions with 30 purposely selected participants to gather follow-up data during the qualitative phases.

The …

An Investigation Of The Advantages And Disadvantages Of University Students As Avatars In Virtual Learning Spaces, Gary Burnett, Catherine Harvey

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

Authors have noted the increasing importance of avatars in Higher Education, as more teaching is conducted virtually, drawing upon gaming conventions. However, it is also recognised that little is known about how students make use of avatars (especially over an extended period) and the subsequent impact on learning experiences. For the last three years, a university module has been conducted within a persistent virtual world – where students (49 in 2020; 95 in 2021; 122 in 2022) predominantly interact with each other and teaching staff in avatar form. Observation data constitutes 60 hours of video recordings of virtual world seminars. …