Digital Commons Network^™

Rethinking Writing Assessment In The Age Of Generative Ai: Toward A Conceptual Framework For First-Year Writing, Abeeb Hammed

English Faculty Research Publications

Emerging technologies have changed the dimensions of the first-year writing classroom. Before AI, assessment focused on traditional rubrics that emphasized arguments, rhetorical strategies, and language conventions. While this traditional checklist remains important for assessing student writing, it is also necessary to argue that the traditional rubric is insufficient for evaluating student performance in the current age of AI. We acknowledge that a rubric is not necessarily designed to detect AI use. However, there is a growing need for AI-informed assessment. A final-product rubric alone may provide insufficient evidence about the student’s writing process, decision-making, and authorship when AI is involved. …

Mary Hollis Papers - Accession 1457, Mary Hollis Faris, Hollis Family

Manuscript Collection

This Mary Hollis Letters consists of personal correspondence dating from 1932 to 1935, including letters and postcards addressed to members of the Hollis family, primarily Mary Hollis Faris (1911-1986) who was a 1932 graduate of Winthrop College. The correspondence documents family relationships, travel, daily activities, and social life during the period. A significant portion of the letters reflects a courtship between Mary Hollis and her future husband John Franklin “Frank” Faris (1909-1981), offering insight into romantic relationships, social customs, and leisure activities in the early 1930s. The series also includes communications among family members that reference vacations, weather, household matters, …

Designing Presence Together: A Coi-Guided Summit And Accountability Approach, Latisha D. Haag, Rachel Dolechek, Janet Stramel, Jessica Heronemus-Claiborn

Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository

This strategy, developed as part of a Digital Teaching Champions initiative at a regional comprehensive university, describes an Engage & Elevate summit and accountability model that helps faculty implement small, presence‑focused changes in their online courses using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. In two synchronous Zoom summits, faculty cohorts completed a brief CoI self‑assessment, explored discipline‑neutral examples of social, cognitive, and teaching presence, and analyzed low‑, moderate‑, and high‑presence versions of common online activities. Guided by summit worksheets and templates, each instructor selected one existing activity (such as a discussion, peer review, or feedback workflow), identified one “small teaching” …

Examining The Psychosocial Impact Of Having An Adolescent Sibling With A Leukemia Diagnosis, Jordan A. Barczak

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current research regarding the impact of having a sibling undergoing cancer treatment is inconsistent and limited in scope. The current study explored the psychosocial effects, including peer relationships, academic outcomes, and overall mood in siblings of children with a cancer diagnosis. This study also explored the interaction patterns between children, their siblings with a leukemia diagnosis, and other members of the family. The participants of this study consisted of five youth from different families with a child or adolescent sibling with a leukemia diagnosis. The participants were recruited via social media and other community outreach avenues. Participants were between …

Examining Developmental Outcomes And Follow-Up Engagement Among High-Risk Preterm Infants In A Diverse Urban Nicu Program, Madyson Kolbes

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Preterm infants are at elevated risk for developmental delays across cognitive, language, and motor domains, yet factors associated with engagement in NICU follow-up care remain poorly understood, particularly in diverse, urban populations. This study examined developmental outcomes at initial NICU follow-up and explored factors associated with follow-up completion among high-risk preterm infants. Participants included 174 infants enrolled in a hospital-based NICU follow-up program who completed an initial developmental screening using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Fourth Edition Screener (Bayley-4 Screener). A subset of 58 infants completed a second screening visit. Binary logistic regression was used to examine …

Scott Ely Collection - Accession 1761, Scott Ely

Manuscript Collection

This collection consists of manuscripts of Scott Ely’s various published works such as Overgrown with Love (1993), The Angel of the Garden (1999), Eating Mississippi (2005), A Song for Alice Loom (2006), and Plumb’s Bluff (2014); as well as screenplay manuscripts for his first and second publications, Starlight (1987) and Pit Bull (1988). Aside from these, there are several more manuscripts and screenplays for unpublished works and short stories. The collection also includes correspondence, newspapers and clippings, magazines, reviews, and personal documents and letters.

James Scott Ely (1944-2013) was a Winthrop University Professor of English from 1987 until his …

York County - Probate Judge Records - Accession 910, Probate Judge Records, York County

Manuscript Collection

The collection consists of 22 microfilm reels containing copies of probate records created by the York County (formerly York District), South Carolina, Probate Judge and its predecessor, the Office of the Ordinary, dating from 1787 to 1969. The original records are held by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

The collection documents the administration and settlement of estates in York County and includes estate record books, will books, inventories, appraisements and sales books, returns books, real estate books, minute books and journals of the Ordinary, indexes to estate papers, and selected estate case files. These records preserve probate …

Culture Of Betrayal: Exploring Organizational Antecedents Of Institutional Betrayal And Military Sexual Trauma, Natalie Kline

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Female service members experience disproportionately higher rates of military sexual trauma (MST) compared to their male counterparts. MST significantly increases risk for many mental health, physical health, and occupational concerns. In addition to the negative effects of MST itself, many service members also experience institutional betrayal (IB), which refers to failures of the organization to prevent or appropriately respond to traumatic events such as MST. High rates of MST and its negative consequences are well documented, but the organizational factors fostering IB are under-studied in the military population. The current study examined environmental antecedents of MST and IB guided by …

Using Text Messages To Reduce Pediatric No-Show Rates In Primary Pediatric Care, Kelly A. Rexford-Hudson

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Pediatric appointment no-show rates lead to fragmented care, missed preventative services, delayed immunizations, and reduced clinic efficiency. Children who miss well-child and follow-up visits are at increased risk for unmanaged chronic conditions and gaps in developmental surveillance. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement project was to evaluate whether bilingual text message reminders would decrease no-show rates in a pediatric primary care clinic. Led by the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model, this intervention consisted of two manual text message reminders, delivered in English and Spanish, at 7 days and 2 days before scheduled appointments during a …

Optimizing Behavioral Health Services For Older Adults Through Structured, Evidence-Based Group Therapy, Elizabeth A. Adwa

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Anxiety and depression are common among older adults and are often exacerbated by social isolation, grief, chronic health conditions, and limited access to mental health services (Blazer, 2020; Ong et al., 2016). To address these challenges, this project implemented a structured six‑week group therapy program designed to improve mental health outcomes and strengthen social connectedness among low‑income older adults. The program was delivered within a retirement community managed by a local faith‑based social service organization. Using a manualized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) group format, guided discussions, therapeutic activities, and peer support, the intervention aimed to reduce symptoms of anxiety and …

What We're Not Allowed To Teach: The Epistemic Suppression Of The Null Curriculum In American Formal Education, Monica Zheng

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This thesis explores the history and impact of the null curriculum, which Eisner (1994) defines as "what schools do not teach" (p. 97). The null curriculum often contradicts the messages that the dominant white-supremacist patriarchy has indoctrinated into the explicit curriculum into the curriculum that American formal education uses, especially with the advent of high-stakes standardized testing. In order to overthrow this capitalist system, teachers must feel safe teaching the null curriculum. This thesis makes the case that internal reform of the American formal education system is not enough to create this liberated learning experience, and an external, full …

Robust Broadband Characterization Of Flexible Absorbers, Sheet Material, And Liquids Using A Coaxial Structure, Joseph Christopher Stecher

Masters Theses

Modern high-frequency measurement systems require reliable calibration and sample positioning to ensure measurement fidelity. This thesis presents three studies addressing practical limitations in broadband material parameter extraction and instrumentation.

The first study introduces a modified Nicolson–Ross–Weir (NRW) technique for flexible, compression-sensitive materials from 100 MHz to 18 GHz. Rigid 3D-printed spacers ensure precise sample positioning, and a T-matrix–based de-embedding procedure removes spacer effects. Validation using microstrip measurements and full-wave simulation confirms accurate permittivity extraction across compression levels.

The second study extends NRW to sheet materials enabling accurate material characterization. Independent validation using toroidal inductors with leakage correction and parallel-plate capacitors …

Analyzing Sleep Architecture And Brain State Transitions Via Hidden Markov Models On Fmri Data, Brileigh Jay Cates

Masters Theses

Sleep is associated with systematic changes in brain activity and functional connectivity observable in functional magnetic resonance imagining (fMRI) signals. Because subjects often fall asleep during resting-state experiments, the absence of vigilance monitoring can confound the interpretation of resting-state dynamics. Although electroencephalography (EEG) is the gold standard for sleep staging, simultaneous EEG-fMRI acquisition is not always feasible.

This study investigates whether sleep stages can be inferred directly from fMRI using a probabilistic latent-state framework. Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) are applied to blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) time series to identify latent brain states and their temporal transitions. Inferred states are aligned with EEG-derived …

Developing Discharge Estimation Algorithm Using Low-Cost Velocity Sensor And Machine Learning, Barkha Gautam

Masters Theses

Accurate river discharge estimation is essential for flood forecasting, water resources management, and hydraulic decision-making; however, continuous discharge records are unavailable at many river locations. Traditional stage-discharge rating curves are widely used but their reliability may decrease when channel conditions change or flow conditions vary rapidly. This study develops and evaluates Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models for discharge prediction using 15-minute time-series data from river monitoring stations in Missouri. Two model configurations, a baseline stage-only model and an enhanced stage-plus-velocity model, are developed and evaluated independently at two river sites to determine whether the inclusion of surface velocity improves discharge …

Wattage- And Composition-Dependent Ocular Surface Toxicity: An In Vitro Study On E-Cigarette Aerosol Exposure In Human Corneal Epithelial Cells, Tzu-Ling Lin

Masters Theses

As electronic cigarette consumption continues to escalate globally, its impact on non-respiratory mucosal surfaces, particularly the ocular surface, remains largely understudied. This study investigated the toxicological effects of e-cigarette aerosols using a human corneal epithelial cell (HCE-2) model. Our findings reveal that aerosol exposure induces a significant, dose-dependent reduction in cell viability, exacerbated by higher device wattage and specific flavor agents such as watermelon. Exposure was found to trigger intracellular oxidative stress and the activation of apoptotic pathways, leading to programmed cell death. Furthermore, the upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines suggests that vaping may predispose users to chronic inflammatory conditions of …

Virtue Development A Christian Perspective On Character Formation In Community, Rebecca Konyndyk Deyoung

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

How do we become people of good character? Our default answer might include individual practices or a new program of self-discipline. This white paper will challenge that answer by introducing a more complex framework. For the Christian, spiritual maturity (“being sanctified through and through,” 1 Thess. 5:23) requires the development of virtue, empowered by the Holy Spirit, for life within the kingdom community.

• We are created for love and belonging in a life of communion with the Trinitarian God and with our neighbors. The goal of cultivating virtue is to be fitted for good community and to function well within …

More Than Surviving: Brazilian Immigrants' Stories Of Growth And Wellbeing In The United States, Virginia Veronica Lemos

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Immigration in the United States is often conceptualized within clinical psychology through deficit-oriented frameworks that emphasize risk, trauma, and psychological distress. While this work is essential for documenting vulnerability and inequity, it offers limited guidance for understanding how immigrants sustain wellbeing and meaning amid ongoing sociopolitical and institutional constraints. Brazilian immigrants represent a large and growing population in the US whose experiences remain comparatively understudied, particularly from strengths-based and interpretive perspectives. To address this gap, this qualitative study explores how Brazilian immigrants make sense of immigration and wellbeing through the narratives they construct about their lives in the US. Grounded …

Reimagining Occupational Justice Beyond Anthropocentrism: A Humane Education Approach To Occupational Therapy Education, Macy Sutton

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Occupational therapy positions itself as a holistic, justice-oriented profession, yet many of its theories, practices, and educational standards reflect Eurocentric values and assumptions. Even occupational justice, the disciplinary concept specifically concerned with advancing a more just world, is steeped in coloniality. Critical scholars have increasingly critiqued particular oppressive structures embedded in the field, such as ableism and white supremacy; however, anthropocentrism remains largely unchallenged. In the occupational justice literature, anthropocentrism operates primarily through omission; that is, animals are absent from most scholarly works. This gap is significant because anthropocentrism contributes to prejudice, oppression, and discrimination not only toward animals and …

A Delphi Study Of Ethical Best Practices For Psychedelic Assisted Therapy, Alyssa K. Griskiewicz

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this Delphi study was to establish areas of ethical consensus regarding psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) from the perspectives of an expert panel of practitioners, with attention to issues of equity and access. Participants (N = 29) include individuals with two or more years of experience in one or more of the following domains of psychedelic expertise: clinical/professional practice, scholarly/research contributions, or guided community/ceremonial facilitation. In Round 1, qualitative data were collected through open-ended questions and analyzed using thematic analysis to generate Delphi statements. In Round 2, panelists (N = 24) rated these statements using a Likert-type scale to …

"Why Don't I Talk To A Therapist?": Motivations And Reflections Of Female-Identifying Chinese Immigrants Seeking Psychotherapy For Depression, Qiuyi Wei

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Chinese immigrants and temporary residents struggling with depressive symptoms and their process of seeking and accepting psychotherapy support. The study aimed to describe the factors that motivated participants to enter therapy for depression while also addressing their internal concerns about treatment. Nine female-identified Chinese immigrant adults with such experiences were recruited. Participants’ perceptions of their depressive symptoms and the factors contributing to their decision to seek professional therapy were explored through in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted in Mandarin. The interview transcripts were analyzed in Mandarin using interpretative phenomenological analysis, through which four …

Graded Repertoire For Violin By Latin American Composers: Pedagogical Analysis And Categorization Of Selected Pieces, Irene Guerra Rudas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Repertoire sequences have evolved from a collection of technical studies into a comprehensive educational framework. This research aims to enhance the integration of innovative pedagogical materials by identifying, analyzing, and categorizing works originally composed for violin by Latin American composers. These works are assessed for their suitability within a structured violin curriculum and organized into graded levels, ranging from elementary to advanced.

Each selected piece is evaluated according to pedagogical parameters commonly used in established violin teaching traditions. These parameters include pitch range, rhythmic complexity, bow strokes, length, stylistic diversity, musical language, and the historical and cultural relevance of both …

The Hidden Costs Of Consumption: A Multi-Context Investigation On Stigma And Social Judgment, Siti Nuraisyah Suwanda

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Consumption is not always as simple as an exchange of value between a buyer and a seller. In many contexts, what individuals choose to consume or not consume can carry social meaning, leading to judgment and devaluation. While prior research has explored stigma broadly in marketing and consumer behavior, less attention has been given to stigma that caused specifically by consumption choices. This dissertation addresses this gap by examining how consumption becomes socially evaluated and judged across different contexts, with the goal of advancing both theoretical understanding and practical insights into socially sensitive consumption.

Essay One develops the foundation by …

Post-Secondary Participation And Graduation, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Ian Teo, Amanda Haddow, Daniel Edwards

Higher education research

This systematic review examines systems and institutional policies impacting Higher Education (HE) and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sectors globally. Specifically, it seeks to address the impact of access, participation, retention, and graduation policies, and support the development of the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2026 by responding to equity and inclusion challenges, and alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4 targets.

Teachers’ Perceptions Towards The Impact Of Reading Plus On 10th-Grade Intensive Reading Students, Melvia Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore teachers’ experiences and perceptions regarding the impact of the Reading Plus program on 10th-grade students in intensive reading courses. The research was aimed to understand how teachers perceive the program’s effectiveness in enhancing reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary, as well as their reports about student engagement and the challenges and successes encountered during implementation. The data was gathered from semi structured interviews with 8 teachers with at least 2 years of experience teaching with Reading Plus in intensive reading programs. Themes for teachers' experiences were generated by inductive analysis.

Findings …

Low Early Reading Skills In Children Entering Kindergarten In An Urban K-8 Center, Shelly D. Smith-Harding

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to investigate the preparedness of kindergarten children in early reading skills, drawing comparisons from their experiences in comparable preschool programs and to gain insight about how to address the problem of low early reading skills among children entering kindergarten. Using archival data from i-Ready reading diagnostic tests over a 4-year period (2021-2022 to 2024-2025), the researcher compared students who attended an urban K-8 Center Head Start program (n=47) with students from other preschools (n=33).

The researcher conducted an independent t-test with SPSS, version 30 software, to analyze differences at the baseline (Assessment Period 1) and …

Mixed-Methods Study Of High School Teachers’ Perceived Training, Self-Efficacy, And Assessment Competencies In Online Courses, Chantell Radford

Theses and Dissertations

The problem in this study was that, in a large urban school district in South Florida, the online high school teachers’ training, self-efficacy, and assessment competencies in courses required enhancement. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of high school teachers on their training, self-efficacy, and assessment competency in online courses.

Twenty high school online teachers participated in the study. Recruitment occurred through a link posted on Facebook and LinkedIn. The design (sequential explanatory mixed-methods design) aligned with the five research questions. Two instruments (survey and questionnaire) were used to collect data. Quantitative data analyis occurred with …

A Qualitative Study Of Teacher Perceptions Of Reading Proficiency, Latia Tyler

Theses and Dissertations

This applied qualitative dissertation was constructed to provide insight into the experiences of teachers who provide reading instruction for third grade students at the target school. Seven teachers engaged in semi structured interviews that sought to examine their perceptions on their abilities in teaching reading instruction, their perception on school supports, their perceptions on reading proficiency and factors that contribute to it. Additionally, comprehensive reading plans, published by the state of Florida, were examined to further understand the perceptions of teachers alongside district intended approach for reading instruction.

Thematic analysis of data revealed eight key themes including gaps in foundational …

Improving Middle School Students’ Scores On Math Word Problems Through Reading Comprehension, Diane M. Burgess

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to address the poor performance of middle school students on math word problems attributed to the lack of reading comprehension skills. A review of standardized math assessments for middle school students confirmed that the greater proportion of questions is made up of word problems. Despite having strong mathematical skills, middle school students are likely to fail to find the correct solutions for math word problems. In the middle school classroom, the development of reading comprehension skills and mathematical abilities are tasks required of different teachers. Math teachers at a middle school in Florida did not …

Teachers’ Experiences Implementing An Ai-Supported Reading Program In Kindergarten Through Grade 2: A Generic Qualitative Study, Janet Harrell

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was completed to explore kindergarten through grade 2 teachers’ experiences implementing an artificial intelligence (AI)-supported reading program during literacy instruction. Guided by a generic qualitative design, the study was designed to examine how teachers prepared to use the program, integrated it into daily literacy instruction, used AI-generated data to inform instructional decision-making, and experienced the instructional and contextual conditions that supported or hindered implementation. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 10 kindergarten through grade 2 teachers with experience using Amira Learning. Data were collected through semi structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Four themes emerged from …

The Implementation Of Small Group Direct Instruction For Reading Domains Of Second- Grade Students, Tarmeka Smith-Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation explored how implementing small-group direct instruction in an elementary school setting affected the reading performance of second-grade students. The study examined how organized small-group direct instruction can elevate students’ reading achievement in phonics, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Over a six week instructional period, a mixed-methods research design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data.

Pretest and posttest students’ reading assessments were collected using quantitative data, while teachers' weekly reflections and surveys were collected using qualitative data. A total of 30 students identified as struggling readers, and three second-grade teachers who implemented small-group direct instruction participated in …