Digital Commons Network^™

The Brain And Becoming: Integrating Play And Performance-Based Learning In The Community College Classroom, Hannah M. Green

English

Instruction in the community college classroom is in need of a shift, according to neuroscientific, pedagogical, and demographic data. Primarily, students in today’s community college classrooms are instructed in the form of lectures (Nilson 106), but research has shown that game-based learning would be the way to enhance learning experiences for these adult learners. Game-based learning specifically takes form in student learning through games, interactive reading activities such as performance pedagogy, discussions, and small group work. While research shows that play-based learning at the community college level is neurologically beneficial for students, there is a gap in implementing play-based learning …

Rural, Multigrade Kindergarten Through Grade 8 Teachers’ Experiences With Differentiated Instruction In A Northwestern State, Kristi Lynn Borge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Leading While Black: An Examination Of The Black Supervisor Experience Overseeing White Subordinates In Higher Education, Colette Marie Tobias

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This study examines how systemic racism and social capital hierarchies shape the supervisory experiences of Black supervisors. While existing literature has explored leadership and race, it has not fully examined how systemic racism shape Black supervisors’ experiences or how social capital hierarchies play into the behavioral responses of white subordinates. This study addresses that gap by centering the lived experiences of Black supervisors within higher education.

Grounded in narrative inquiry, this research focuses on how participants make meaning of their experiences through their stories. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and reflective journals with 19 Black supervisors who had at …

Examining Associations Between Cognitive Factors And Behavior To Promote Culturally Responsive Teaching In Middle School Math: A Conceptual Replication Study, Ashley Struebing

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The purpose of this research was to examine the association of middle school math teachers’ cognitive processes on their use of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices to promote CRT in middle school math classrooms. Specifically, a quantitative, cross-sectional research design was used to conduct a conceptual replication of Comstock et al. (2023), and to extend their research by exploring the association between teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching math and their use of CRT practices. Participants in the current study were urban and rural middle school math teachers who may or may not have been involved in a CRT professional development program, …

Rachel F. Moran, Rachel F. Moran

Faculty CVs

No abstract provided.

Objects In The Sunset, Iskander Guetta

Masters of Environmental Design Theses

This research explores everyday design practices in the Maghreb shaped by economic, political, and ecological struggles amid transnational debates on decolonizing design. To do so, it looks at objects in, through and with the sunset. Taking المغرب — the place where the sun sets — as a conceptual lens, Objects in the Sunset illuminates the savoir-faire born from dispossession, scarcity, and epistemic violence. Working across different scales of the built environment — infrastructures, spaces, objects, and materials — it shifts design away from Eurocentric conceptions: from rationalization to resourcefulness, homogeneity to heterogeneity, optimization to adaptation, disposability to repair, and universal …

Leveraging Information Theory And Ecological Network Analysis To Monitor Communication Networks In A Student Aerospace Team, Christine Sessions

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Effective communication is a critical component of successful collaboration in group projects and team settings. However, systematically tracking and analyzing team communications can be challenging, especially in complex, multi-member teams such as those found in the aerospace industry. This paper explores an information-theoretic approach that leverages encoding techniques and graph theory to analyze communication networks within a university’s multi-year, student-led cubesat design project (Project COMET). By utilizing Shannon Entropy as a measure of information flow, encoding communication patterns, and analyzing Ecological Network Analysis parameters, this research aims to understand how an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student project team evolves over the …

Learning Through Reading: Confronting Novel Linguistic Forms In Literature, Quinn Doyle

German Studies Honors Projects

How do readers learn to engage with novel forms of written language that fall outside of their established linguistic repertoire? And how do texts themselves facilitate this process? This thesis looks for answers to these questions in literary theory, multilingualism studies, applied linguistics, and a diverse corpus of literary works. I propose a comprehensive descriptive vocabulary of novel language use in literature, and then observe how these frameworks work in concert in an exemplary text by analyzing Christine Brooke-Rose’s multilingual novel Between. I conclude by discussing how the “exceptional” cases explored in this thesis can change our understanding of …

Influences Of Musical Experience On Absolute Pitch Memory, Mia A. Guzman

Music Honors Projects

Absolute pitch (AP), colloquially known as “perfect pitch,” is the ability to identify or recreate any musical note without an external reference tone. While many believe AP is an exceptional, innate musical talent, I argue that AP is a continuous ability influenced by experience. Using a mixed-methods approach that combined behavioral tasks with interviews, I examined AP memory in AP possessors and non-possessors with varying musical backgrounds to understand how experience-based factors, such as language, primary instrument, and the onset and style of musical training, might influence individual performance on established AP measures.

Anti-French Sentiment As A Factor In The Coup Belt, Foster P. Mcgrath

Politics Honors Papers

This thesis examines if anti-French sentiment is a significant factor influencing individuals' support for coups d'état in former French colonies in Africa, mostly in the sub-Saharan Sahel region which has earned the term "Coup Belt."

Illinois Wesleyan Announces Candidates For Graduation 2026, Ryan Gibson

Press Releases 2020-2029

No abstract provided.

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

Faculty Quarterly Journal for Florence Normal College, October 1909.

*Press of The Florence Times*

It’S No Longer Greek To Me: A Gamified Parsing Study Tool, Josiah J. Lane

Senior Honors Theses

Learning Koine Greek presents significant challenges due to the language’s complex morphology, including multiple verbal forms encoding tense, aspect, mood, voice, person, and number. Traditional methods relying on rote memorization often fail to support long-term retention and rapid parsing ability. This project presents a web-based parsing study tool designed to address these challenges by integrating spaced repetition algorithms, active recall, and gamification principles. The system leverages a relational database of lexical forms and parsed words, enabling adaptive scheduling of practice items based on individual learner performance. Gamified elements, including scoring, progress tracking, and immediate feedback, sustain engagement and encourage consistent …

The Weaponization Of Transnational Crime: A Triangular Analytical Model For Hybrid Threat Development In U.S.–China–Russia Relations, 2000–2025, Michael J. Haak

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the evolving strategic relationship between the United States, China, and Russia from 2000 to 2025 through a triangular model based on reactions to systemic pressures to core strategic interests. The study employs a thematic qualitative data analysis on U.S., Chinese, and Russian national security strategies to analyze strategic posturing between poles over time. This new model serves as the study’s basis for contextualizing hybrid threat development, specifically transnational crime as a proxy force of asymmetric power projection. The study found that the evolution of state-supported transnational crime serves as a by-product of reactions to systemic pressure. State …

The Echo: May 4, 2026, Taylor University

2025-2026 (Volume 113)

No abstract provided.

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

Faculty Quarterly Journal of Florence Normal College, January 1911.

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

Faculty Quarterly Journal of Florence Normal College, October 1910.

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

Faculty Quarterly Journal of Florence Normal College, May 1910.

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

Faculty Quarterly Journal of Florence Normal College, March 1910.

*Press of The Florence Times*

Phenological Overlap In Obligate Plant-Pollinator Mutualism, Austin J. Carlson

2026 Spring Honors Capstones Projects

Plant-pollinator mutualisms require temporal overlap between flowering and pollinator activity, so climate-driven timing shifts can weaken the interaction and, in severe cases, destabilize the system. This work investigates how reduced overlap affects persistence in an obligate plant-pollinator pair using a coupled differential equation model in which a phenological overlap factor scales the saturating mutualistic benefit. Simplification with a constant overlap enables closed-form equilibrium and stability analysis, revealing that below a critical overlap threshold, coexistence is no longer maintained. Rescaling reduces the parameter space from ten quantities to seven dimensionless groups, and sensitivity analysis identifies the degree of species dependence and …

Miracles Or Mirages? Miracle Language In Medical Communication, Thomas Yu

Senior Honors Theses

The current study seeks to understand how miracle language exists as a persuasive tool by examining the usage of miracle language in the discourse surrounding the release of Xolair for individuals with food allergies. This was accomplished by conducting a qualitative analysis of the miracle language employed by those engaged in the Xolair discourse. An extensive literature review was conducted to gain a foundational understanding of medical persuasion and miracle language, as well as an understanding of the theoretical foundations of this study. Twenty-four pieces of literature from pharmaceutical companies, and food allergy community members were chronicled and studied utilizing …

Empowering Educators, Elevating Students: A Multifaceted Approach To Improving Student Academic Success, Amanda Huebner

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This proposal examines the interrelationship between teacher professional development, collaborative planning time, and student academic achievement in rural middle schools. Drawing on data from a central Nebraska district, the study analyzes how targeted, job‑embedded professional learning and structured planning practices empower educators, reduce burnout, and increase engagement among seventh‑ and eighth‑grade students. Using an improvement‑science framework, the research seeks to inform systemic strategies that elevate both teacher efficacy and student outcomes.

An Overview Of Selected Works For Chamber Orchestra: Literature Insights For Conductors Leading Small Orchestra Programs, Ramon Araujo

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This document presents a series of analytical program notes for six orchestral and chamber works spanning four centuries, examined through the intersecting lenses of conductor and educator. The works under consideration, Veracini's Concerto for Violin in D Major, Schubert's Overture to Rosamunde D. 644, Brahms' Serenade No. 2 in A Major Op. 16, Elgar's String Serenade in E Minor Op. 20, Piston's Divertimento for Nine Instruments, and the author's own Tresillos for Orchestra, are treated not merely as historical objects but as active performance problems whose solutions require the integration of scholarly analysis, historically informed practice, and …

A Pedagogy Of Connection: Potentials And Practices For The English Classroom, Alexandra Bissell

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

In a moment characterized by rapid technological advancement and sociopolitical volatility, the academy currently faces the need to redefine what a college education can offer students and reimagine how it delivers on that promise. This dissertation proposes a pedagogy centered on the process of connection as one way that English educators at the collegiate level might approach our teaching and respond to this call. Connection is relational, but also textual and conceptual, and I contend that establishing connection as the catalyst for our pedagogical practices is a powerful way to move forward and support our students’ intellectual growth as well …

Burnout Among Radiation Therapists Before And After The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis, Julisa B. Borge, Annette E. Flores, Jaci Jo C. Jensen-Jones, Shaun T. Caldwell

Research Methods Poster Session 2026

No abstract provided.

Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Study, Kaden T. Gammon

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

This report discusses the results of an independent study on direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The study’s objective was to establish a performance baseline using a TKK 57.7% platinum catalyst on the cathode and a TKK 58% platinum–ruthenium catalyst on the anode. Experimental results showed that increasing the operating temperature by 20°C did not improve performance, which was contrary to expectations. In one study, airflow was increased from 0.2 L/min to 0.3 L/min, which resulted in a small improvement in power density. However, increasing the methanol concentration from 1 mol/L to 2 mol/L showed no notable improvement in performance, indicating …

From Promise To Practice: An Analysis Of The De Jure-De Facto Gap In The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Alyssa S. Piccoli

Honors Scholar Theses

Children with disabilities face educational disparities in the United States despite the existence of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which was enacted by the U.S. Congress to ensure a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for such children. As promises of protection are overshadowed by discrepancies in access, quality, and consistency across school districts (Seligman 2005), this paper examines the legal factors that aggravate the paradox between de jure educational rights and their de facto fulfillment for children with autism. To better understand how these challenges manifest in the legal arena, I analyze twenty-four legal cases and seventy claims …

The Queer Family Farm: Exploring Agrifood Justice And Management Philosophies Among Lgbtq+ And Family Farmers In Minnesota And Wisconsin, Julia I. Castellano

Geography Honors Projects

Agriculture in the US countryside has long been idolized as a symbol of traditional American values via the “family farm” while queerness has become associated with avant-gardism and urbanity. This study contributes to the nascent but growing scholarship at the convergence of these seemingly opposing propositions: queer farming. Specifically, I contextualize LGBTQ+ farmers in Minnesota and Wisconsin through historical and modern perspectives on the dominant heteronuclear family farm and industrial agricultural landscape to understand how they approach farming in the absence of traditional gender roles and as predominantly small, alternative farmers. The family farm as we imagine it today is …

Multicultural Marketing: Rebranding Chick-Fil-A For Chinese Audiences, Christina Pan

Senior Honors Theses

China is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world, and consumption is its main cause of growth. With a population of 1.4 billion people, many companies want to establish themselves in China. However, China and the United States markets are vastly different, and China’s post-COVID economy makes success increasingly difficult. Factors such as domestic competition, weakening US-China relations, and increased suspicion in foreign products calls for a new marketing and branding approach for United States companies. Fast-food giants such as McDonald’s and KFC have managed success in the past, but one company that also has potential is Chick-Fil-A. This …

Connected Pastors: The Importance Of Having Safe Support Systems In Ministry, Karin A. Hines

Senior Honors Theses

Pastors minister to broken people, but sometimes they need help themselves. Many pastors do not seek help or do not have anyone safe to go to, often for fear of losing their influence or job. This thesis argues that sharing one’s life with safe people is essential, especially for those who are in high-stress professions. It explores pastoral support systems, examines comparable stigmas against seeking help in other fields, analyzes the science of sharing and isolation and their effects on the brain and body, and considers the Bible’s instructions on living in community for one’s personal well-being. Pastors require intentional, …