Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond The Classroom: Influence Of A Sustainability Intervention On University Students’ Environmental Knowledge And Behaviors, Dawn Christina Null, Kristin Hurst, Leslie A. Duram

Publications

On college campuses, environmental science education largely takes place in classrooms, thereby limiting impact on the full student body. By implementing an educational intervention in an informal campus setting, this study tested an approach aimed at expanding the reach of environmental learning. Students at a mid-size Midwestern university were exposed to a food-focused environmental and climate education intervention consisting of sustainability trivia and marketing materials displayed in dining halls. Prior to exposure, students completed a pre-test, followed by a 5-week intervention, then a post-test. Comparing correct responses between pre-test and post-test, we found a significant increase in environmental and climate …

Optimizing Preference Satisfaction With Genetic Algorithm In Matching Students To Supervisors, Azamat Serek, Meirambek Zhaparov

Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences

The allocation of students to supervisors is a crucial aspect of higher education, impacting the quality of guidance and support students receive for their academic projects. This paper explores the application of a genetic algorithm to optimize the matching process. The algorithm considers considers psychological compatibility between student and supervisor, and aims for maximization of preference satisfaction of students and supervisors regarding the match. Experimental results demonstrate high preference satisfaction (0.91), indicating effective alignment with students’ preferences. The algorithm’s time and space complexities show scalability, making it a promising solution for large-scale applications. Additionally, the workload distribution results highlight the …

Women In Leadership Positions In Higher Education: Challenges, Opportunities, And Strategies For Success, Maria Bowen

M.S. in Leadership

This research project is aimed to identify the challenges and barriers women face in higher education while striving to obtain leadership positions and provide possible solutions to resolve the gender gaps found in higher education’s leadership. A literature review was conducted, which informed questions that were asked in an interview setting. Interviews were conducted with leaders that identify as women in higher education and sought to provide personalized accounts of the researched trends. Ultimately, despite higher education being perceived as a progressive industry and having legislature in place to combat gender disparities, leadership positions are not reflective of gender distribution …

Impact Of Implicit Racial Bias On Students Of African Descent In Predominately White Institutions, Edwin Mathieu

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how implicit racial bias influences the perceptions of students of African descent in predominately White colleges (PWIs) in the United States (U.S.). The theoretical framework for the study is critical race theory (CRT). CRT challenges racial indifference by exposing how racial advances often come at the cost of promoting or feeding into White self-interests (Patton et al., 2007). This non-experimental quantitative study examined how GPA, the number of credits earned, gender, race, and campus culture impact students of African descent’s perceptions of culturally implicit racial bias. It used Asian, Hispanic, and White students as a comparison group. …

Evaluating Fourth-Grader’S Perception Of Engineering Through A Community-Engaged Project (Evaluation), Olivia Ryan, Maija A. Benitz

Engineering, Computing & Construction Management Faculty Publications

To meet the complex challenges of the future, there needs to be an increase in the number of students pursuing , STEM and engineering. To grow those numbers, students must have an understanding and interest in engineering in order to pursue it as a career option. However, literature has shown that children hold misconceptions about the engineering profession, which can deter potential future engineers from the field. This underscores the importance of introducing engineering concepts at a young age. Over the past ten years, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have been integrated into state school curricula, increasing the emphasis …

Singapore Management University Report To Stakeholders 2023/24, Singapore Management University

Report to Stakeholders

The past year has been one of significant growth and achievement for Singapore Management University. As we navigated an increasingly complex and challenging world, SMU remained committed to doing the best by our students, harnessing the collective brain trust that our faculty represent, and the professional expertise of our staff, to deliver impact on our community, country, and region. Our focus on nurturing the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and change-makers continues to be at the heart of our educational mission, and our dedication to the highest quality research for academic and societal impact remains our commitment.

Introducing The Engineering Design Process To First-Year Students With A Project Focused On Offshore Wind Energy, Gordon Stewart, Maija A. Benitz, Lillian C. Jeznach, Charles R. Thomas

Engineering, Computing & Construction Management Faculty Publications

This is a complete evidence-based practice paper. In 2019, a new semester-long course project was developed for our university’s first-year engineering program that aimed to introduce students to the engineering design process (EDP) in an engaging and relevant way. Students in our small undergraduate-only engineering program earn Bachelors of Science degrees in Engineering, with a specialization in civil, computer, electrical, environmental, mechanical, or a custom area. Offshore wind energy was chosen as the project topic both for its relevance to the university’s coastal location and because it touches upon many of the subareas of engineering that students can specialize in. …

The High Maintenance Black Girl: Black Female College Students’ Experiences With Intraracial Stereotypes, Alexis Thrower

CGU Theses & Dissertations

While existing literature has extensively documented interracial stereotypes faced by Black individuals, this study delved into the lesser-explored realm of stereotypes emanating from within the Black community itself. This dissertation explored the experiences of Black female college students in predominantly white educational environments, focusing on the pervasive influence of intraracial stereotypes. Grounded in phenomenological inquiry and guided by Black Feminist Critique, the research investigated the impact of these intraracial stereotypes on relationships, sense of belonging, and coping strategies among Black female college students. Four research questions guided this dissertation: What are the intraracial stereotypes experienced by Black female college students? …

A Comparative Case Of The Sense Of Belonging Of Students And Black Neighborhood Stakeholders Utilizing Public Recreational Space Near An Urban College Campus, Briyanna N. Jenkins

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

At a time when regulation impacting colleges and universities has steadily increased, institutional leaders have explored ways to maximize their educational effectiveness, impact, and public contribution to their surrounding communities. Public colleges and universities often use public-private partnerships to develop institutionally owned or managed spaces on and surrounding their campuses. As a result, institutional stakeholders are infused with existing community neighborhoods, cultures and structures, which often results in permanent change imposed on these neighbors and neighborhoods. Using a comparative case study approach, this exploratory research explored the relationship between campus stakeholders utilizing campus and private recreational spaces and their sense …

Open Educational Resources In Higher Education, Teisha Robertson

Levi Watkins Learning Center

Open Educational Resources (OERs) are materials such as books, articles, videos of lectures, and other resources provided to students free of charge. The increase in textbook costs has caused students to depend upon OERs. OERs are excellent teaching resources for students and instructors because they are free or low-cost and easy to adapt to instructor curricula. Furthermore, they can help students from low-income families save money. This paper will discuss the importance, challenges, and benefits of open educational resources in higher education institutions.

The Competitive Nature Of Education Culture In East Asia And Its Underlying Reasons, Hayeon Kim

A with Honors Projects

The paper explores the competitive education system in East Asia (e.g. South Korea, Japan and China) and the author's personal thoughts on the reasons behind it.

Exploring Liberal Arts Education: Unveiling The African Perspective, Eyram Bleboo, Kamilia Kalmoni, Yaw Kwakyi

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

This is a dynamic magazine which details the African perspective and context of liberal arts education. This magazine captures different community members' stories and experiences across diverse institutions. It also includes quotes, and research articles under core themes.

Equity And Inclusion In Honors: A Case Study Of Admissions Changes, Trevor Zink, Andrew Dilts

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Creative levers for change often emerge in times of institutional uncertainty. As higher education continues to confront institutional racism, honors programs can exercise their power to increase diversity and educational outcomes for excluded and marginalized students, as well as influence related university-level policy. This case study chronicles dramatic changes to admissions policies and programmatic offerings in honors between 2020–2023. Changes in admissions practices markedly diversified the student body, moving it from a 60% white population to 60% minority population in just three years. Conversations around race and racism were initiated, inculcating a culture of inclusion rather than elitist exceptionalism. As …

Institutional Factors Associated With Closing The Equity Gap In Six-Year Graduation Rates At Public Four-Year Universities, Lisa Yannick

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The equity gaps in educational outcomes between Black students and their white counterparts have been a long-standing issue in higher education (Bensimon, 2005; Cahalan et al., 2021; NCES, 2022a; NCES, 2023b). Prior research on student retention and graduation has tended to take a deficit view of the gap and focused on student characteristics (e.g., demographics, pre-college experiences, grit or resilience, course grades, program participation). This study uses an equity-minded lens that locates the problem of disparate outcomes in six-year graduation rates between Black and white students within the policies and practices of institutions. In this study, I focused on the …

2024 F1rst Look, Nova Southeastern University

First Look

No abstract provided.

Student-Teacher Alliance Buffers Against The Impact Of Moderate Math Anxiety On Course Performance Among College Students, Erin N. Palmwood

Psychological Science Articles

Students with math anxiety experience low self-efficacy and high levels of distress when asked to approach math tasks and concepts, which often results in poor course performance. Despite the wealth of research on this construct, relatively little is known about how math anxiety impacts math achievement in college-aged students or what types of classroom-based processes might buffer against this harmful effect. The present study therefore examined the student-teacher alliance as a potential buffer against the detrimental effect of math anxiety on course grades in a sample of non-STEM college students enrolled in a required mathematics course. Students completed questionnaires regarding …

The Role Of Holistic Mentoring Ecosystems In Mitigating Covid-19 Pandemic Impacts On The Persistence Of Low-Income Stem Students, Raeshan D. Davis, Zakiya S. Wilson-Kennedy

Faculty Publications

Holistic mentoring ecosystems are a comprehensive approach to addressing the diverse needs of students through interconnected support networks. While mentoring has been well-documented in existing literature, more research is needed to determine the effectiveness of mentoring ecosystems in mitigating the impact of critical junctures for vulnerable, high-attrition student populations. Guided by Tinto’s model of retention, this qualitative case study investigated the role of holistic mentoring ecosystems in mitigating the impacts of the two combined critical junctures—the COVID-19 pandemic and the first year of college—on low-income STEM undergraduates. Our findings suggest that holistic mentoring ecosystems were essential in helping students adjust …

Higher Education As The Pathway To Personal And Community Success For Pakistani And Bangladeshi People: A Systematic Review, Shames Maskeen, Jacob Matthews, Debbie M. Smith, Helen J. Stain, Lisa A. D. Webster

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The United Kingdom’s (UK) goal of a 20% increase in participation of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups in higher education (HE) by 2020 has not been met. Pakistani and Bangladeshi students are some of the most underrepresented BAME groups in UK HE institutions. This systematic review included 20 papers that identified barriers and facilitators towards participation in HE separately for Pakistani and Bangladeshi students in the UK. Using thematic analysis, two overarching themes were constructed: (i) the interplay of culturally expected roles on HE participation and (ii) belief that HE is vital for success. This review identified the …

Clark Magazine, Winter 2024, Clark University

Clark Magazine

The Winter 2024 edition of Clark Magazine. Clark Magazine is a twice-yearly publication primarily geared towards Clark University Alumni.

The cover story is 'The Mushroom Moment: In a bust of popularity, the once-humble fungus has captured the kitchen and conquered our culture. Clark mycologist David Hibbett believes he knows why'.

Music Instruction At The California Labor School, 1942–1957, Phillip Hash

Faculty Publications - Music

The purpose of this study was to examine music instruction at the California Labor School (CLS), located in San Francisco, California. This institution existed from 1942 to 1957 as a center for adult education affiliated with the Communist Party. Although the curriculum focused on Marxism and labor, the institution also offered classes in general subjects, vocational training, life skills, and the arts to enrich the lives of the immigrants, industrial workers, and people of color that it served. The music program included courses in music fundamentals, appreciation, and songwriting; group and individual instruction in voice, guitar, and piano; and ensembles …

Mandated Sexual Violence Prevention In Higher Education: A Quantitative Analysis Of Student Response To Sexual Harassment And Violence Through A Framework Of Organizational Culture, Andrew L. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual violence (SV) is a global public health crisis of pandemic proportions. Sexual harassment (SH) and violence are pervasive on college campuses, negatively impacting students, faculty, and staff. To address this, U.S. universities are required by federal law to implement EBP programs to foster awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and skills/behaviors (competencies) to prevent or mitigate sexual misconduct. Improving these competencies can increase students’ capacity to respond to SH and SV they experience or witness positively impacting retention, health, wellness, and graduation outcomes. Additionally, recent empirical evidence has linked organizational culture (i.e., values, shared beliefs, and artifacts) and competencies to effectively responding …

The War On Higher Education, Athena Mutua, Jonathan Feingold, Angela Harris, Emily Houh, Matthew Patrick Shaw, Frank Valdes

Faculty Scholarship

Academic freedom is under assault in the United States.¹ Like the authoritarian populism rising across the globe, domestic attacks on individual professors and academic institutions buttress a broader and multifaceted campaign to undermine multiracial democracy and the institutions that sustain and safeguard it.² The individuals and entities driving this antidemocratic movement have also targeted the electoral process; public education; the right to bodily autonomy; the civil rights and liberties of minoritized and marginalized communities; and freedom of speech and expression (increasingly marshaled against pro-Palestinian advocacy).³ Their openly stated goal is to delegitimize, defund, and “lay siege to” …

Empowering The Next Generation: An Exploration Into The Best Practices That Support The Advancement Of Iranian-American Female Leaders In Higher Education, Noosha Razmara

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the experiences of Iranian-American and Iranian female leaders within higher education institutions. Utilizing a qualitative phenomenological approach, the research actively engaged a cohort of 18 participants through purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews. Four research questions guided this study, highlighting the experiences, perspectives and complexity of these women in their journey towards leadership roles in higher education. The research questions focused on highlighting challenges, methods to overcome them, measures of success and recommendations for aspiring Iranian and Iranian-American leaders. This study aimed to showcase the distinctive intersections of identity, culture, and gender within a lens of leadership experiences …

Establishing A Seven-Stage Iterative Framework And Card-Based Toolkit For The Facilitation And Sustainment Of Communities Of Practice, Michelle O'Keeffe

Theses

This thesis explores the establishment of a framework and card-based toolkit to support the facilitation and sustainment of Communities of Practice (COPs), with a particular focus on COPs in the education domain. COPs have been present in various sectors, such as healthcare, business, finance, and education, for over three decades. These communities bring together individuals who share common problems, concerns, or areas of expertise, aiming to improve their practices collectively. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the best approaches to facilitating, developing, and sustaining COPs over time. To address this gap, four empirical studies were conducted. These studies …

Understanding The Importance Of Brand Equity On Higher Education: An Empirical Study Of Irish Public Universities, Javier Casanoves-Boix, Ana Cruz-Garcia, Sonia García-Lafuente, Mónica Pérez-Sánchez

Dept. of Marketing & International Business Publications

The today’s university education exposes that the argument that stu- dents have an authentic and valuable voice in the decisions that impact their learning and education has become a phenomenon known as 'stu-dent voice' (Matthews and Dollinger, 2023). Furthermore, Boy-murodova y Qosimova (2024) call to action for stakeholders in higher education to prioritize and invest in quality assurance initiatives as in-dispensable components of institutional effectiveness and academic ex-cellence. According to Lafuente, Cifuentes, and Faura (2024), higher education curricula must incorporate competencies that prepare gradu-ates with the necessary knowledge and values.

In Ireland, there are nine universities that account for a …

Gender Equity: The Perception Of Career Advancement In Higher Education, Whitney K. Washington

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women have made many strides in many industries, yet a gendered leadership gap still exists. On many college and university campuses, women are the top degree earners, but they are not represented in executive leadership roles in higher education. The purpose of this quantitative study is to examine university staff perception of career advancement by investigating how independent variables—demographics, challenges and barriers, diversity management, career planning, work-life balance, and pay—are related to the dependent variable—careeradvancement. The study explores the perception of career advancement as a factor that may explain the gendered leadership gap. This study answers the following research questions: …

Barriers To Higher Education Daca Recipients Face In The United States, Natalie Porter

Ballard Brief

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a policy that provides temporary relief from deportation to young undocumented immigrants, as well as social security cards and legal work authorization to qualifying individuals. Students with DACA encounter a variety of barriers to completing higher education due to the nature of the DACA policy. DACA places restrictions on access to federal resources and state resources, inhibiting access to financial aid opportunities. DACA does not provide lawful status to recipients—this breeds uncertainty about the future, preventing DACA students from scholastic planning. The uncertainty of the future is exacerbated by the fact that DACA …

Four-Dimensional Ecology Education (4dee) For Everyone: Teaching Ecology To Non-Majors, Vikki L. Rodgers, Sara E. Scanga, Justin R St Juliana, Erica S. Tietjen, Jon M. Honea, Loren B. Byrne, Zakiya H. Leggett, George Middendorf

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Originally developed for application to ecology courses for undergraduate majors, the Four-Dimensional Ecology Education (4DEE) Framework offers possibilities for adaptation to courses with ecology content for many other audiences. Recognizing the extraordinary range of classroom contexts and constraints, we developed some general, flexible recommendations and approaches to guide instructors in adapting the 4DEE Framework for an array of non-major audiences and classroom context needs. Our hope is that 4DEE-aligned courses for non-majors will provide these students with greater appreciation of ecology and inspire them to use their knowledge to address many critical environmental issues in their personal and professional lives. …

Emotional Intelligence Coaching For Higher Education Lecturers: Their Experience And Its Impact On Trait Emotional Intelligence, Stress, And Teaching Self-Efficacy, Eoghan Guiry

Doctoral

Previous research has established that emotional intelligence (EI) can be developed through targeted intervention; however, this was previously untested with lecturers. Guided by the job demands-resources model, this study explored the impact of an EI coaching intervention on lecturers’ trait EI, perceived stress, work-related stress, and teaching self-efficacy at Technological University Dublin. Additionally, the study explored the lecturers’ experiences of partaking in the intervention. Employing a pragmatic approach, mixed methods were used in a randomised controlled trial.

Elara Conference - Techniques & Technologies To Support Sustainable Education In The Academic Sphere Year Ii Book 2, Volume 2, European Common Laboratory For Pedagogical Action-Research And Student-Centred Learning (Elara)

Publications

The Fourth Industrial Revolution was and s till is focused on digitalising processes and using AI to increas e productivity. Industry 5.0, on the other hand, focuses on the human factor and the human as the centre of the production process. According to the new paradigm, technology should benefit humans, and human s, in turn, should actively collaborate with machines. In other words, while Industry 4.0 wa s based on the relationship between machines and IT systems, Industry 5.0 brings together the strengths of humans and machines. Following this train of thought, we have come up with the idea to …