Digital Commons Network^™

What Are The Most Effective Social-Emotional Behavioral Management Strategies For Creating A Culturally Affirming Classroom Environment?, Bill Cook

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Classroom management often emphasizes teacher control and a top-down approach. But what if we built a classroom culture with students, one rooted in relationships, identity, culture, and the social-emotional skills they need to succeed? This Capstone explores how integrating SEL into academic and classroom settings can shape classroom culture and transform our approach to management. It answers the question, What are the most effective social-emotional behavioral management strategies for creating a culturally affirming classroom environment? How can creating a binder of social-emotional strategies help teachers create a culturally affirming classroom? This project highlights the five core SEL competencies—self-awareness, self-management, social …

Teacher Autonomy And Collaboration: Achieving More Equitable Outcomes, Lucas Sun

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Collaboration and autonomy are core components of teaching. Collaboration may have become ubiquitous due to the rising prevalence of Professional Learning Communities, and autonomy has always been crucial for teachers to feel empowered and take ownership of their classrooms. Together, collaboration and autonomy each can impact student equity negatively and positively. The guiding question is then: How does teacher autonomy and collaboration affect student equity in the classroom? Reviewing literature found that teacher autonomy can cause stagnation in teaching practices or allow for meaningful differentiation. Collaboration can create rote compliance tasks or allow teachers to take risks to continuously improve. …

How Does The Use Of Restorative Circles During Instruction Impact Student Engagement And Agency?, Sydney Smith

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of my capstone project was to explore and help answer the research question of How does the use of Restorative Circles during instruction impact student engagement and agency? Through a Literature Review, professional experiences, and personal beliefs around teaching, this capstone project is inspired by Restorative Practices, specifically Restorative Circles, and how they build community in the classroom. The project helps educators in creating a classroom community that limits disruptive behaviors which is supported by personal educator experience, along with scholarly studies that found student engagement is impacted by personal relationships with their teacher and peers. When students …

The Literary Games We Play: Science Fiction In The Teaching Of Secondary Science, Luiza Roos

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project responds to a need for interdisciplinary approaches that merge literacy development with scientific inquiry, recognizing the challenges of engaging diverse learners in complex ecological and evolutionary content. Drawing from research in fiction-based learning (Wong et al., 2024), science fiction and science pedagogy (Bixler, 2007), role-playing games in education (Cheville, 2016), and culturally responsive teaching (Rodriguez & Morrison, 2019), the project aims to make science more accessible, inclusive, and relevant to students’ lived experiences. This capstone explores how science fiction novels, specifically The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi, can be effectively integrated into a secondary science curriculum to …

Love Potions And Love Letters: An Argument That Libertarian Free Will Isn't Necessary For Loving God, Netanel Ron

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

Navigating Through Difficult Roads And Terrains: Novice Teachers’ Challenges In Teaching In Remote Mountainous Settings In The Philippines, Albert C. Albina, Sarah Jean A. Salmorin, Dannyla N. Cainos, Rhea Mae C. Montano

The Rural Educator

In rural areas, the adaptation of urban-originating elementary teachers to remote mountainous school locations poses substantial challenges and necessitates innovative strategies. This study primarily explored the lived experiences of newly hired elementary teachers residing in urban areas but assigned to remote mountainous locations, specifically focusing on their adaptation processes, the challenges they encountered, and support mechanisms that influenced their teaching roles. Using a descriptive phenomenological approach and reflexive thematic analysis, this study involved in-depth interviews with nine newly hired urban-originating elementary teachers who were assigned to teach in rural schools in the Municipality of Santa Catalina, Basay, and Bayawan City, …

Redefining Rural Representation In Short Story Anthologies: Using Short Stories To Highlight Rural Counterstories, Brittany Gargano-Smith, Jenna Spiering

The Rural Educator

This article explores the importance of incorporating diverse rural short stories into English language arts (ELA) curricula to foster empathy, understanding, and connection among students. It addresses underrepresentation and lack of variety in rural stories within publishing and traditional curricula, which affects rural students’ sense of identity and belonging. Through exploration of rural short story anthologies, the authors highlight the significance of counterstories that depict the intersectional dimensions of rural life, including geography, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and abilities. By amplifying contemporary rural voices and complicating stereotypes, educators can create more inclusive learning environments that validate diverse experiences.

Building Respect, Responsibility, And Reciprocity: Insights From A Rural Stem Research Practice Design Partnership, Amanda Obery, Martha Cabell, Shelly Hogan, Matt Queen

The Rural Educator

Rural schools often have strong community involvement and thus can offer educational experiences to students that are more closely aligned with local people and places. However, curricula in rural schools rarely offer this same alignment. Partnerships with others, including higher education, can support rural schools in creating STEM curricula that center the resources and careers present in their communities. A research design practice partnership (RPDP) was created as a Third Space to enable the development of locally relevant STEM curricula. The partnership was formed focusing on respect, responsibility, and reciprocity, necessary tenets as the roles and goals of the project …

Childhood Asthma Biomarkers Derived From Plasma And Saliva Exosomal Mirnas, Abdelnaby Khalyfa, Mohit Verma, Meghan M. Alexander, Zhuanhong Qiao, Tammy Rood, Ragini Kapoor, Trupti Joshi, David Gozal, Benjamin D. Francisco

Biomedical Sciences

Asthma, the most common chronic respiratory condition in children, involves airway inflammation, hyper-responsiveness, and frequent exacerbation that worsen the airflow and inflammation. Exosomes, extracellular vesicles carrying microRNAs (miRNAs), play a key role in cell communication alongside other types of communication and are promising markers of asthma severity. This study compares exosomal miRNA and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) profiles in boys with asthma, focusing on differences between those with normal lung functions and those with severe airflow obstruction. This study enrolled 20 boys aged 9–18 years with asthma, split into two groups based on their lung function. Ten had normal lung …

Network Segmentation Security With The Implementation Of Threats, Ryan Bredesen, Stephen Mujeye

Faculty Publications – Technology

Network segmentation is an important cybersecurity strategy that aims to reduce an attacker's ability to move laterally and increase security within a network. This study evaluated the effectiveness of network segmentation by simulating attacks on two networks using Infection Monkey. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of network segmentation on the detection and spread of threats across several virtual machines. Two network environments were created, the first unsegmented network (Network A) and a segmented network (Network B). Multiple simulated attacks were conducted on both networks. The attacks confirmed that the segmented network achieved better protection because …

Addressing Iot Vulnerabilities In Smart Homes, Erik Peterson, Stephen Mujeye

Faculty Publications – Technology

The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in smart homes has surged in recent years, accompanied by significant security vulnerabilities. The proliferation of IoT devices in smart homes has significantly enhanced convenience but also introduced substantial cybersecurity risks. This study investigated the susceptibility of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in students' homes to cyberattacks, emphasizing the need for heightened consumer awareness regarding security vulnerabilities. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify common attack methods and trends in IoT cybersecurity, informing the development of a comprehensive survey administered to 34 student respondents. The results indicate a notable awareness of …

A Critical Analysis Of Sme Cybersecurity Policies And Practices, Alex Clark, Stephen Mujeye

Faculty Publications – Technology

This study examines the cybersecurity policies, practices, and preparedness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Central Illinois, focusing on how they align with established standards. Through a detailed literature review and a survey, the research identifies common cyber threats faced by SMEs and evaluates their current cybersecurity measures. Key findings reveal that many SMEs, despite being vulnerable due to their integration of Industry 4.0 technologies, lack comprehensive incident detection and response systems. The study underscores the necessity for improved cybersecurity awareness among all levels of SME staff, including CEOs, managers, and employees. Recommendations are proposed to enhance collective cybersecurity …

Translating The Hba1c Lab Test Name And Results From English To Arabic For Enhanced Patient Access And Workflow Efficiency, Aiman M. Alrawabdeh

Translational Projects (Open Access)

In Jordan, where the healthcare system primarily operates in English, Arabic-speaking patients encounter significant challenges in understanding laboratory test names and results, including Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), an essential diagnostic indicator for diabetes management. The lack of multilingual access to medical information limits health literacy and patient autonomy, increasing dependence on healthcare staff for translation assistance. This translational informatics project addressed these challenges by developing and implementing an Arabic translation process for the HbA1c lab test name and results. HbA1c was selected as it is a standard lab test among patients with diabetes in Jordan; nearly 30% of Jordanians had type …

Artificial Intelligence In Governance, Sally Brown, Erica Larue, Philip Smith

Artificial Intelligence Exhibit

This section gives an overview of AI in Governance including how it might impact jobs and employment, the business and nonprofit sectors.

Ai Questions; "The Ai Tea", Sally Brown

Artificial Intelligence Exhibit

This section includes a series of questions related to AI and the exhibit content, as well as button designs by WVU students and Art in the Libraries committee members, a list of the exhibition sponsors, and information on the exhibition launch panel.

Artificial Intelligence In Education, Sally Brown, Jill Woods, Mohamed Hefeida, Jennifer Sano-Franchini, Megan Vendemia, Erin Brock Carlson, Megan Leight, Gangqing Hu, Nicole Fuller

Artificial Intelligence Exhibit

This section explores the intersection of AI and education, including an overview of WVU's AI statement and submissions from WVU faculty, classes, students, and staff on AI related projects.

From "Proletariat" To President:The Educational History Of Dr. Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr., Franklin J. Gause

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of my study is the life of Dr. Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr. as a Black activist educator. Using oral history interviews, autobiographical, and biographical resources, alongside a thorough examination of Sellers’ (1973) published works, speeches, and archival materials, I explore how his formative experiences and his experiences as a student activist during the 1954 - 1968 Civil Rights Movement shaped his understanding of education as a tool for liberation. Sellers was a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. He later became a faculty member in the History department and the chair of the …

Esports Audience Segmentation: Means-End Chain Approach, Deokkyung Ock

Theses and Dissertations

As live-streaming platforms have fueled esports’ rapid growth, they have also diversified content from competitive matches to casual gameplay, creating a complex audience landscape. To capture this diversity, the present study applied means-end chain (MEC) theory to: (1) examine how esports audiences cognitively associate different content attributes with their expected consequences and underlying personal values; (2) segment esports audiences based on these unique MEC structures; and (3) compare consumption frequency of both watching and playing esports across the identified segments.

The current study adopted exploratory sequential mixed methods to achieve the study’s objectives. In Study One, in-depth interviews with 22 …

From Chalk Dust To Destiny: Race, Gender, Hair, And The Making Of My Stem Identity, Angela Gaines Hill

Theses and Dissertations

This critical autoethnography explored the evolving STEM identity of myself as a Black female student and educator and examined how race, gender, and hair politics intersected to shape experiences within predominantly white institutions. Guided by a two-fold framework of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Transformative Leadership Theory (TLT) , I posed two research questions: 1) How has my STEM identity as a Black woman evolved over time through my experiences as a student and educator?; 2) In what ways does my current STEM identity as a Black woman, as understood through reflective practices, inform my pedagogical approaches and mentoring of …

Educational Technology In Peer-Led Academic Support In Higher Education: The Impact Of Technology-Focused Training On Peer Educators’ Session Plans, Christopher Gulino

Theses and Dissertations

Students interact with technology daily; whether that is in the classroom, engaging with classmates, or studying material. Although technology has been widely adopted across the field of higher education, it has not been widely utilized to engage with students through the peer-to-peer support model. The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the implementation of educational technology training and its effect on undergraduate peer educators’ confidence to utilize technology in their plans for their peer-to-peer support sessions at a university in the southeast of the United States of America. The research will address the following research questions: How confident …

Cultural Competency Of Teachers And Its Effect On Their Instructional Practices, Martin Sims

Theses and Dissertations

Core content teachers at S Middle School participate in a study that reveals how increased cultural competency levels among 7^th-grade core content teachers positively influences their instructional practices. The increased cultural competency led to a more inclusive and effective learning environment across all core content areas. Throughout the study, teachers reflected on their own cultural identities while also considering the diverse cultural backgrounds of their students in each class period. As a result, teachers gained a deeper understanding of how cultural factors shape students' learning experiences and needs. The participants adjusted their teaching strategies to better connect with …

Evaluating The Value Of Ai Solutions In Healthcare: A Roi Assessment, Michael Corrado, Devang Gor, Adam Flanders, Avishkar Sharma, Jessa Tunacao Md, Luis Taveras Phd, Richard Kerr

Research Scholars

No abstract provided.

Lessons From Mysticism For Healthcare Providers: Health Care As A Space For Intersubjective Encounters Of Care, Micaela Plantinga, Alexandre A. Martins

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

Society’s deep divisions, fueled by individualism, competition, consumerism, rigid ideologies, and limited dialogue, have impacted health care, leading to weakened connections between providers and patients. In the U.S., heavy reliance on medical technology and the rise of AI have further eroded these intersubjective bonds, reducing empathetic engagement in care. To address this challenge, the paper explores insights from Christian mystics Saint Teresa of Avila and Edith Stein. Teresa’s teachings on self-examination and humility, despite her life as a cloistered nun, influenced both her religious order and the broader Church. Meanwhile, Stein’s phenomenological approach emphasized empathy and "suffering with" others, viewing …

Assessing The Benefits Of Simulations And War Games For The Homeland Security Enterprise Workforce, David Schanzer, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Jessica Sperling, Victoria Lee, Elena Johanson, Eleanor Ross

Reports, Projects, and Research

In recent years, there has been great interest across government, academia, and the private sector in experiential learning, and in particular the use of simulation and game-based methodologies. The purpose of this project is to use rigorous social science research to assess the educational value of simulation-based experiential learning and provide a replicable evaluation model that allows for validation and extension by other scholars and practitioners.

This report helps to fill the gaps in understanding the specific educational and training advantages offered by games, as well as the best practices for employing games to train or educate members of the …

Developing A Curriculum Audit Tool For Justice, Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion In Occupational Therapy Education, Whitney M. Cranna, Sarah Mckinnon

Translational Science in Occupation

Background: The OT profession is calling for intentional pedagogy that builds future practitioners’ capacity for embodying justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion (JEDI) values; however, the interpretation and application of this mission remain subjective and nebulous. Developing a theory-driven audit tool may help standardize and clarify JEDI pedagogy needs to enhance OT preparation and practice.

Objective: Using a culturally responsive, justice-based theoretical lens, this paper describes the development of a JEDI Curriculum Audit Tool for a Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PP-OTD) program.

Design: Quantitative systematic evaluation of curricular alignment with JEDI principles, including a 3-prong retroactive self-evaluation approach.

Setting: Curriculum …

Town Of Chester, New Hampshire Annual Reports Of The Town Officers, Boards, Commissions, Committees, And Other Agencies For Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2025, Chester Town Representatives

Chester, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

Finding Aid For The Nadine Cohodas Collection (Mum00831)

Archives & Special Collections: Finding Aids (alphabetical)

Collection contains interviews transcripts, handwritten and typed notes, photocopied articles, and newspapers researched by Nadine Cohodas from 1995/1996 on African American students on the University of Mississippi from 1950-1985.

Investigating The Neural Mechanisms Underlying Values-Based Leadership Behavior, Brooke Johnson, Gerald Mcglinn M.A., Acc

Research Scholars

No abstract provided.

Teaching Learning Newsletter Vol 5 Issue 1, Sastra Deemed To Be University

TLC Newsletter

No abstract provided.

School Of Nursing Unveils State-Of-The-Art Simulation Lab, Nicholas Gunn

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.