Digital Commons Network^™

Nsu Kpcom Link - Summer 2024 - Volume 3.2, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Florida Link Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Adult Learner Success In Higher Education Through Decision Tree Models: A Machine Learning Approach, Emily Barnes, James Hutson, Karriem Perry

Faculty Scholarship

This article explores the use of machine learning, specifically Classification and Regression Trees (CART), to address the unique challenges faced by adult learners in higher education. These learners confront socio-cultural, economic, and institutional hurdles, such as stereotypes, financial constraints, and systemic inefficiencies. The study utilizes decision tree models to evaluate their effectiveness in predicting graduation outcomes, which helps in formulating tailored educational strategies. The research analyzed a comprehensive dataset spanning the academic years 2013–2014 to 2021–2022, evaluating the predictive accuracy of CART models using precision, recall, and F1 score. Findings indicate that attendance, age, and Pell Grant eligibility are key …

“I Know How Much He Cares For Our Learning”: Moral Life In University Elt Classrooms, Leila Tajik, Seyyed Abdolhamid Mirhosseini, Mahsa Kashkooli

The Qualitative Report

In Iran’s higher education English language teaching (ELT) context, we explored the moral nuances embedded in two conversation courses offered to undergraduate students majoring in English Literature at one of the branches of the Islamic Azad University (IAU) in Tehran. We collected data through classroom observations, field notes, and semi-structured individual and focus group interviews. Our content analysis revealed a range of moral values embedded in significant incidents, which we categorized into five themes: (a) relations, (b) rules and regulations, (c) assessment, (d) curricular substructure, and (I) culture. These themes were further subcategorized into more specific concepts that emerged from …

Learning The Landscape: An Active And Applied Lesson On Landscape Ecology For General Ecology Courses, Erin G. Rowland-Schaefer, Brianna Negrete Mcginley, Heather E. Bergan-Roller

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Landscape ecology is an important subtopic of ecology. As a field, it is inherently interdisciplinary and provides opportunities to teach not only content, but transferable ecological and geographical skills. Given the broad spectrum of topics in general ecology courses, landscape ecology is often relegated to a single lecture or not covered at all, meaning that there is a need for concise, effective lesson content for teachers. Here, we present an adaptable, active lesson on landscape ecology that can be implemented to help address this gap and support student engagement and the application of content knowledge to local systems. Students are …

Counselor Educators' Acceptance Of Immersive And Interactive Virtual Reality As A Pedagogical Tool, Melissa A. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explores the acceptance of immersive and interactive virtual reality (IIVR) among counselor educators in higher education. It aims to identify the factors influencing their intentions to use IIVR as a teaching tool by examining relationships between various predictors and behavioral intention. This representative survey reveals significant positive correlations between behavioral intention and performance expectancy (r =.56), effort expectancy (r = .40), and social influence (r = .55), confirming that these predictive factors play a vital role in IIVR acceptance. Additional analyses indicate that age and gender do not significantly moderate these relationships, suggesting a universal inclination toward adopting …

Exploring Differences In Perceived Learning For Students In Online Versus Face-To-Face Collegiate Pilot Ground Schools: A Quantitative Causal-Comparative Study, Christopher Komsa

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine if there was a difference in the perceived learning of students completing online versus face-to-face collegiate pilot ground schools. Higher education institutions with pilot training programs are highly invested in student success and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) compliance. A growing number of students are taking online courses in college, and this shift was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Perceived learning was quantified using a web-based survey that collected perceived learning data as measured by the Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor (CAP) Perceived Learning Scale. A sample of 86 students at University …

Investigating Community Of Inquiry And Cognitive Load, Emily K. Faulconer, Darryl Chamberlain, Beverly Wood

Publications

This project will design and research a pilot program for infusing best practices into online discussion forums in STEM courses to reduce extraneous load, improve instructional presence, instructor social presence, student social presence, and student cognitive presence.

Internationalization In Egyptian Higher Education: Two Case Studies From Public Universities, Esraa Mostafa

Theses and Dissertations

In an increasingly globalized world, internationalization has emerged as a promising global trend to contribute to a more interconnected and diverse academic environment. By examining the stakeholders’ perceptions of two joint programs, this study presents a balanced assessment of the quality of education in internationalized programs based on the dual nature of opportunities and barriers associated with internationalization. This study highlights a research gap in the internationalization process of the learning landscape in Egypt. Filling this research gap would offer insightful information to academics, institutions, and policymakers in the field of higher education within the Egyptian context. The study’s findings …

The Impacts Of The Higher Education Expansion On Education Quality In China : Evidence From Shenzhen University, Yousong Lun

Lingnan Theses (Doctoral degree)

Within the expansion of higher education in China, education quality should be considered into the process of reform and establishment, which is highly related to the resources of faculty and performances of management. It is crucial that universities sustainably conduct diverse academic research and meet the needs of community. Faced with the policy reform and opening up, China has more opportunities on cooperating with oversea education institutions and taking in overseas management system. This research explores the general quality assessment on higher education and the solution to balance the needs of domestic society and the growth of international education competitiveness, …

Take Care With The Stories You Tell: Five Guidelines For Practicing Solidarity In University Lgbtqia+ Centers Inspired By Intersex And Trans Stories, Quincy Meyers Dr.

Journal for Women and Gender Centers in Higher Education

In this article the author presents guidelines for practicing solidarity in university LGBTQIA+ centers based on lessons learned from intersex and trans people's stories of their lived experiences. Specifically, ze argues that intersex and trans stories challenge our assumptions regarding solidarity to reconsider the stories we tell ourselves and how we approach differences and commonalities. Based on these lessons, I present five guidelines for practicing solidarity in University LGTQIA+ centers. More specifically, I articulate these guidelines drawing on intersex and trans writers such as Emi Koyama, Emily Quinn, Sean Saifa Wall as well as the work of the Intersex Justice …

Social Reproduction On Campus: Quantitative Investigations Into The Reproduction Of Gender And Socioeconomic Inequality Through Higher Education, Ned William Tilbrook

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation examines two key axes of inequality in higher education -- gender and socioeconomic status (SES) -- in terms of differences in college persistence and college major using the nationally-representative High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. While gender differences in terms of STEM majors has been oft-studied, this dissertation contributes to this body of literature by advancing Health & Social Sciences (HSS) majors as a separate category and examining the ways in which men and women may be sorted into these different types of major before and during college, despite the strong overlap in science and math related content. …

Navigating The Ethical Terrain Of Ai In Higher Education: Strategies For Mitigating Bias And Promoting Fairness, Emily Barnes, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are transforming higher education by enhancing personalized learning and academic support, yet they pose significant ethical challenges, particularly in terms of inherent biases. This review critically examines the integration of AI in higher education, underscoring the dual aspects of its potential to innovate educational paradigms and the essential need to address ethical implications to avoid perpetuating existing inequalities. The researchers employed a methodological approach that analyzed case studies and literature as primary data collection methods, focusing on strategies to mitigate biases through technical solutions, diverse datasets, and strict adherence to ethical guidelines. Their …

Strategic Integration Of Ai In Higher Education And Industry: The Ai8-Point Model, Emily Barnes, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

The AI8-Point Model, derived from extensive experience in technology, AI, and higher education administration, addresses the critical need for cost-effective, high-impact strategies tailored to higher education. Despite the transformative potential of AI in enhancing student engagement, optimizing processes, and improving educational outcomes, institutions often struggle with practical implementation. The AI8-Point Model fills this gap by offering strategies that balance cost and impact. Visualized as a circle divided into four quadrants, the model encompasses phases of student engagement and institutional interaction: pre-enrollment beyond institutional control, pre-enrollment within institutional control, post-enrollment within institutional control, and post-enrollment beyond institutional control. Each quadrant contains …

How Reuse Rooms Can Reduce Waste On University And College Campuses, Zoe Slabodnik

University Honors Theses

This undergraduate honors thesis discusses the importance of how reuse rooms on university and college campuses can reduce waste by providing an alternative method of disposal other than landfills. There is currently no definition in use that exists for the term reuse room. This thesis defines a reuse room as a community room where anyone with access can donate and take free items that can be reused, recycled, repurposed, repaired and reworn. The goal of a reuse room is to encourage waste reduction, promote and destigmatize the use of second-hand materials, and save money and items from going to landfills. …

Applying An Intersectional And Multi-Systemic Level Approach To Adei Institutional Assessments In Social Work Higher Education, Diana A. Melendez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Institutional Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ADEI) tools and assessment models are needed to support schools of social work in demonstrating compliance with the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) 2022 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). This study develops a new tool and model for ADEI institutional assessment in social work higher education using a collaborative, intersectional and multi-systemic level approach. The primary aim of the project was to develop and test a new tool to gather and document experience(s) of coloniality within a social work higher education institution, from multiple stakeholders’ perspectives, as a usable model of ADEI …

Jesuit Pedagogy's 'Missing Link', Alberto Núñez, Josep M. Lozano

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Jesuit pedagogy has undergone a major renewal in the last fifty years. In this process, various inspirational formulations of its educational vision have been chosen. Despite maintaining a common language and spirituality, we have identified the risk that it is only lived out by a minority of people in Jesuit educational institutions. This paper proposes a re-reading of the Ratio Studiorum (RS) that offers a more precise and complete understanding of Jesuit pedagogy. This leads us to conclude that, in addition to other well-known features, it must involve the institutional governance model, a focus on an educative community that learns …

Parameters Summer 2024, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Closing The Gap: Officer Advanced Education Stem+M (Management), Leon L. Robert Jr., Carl J. Wojtaszek

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

The Army has made insufficient progress in arming its officers with science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and management (STEM+M) knowledge. The contemporary battlefield is faster paced, technologically enabled, and data driven, requiring officers to possess more skills, knowledge, and experience. We examine the Army’s history with STEM education and show that, in terms of education, the current Army officer corps has fallen behind its requirements for technology-enabled forces and modern society. We conclude with recommendations on how the Army can close the STEM+M education gap through advances in higher education and adopting talent management practices.

Influences Of Cultural Capital And Internationalization On Global Competence In Higher Education: A Systematic Literature Review, Yiying Teng, Meghan E. Cosier

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: In an increasingly global economy, the global competence of students in higher education is a critical area of importance. The purpose of the study was to explore the research on factors that influence an individual’s global competence in both international and Chinese contexts.

Methods: Under the umbrella of cultural capital theory and Internationalization, a systematic literature review analyzed and synthesized the empirical studies of global competence from 2013 to 2022.

Results: This research revealed that students with higher cultural capital backgrounds obtain more educational opportunities and further exhibit better global competence achievement. Internationalization abroad is a direct and practical …

Taming The "Dartmouth Animal", Kira Lynn Parrish-Penny

Sociology Undergraduate Senior Theses

Reflecting on Dartmouth College’s tumultuous early years of coeducation in the 1970s, former president John Kemeny remarked that several students “took it on as a sort of mission to make life miserable for women students when they first arrived… from verbal abuse to … raids on women’s dormitories and… doing everything possible that a minority of students can do to make the women feel unwelcome.” Using archival data from the Rauner Special Collections Library, this thesis explores two questions: (1) how were norms and values around masculinity constructed at Dartmouth? (2) How did this construction of masculinity shift over the …

Exploring Teacher Emotions In A University Esl Writing Classroom, Matt Ford

Linguistics

Second language acquisition research has been steadily moving towards recognizing the importance of emotions as they relate to language teaching and learning. Indeed, the language classroom - especially in the context of English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction - is often an intensely emotional place for both teachers and students. This study explores the following question: As a university ESL teacher in a writing classroom, what emotions do I experience in the classroom, and what emotional work do I put in to address these emotions? Using autoethnographic methods in my own classroom, including reflexive journals, classroom observations, and student …

The Influence Of Play As Positive Emotion On Engagement And Self-Regulated Learning In An Online Higher Education Classroom, Kim Frost

Interdisciplinary Studies

Student demand for online learning is at an all-time high, making the identification of practical strategies for supporting student success in online learning more vital than ever. Positive emotion has been shown to promote self-regulated learning (SRL) and engagement, both evidenced predictors of student success. However, little is known about designing online learning environments to elicit positive emotion in students. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of play-infused learning design on SRL and engagement in an online, higher education classroom. This study is based on the premise that play is a positive affect emotional system that …

Three Card Spread: Theorizing Queer And Trans Futurity For Tenure-Track Faculty Through Divination Dialogues, Justin A. Gutzwa, Sergio A. Gonzalez

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This article lies betwixt methodological, conceptual, and empirical scholarship, queering traditional presentations of qualitative research to imagine what a future in the academy could look like for queer and trans faculty if the academy instead prioritized queer and trans joy, thriving, and life. The authors, two queer and trans early-career tenure-track faculty, utilize divination dialogues, or conversations that take place during and following a divinatory practice such as tarot reading, as a liberatory politic of community building and co-theorization on how to actualize our own futures in a colonial, neoliberal academy. In presenting excerpts from the conversation that took place …

The Experience Of University Academics With Emergency Remote Teaching During The Covid-19 Pandemic Of 2020: A Phenomenological Study, Judith M. Peterson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of academics at the university level with emergency remote teaching during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic. The theory guiding this study was Milheim, K. L. (2012) application of Maslow, A. H. (1943) hierarchy of needs. The central research question was: How did academics at the university level experience transitioning their course and teaching online during emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021? Eleven lecture academics were selected from six universities from the University of Wisconsin System who transitioned their residence courses to online during the pandemic. I …

Empowerment And Advocacy Culture Within Higher Education For Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: A Qualitative Case Study, Rachel R. Kovach

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand the impact that advocacy and empowerment practices have on the intellectual disabilities community in academic and social constructs for students within community colleges and disability programs on the West Coast of California. The theories that served as the foundation of this study are intergroup contact theory and empowerment theory. Intergroup contact theory assures that the acceptance of societal norms and expectations must be agreed upon and embraced by all within a subpopulation for cultures to adapt and advance. Empowerment theory states that a fundamental goal during moments of progress and struggle …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities And Their Participation In Postsecondary Job Training Programs: A Qualitative Study, Jami Vickers Granberry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of individuals with intellectual disabilities in an inclusive postsecondary education program. The theories that guided this study are Oliver’s theory on the social model of disability and Vygotsky’s theory of social constructivism. This study used a transcendental research design and employed the use of purposeful sampling to select participants who have all experienced the same phenomenon. There were 10 participants who have all had the same experience of attending an inclusive postsecondary education program. The setting took place at P.C.C. in the C.A. program. The central research …

Examining How Artistic Expression In The Classroom Can Increase Students' Academic Performance And Understanding Of Course Material, Jake Taylor Marrazzo

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study examined how artistic expression in the classroom can increase students’ academic performance and understanding of course material. This study consisted of graduate students in the Masters of Arts in Higher Education program at Rowan University, during the Fall/Spring 2023-2024 semesters, enrolled in at least one of the following courses: Crisis Management, Higher Education in America, and The College Student. The study utilized an artistic expression activity, painting, in connection with participants' course material and readings to understand the benefits of artistic expression on student success in the classroom. Some findings of this study show that artistic …

Exploring Staff Burnout In College Access And Retention Programs, Yajaira Nunez

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my research was to develop ways to support staff working in access and retention programs in higher education, who are experiencing or prone to burnout. The guiding questions were (a) How could collaboration with administrators working in access and retention programs in higher education facilitate learning to cope with burnout? and (b) How could strategies be developed collaboratively to address burnout in both current and future staff? I conducted three cycles using appreciative inquiry as a guide with six participants from different institutions between January and March 2024. The cycles included a GroupMe chat, a Zoom retreat, …

Supporting Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Neurodivergence: University Of San Diego Accommodations And Resources, Carina Mendoza

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

This research focuses on better understanding the unique classroom experiences faced by autistic and neurodiverse students at the University of San Diego (USD) and offers recommendations to improve their college experience. Through a well-studied literature review and data collection through semi structured interviews and focus groups, the overall goal was to have a more holistic understanding of the current support services from faculty and staff that are available for students at USD. The study will provide unique challenges and curated recommendations for students with autism spectrum disorder and neurodiverse identities. This research also identifies specific areas where the USD can …

Supporting International Students' Emotional And Social Wellbeing: Addressing Pressing Issues Related To Tuition And Visa Status Anxiety, Jinyi Chen

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my research was to engage and build community with international students and to find ways to support them emotionally and socially leading to better mental health outcomes. My research question was: how can I support international college students to alleviate common mental health issues many continue to experience as a result of their international status? This occurs particularly when they must deal with tuition and visa status anxiety. I did three cycles in the research process using online surveys, interviews, and a large debriefing group meeting. Findings indicated that visa status anxiety is one of the most …