Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Leading Beyond The Lecture: A Case Study Exploring How Community College Students Experience Their Instructors’ Positive Leadership Strategies, Mandy Morrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Positive leadership, an approach to leading individuals to the point of flourishing, has been studied in corporate contexts. While the student-to-instructor relationships only distantly compare to the employee-to-supervisor dynamics, the relationships and power differential have similarities, making the pillars of positive leadership relevant in the context of higher education. Given the critical nature of student success to stakeholders in higher education and the students themselves, discovering instructor strategies that enhance student success can demonstrate an upward spiral of positivity that extends from the student, to the instructor, to the college, and ultimately to the community. Framed by leader-member exchange (LMX) …

Guerrillera Blesson Interlude Vii, María L. Arroyo Cruzado, Julie G. Fogden

Gatherings

Interlude VII is the last of seven reflective pieces interwoven throughout the journal. Each interlude represents a collaborative fusion of María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado’s narrative and Julie Fogden’s visual art, capturing the transformative experience of attending The State of Women of Color in New Higher Education symposium. These interludes draw inspiration from the symposium’s presentations, including thematic content, visual motifs, and the symbolic patterns found in the attire of the presenters. They honor the dedication and labor that women of color invest in both professional and personal spheres, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of these responsibilities while celebrating the …

Guerrillera Blesson Interlude Vi, María L. Arroyo Cruzado, Julie G. Fogden

Gatherings

Interlude VI is the sixth of seven reflective pieces interwoven throughout the journal. Each interlude represents a collaborative fusion of María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado’s narrative and Julie Fogden’s visual art, capturing the transformative experience of attending The State of Women of Color in New Higher Education symposium. These interludes draw inspiration from the symposium’s presentations, including thematic content, visual motifs, and the symbolic patterns found in the attire of the presenters. They honor the dedication and labor that women of color invest in both professional and personal spheres, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of these responsibilities while celebrating the …

Guerrillera Blesson Interlude V, María L. Arroyo Cruzado, Julie G. Fogden

Gatherings

Interlude V is the fifth of seven reflective pieces interwoven throughout the journal. Each interlude represents a collaborative fusion of María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado’s narrative and Julie Fogden’s visual art, capturing the transformative experience of attending The State of Women of Color in New Higher Education symposium. These interludes draw inspiration from the symposium’s presentations, including thematic content, visual motifs, and the symbolic patterns found in the attire of the presenters. They honor the dedication and labor that women of color invest in both professional and personal spheres, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of these responsibilities while celebrating the …

Guerrillera Blesson Interlude Iv, María L. Arroyo Cruzado, Julie G. Fogden

Gatherings

Interlude IV is the fourth of seven reflective pieces interwoven throughout the journal. Each interlude represents a collaborative fusion of María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado’s narrative and Julie Fogden’s visual art, capturing the transformative experience of attending The State of Women of Color in New Higher Education symposium. These interludes draw inspiration from the symposium’s presentations, including thematic content, visual motifs, and the symbolic patterns found in the attire of the presenters. They honor the dedication and labor that women of color invest in both professional and personal spheres, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of these responsibilities while celebrating the …

Guerrillera Blesson Interlude Iii, María L. Arroyo Cruzado, Julie G. Fogden

Gatherings

Interlude II is the third of seven reflective pieces interwoven throughout the journal. Each interlude represents a collaborative fusion of María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado’s narrative and Julie Fogden’s visual art, capturing the transformative experience of attending The State of Women of Color in New Higher Education symposium. These interludes draw inspiration from the symposium’s presentations, including thematic content, visual motifs, and the symbolic patterns found in the attire of the presenters. They honor the dedication and labor that women of color invest in both professional and personal spheres, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of these responsibilities while celebrating the …

Guerrillera Blesson Interlude Ii, María L. Arroyo Cruzado, Julie G. Fogden

Gatherings

Interlude II is the second of seven reflective pieces interwoven throughout the journal. Each interlude represents a collaborative fusion of María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado’s narrative and Julie Fogden’s visual art, capturing the transformative experience of attending The State of Women of Color in New Higher Education symposium. These interludes draw inspiration from the symposium’s presentations, including thematic content, visual motifs, and the symbolic patterns found in the attire of the presenters. They honor the dedication and labor that women of color invest in both professional and personal spheres, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of these responsibilities while celebrating the …

Guerrillera Blesson Interlude I, María L. Arroyo Cruzado, Julie G. Fogden

Gatherings

Interlude I is the first of seven reflective pieces interwoven throughout the journal. Each interlude represents a collaborative fusion of María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado’s narrative and Julie Fogden’s visual art, capturing the transformative experience of attending The State of Women of Color in New Higher Education symposium. These interludes draw inspiration from the symposium’s presentations, including thematic content, visual motifs, and the symbolic patterns found in the attire of the presenters. They honor the dedication and labor that women of color invest in both professional and personal spheres, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of these responsibilities while celebrating the …

Introduction: Building Space For Gathering In Hostile Times, Roberta Hurtado

Gatherings

This introduction serves as a means to share with you, the reader, about an upstate New York symposium that occurred in March of 2025. The event aimed to create a space where we could explore the trials, tribulations, and jubilations that women of color in New York higher education experience. Speakers and attendees gathered from all over the state—and, indeed, country—on a cold wintery day in a spirit of togetherness and awareness of where we find ourselves in this moment. We were there to learn and grow, and to find community.

Gatherings 2.1 Acknowledgement, Table Of Contents And Editors, Roberta Hurtado

Gatherings

Roberta Hurtado, "Acknowledgement" -- Table of Contents -- Editorial Board.

Gatherings 2.1 (Complete Volume), Roberta Hurtado

Gatherings

Proceedings from The State of Women of Color in New York Higher Education.

Roberta Hurtado, "Acknowledgement" -- Table of Contents -- p. vi: Editorial Board.

Journal contents follow: p. 1: Roberta Hurtado (Ed.), "Introduction" -- p. 7: Liz Gil, "Community, Reflection, Wisdom" -- p. 9: Luisa Arroyo Cruzado (narrative) and Julie Fogden (image), "Guerrillera Blesson Interlude I" -- p. 11: Heather Hathaway Miranda, "Round Tables" -- p. 13: Estela López, "Guerrilleras: Speaking Truths and Strategizing Futures" -- p. 17: María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado (narrative) and Julie Fogden (image), "Guerrillera Blesson Interlude II" -- p. 19: Jeanine Irons, "No More Hester …

New Mexico Snap-Ed College Food Insecurity Report, Belinda E. Vicuña, Yvonnie V. Baik, Elena E. Martinez, Mahtab Soleimani, Camille R. Velarde, Theresa H. Cruz

Reports & Documents

In New Mexico, 58% of college students experience some form of food insecurity. The College Food Insecurity Project—conducted by the University of New Mexico’s Division of Prevention and Population Sciences with support from the New Mexico Health Care Authority and USDA SNAP-Ed—examined how campus food pantries address student food needs across the state. Using a mixed-methods design, the study included semi-structured interviews with food pantry coordinators and staff at 13 institutions of higher education, on-site assessments using the Nutrition Environment Food Pantry Assessment Tool Plus (NEFPAT+), and content analysis of 15 college food pantry websites.

Findings revealed that campus …

The Influence Of Gender-Based Violence On Women’S Career Development: Perspectives From Higher Education Career Guidance Practitioners In Ireland, Lianne Rooney

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Women and girls are disproportionately subjected to GBV and the effects for victim-survivors are multiple and long-lasting. An under-considered dimension is the profound influence GBV has on the careers of the women who experience it.This qualitative study aimed to explore this issue from the perspective of career practitioners. The research set out to understand how career practitioners working in Irish Higher Education institutions understand GBV, how they identify this in a career context and the professional competencies they require to support female clients who may be affected by it.

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), …

Professional Development Program: Sexual And Gender Minorities Education And Training, Aiden Echols, Bs, Madison Via, Bs, Audrey L. Zapletal, Otd, Ms, Otr/L, Cla, Chse, Karla A. Bell, Pt, Dpt, Phd, Fnap

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Background

LGBTQ+ communities experience health care and health disparities; some reasons include:

• barriers in care
• negative attitudes
• lack of awareness by healthcare providers.

Studies have found healthcare professionals are not adequately trained in LGBTQ+ care

Educators benefit from professional development related to LGBTQ+ inclusivity in higher education.

Gamification And Collaborative Learning In Physical Geography: Teaching Geological History In Higher Education, Pablo Fraile-Jurado

The Geographical Bulletin

This paper evaluates the impact of a collaborative gamification approach designed to help university students better understand and retain abstract content in geological and climatic history. Inspired by the board game Timeline, the activity required students to physically organize themselves to represent a chronological sequence of key geological and climatic events. Conducted within a first-year physical geography course, the intervention was tested by comparing learning outcomes between an experimental group engaging in this gamified activity and a control group receiving traditional lecture-based instruction. Results show that students in the gamified group performed significantly better on assessments administered one week and …

Decision-Making During A Crisis: A Case Study Of How A University Responded To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ryan Joseph Iocco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Scant research is available on how university leaders make decisions and communicate those decisions to their stakeholders during times of crisis. The purpose of this case study was to better understand the decision-making process used by administrative leaders at a higher education institution during a time of organizational crisis. This study examined decision-making by higher education leaders within and across different functional areas at a single higher education institution between February 2020 and September 2020, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was collected through interviews and document analysis. Although research exists on decision-making during crises, there is limited …

Complicating Understandings Of Low-Income Students’ Financial Stress And Well-Being In Order To Inform Institutional Support, Khalilah R. Lauderdale, Ralitsa Todorova, Zoë B. Corwin

Journal of Student Financial Aid

This paper seeks to enhance understanding of how low-income students navigate financial stress by integrating the asset-based concept of financial well-being and including a focus on the institutional context. Data collected from 378 interviews with students from low-income backgrounds illustrate complex ways that students experience financial stress and financial well-being. By centering students’ perspectives in analysis while also accounting for programmatic and institutional contexts, the authors aim to push theory and practice toward a more nuanced understanding of how to best support students from low-income backgrounds as they navigate affording college and fostering financial well-being.

The Lived Experiences And Perspectives Of Higher Education Faculty Regarding The Use Of Artificial Intelligence Writing Tools On Students' Coursework: A Phenomenological Study, Kalary T. Driggers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences and perspectives of higher education faculty in the Southeastern United States on student use of artificial intelligence writing tools in their coursework. The theory guiding this study was Rogers’ diffusion of innovations, which considers the acceptance of innovations over time. The central research question for this study was, “What are the lived experiences and perspectives of higher education faculty regarding the use of artificial intelligence writing tools on student coursework in higher education?” This study employed a transcendental phenomenological approach, as the researcher sought to understand the …

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 …

Clark Magazine, Fall/Winter 2025, Clark University

Clark Magazine

The Fall/Winter 2025 edition of Clark Magazine. Clark Magazine is a twice-yearly publication primarily geared towards Clark University Alumni.

The cover story is 'Our Planet. Our Clark. A Special Issue', celebrating the new School of Climate, Environment, and Society.

Nsu Kpcom Link - Fall 2025 - Volume 4.3, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Florida Link Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Exploring Undergraduate Experiences In Physical Education And Health: A Photovoice Study Of Indonesian Students, Sunarno Basuki, Perdinanto Perdinanto, Akhmad Amirudin

Indonesian Journal of Research in Physical Education, Sport, and Health

Background: Research on undergraduate students in Physical Education (PE) and Health particularly in Indonesia and the Global South has predominantly relied on quantitative indicators, often neglecting students’ lived, embodied, and emotional experiences within demanding academic and physical environments. Objective: This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Indonesian undergraduate students enrolled in PE and Health programs and to examine how these experiences can inform more responsive and inclusive educational practices. Methods: A qualitative participatory design was employed using photovoice. Eight undergraduate students documented their academic and personal experiences through photography over a two-week period, followed by reflective writing and …

Closing The Graduation Gap: Factors That Impact The Graduation And Enrollment Rates Of First Generation African American Male Students At Predominantly White Christian Universities, Byron C. Johnson Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

First-generation African American male students encounter unique challenges on their journey through higher education. These challenges include inadequate academic preparation, limited family support, financial hardships, and difficulties in finding a sense of belonging. Additionally, factors such as race and religion present significant barriers that hinder their ability to persist in and graduate from colleges and universities without institutional support. Strategic initiatives, programs, and services that address the specific needs of these students are crucial for promoting their academic and social integration, ultimately influencing their success in higher education. This study focused on the experiences of successful first-generation African American students …

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 …

Music And The Journey Of Black Male Phd Graduates In Counseling, Vincent Sears

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological qualitative study explored the lived experiences of Black male PhD graduates from CACREP- accredited counseling education programs who are now professors within the academy. It examined the integration of music as a coping mechanism to address the psychological impact of isolation, tokenism, and hypervisibility connected to attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs/ HWIs). Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and participants shared bespoke musical playlists. The results of this study revealed three overarching themes and associated sub-themes: the impact of racism and systemic barriers (structural barriers and racial inequities); navigating predominantly or historically white institutions; and music as …

Carry On: A Multi-Campus Faculty Perspective On The Barriers And Facilitators To Implementing Service Learning Curriculum During A Global Pandemic, Adrianne Widaman, Kirsten Leisses Tuck

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Service learning (SL) faculty faced substantial and unique challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to explore SL faculty perspectives during the crisis. Higher education faculty who taught SL designated courses during 2020/2021 identified and prioritized challenges and strategies to teaching SL courses without direct person contact. A total of 144 unique responses were collected from 16 faculty from 5 universities using the nominal group technique, a qualitative and quantitative method. Highly ranked themes included the emotional burden felt by the faculty, decreased student learning, a lack of faculty time, the need for alternative assignments, and …

Promoting Healthy Aging Through An Intergenerational Service-Learning Course, Tricia Pierce, Eric Hubbard, Shalini Persaud

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This case study examines combining service-learning (SL) with an intergenerational exercise program using undergraduate kinesiology students. The purpose was to explore how SL increases confidence, social responsibility, and leadership growth while addressing community needs. Students led biweekly exercise sessions for older adults over six weeks. Reflections demonstrated mutual benefits, including improved activity levels, reduced social isolation, and strengthened community connections.