Digital Commons Network^™

Higher Education Professional Staff Engagement: Looking In And Beyond The Great Resignation, Sarah Owens

Theses and Dissertations

In 2021, there were 68.9 million job separations. Of those, 47.4 million people willingly left their jobs (Romans, 2022). As the “Great Resignation” in the COVID-19 era continues, many professional staff in higher education are re-examining their relationship with work (McClure, 2021). Higher education professional staff, often feeling undervalued and unappreciated, are less likely to engage and more likely to intend to turnover; leaving institutions to bear the costs of lost productivity and staff replacement. This study examines the relationship between university professional staff members’ self-reported levels of psychological engagement (meaningfulness, safety, and availability), employee engagement (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral), …

The Lived Experience Of Chinese International Students Seeking Internships During Optional Practical Training (Opt) Program, Yue Lyu

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of Chinese international students currently in search of internship positions during their Optional Practical Training (OPT) program after completing their degrees in the United States. Specifically, this study employed an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) for exploring participants’ experiences during the internship-seeking process—encompassing aspects such as their perceived employment barriers, the impacts of this experience on their mental and physical well-being, as well as their resources, and coping strategies. A total of four (4) superordinate themes emerged from the results. Participants described their perceived external and internal barriers that led to adverse impacts on …

Restorative Justice Practices In Middle School Settings In North Dakota, Carly Theis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide an understanding of the nature of restorative practices within the framework of restorative justice, successful strategies utilized in middle school settings, and the impact restorative justice can have on a school’s climate and culture. This study focused on three North Dakota middle schools that implement restorative practices. Interviews were conducted with three teachers and three principals. The participants identified the successful strategies used in their schools and the impact of effective restorative practices on their climate and culture. In addition, the research gathered was used to create professional development workshops for teachers, …

Increasing Implementation Fidelity Of Behavior Intervention Plans In Public Schools Following Delivery Of Remote Behavior Skills Training For Staff, Shayna Kia Shriver

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a remote training to educate teachers in effectively implementing interventions within a behavior intervention plan (BIP) following remote behavior skills training (BST). This study addressed the following research question: What are the effects of a remote behavior skills training program on the teacher percentage of correctly implemented steps of a behavior intervention program. The study was conducted with elementary school teachers who work with students who continue to exhibit problematic behaviors. Teachers were trained to effectively implement students’ current BIPs, which consisted of teachers reporting on the effectiveness of …

Assessing Learning In Simulation Experiences In Graduate Programs For Speech-Language Pathology: A Phenomenological Study, Robyn Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Simulation learning experiences have become an accepted form of andragogy in speech-language pathology following a revision of the 2016 American Speech-Language-HearingAssociation (ASHA) Standards allowing students to count simulation hours towards their required hours for graduation. There is a lack of research in the field of speech-language pathology in assessment of student learning in simulation learning experiences used to meet these clinical hours. The purpose of this study was to use qualitative inquiry to further explore how faculty assess student learning in clinical simulation learning experiences used to demonstrate clinical competence in graduate programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders: Speech-Language Pathology …

Effective Differentiation Strategies For Engaging English Language Learners In The General Education Classroom: An Implementation Study, Renee Ullom

Theses and Dissertations

Because of the growing population of English Language Learners (ELL) (U.S. Department of Education, 2020) and lack of time, training, and resources for teachers, there is an intense need for identification of effective differentiation strategies for teachers to implement in the general education classroom, which allows ELL students to engage in grade-level curriculum while acquiring English. This mixed methods research study examines who ELL students are, barriers to success faced by ELL students, barriers to teachers when planning and delivering curriculum in the general education classroom. The investigation additionally explores the identification and implementation of effective differentiation strategies for ELL …

#Fintok And Financial Regulation, Nikita Aggarwal, D. Bondy Valdovinos Kaye, Christopher K. Odinet

Faculty Scholarship

Social media platforms are becoming an increasingly important site for consumer finance. This phenomenon is referred to as “FinTok,” a reference to the “#fintok” hashtag that identifies financial content on TikTok, a popular social media platform. This Essay examines the new methodological possibilities for consumer financial regulation due to FinTok. It argues that FinTok content offers a novel and valuable source of data for identifying emerging fintech trends and associated consumer risks. As such, financial regulators should use FinTok content analysis—and social media content analysis more broadly—as an additional method for the supervision and regulation of consumer financial markets. The …

Proportional Fair Clustered Federated Learning, Mohamed Nafea, Eugine Shin, Aylin Yener

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper studies federated learning (FL) with non-identical data generating distributions and under the notion of proportional fairness. Users are partitioned into disjoint clusters based on their data distributions, and a distinct model is learnt for each cluster. Different than previous work that considered clustering to optimize personalized learning performance, here clustering is inspected under the disparate impact doctrine which requires that protected classes (e.g., those of certain race or gender) have representations in every cluster that are approximately equal to their representation in the overall set of users. A family of iterative algorithms that balance the learning performance and …

Supporting Green Neuromorphic Computing: Machine Learning Guided Microfabrication For Resistive Random Access Memory, Abdi Yamil Vicenciodelmoral, Md Mehedi Hasan Tanim, Feng Zhao, Xinghui Zhao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The growing popularity of big data and machine learning applications call for a more powerful and energy-efficient way to execute deep learning workflows. Neuromorphic chips provide a potential solution, as they attempt to mimic the neuronal architectures in human brain and show great potentials in reducing energy consumption in the order of magnitude and also improve the computational performance. However, the fabrication process for neuromorphic chips is costly and currently based on trial-and-error, which adds complexity to the design process. In this paper, we address this challenge by designing and developing machine learning guided microfabrication process for Resistive Random Access …

Seltec: Service And Experiential Learning Through Engagement In The Community: A Level I Fieldwork Model: Part 2, Amanda J. Mohler, Andrea B. Brown

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The SELTEC model of Level I fieldwork was developed and published in 2020. The SELTEC model combines service and experiential learning to benefit student learners, the educational system, and the community. The purpose of the study was to determine students’ perceptions of a SELTEC model experience compared to a traditional Level I fieldwork experience. The research team administered a 24-item survey to thirty students who participated in the study. All participants received both a traditional one-week and SELTEC level I fieldwork experience during their occupational therapy education at Arkansas State University. Seventy-nine percent (n=23) of the respondents selected the SELTEC …

Perceptions On Non-Traditional Models Of Fieldwork Supervision, Michelle Forfa, Christine Helfrich, Rebecca Simon

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapy fieldwork education has historically followed the traditional apprenticeship model, which pairs one student with one fieldwork educator for supervision and guidance through the transformational process from student to entry-level clinician. There is an absence of high-level evidence to support this model as best practice in fieldwork education. Despite data published to endorse alternative supervision models, fieldwork educators (FWEs) appear hesitant to embrace these approaches. The purpose of this investigation was to explore occupational therapy practitioners’ views on the value and challenges associated with the implementation of non-traditional models of supervision during Level II fieldwork education. The study specifically …

Exploring Fieldwork Educator Development: Preparation Methods And Support Tools, Pamela Karp, Kelly A. Lavin, Tara Collins

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Fieldwork education is a critical piece to professional development and competency in occupational therapy. As part of their core curriculum, all students enrolled in accredited occupational therapy programs must complete full-time fieldwork experiences under the direct supervision of a licensed occupational therapy practitioner. This component of the student’s education relies on the skills and training of the fieldwork educator. Academic programs are expected to support occupational therapy practitioners in their role as fieldwork educators in the form of resource provisions to enhance supervisory skills. However, there are no clear standards that describe how to vet, effectively disseminate, or implement the …

Third Amendment To The Chinese Copyright Law, Peter K. Yu

Faculty Scholarship

Since July 2011, China has actively explored ways to upgrade its copyright law. Although the law was already amended the year before, only two changes were made at that time. The last time Chinese copyright law undertook a major overhaul was more than two decades ago, two months before the country became the 143rd member of the WTO in December 2001.

On November 11, 2020, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China finally approved the Third Amendment to the Chinese Copyright Law. Covering a wide range of issues from eligibility to ownership and from enforcement to anti-circumvention …

The Intentional Fieldwork Education Model: Guiding Fieldwork Educators Toward Intentionality And Competency To Enhance Student Learning, E. Joy Crawford, Nadine Hanner

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Fieldwork education is an essential component of occupational therapy education. The level of competency and preparedness of fieldwork educators may vary substantially and may significantly impact student learning outcomes. The availability of an evidence-based comprehensive fieldwork model to guide the fieldwork educator, clarify issues related to teaching-learning, and provide insightful solutions to issues the educator may encounter, is warranted but is not currently available. The intentional fieldwork education model, introduced in this article, was developed to provide a framework to enhance fieldwork educator competency, self-efficacy, and student learning outcomes. In addition, the model emphasizes the significance of intentionality in the …

Occupational Therapy Assistant Student Perceptions Of Multi-Site, Single Site, And Simulated Level I Fieldwork, Tammy Divens, Laura Cruz

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Fieldwork education is the practical application of an occupational therapy education. Level I fieldwork is an important component that introduces students to the clinical setting for basic understanding of client interactions. Quality fieldwork programs in occupational therapy are more difficult to procure than ever before due to critical shortages of placements. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a major impact on all medical professions. The need for remodeling Level I fieldwork education possibilities has significantly increased. This study compares occupational therapy clinical education across three modalities recognized by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) standards: a simulated, virtual environment; …

Level I Fieldwork Using Simulation: Student Performance Outcomes And Perceptions, Nicole C. Harris, Sarah Nielsen, Marilyn G. Klug

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The purpose of this study was to examine students’ perceptions and performance outcomes of a virtual fieldwork using Simucase® in conjunction with supplemental activities and debriefing opportunities. The simulation replaced Level I clinic-based fieldwork experiences that were cancelled due to COVID-19. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using a modified evaluation tool to assess student performance outcomes and perceptions for students in the Year one Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) cohort (n=57) and the Year two Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) cohort (n=57) enrolled in a public university in the rural Midwest. Student ratings were compared using chi-square test of independence …

Faculty-Led Virtual Level 1 Community Fieldwork During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Tiffany L. Benaroya, Margaret Swarbrick, Michelle Zechner, Ann A. Murphy, Meredith Cimmino

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Fieldwork is an integral portion of occupational therapy education that ensures students have the opportunity to develop basic competencies in real world practice settings. The national shortage of fieldwork placements, particularly in the area of mental health, in combination with the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to the adoption of increasingly innovative fieldwork models. This retrospective, qualitative study investigates occupational therapy assistant students’ experiences of completing a faculty-led (i.e. where faculty served as the primary fieldwork educator) and virtual (i.e., where services were offered in a virtual environment) Level I fieldwork with a community-based peer led behavioral health agency. Twenty-three students …

Copilot – Development And Implementation Of International Cooperative Online Intercultural Learning, Liliya Todorova, Elisabeth Fattinger, Elisabeth Url, Siska Vandemaele, Ulla Pott, Helen Strebel, Claudia Merklein De Freitas, Anja Christopher, Sabine Hendriks, Maria Prellwitz

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This article presents the products and evaluation results of COPILOT (Cooperative Online Peer-assisted and Intercultural Learning in Occupational Therapy), an Erasmus+ funded project undertaken by a consortium of six European universities from 2018 to 2021, which addresses the need for internationalization and intercultural learning by developing competences graduates will need in the future. Internationalization has become one of the main avenues to developing global learning in higher education. Online education has a significant role in providing opportunities for internationalization online without the high cost of travel that might deter some students. The interest in online intercultural exchange has been significantly …

The Use Of Visual Thinking Strategies To Enhance Observation Skills Of Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Students, Joanne Gallagher Worthley, Tanya Trudell

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Observation is a critical skill that deserves increased attention in occupational therapy education programs as it can directly affect patient care. Art has been used as a pedagogical tool to explicitly teach observational skills in medical and allied health programs. The use of art has a positive effect on the clinical skills needed for patient care. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine how students’ observation skills changed using Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) with works of art. This quasi-experimental, single-group, pretest-posttest design included 33 occupational therapy students who observed four different works of art using an observation log …

Permission To Learn: Intentional Use Of Art And Object-Mediated Strategies To Develop Reflective Professional Skills, Mary Anne Peabody, Susan Noyes, Mary Anderson

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Reflective practice is considered a highly valued graduate attribute in the field of occupational therapy. Occupational therapy educators influence and shape how students develop into reflective practitioners. Reflective practice requires a set of complex thinking skills that are typically focused on personal experiences and can be broken down into pre-requisite skills that aid in the teaching and learning process. This article introduces a six component Permissions model used with graduate level students during their first semester that combines experiential learning and pre-requisite skills of reflective practice. The model includes three broad domains: self-awareness, observation, and effective communication and six pre-requisite …

Development Of Learning Materials To Address Social And Medical Factors Impacting A Minoritized Population, Whitney Lucas Molitor, Moses N. Ikiugu, Ranelle Nissen, Mejai Avoseh, Denyelle Kenyon, Sabina Kupershmidt

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Health outcomes are multi-factorial. Health professionals must weigh all factors when making recommendations and providing intervention, however, limited learning materials which describe the health of minoritized populations exist for students in health science educational programs, necessitating the development of content for interprofessional learning that address the health factors experienced by underserved populations. This study used a descriptive design. Eleven expert content reviewers from eight health science and medical professions were recruited and provided feedback on the quality and content of a developed case study that described the lifestyle and health status of an individual from an ethnic minoritized population. Participants …

Occupation-Centered Anatomy And Applied Biomechanics Courses: Design And Outcomes, Rose Mcandrew, Vicki K. Kaskutas

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupation-centered course design allows occupational therapy (OT) educators to differentiate ourselves from other professions while communicating the distinct value of occupation to our students. While there have been numerous calls to action for centering occupation in the OT classroom and proposed models to approach course design, there is limited literature on occupation-centered course design in specific courses, notably foundational science courses like anatomy and applied biomechanics. In this study, we outline our course design process in two courses taught concurrently, as well as our prospective study to determine if an occupation-centered course design allowed students to meet objectives and the …

Improving Empathy Of Occupational Therapy Students Through Reading Literary Narratives, Cavenaugh Kelly

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This study explored the impact of teaching empathy to occupational therapy students through the close reading of literary narratives. The study defined empathy as a dynamic process involving Theory of Mind (ToM), emotional resonance, and empathy as a willful act. Empathy is an espoused value of occupational therapy challenged by the modern demands of the market-driven health care system, and research suggests reading literary narratives, or stories with qualities of literature, facilitates greater empathy. Prior studies have also indicated that practicing with greater empathy improves health outcomes and makes occupational therapy sessions more client centered. In this study, a quasi-experimental …

Removal Of Emerging Contaminants From Wastewater Streams Using Membrane Bioreactors: A Review, Arijit Sengupta, Mahmood Jebur, Mohanad Kamaz, Sumith R. Wickramasinghe

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Water is a very valuable natural resource. As the demand for water increases the presence of emerging contaminants in wastewater has become a growing concern. This is particularly true when one considers direct reuse of wastewater. Obtaining sufficient removal of emerging contaminants will require determining the level of removal for the various unit operations in the wastewater treatment process. Membrane bioreactors are attractive as they combine an activated sludge process with a membrane separation step. They are frequently used in a wastewater treatment process and can operate at higher solid loadings than conventional activated sludge processes. Determining the level of …

Liver Cystic Disease, Alfarooq Alshaikhli, Alsadiq Al-Hillan

School of Medicine Publications

Hepatic cysts (HCs) have been a common reason for consultation by gastroenterologists and hepatologists. HCs are defined as small abnormal fluid-filled lesions that develop within the liver tissue and usually arise from within hepatocytes, biliary cell epithelium, mesenchymal tissue, or metastases from extrahepatic organs. Hepatic cysts can be from an infectious or non-infectious source. They are common and usually asymptomatic. This activity reviews the evaluation and treatment of liver cystic lesions and highlights the role of the interprofessional team in evaluating and treating patients with this condition.

Objectives:

• Describe the etiology of different hepatic cyst lesions.
• Identify the most common …

Cultivation Of Industrial Hemp On And Near Airports: Implications For Wildlife Use And Risk To Aviation Safety, Bradley F. Blackwell, Page E. Klug, Lee A. Humberg, Zachary T. Brym, Bryan M. Kluever, Jenna Edwards

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.; hemp) is an emerging crop in the United States with little known about bird use or the potential for birds to become an agricultural pest. We identified birds associated with hemp fields, using repeated visits to oilseed plots in North Dakota, USA (n = 6) and cannabinoid (CBD) plots in Florida, USA (n = 4) from August to November 2020. We did not control for plot area or density; our observations were descriptive only. We observed 10 species in hemp, 12 species flying over hemp, and 11 species both foraging in and …

Industrial Hemp As A Resource For Birds In Agroecosystems: Human-Wildlife Conflict Or Conservation Opportunity?, Emily A. Kotten, Iona Hennessy, Bryan M. Kluever, Bradley F. Blackwell, Lee A. Humberg, Page E. Klug

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.; hemp) is an emerging crop in the United States with little known about bird use or the potential for birds to become an agricultural pest. We identified birds associated with hemp fields, using repeated visits to oilseed plots in North Dakota, USA (n = 6) and cannabinoid (CBD) plots in Florida, USA (n = 4) from August to November 2020. We did not control for plot area or density; our observations were descriptive only. We observed 10 species in hemp, 12 species flying over hemp, and 11 species both foraging in and …

Olfactory Lures In Predator Control Do Not Increase Predation Risk To Birds In Areas Of Conservation Concern, Page Klug, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Robert N. Reed

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context. Lethal control of predators is often undertaken to protect species of conservation concern. Traps are frequently baited to increase capture efficacy, but baited traps can potentially increase predation risk by attracting predators to protected areas. This is especially important if targeted predators can escape capture due to low trap success. Snake traps using live mouse lures may be beneficial if traps effectively remove snakes in the presence of birds and do not attract additional snakes to the area.

Aims. The present study evaluated whether mouse-lure traps in areas occupied by birds (simulated by deploying birdlure traps) could influence predation …

Relationship Between Reproductive Hormones And Migration Distance In A Polygynous Songbird, The Red‑Winged Blackbird (Agelaius Phoeniceus), Michelle A. Eshleman, Page E. Klug, Esther Morales‑Vega, Björn Wissel, Timothy J. Grelves

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Many bird species migrate to southern overwintering locations to avoid harsh conditions at their breeding grounds, but at the cost of an energetically demanding migration that may delay their spring reproductive development. Previous work on the relationship between migration distance and reproductive readiness has primarily focused on early season baseline testosterone in both males and females. However, for females, testosterone alone may not be the appropriate measurement of reproductive development. Estradiol, a metabolite of testosterone that is essential for breeding behaviors and reproduction, should also be measured. Furthermore, baseline testosterone varies throughout the day and may change due to social …

Using Noninvasive Genetics For Estimating Density And Assessing Diet Of Urban And Rural Coyotes In Florida, Usa, Bryan M. Kluever, Martin B. Main, Stewart W. Breck, Robert C. Lonsinger, John H. Humphrey, Justin W. Fischer, Michael P. Milleson Usda Aphis Wildlife Services, Gainesville, Antionette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are expanding their range and due to conflicts with the public and concerns of Coyotes affecting natural resources such as game or sensitive species, there is interest and often a demand to monitor Coyote populations. A challenge to monitoring is that traditional invasive methods involving live-capture of individual animals are costly and can be controversial. Natural resource management agencies can benefit from contemporary noninvasive genetic sampling approaches aimed at determining key aspects of Coyote ecology (e.g., population density and food habits). However, the efficacy of such approaches under different environmental conditions is poorly understood. Our …