Digital Commons Network^™

Outcome Predictability Biases Learning., Oren Griffiths, Chris J. Mitchell, Anna Bethmont, Peter F. Lovibond

School of Psychology

Much of contemporary associative learning research is focused on understanding how and when the associative history of cues affects later learning about those cues. Very little work has investigated the effects of the associative history of outcomes on human learning. Three experiments extended the "learned irrelevance" paradigm from the animal conditioning literature to examine the influence of an outcome's prior predictability on subsequent learning of relationships between cues and that outcome. All 3 experiments found evidence for the idea that learning is biased by the prior predictability of the outcome. Previously predictable outcomes were readily associated with novel predictive cues, …

Religiosity, Spirituality, And Quality Of Life Among Selected University Students, Abby Austin Kreitlow

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Objective: College marks a time of transition and self-exploration. Quality of life can be enhanced or diminished throughout this experience. The objective of this study was to identify the level of religiosity, spirituality and quality of life and identify if there was a relationship between a person's level of religiosity and spirituality and quality of life.

Participants and Methods: The sample group, consisting of 548 Midwestern university undergraduate students, completed the Spiritual Wellbeing Scale (SWBS) and the Ontological Wellbeing Scale (OWBS) in the spring semester of 2015.

Results: Findings indicate that Midwestern university students have a moderate sense of spiritual …

Does Kees Help Retain High-Performing Students In-State For Higher Education?, Rachael Clark

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Kentucky’s merit-based program, the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES), started in 1998 providing financial assistance to students attending higher education in-state based on high school academic achievements. The intended goal of KEES is elusive, however two key objectives are often mentioned with KEES. These are incentivizing and rewarding high school academic achievement and keeping high-performing students in Kentucky for their college education. This study aims to investigate whether Kentucky’s merit-based program keeps high-performing students in Kentucky for higher education.

The dataset available for this research was provided by the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics from their high school …

Student Characteristics And Retention In Merit Preparatory School: An Analysis Of Retention In A New Jersey Charter School, Alyssa Mckenzie

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Charter schools are publicly funded schools that operate with fewer limitations on hiring and firing staff, and that have more flexibility with curriculum than traditional public schools. The goal of charter schools is to improve education and that goal often is measured through test scores in math and reading. This paper is a case study of one charter school, Merit Preparatory Academy, located in Newark, New Jersey, over two academic years. The school operated as a free-standing charter in the first year and was managed by a charter management organization in the second.

Schools are often evaluated by comparing the …

Theatre As Education: Creating And Performing A Play With Elementary School Students, Sarah C. Lopez

Scripps Senior Theses

This paper is an exploration of the concept of theatre as education and what I learned about teaching, transformation, and failure through my thesis project. In order to explore these ideas, I reflect on my experience creating and performing a short play with a group of eight 2^nd and 3^rd grade students over the span of nine weeks. I pinpoint the parts of the process that worked well and discuss how these techniques and activities could be used to enhance curriculum and learning in the classroom. I also discuss which parts of the process failed and what I …

Understanding The Opportunities And Challenges Of Introducing Computational Crafts To Alternative High School Students, Maneksha Dumont, Victor R. Lee

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

In recent years, the integration of computation with crafting has garnered increased attention. Partly spurred by the growth of the “maker movement” and also by recognition of the importance of broadening computational interest and proficiency, computational crafts have become more familiar to educational technologists and designers. For example, computation has been combined with textile design in summer camps for young people (Buechley, Eisenberg, Catchen & Crockett, 2008) and integrated into media as pervasive as paper (Eisenberg, Elumeze, MacFerrin & Buechley, 2009). Additionally, maker spaces are being established in major metropolitan areas, Maker Faires are becoming increasingly ubiquitous (Dougherty, 2012), university …

Comparison Of Language Learning Strategies Of Iranian College Level Students In Efl And Esl Settings / Jalal Kamalizad, Kamalizad Jalal

Student Works (2010-2019)

The main purpose of this study was to investigate and compare language learning strategy (LLS) use pattern of Iranian college level English learners in EFL (English as a foreign language) and ESL (English as a second language) environments and through different groups of proficiency. Exploring the participants’ views on some language learning related issues such as language use and language learning obstacles within both EFL and ESL environments was another purpose of this study. A total of 157 Iranian students participated in the survey. Twelve Iranian students, six from each setting group, participated in the semi-structured interviews. The data were …

The New World Of Prosecutorial Discretion In Immigration Enforcement: Lessons From Criminal Justice., Aaron Haas

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.

A School-Based Reintegration Program For Children With Limb Loss: The Role Of Occupational Therapy, Allison Sussman, Samantha Hoy

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to assist in treatment planning for school-based occupational therapists providing services to children who have suffered a traumatic limb loss. The goal of this scholarly project was to promote successful reintegration into the school setting as children with traumatic limb loss have been found to encounter difficulties returning to full participation in valued occupations including being a student and a friend (Michelsen, Van Wijk, & Ketelaar, 2010). There has been limited research conducted focusing on the role of occupational therapists when working with children in the school setting who have experienced traumatic …

Teacher's Attitudes Towards Instruction Of Students With Disabilities In An Inclusive Setting, Beverly Nunes

Master's Theses

According to some studies, there is a trend in inclusion of students with disabilities in general classroom. And the key element to deal with this special education issue is the general education teacher. The present research surveyed the variables that would predict teachers' attitudes towards inclusion of students with disabilities in inclusive settings. The variables include years of service, teachers' attendance to special education courses in their program preparation, differentiated instruction, and previous experience with inclusion. Eighty general education teachers from public schools in a very diverse area of Southwest Michigan, answered a survey with 31 questions involving the Scale …

Response To Intervention To Educate The Diverse Needs Of Elementary Students, James H. Mcmillan, Valerie J. Robnolt, Amy C. Hutton

MERC Publications

Much research has been done regarding how to implement RTI, effective strategies for RTI, and outcomes of RTI, which is not the focus of the current study. This investigation will focus on assessing the current perceptions of elementary school educators and staff on thier current understanding of and needs for more effective implementation of RTI.

Factors Influencing Students’ Attitudes To Computer Utilization In Tertiary Institutions: An Exploratory Study, Samuel A. Ejiaku

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Students today need to have computer knowledge and skills to enable them perform their task at school and their jobs. This presents a challenge to universities on how to provide computer education to their students. This challenge is even more critical for students in developing countries. Few studies have been done on attitude of students’ use of computers in a university environment using a well-grounded technology acceptance mode. The purpose of this study is to find the factors that influence student attitude in the acceptance and use of computers in tertiary institutions in emerging economies using the Theory of Planned …

The Impact Of Time Perspective Latent Profiles On College Drinking: A Multidimensional Approach, Abby L. Braitman, James M. Henson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background- Zimbardo and Boyd's¹ time perspective, or the temporal framework individuals use to process information, has been shown to predict health behaviors such as alcohol use. Previous studies supported the predictive validity of individual dimensions of time perspective, with some dimensions acting as protective factors and others as risk factors. However, some studies produced findings contrary to the general body of literature. In addition, time perspective is a multidimensional construct, and the combination of perspectives may be more predictive than individual dimensions in isolation; consequently, multidimensional profiles are a more accurate measure of individual differences and more appropriate for …

Perceptions Of Support Networks During The Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer Experience, Stephanie M. Mazerolle, Stephanie Clines, Christianne M. Eason, William A. Pitney

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: The graduate-assistant position can be a highly influential experience because it is often the first time novice athletic trainers (ATs) are practicing autonomously.

Objective: To gain an understanding of how graduate-assistant ATs (GAATs) perceive professional socialization and mentorship during their assistantships.

Design: Semistructured phone interviews. Setting: Graduate-assistant ATs in various clinical settings.

Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-five GAATs (20 women, 5 men) studying in 1 of 3 academic tracks (postprofessional athletic training = 8, athletic training-based curriculum = 11, non-athletic training-based curriculum = 6). Median age was 24 years.

Data Collection and Analysis: Phone interviews were digitally recorded and …

Exploring The Perceptions Of College Students On The Use Of Technology: What Do They Really Think?, Colleen Erin Marzilli, Julie A. Delello, Shelly Marmion, Rochell Mcwhorter

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Technology is an essential component of learning in the 21st century. College professors and teachers hold many assumptions regarding the technological skills and knowledge that students possess while learning in the college setting. In this article, we explore the technology use and attitudes towards technology held by students enrolled in a regional public university offering online, face-to-face and hybrid instruction. The understanding of students’ attitudes and use of technology is essential to informing the technological direction and pedagogical model in higher education from a traditional, lecture-based model to a technologically-enhanced model. In this study, we employed a mixed-method design using …

Capturing The Social/Emotional World Of Students, David Naff, Jesse Senechal

MERC Publications

The goal of this report is to explore the possibilities using student social emotional measures withing K-12 schools. This will include (1) a discussion of what constitutes a social emotional measure, (2) an overview of commonly used measures, and (3) a discussion of how these measures may inform school improvement processes and promote the success of students at the classroom, school, school system, and community level.

Fourth And Fifth Amendment Decisions: Students And Constitutional Rights, Larry L. Kraus, Robert L. Stevens

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The article reviews constitutional rights for students, focusing on the 4th and 5th amendment.

Comparison Of Individual And Pooled Urine Samples For Estimating The Presence And Intensity Of Schistosoma Haematobium Infections At The Population Level, Abraham Degarege, Berhanu Erko, Zeleke Mekonnen, Mengistu Legesse, Yohannes Negash, Jozef Vercruysse, Bruno Levecke

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of cost-effective diagnostic strategies to evaluate whether mass drug administration (MDA) programmes to control Schistosoma haematobium progress as anticipated. The purpose of this study is to provide a proof-of-principle for examination of pooled urine samples as a strategy for rapid assessment of presence and intensity of Schistosoma haematobium infections at the population level.

METHODS: A total of 640 urine samples were collected from 520 school-aged children (520 at baseline and 120 at follow-up) during a clinical trial that was designed to assess the efficacy of praziquantel against Schistosoma haematobium infections in Ethiopia. Individual and pooled …

Listening To First-Year Community College Students, Mary Elizabeth Drake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

First-year community college students are often from underrepresented groups who are unaccustomed to voicing their needs or to being recognized for having more and varied needs than other groups. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of the factors that may engender or prevent success through listening to what first-year community college students have to say. Research questions addressed what students identified as challenges and successes during their first year and how first person accounts can contribute to the information college personnel need to understand.

Human development theories and models of student persistence informed this study. …

Classroom Projects As Embodied And Embedded Outcomes Assessment, Garnet C. Butchart, Margaret Mullan

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Although educators already recognize the value in engaging student learning through classroom projects and service-learning, assessment of student learning through classroom projects may be accompanied by a shift of attention from mastery of ideas to embodied knowledge. We argue that embodiment is the basic semiotic condition of being human—of being both an expressive and perceptive (communicative) being among others. Linking this philosophy of communication principle to the topic of assessment, the article offers assessment research a focus of attention on learning settings: from embodiment as learning context, to the built environment of classrooms, as well as to group interaction. We …

Engagement Of Undergraduate Nursing Students In Virtual Learning Environment In Karachi Pakistan, Zohra Kurji, James Mwenda, Amina Aijaz

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Aga Khan University (AKU) is implementing blended learning (BL) in their existing programs. This study reports the use of BL mode in one of the courses entitled Advanced Concepts of Community Health nursing (ACCHN), offered for undergraduate nursing students, for the first time in Karachi Pakistan. A qualitative exploratory design was adopted.The year II students of Post-RN BScN programme who were studying the course were invited to participate in the study. Data was collected by using focus group discussions (FGDs.). Students found ACCHN course flexible because of the use of blended modalities. They felt that their learning was enhanced by …

Silence Improves Anxiety Levels And Test Scores Among Children With Disabilities, Hanna Matatyaho

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with disabilities may experience more anxiety when taking a test than do students without a disability. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a technique called 1-minute of silence reduces anxiety and improves test scores among students with disabilities. The theoretical framework for this study was the theory of planned behavior/reasoned action and the health belief model. Two research questions were used, one to determine the difference in anxiety levels in students with special needs and the other to determine the difference in New York State (NYS) Math posttest scores in children with special needs (no silence, …

Police On Camera: The Impact Of Watching User-Generated Police Videos On Students’ Attitudes Towards The Police, Daniel N. Smith

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research investigated the impact of user-generated videos on students’ attitudes towards the police. A survey was conducted at Wilfrid Laurier University in Brantford and was administered to 200 students consisting of a number of control variables such as age, race, police contact, and neighbourhood context, along with measurements of attitudes towards the police. It measured online video viewing habits along with familiarity of three online videos. Multivariate analysis showed that watching user generated videos had little to no impact on students attitudes towards the police. The analysis showed that police contact was the most influential factor in impacting attitudes …

Culturally Relevant Booktalking: Using A Mixed Reality Simulation With Preservice School Librarians, Janice Underwood, Sue Crownfield Kimmel, Danielle Forest, Gail K. Dickinson

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The role of school librarians is often overlooked in advancing a respect for cultural diversity among youth, yet librarians are in key positions to champion for social justice reform in educational settings. In this qualitative study, we examine preservice school librarians' experiences with booktalking multicultural literature in a mixed reality simulation environment, as a vehicle to introduce social justice issues. Our purpose was to explore the booktalking experience as a means of developing preservice librarians' understanding of culturally relevant pedagogy, a stance concerned with developing cultural competence and critical consciousness. Our findings revealed that preservice librarians gained different levels of …

A Failing School District And A Failing Statute: How Breitenfeld V. School District Of Clayton And The Unaccredited District Tuition Statute Nearly Destroyed A Struggling School District And Disrupted The Education Of Its Students, Jonathan K. Hoerner

Saint Louis University Law Journal

No abstract provided.

National Vs. International Schools: Factors Influencing School Choice In Egypt; The Voices Of Parents And Students., Yasmine Alaa Khorshed

Theses and Dissertations

There are many national and international schools in Cairo today, and every year lots of parents make educational choices for their children. Those choices are based on various factors. This research explores the factors that influence parents to select a certain school type and not the other. It is an initial step into school research as an attempt to help educators and administrators understand parents’ and students’ priorities, needs and expectations when choosing a school. The research questions are: (1) What are the most and least important factors that parents consider when choosing a national/ international school for their children? …

Volume 50 - Issue 11 - Friday, December 19, 2014, Rose Thorn Staff

The Rose Thorn Archive

The Rose Thorn, Rose-Hulman's independent student newspaper.

Ua45/6 Commencement Program, Wku Registrar

WKU Administration Documents

Commencement program listing graduates.

Volume 50 - Issue 10 - Friday, December 12, 2014, Rose Thorn Staff

The Rose Thorn Archive

The Rose Thorn, Rose-Hulman's independent student newspaper.

Newsroom, Georgia Southern University

Newsroom (2006-2023)

• Best and Brightest High School Seniors Attend 10th Annual Southern Scholars Showcase